“Not even when you were screwing. I get it. I’m a grown woman, Dad, you can just come right out and say it.”
“Don’t be crude, Camilla,” Noah shot back. “This is an awkward thing to talk about, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you disrespect me.”
Noah was holding his own, which was a relief. Cammy narrowed her eyes and took another sharp, quick pull of her whiskey.
“She didn’t take off her mask,” Noah continued. “And the point is that I had no idea who she was, other than that she seemed very familiar.” He took another sip, and I took it as my cue to continue.
There was nothing else to say but to just come out with it.
“It was me.”
There it was. Just like I’d had to do with my parents a little earlier, we’d reached the point where there was no more dancing around it.
“I don’t understand,” Cammy said, seeming stunned, almost dazed. “You seduced my dad? And then you went along with it?”
“He didn’t know it was me. As he said, I kept the mask on the whole time.”
The confusion snapped away, replaced with anger.
“You’re kidding me. How dumb do you think I am? You’re telling me that you twofucked– let’s stop using euphemisms ? and she kept the mask on the whole time? And you hadno ideathat it was my best friend?” After she said the words, she shot her eyes over to me. “Well, former best friend.”
It hurt to hear the words, but I didn’t have the luxury of crying. Noah and I had to push forward, to make sure Cammy knew everything that had happened.
“I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what happened. I was the one who went for your father because I knew there was no way he’d go for it if he knew it was me. Your dad’s not that kind of guy – you have to know that.”
Cammy shot me a hard look. “What kind of messed up thing is that to do? It’s disgusting!” She sighed, shaking her head as if it were all starting to come to light. “Amazing. I gave you that ticket and you used it to go out, have the time of your life, then get knocked up by my dad. Then you scurried home and told me all about it, knowing who it was that you’d slept with. What kind of sick person does that?”
I had no answer for her, other than that I’d gotten so caught up in the moment, so caught up in the thrill and fun of it that I hadn’t really thought out what I’d done and how it would affect others.
“I’m so sorry, Cammy. It was selfish and stupid, and I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I know what you were thinking,” she said, venom in her words. “You were thinking that you’d just do whatever you want and lie about it, right to my face. And hey, I guess you figured that if you lied to one McMurray, you’d lie to two. Why not?”
She had me dead to rights. What the hell could I even say to something like that?
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. The words came out in a totally weak and pathetic way.
Cammy scoffed. “You’re sorry. Yeah, I bet you are. Well, guess what? I don’t give ashithow sorry you are.”
“Enough of that, Camilla,” Noah said, his calm, even voice restoring a bit of stability to the conversation. “If you’re going to choose to respond to this by holding a grudge, that’s your call to make. But the fact of the matter is what’s done is done. Right now, there are two gorgeous children upstairs that are your flesh and blood. What you choose to do with that information is your decision. But the door is open, so to speak.”
Cammy narrowed her eyes once more. “Oh, that’s right. On top of being stabbed in the back by my best friend and finding out my dad likes to bang girls half his age, I also get to deal with the fact that I’m now a big sister.”
She turned back to Noah. “How long did you know about all of this?”
“Not long at all. I only found out when I delivered the babies and saw the tattoo on Sadie’s leg.”
Suddenly Cammy sat up, a look of realization taking hold of her features.
“Wait, so you didn’t eventellhim? You were going to have my dad’s kids without letting him know? He only found out because he happened to be there when you went into labor?” She shook her head in total disbelief. “Wow, the extent of how much of a total piece of shit you are is pretty impressive, Sade.”
“You watch your mouth,” Noah said. “I’m not going to sit here and let you talk to her like that.”
I, on the other hand, was fine with it. Really, I deserved it. Everything she said was true.
Noah continued. “I’ve forgiven her for that. Learning you’re going to be a mother from someone you’re not involved with…that has to be hard. And she carried the children to term all on her own. That’s no small thing.”
Cammy shook her head, and I had a good feeling what she was going to say next.