Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cameron sat on the top step of his porch, shifting restlessly as the earliest of a billion stars dotted the night sky. He took a sip from the longneck dangling loosely from his fingertips, then set it aside and leaned back with his hands braced behind him as he stared into the indigo abyss above.

What the hell am I doing? he asked himself. What am I thinking, sitting here waiting for her to come home like I'm her father or something, for crissakes! And how in the hell did I let Becca Gibb, of all people, talk me into this in the first place? Have I completely lost my mind?

Cameron blew out a gust of air and leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees as he raked both hands through his hair. Becca Gibb wasn't the problem, Julie Callahan was. He'd been on a goddamn rollercoaster ride from the second she'd walked into his life, and if anyone was to blame for his current state of discombobulation, it was her. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat, and he'd barely made any progress at all on the old house these past few days because he couldn't stop thinking about her! And here he was again, at almost ten o'clock on a Wednesday night, torturing himself with thoughts of her being out with that douchebag ex of hers, wondering where they were, what they were doing, and how long it would be before she finally came home.

If she comes home at all.

The thought came like a bullet from a shotgun. Had Becca said that Finn was spending the night at her house? He must be, or else they would have been home by now, right? And if Finn was spending the night at Becca's, then that would leave Julie with no obligation to be home at any particular time—

Or at all, for that matter.

Jesus, what if Becca was right? What if this Garrett character wanted Julie back? Would she say 'no', or would she take him up on it? And if Cameron had taken the chance of revealing to her his true feelings, would it have any influence at all on her decision? Was he already too late?

A flash of light caught his attention, and Cameron looked up as Julie's car swung into the driveway and rolled to stop. He chuckled to himself as a wave of relief flooded his veins, scolding himself for ever doubting her in the first place. Of course she wasn't spending the night with that idiot Garrett Bradley! Jesus, he knew her better than that, didn't he?

"What's so funny?" Julie asked, climbing out of her car and closing the door. She came closer, and Cameron was pleased to see that she hadn't dressed up for her meeting with Garrett, although she looked good to him no matter what she was wearing. She crossed her arms and leaned against the railing of his porch. "Are you laughing at my car?"

Cameron smiled, grateful for the cover story. "I can't believe that thing actually runs."

"Thus far," she allowed, raising a hand with two fingers crossed. "What're you doing out here?"

"Nothing, just getting some air," Cam said, and then opted for the truth. "Well, that, and I wanted to make sure you were okay." At her confused expression, he added, "Becca told me."

"Of course she did," Julie sighed, as if she should have known, and then fixed her gaze on the ground beneath her feet.

"So, are you? Okay, I mean."

Julie looked up and smiled dimly. "That depends on your definition of the word 'okay'," she said, shivering suddenly in the dewy night air. She wrapped her sweater in close around her midsection and sighed wearily. "Garrett wants to see Finn."