"I'll fuckin' kill him," he growls.
I step up to him and clutch his tee shirt tightly, drawing from his strength. "I just really need you to take me home right now and stay with me. Could you do that? Please?" I look up at him through my lashes and his conflicted eyes undo me.
I don't deserve to have a friend like him. His arms wrap around me again and it occurs to me that he's probably stronger than Robin. They'd be closely matched, but my money would be on Cam in a fight. He's probably an inch or so taller, and his muscles are lean but built, and something about him is just stronger I think. Maybe it's just the safety I find in his arms. Cam would never, ever hurt me. In fact, he'd kill for me. I know that inherently. I can't let him get into a fight. That would be awful.
"Yeah, Ror, let's go." Cam leads me out of the trees and to his truck. When I texted him where I was he must have driven to a closer access point to the woods. I'm so grateful I don't have to go back to that lot.
I take a deep breath and pull out my phone again. I need to text them to let them know I'm going home and I have a ride. I don't mention I'm going to Cam's, but if either of them know me at all, they'll know it anyway.
Cam stays quiet as he drives us home and leads me to his room. He knows better than to push me to talk. He knows me better than anyone in the world.
I lie down on his bed in my sundress since I don't have pajamas here and I don't feel like walking next door to get them. Cam offers to run over, but I don't want him to leave me right now. He's waiting for me to be ready to tell him what happened, but his jaw is clenched, his fists so tight they're turning white.
"He didn't touch me, Cam," I murmur, because I know that's what he's thinking.Not this time anyway. Cam exhales, like he'd been holding his breath, and comes to sit beside me on the bed and I turn to him. He strokes my hair.
"What. Did. He. Do." he grates.
I shake my head. Now that I've had some time to think it through, I'm not sure he did anything at all.
"Ror."
Reluctantly I meet Cam's gaze. He sighs and lies down beside me, and I roll onto my back so we're side by side staring at the ceiling. We've had countless heart to hearts just like this. "I think I overreacted," I admit.
"Ror, I found you huddled in the middle of the damn woods, cryin' hysterically. There's a million thoughts going through my head right now. Please just tell me what happened," he pleads.
"He never said we were exclusive. I never asked."
"He cheat on you?" Cam asks.
I shake my head. "He can't cheat on me if he's not my boyfriend."
"You've been seeing him for months, of course he's your boyfriend!" Cam's getting upset on my behalf. I'd expect nothing less, but in this moment, it's just not helpful.
"Can you stop being my defender right now and be objective, please."
"I'll never stop being your defender, Ror, but I can also be objective, and whether you two have discussed it or not, you have the right to expect more from him." Cam shakes his head, incredulous. "He told you he's seein' someone else?"
"No."
"So why do you think he's steppin' out on you?"
I take a deep breath. "Last month, when I stayed over, I'd hung out with the girls and he went out with his buddies. He got home real late, but he came upstairs to give me a goodnight kiss-"
"Just a kiss?" Cam interrupts.
"Yeah, Cam, just a kiss," I confirm.That time."I uh... I thought I smelled perfume on him."
"It coulda been Lacey's," Cam offers. "Or one of his boys coulda had a girl with him."
"That's what I thought," I say, though I didn't really. Even then, I knew what it had meant. "No, that's not true. I suspected something. I knew he wanted more and I just wasn't ready."
"Wanted more?"
"More than kissing."
Cam lets out a growl. "Dammit Ror! A man doesn't step out on his girl because she ain't ready to sleep with him!"
I don't reply. I'm not sure he's right.
