Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“What in the actual fuck,” he says slowly. “Your husband raped you?”
I nod, choking up at the pained expression on his face. “Yeah. He hurt me… bad.”
“Why the fuck isn’t he in jail?”
“Because I searched proving your husband raped you, and it scared the hell out of me because most women said they couldn’t prove it. It’d be a messy battle, and I was afraid if I was accused of lying, he could somehow take Felix away from me. I believe in the judicial system, but it’s not without flaws, and I couldn’t risk it. So instead, I hired an attorney and divorced him.”
“I’m going to kill him.” Camden’s body visibly vibrates in anger. “When Nanna said David hurt you, I thought she meant emotionally. I had no idea she meant literally.”
“One, you’re not going to kill him because that will end with you in prison, and that would make David all too happy.” I palm his cheek. “And while physically he did hurt me, it hurt just as bad emotionally. I felt violated on many levels.”
“Fine, I won’t kill him,” he relents. “But I’m not throwing destroying him off the table. He’s going to pay,” he says in a tone that brooks no argument. I won’t let him make good on his threats, but for right now, since he’s thousands of miles away, I’ll let him make his warnings. Kaylee and my mom did the same thing.
I stroke his cheek, and he seems to calm down somewhat.
“What can I do?” he says, leaning into my touch. He brings his hand up to mine and holds it against his face for a second before he turns slightly and kisses the inside of my palm. “How do I fix this for you?”
My heart warms. “You’re doing it. This weekend away, despite missing Felix, is exactly what I needed. I feel like I have a small piece of me back for the first time in a long time. Being with you feels good, feels right. And the truth is, things haven’t felt right for a long time.”
He grabs my hips and pulls me onto his lap to straddle his thighs. “I feel the same way. Since the day I got on the plane to California, it’s felt like a piece of me was missing, and being with you, spending time with you, it’s as though the pieces have clicked into place. We can take things slow—”
“I don’t want to take things slow or fast. I just want to be with you and see where it leads. We take it at our pace, do whatever feels right.” I lower my top, exposing the tattoo. “The night I got this tattoo, I think I already knew I had feelings for you. I’ve never permanently marked my body before, but when I heard that song, I did it without even thinking twice.” My eyes descend in shame. “At the time, when David confronted me, I was in denial, but he wasn’t wrong in his accusations. I was married and got a tattoo to represent you and the way you feel about me.”
“Hey.” Camden lifts my chin. “I happen to love that tattoo.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t have if I were with you and got one about another guy.”
“That’s true, but maybe everything happens for a reason. I wrote that song years ago, but I couldn’t find it in me to actually sing it. At the last second, without knowing you’d be there, I decided to, and that song led to you finally hearing my words and in turn getting that tattoo.”
“And was the reason for my divorce.”
“No,” he says. “David forcing himself on you was the reason for your divorce. If my wife came home with a tattoo of a song by another man, I wouldn’t be happy, and I’d definitely question our relationship and where we stand, but I sure as fuck wouldn’t rape her.”
“I know you’re right, and it’s for the best… the divorce, not the rape. But I think what has me feeling guilty is that I don’t feel guilty about getting the tattoo, but I feel like I should. Does that make sense?” I ask with a laugh.
Camden smiles. “I get it, but everything that happened led us to right here, so I say fuck feeling what you think you should feel. It’s over and done with, and I love seeing that tattoo on your body.”
“I do too. Although, I think you should rewrite the ending… the part about finally moving on.”
Camden’s mouth quirks into a sexy grin. “How about we leave that song the way it is and instead write our own song?” He tugs on the front of my shirt, pulling me toward him, and my heart swells, knowing he did that so he wouldn’t use the back of my head. His lips brush softly against mine, once, twice, then he coaxes my lips open, slipping his tongue into my mouth.