Cameron x Nash Short Stories - cash -

Light My Candle Part Ten

"Hey," Rachel greets Cameron with an excited smile on her face. She missed him over the weekend. She gives him a tight hug and kisses his lips gently, she frowns when he cuts the embrace short and steps away from her. "Cameron?"

Cameron's jaw clenches as he meets her eyes, knowing the happiness that exudes from her will die after he says what he needs to say.

He's been thinking about how to broach the subject during his ride over to her apartment and he's still at a loss for words.

But he knows he has to do it, he can't continue to live a lie and she doesn't deserve to be strung along thinking that everything is okay when it's not.

"Let's sit down," he states quietly. "There's something we need to talk about."

She frowns as she sits down on the couch, Cameron joins her and she leans forward, taking his hand in hers.

"Whatever it is, you know we can get through it together." She tells him and watches as he closes his eyes for a moment and swallows.

She's never seen him that way and a ball of anxiety begins to grow in the pit of her stomach.

"What is it?" She asks gently and raises her hand to brush his hair out of his eyes.

She wonders if something occurred during the camping trip that has him conflicted and needing advice.

"There's no easy way to say this Rachel... but..." he trails off and clears his throat. "I'm breaking up with you."

She freezes as a whoosh of air leaves her lungs in a gasp. Out of all the things she imagined he would say, that was not on her mind at all.

"W-what? Cameron... what do you mean?" She asks and tightens her grip on his hand when he tries to pull away from her.

Cameron's eyes fall, unable to bear to look at the pain and confusion on her face. He knows he's blindsiding her because the last time they saw each other, from her perspective everything was fine.

"Look at me," she demands quietly and he lifts his eyes to meet hers.

Tears shine brightly in her eyes as the weight of the words he said hits her. Her breathing quickens and the anxiety in her stomach blooms into a pain in her heart that threatens to overwhelm her.

Her future is Cameron. There is no iteration of her future life that doesn't include him, that doesn't include her being his wife, them raising a family together and helping him lead a church of their own one day.

"Why?" She asks brokenly and she knows Cameron. He said it with such conviction that lets her know he's serious and he won't change his mind. But that doesn't mean she won't try.

"I've met someone else... I don't want to hurt you more than I already am, Rachel. I know this is completely unexpected but I promise you that it's not anything you did or lacked. I just... I don't know how to explain this without hurting you more." Cameron replies, he's trying to be as gentle as possible while being honest. She doesn't deserve to be lied to.

"You're willing to throw away our future together for someone you've just met?" She asks incredulously, unable to believe that Cameron would do this to her. That he would walk away from their relationship of years for someone he just met and that he must barely know.

"It's just... Rachel..." he trails off as he struggles to find the words that will help her understand but will also prevent more pain.

He stays quiet and the longer he thinks about it, he more he realizes that there aren't any words that won't hurt her.

He can't put it any way that won't hurt her and that makes him feel low.