Buckley's Rowdy Ranch: Cam & Jessie

Chapter Seventeen: Epiphany You Overdue Bitch

*Jessie’s POV*

“Cam, I thought I told you to leave me alone.” I frowned, ignoring the fluttering in my gut. My mind and heart was still mighty angry at him, though my body seemed to disagree with me.

“I thought I told you I’m not giving up on us.” He retorted, shoving the flower bouquet into my hands. I scowled at his attempt to reconcile, and cast my eye downward from admiring his handsome self.

I focused hard on the flowers, impressed with the exotic ones he had chosen. I wasn’t a florist but I recognised the Dutch amaryllis flowers, which were orangey red.

“What is that one called?” I pointed to the whitish pink flower, which appeared to lie out in the bouquet. “Oriental lilies.” He answered; reaching up to touch its soft petals. His hand met my mine and I felt myself warm to the touch.

“Cam. . . . I don’t—” he cut me off, a sad look in his eyes. “Jessie, please. I’m begging you, come back home with me.”

I swallowed hard, willing myself to not say yes, no matter how much I wanted to. No matter how happy that would make me.

“I don’t trust you anymore, Cam.” I said quietly, not meeting his eyes. It was a small lie of course, I did trust him but the hurt overpowered that. The bouquet in my hands felt damp, as if the flowers were crying.

“Now hold on a second, darlin’.” The anger in his voice poured out, I lifted my head and stared at the man I was still horribly in love with.

“You lied to me; if you had been honest with yourself then none of this would have happened. You are not the only one that has been wronged.”

No I was not, but I could never have opened up to him about what I had suffered through my years. Cam had a point, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him.

“I need to get ready for work.” I said icily, stepping back into my rented home. Of course he’d follow me in, barely budging from the hard shoves I pushed at him.

“Aw hell no, you don’t get to walk away.” He angrily said, grabbing my arm. I yelped and tried to shrug free from his vice grip. “You do not get to walk away from me, again.” He added tersely.

“Don’t hit me!” I screamed; paling from the sudden flash of a slap across my face surged through my mind. I waited for the hit, waited for the stinging touch.

It never came

I opened my eyes slowly, to find a shocked Cam staring down at me. “I would never hurt you.” He promised me seriously, taken aback from my reaction. Too late, I thought.

Releasing my arm, I gritted my teeth at how vulnerable I’d been.

“Jessie we need to talk about this—” I glanced at him tearfully. “Please, just leave me alone. Forget about me, Cam. Do anything, but stop coming back for me.”

“No.”

“Why not?!” I screamed at him. The last of my control I had been struggling to maintain had snapped. “Why did you follow me across the states? Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?! Why couldn’t you just forget about me?!” I pushed at his chest; he barely stumbled but was shocked at my outburst.

“Because I love you!”

During my tirade, he had flushed a dark red and grabbed both my hands and shook me, not violently, but it seemed like he wanted to shake some sense into me.

“Why is it so hard to believe?! I. Love. You.”

“You can’t love me! I ruin everything I touch.” I cried, the bastardy tears in my eyes betrayed me and slid down my face.