then we’ll be through.
This is the last I’ll see of YOU.
A dark chill shook James to the core. He hadn’t missed the similarities to the other poem. The way he’d compared his addiction to a dance. Winstonhadplanned to go to Cincinnati after all. But he wanted to have one last hoorah first.
James clenched his fist so tight it hurt. He remembered reading articles on addiction and recovery. He’d once read of a guy who’d gotten clean, like Winston. Something happened down the road, he lost a girlfriend perhaps. And the guy relapsed. Officials believe he used the same amount he’d been accustomed to, but the tolerance for it was no longer there. He overdosed, leaving his family to grieve the loss of a fighter who, inevitably, lost the fight.
That last hurrah had cost Winston his life. Somewhere in his mind, James realized it would take years to process the truth of it. To accept that Winston had gone into the act so foolishly.
Wordlessly, Camila wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his chest. She might be new to his life, but already, she was familiar. Her candy-like scent, her generous warmth, and the way her silky hair brushed against his cheek when they embraced.
James ran his chin along the length of her upper arm, back and forth, reflecting on the detail he’d just learned. And on the way that, having this woman here by his side, grounded him somehow. Kept him from flying away in that panicky place of desperation and doubt. It forced him to simply sit with what had happened to Winston. The tragedy of it all.
In the quiet moment, he thought back on the seed Camila planted in him earlier. She’d suggested he use Winston’s story to help others somehow. He vowed then to do that very thing. Somehow, in the not-too-distant future, James would find ways he could do something about it. If he could possibly deter kids from starting down that crooked path, it’d be a worthwhile cause.
He nodded, brought his lips to Camila’s cheek, and planted a kiss where that adorable dimple sank into her cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered against her skin. “Thanks for helping me through this.”
Camila tipped her head slightly, bringing her mouth to his, and gave him a soft kiss. “Thanks for letting me.”
James urged her to lean into him once more as he settled deeper into the beanbag. He would soak up her warmth for a while longer before they said goodnight.
Yet just as his tired eyes started to drift, a flash of lightning lit up the darkened sky. A thunderous boom followed, crashing angrily over the beach. It felt as if they’d entered the heart of a drum as the roar intensified. The glass took on a response of its own—the windows and skylights ringing the raging echo with every shiver and pulse.
As much as he wanted to prevent it, as much as James tried to keep it out, that sliver of fear snuck back into his heart. Cold. Dark. Sharp.
The storm was ready to do its worst.
A recollection of Stephanie’s warning texts came to mind. Hopefully the downpour outside would be the only storm he had to weather; James had been through enough heartache to last him a very long time. And if what Camila told him was true, so had she.
Chapter 20
James’ favorite tunes flowed through his earbuds as he ran along the sandy beach. He liked how his Bowie mix reminded him of Camila, liked how they’d made a lot of memories to the very same songs.
Yesterday, he’d told Camila that he loved her, and boy had he meant it. Some might argue that that three weeks wasn’t enough time to fall in love with someone. He might have argued that himself. But James knew better now. Knew that nights and days with Camila by his side were the best he’d known. And he couldn’t wait to get back to life in LA and make her part of that world too.
He’d texted his family just that morning. Told them of his plans for a life celebration party at Grandpa’s cabin by the lake. He’d introduce the family to Camila, and have her by his side as he celebrated the lives of both Dad and Winston. It was no longer a thing of dread, rather something to look forward to. Having his family come to love Camila as he did—that would be the icing on the cake. Hopefully for her as well; after all, she didn’t really have a family of her own. Not anymore.
The thought made him all the more glad she’d be part of his family now. Sure, he might be jumping the gun in thinking on a future together. Heck, not one of his siblings had married yet, and he was the youngest one living. But what good was being in love with a woman if you couldn’t see a future with her?
A loud, pulsing buzz interrupted the final song on his workout playlist as he neared the villa. James pulled the phone from his pocket and tugged an ear bud from his ear.Caller Unknown.
He sent the thing to voicemail. This wasn’t his personal phone, which meant the unknown caller likely had the wrong number. But just as he went to tuck the phone back into his pocket, a text came in.
Unknown Caller:James, answer the phone, please.
James:Who is this?
Unknown Caller:Adel. Call me.
James couldn’t hold back the eye roll. Adel was the last person he wanted to talk to right then. But the fact was, theydidneed to talk. Mainly, he wanted to get Adel on the same page. She was dating several men across the globe, since they never had been committed to one another, but James wanted to keep his name clear of hers in the tabloids from that point on. Make it clear that the two of them weren’t together.
He gave the screen a few taps, prompted it to get Adel on the line, and put it on speaker as another text came in.
“James?” Adel answered. “Did you see my latest text?”
James squinted against the sun at the screen. She’d sent him an image. He tapped on it so it would fill the screen. Looked like a copy of some signed document or other.
“I got it,” he said, scanning quickly through the words on the document. “This is a submission to get on the Lion’s Den.”
