“Are you in trouble?” I glare at him. “I see the scars on your back. They look like?—”
I whirl to face him, inches from his face. “Shut the fuck up, Cam. Just shut up. You have no clue what the fuck is going on with me!”
While I’m seething, his face is a mask of pity. I want to wipe it away. “Aiden.” His soft tone pisses me off. It makes me want to punch him. “I understand, okay.”
“Stop—”
“My father used to beat me,” he says quickly, making my mouth close. He nods. “He used to hurt me a lot. Belts, spoons, whatever he could use. I see it, and if that’s what’s going on?—”
“It’s not.”
“Then I understand,” he finishes. “I cut off all contact with him, eventually.” He smiles sadly. “Being with Bowen has changed the way I see things, and I don’t want a relationship with someone who uses me and makes me feel guilty about their own neglect and abuse.” He swallows. “But you didn’t ask.”
“You’re right.” I glare. “I didn’t.”
“Well, I just want you to know I’d understand. Okay? I get it.” I think he’s done but he keeps opening his mouth. “Do you want to come back with?—”
“No.” I grab my bag and shove the toothbrush and toothpaste inside. “I need to go home.”
I push past him without a word, needing air.
Since the nightI lay in the back seat with Sawyer, it’s felt impossibly small. Which is stupid. There’s not much room back here, but it’s wide enough to comfortably sleep on my side.
Or next to a pretty boy with shining eyes.
I’m going to gouge my eyes out.
Instead, I roll onto my side and grab my phone from the floor. My fingers move before my brain realizes what I’m doing as I pull up the picture of Sawyer I took for his phone contact. I snap back when I see it light up.
Why is he calling? “Uh, hello?”
“Hey, sorry, I hope you weren’t asleep.”
“It’s only eight.”
“Yeah, I know,” he laughs. “Sorry um, just uh ... I just wanted to ask if you can come in tomorrow.”
“Yeah, no problem. I can do that.”
“I just have a lot to do. What are you doing now?”
“Oh, I uh, just got home from the gym.”
“How often do you go?”
“Uh, every day.”
“Every day?” He laughs. “Wow. Health conscious.”
There’s nothing else to fucking do. I’ve even resorted to taking some of the dance workouts just to fill my time. At least I get my money’s worth.
“I just like it,” I say.
“I go a couple of times a week with Hunter. My best friend. When I get time. You go to Cam’s gym, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve never seen you there.”
