He’d be in a world of trouble with Chloe. Pushing her away in the parking lot had been him in survival mode. Seeing her unconscious in her wrecked car and diving in to save her had been another level of survivor mode.
It also made his heart feel like it was about to crack in two. The utter panic and fear that had consumed him had almost broken him. Made him realize that maybe he cared about Chloe more than he wanted to admit.
She’d hate him forever if she remembered that stupid argument, despite his heroics. And they weren’t heroics, at least in his eyes. More like redemption for what he’d done to her. Assuaging the guilt that hung over him like a dark, dirty cloud. That he could be the reason she wrecked in the first place.
He hadn’t slept last night and looked and felt like hell. But she was still staring at him as if he was the best thing she’d seen in a long time. He had no choice but to go to her side of the bed again and touch her. Not out of a sense of guilt but…
Because he wanted to.
Grabbing her hand, he noted that it was so cold and slender. Her fingers trembled when they interlocked with his and the smile she gave him was one full of so much gratitude, it awed him.
Damn it, he didn’t deserve her gratitude. He owed her this rescue. They were even now.
Hopefully.
The doctor walked in, accompanied by two nurses, and it quickly turned into a flurry of activity. She was being released but there were papers that needed to be signed, items that had to be gathered. Deciding they needed some privacy, Cam whispered a quick good-bye to Chloe, hugged her overjoyed mother one more time, and slipped out into the hallway.
Running smack dab into Alison.
“Hey.” He smiled, trying for casual, not wanting to rile any suspicions she might have toward him. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
She watched him warily. “Sure. What’s up?”
Grabbing her by the crook of her arm, he escorted her to a small waiting area, which luckily enough was empty. “Did you talk to Chloe last night? Before the accident?”
“Yes.” She pulled out of his grip and crossed her arms in front of her. “She told me you two argued.”
Sighing, he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. Damn it. “Listen, Ali. She doesn’t remember a thing.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t want her to remember the argument we had.” At Ali’s shocked expression, he added, “Not yet.”
She narrowed her eyes, practically vibrating with skepticism. “You want to hide this from her.”
“I want to protect her. She’s been through a lot and doesn’t need to deal with this sort of thing right now,” Cam explained. “I’ll tell her, I promise. But she needs to heal first.”
Ali remained quiet, contemplating him for so long he wanted to squirm. “Fine,” she finally said. “But you have to promise you’ll tell her the truth eventually. Or I’ll rat you out so fast, your head will spin.”
Relief flooding him, he nodded. “I’ll tell her, I swear.”
Ali approached him, practically got in his face. “And don’t you dare hurt her or break her heart. It’s bad enough, the torch she seems to carry for you. Don’t make it worse by kissing her once and pretending it didn’t mean anything. If you don’t feel something for Chloe, then leave her alone.”
With that, Ali stalked off, headed to Chloe’s room, no doubt. He knew Chloe would be happy to see her friend, and she needed all the support she could get. She’d be sore for a while, might take some time to recover, but for the most part, she’d mend fast.
Ali’s words sort of knocked him on his ass, as much as he hated to admit it. Did he feel something for Chloe? Prior to the accident, he would’ve said hell no. In the parking lot, spouting those crappy words, seeing the hurt and confusion flit across her pretty face, he would’ve said maybe.
Now…he wasn’t sure. But he was tempted to figure it out.
Too damn tempted.
He’d wanted to offer to help somehow. Drive her home, set her up so she was comfortable. But he had no business doing so. Like Ali said, he’d toyed with Chloe’s heart enough. He didn’t need to get her hopes up, especially now that she viewed him as her very own hero.
Despite his wanting to help her, to get rid of the guilt that still lingered, he knew he should stay away from Chloe Dawson.
Far, far away.
…