“Oi!” I hear shouted as I unlock my car and turn to see Danny with a face like thunder at the entrance to the fast-food place. Shit. He makes a run towards me, and I quickly get in my car and lock the doors. Switching the engine on, I’m fucking glad I reversed into the space as I hightail it out of there, with him spitting feathers in the middle of the car park.
I breathe in and out slowly as I attempt to calm my racing heart and stop my body from shaking.
It’s over. Done.
Except, I have a feeling that this isn’t over at all, not by a long shot.
ChapterFourteen
Cameron
“You never called me.”
I jump and drop the pen I was writing with as I look up from my desk, my heart beating wildly.
“Jesus, don’t do that,” I say as Caleb makes his way into my office, closing the door behind him—the glass door, but whatever, I guess that while it doesn’t cover up everyone seeing us, it does offer a barrier for whatever words are about to be said. “What are you doing here?” He’s not due to come back here until tomorrow, with his boss, for a replay of the presentation.
His face is stoic as he approaches my desk. “You never called me,” he repeats, his palms now on the desk as he leans down.
“I wasn’t aware I was supposed to,” I say, really not wanting to get into this, especially in full view of everyone—if they were to look in and watch us, which I’m hoping they don’t.
“Don’t fucking do that, Cameron,” he fumes. “Don’t start playing games with me now, not after yesterday.” I gulp, actually fucking gulp, because I can see the worry in his eyes. He was worried about me. Oh hell.
“Look, you don’t need to worry, it’s over, done. I ended things with Danny last night,” I tell him.
“And?”
“And what?”
“And how did he take it?”
“About as well as I expected.”
“And what does that mean?” he asks, the frustration clear on his face and in his voice.
I sigh and lean my arms on the desk as I look up at him. “It means that he’s been blowing up my phone since last night, but I have no desire to speak to him.”
“Did he touch you?” he asks, his eyes turning darker.
“No,” I tell him, and the relief is instant as he pushes off the desk and sits down, his shoulders relaxing slightly. I mean, I know we had a moment yesterday, but fuck, I wasn’t expecting this—whateverthisis.
He runs his hand over his face and through his hair, and I watch, mesmerised.
“I was really worried about you,” he says quietly, and I feel something crack inside of me.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” I tell him. “It’s over, and now we’ll just do this work thing and then we can both go our separate ways.” Despite the last few days, we can’t keep in touch. It’s too painful for me, and despite me thinking about things progressing last night… they just can’t. I never got over him, and I never will if he’s in my life any longer than he has to be.
His jaw clenches, and I pick my pen back up to do something, anything to avoid seeing the devastation on his face.
“You know that isn’t going to work,” he says, and I sigh.
“It has to, because I can’t do this again, Caleb.”
“Do what?”
“I… I…” I, what? I can’t have you in my life and not touch you. I can’t have you in my life and not be your everything. I can’t let myself fall for you, only for it to end again. I can’t do this because if your son finds out, then he’ll never speak to you again. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. The reasons are endless. I did a lot of thinking last night, when I got home, and this is the way it has to be.
“We’re work acquaintances and nothing else,” I say, making my voice firm.