21
Ishould have known it wasn't going to be that simple because nothing in my life ever is.
My run-in with Brian had spurred me on. Within a couple of hours, I'd finished my to-do list for Trudy and I was in my car, heading back to Farley. I needed to talk to Ben, needed to explain everything as soon as possible.
I called Trudy from the road and told her the code to get into my apartment and where I'd left the spare key for her. I told her about the list I'd left for her on my desk and asked her to have everything packed up for me and to send me a list of storage facilities near Farley.
I was already on the road when Cam called in tears.
When she told me what happened, I couldn't believe it. Brody had broken up with her. I wanted to deny it because that man was crazy about her and anyone who saw them together would know it.
He wouldn't have just ended things out of the blue.
So I drove back to Farley like a maniac, only stopping to pick up some necessary supplies.
When I walked in the door and saw Cameron's heartbroken expression and puffy, red eyes, I nearly dropped everything on the counter and went out to find Brody so I could beat on him a little. It probably wouldn't hurt him, but it would make me feel better.
"What's in the box?" she asked, sniffing.
"A head."
"How verySevenof you," she replied, smiling a little.
If she could smile, that was a good sign. I carried everything into the kitchen and took a six-pack of Dr. Pepper out of the very box she'd been asking me about. The cans were falling out of the plastic rings that held them together so the clerk at the convenience store had dug around and found me a box to put them in.
"Tell me what happened," I said as I moved around the kitchen getting cups of ice for our drinks.
By the time she was finished, Cam was crying again, which pissed me off even more.
"I can't believe he did this," I said. And I couldn't.
Cam went to the pantry and got out a couple of paper plates for our pizza. "I don't know why, but neither can I."
"He's completely into you. When you're in the room, no other woman exists." I shook my head. What on earth was going on?
"I feel like there's more to this story."
I considered it for a moment and asked, "Want me to find out?"
For a split second, I thought Cam was going to say yes, but after a long moment she closed her eyes and just shook her head.
Damn, she was definitely a better woman than me. I was sorely tempted to do it anyway but she was already hurt enough, so I let it be.
"Well, if you change your mind, let me know. We can get to the bottom of this," I said.
"What am I going to do?" she asked. "I'll have to see him. He comes to my parents' place every Sunday for lunch and he brings Jacks into the shop. I don't want him to stop doing that because I don't want to hurt Jacks. She's too young. She won't understand why I'm suddenly not there."
"Right now, you're going to eat junk food and let me cheer you up. Then, eventually, you're going to get through it. And Brody is going to realize that he's an idiot and kick himself in the ass. Repeatedly."
If he didn't come to that conclusion on his own, I would be happy to help him reach it.
"You think?"
She sounded so sad that I really, really wanted to do something about it, mainly track Brody down and tell him what a horrible person he was, but I couldn't leave her right now. She needed me.
"I know," I answered, tapping my drink against hers.
We ate our pizza, drank our Dr. Pepper, and watched Food Network until late into the night. Finally, when Cam started nodding off, I cleaned up the mess on the coffee table and in the kitchen and tucked her into bed.
