Cam transitioned easily into their privileged world even though he was from the poor side of town. Being a part of the whole football-and-athletics clique seems to open doors and provide easy acceptance, and Cam was more than happy to walk on through. I chose to stay on my side of the tracks. Cam and I remained the best of friends, despite it all.
“Can I drop by Ruby’s when you get off work tonight? Just to talk?” he asks.
I head over to the wood bench the 4-H club built and I drop my bag on the ground.
“How do you know that I’m working tonight?” I don’t give him a chance to answer. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“You get off at ten, right?” JD looks down at me, the sun blazing behind him, creating a halo of light around his muscular outline. I half expect a chorus of angels to start singing.
“You’re not going to give up, are you?” I reply, squinting my eyes against the intensity of the sunlight wrapping around his body.
“Not when it’s important.”
Is he implying that I’m important, or that talking to me is important? Why does the first thought make my heart rate kick up a notch?
“If I say yes, will you leave and go away?”
I watch as he tries, but fails, to stop the curvature of a grin from tipping his mouth up. I never noticed how beautiful his smile is. This guy is just too damn pretty.
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
“See you tonight then, Aurora.”
“It’s Rory,” I shout at him as he walks back to the main school building.
He turns around and gives me that half-smile again. “I know.”
Instead of blushing at his cockiness, I roll my eyes. I watch JD’s retreating form until he disappears out of sight.
Taking the business card out of my back pocket, I turn it over and over in my palm, pondering what to do. What would Cam tell me to do?
Cam was as straight as an arrow of a person I knew. He never lied to me, and he abhorred people that did. It stemmed from when his dad walked out on him and his mom when he was ten. The last words his dad told Cam were that he would be back. Cam never saw his father again. He found out several years later that his dad was living a great life in Charlotte with a new wife and son. That messed him up for a long time. Knowing I have questions that need to be answered, Cam would want me to find out the truth.
Before I allow myself a chance to change my mind, I flip my phone open and dial the number listed on the back of the card Trevor gave to me. It rings one time.
“Hello?”
My stomach clenches with nausea and uncertainty.
“It’s Aurora. Aurora St. Claire,” I stutter out.
I bang the phone against my head. Could I sound more stupid? I hear Trevor’s slight chuckle on the other end. I decide not to beat around the bush.
“Do you have proof?”
“I wouldn’t have come to you if I didn’t.”
“Convince me then. Ruby’s Diner tonight at nine. Do you need directions?”
“No. I know where it is. I’ll be there.”
I flip my old phone shut and close my eyes.
I either just did something extremely idiotic, or something that will drastically change my life in unimaginable ways. Why do I feel like it’s going to be the latter?
Chapter 4
