Precious Consequences

really have gone mental.

“My father was here.” I don’t recognize my own voice, it sounds foreign. It’s hoarse.

“What? Why was he here? And after two years?”

I relay the story to Cameron, leaving out the part about Kimber and the sex video. I should feel guilty about that but right now I feel nothing but emotional exhaustion. Cameron listens, allowing me to cry until I have no tears left. He doesn’t judge me, or tell me I’m crazy for being so emotional. Instead, he wipes my tears and runs me a hot bath. He allows me to draw from his quiet strength, remaining quiet as he takes care of me. It isn’t until we’re curled up in bed, wrapped around each other, that I realize what he’s actually done, and what he’s still doing.

He’s loving me.

Chapter 17

~ Cameron ~

Hayley’s fingers trail down my arm as she traces the lines of my tattoo. It’s an angel, with her head on my shoulder, and wings that come down to my elbow. Her scanty clothing is ripped, showing off her abdomen, parts of her breasts and her butt exposed. It was my first tat, and is probably still my favorite.

“And this one?” she asks.

My fingers slip through her hair as she gazes at me. My body hums, heating at all the points where our bodies touch. I’m relieved to see the smile on her face, the one she reserves for when we’re alone like this. When I arrived at her grandmother's house last night, Hayley was a mess. But this morning, curled up against my side, asking me about my ink, she looks happy. She’s only been awake for an hour, and decided to familiarize herself with the letters and pictures that permanently mark my skin. I woke up a little before she did, and decided to spend some time with Ari. Just like her mother, the little munchkin has crawled into my heart and burrowed herself a nice, cozy spot. And with the two of them occupying the space in my chest, my heart feels lighter and fuller at the same time. Noah would tell me I’m a pussy if I ever had to say this out loud, so I keep it to myself, tucked away for when the time is right to tell Hayley that I think I might love her.

“Noah and I got these when we turned eighteen. He has a redhead on his left arm.”

“Does it have any significance?”

“No,” I chuckle. “We got it on a dare. Noah said I wouldn’t have the balls to get something so big, so I said if he got it, I would, too.”

Hayley’s hand drags across my chest, making my skin break out in gooseflesh. Her giggle travels from her body onto mine and I fight a shiver. Her face is light, her troubles from the night before gone.

She shifts and pulls herself further up. “What does this one say?” She points to the scroll that spans my rib cage, starting just below my pec and ending above my hip. Her mouth moves as she whispers the words…

God grant me the serenity ?to accept the things I cannot change; ?courage to change the things I can; ?and wisdom to know the difference. ?Living one day at a time; ?enjoying one moment at a time; ?accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; ?taking, as He did, this sinful world? as it is, not as I would have it; ?trusting that He will make all things right ?if I surrender to His Will; ?that I may be reasonably happy in this life? and supremely happy with Him ?forever in the next. ?Amen.

“I got it a year after the accident,” I say, somewhat absentmindedly, my voice low. “I wanted to believe that there is a reason it was my dad, and not me, and that it was all part of God’s elaborate plan we call ‘Life’.”

Hayley’s lips brush against my skin, her eyes piercing mine. She has disarmed me in every way imaginable, but I don’t know how to tell her yet.

Her hands drift back up, over my chest, counting the three stars on each pec, and then come to a stop on my forearm.

“That one says ‘Love Cannot Save You From Your Own Fate,” I tell her before she gets the chance to ask. Her brows arch.

“I never thought I’d see a tattoo about love anywhere on your body,” she replies quietly.

“I got it at a time in my life when I thought love was nothing more than a farce, something to give us false hope when we feel alone and lost. I didn’t believe it existed.”

“And what do you believe now?”

I sit up and bring Hayley closer so that she straddles me. I brush her hair out of her face, rubbing her cheek. She’s watching me from below her lashes and, fuck me, it’s so damn sexy. “You make me want to believe it exists, and that I deserve it.”

I hear her sharp inhalation before she says, “Of course you deserve it. Everybody does. It doesn’t always happen when we expect it, but that’s the beauty of it. When it catches you by surprise, that’s when you know it’s for real.”

We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, and I feel like I’m getting lost in the green pools of her eyes. Our heartbeats are in perfect synch, thrumming along to our own imaginary tune.

“Cam, I - ” her words get stuck in her throat just as her phone vibrates next to the bed. She drops her head and groans into my shoulder.

“You’d better get that, buttercup.” I kiss her neck, nipping it with my teeth and then licking. “I need to get ready anyway, I’m meeting Noah in a little while and then I have to study.” As much as I hate having to leave Hayley’s bed, our exams are in full swing and with one semester left before I graduate, my grades are also a priority.

Hayley groans, “Fine,” and then slides from my lap, deliberately pressing down onto my cock. She grins wickedly.

“You’re going to pay for that one, baby.” I get out of bed and head to the bathroom, hearing Hayley mutter, and “I’m counting on it,” before answering her phone. After a few minutes of standing under the hot water, Hayley’s arms slide around my waist, and she makes it next to impossible for me to leave.

I dress before Hayley finishes up in the bathroom and make my way downstairs. Walking into the kitchen, I greet Mrs. Tanner and then watch Ari’s face light up at the sound of my voice.

“Can I make you some coffee?” Mrs. Tanner offers, giving me a friendly smile. For a while now I’ve been worried that the woman doesn’t like me, which is absurd because let’s face it, all women like me, but I soon came to realize that she was just sizing me up, the same way any mother would. Of course our situation is slightly different, and she’s not only looking out for Hayley, but for Ari, too. I can respect that and hopefully she’s starting to see that I would never intentionally do anything to hurt either of them.

“That would be great, thanks, Mrs. Tanner.”

She frowns. “Cameron, please, I’ve told you a thousand times to call me Marie, or Gama. Mrs. Tanner was my mother-in-law's name and she might be six feet under but God knows I’ve never liked her. Are we clear?”

I chuckle. “Yes, ma’am, “ I pause realizing my mistake. “I mean, yes, Marie.”

“That’s better.”

I take a seat in front of Ari and fork some of the fruit that has been cut up for her. I know Jordan loves it when I feed him this way, so I start twirling the fork around and make noises like choo-choo and swoosh before placing the plastic fork in Ari’s mouth. She giggles and claps excitedly, waiting in anticipation for more. I never thought that I’d end up in a relationship with someone who has a two-year-old, but for some reason, that became a non-issue shortly after Hayley and I started dating. Sure, it’s a little harder to get some alone time, and we’ve had to be creative when it comes to when and where we have sex, but I’ve never felt like it’s a hassle or inconvenience. It surprises me that being with Hayley and Ari has become one of the most natural things to me, especially given my history with women and relationships. But I wasn’t lying when I told Hayley that she makes me want to try, and every day since I told her about my father and me, I’ve found myself trying without much effort.

“Again!” Ari squeals. I take the last piece of fruit and dip the fork in dramatic loop one last time before pretending to crash land in her little mouth. She munches happily and I grin when she looks at me. The hair on my nape stands up and I can feel Hayley hovering somewhere close by. I turn my gaze and find her, leaning against the wall just inside the kitchen. She gives me her secret smile and my stomach trips over itself. God, I love it when