Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Thirty-Five

Barefoot and still in her pajamas, Julie sat at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her apartment, sipping a cup of coffee and reveling in the early morning quiet as she waited for Finn to arrive home from his friend's house. Her son could find his own way upstairs, of course, so she didn't really need to wait outside, but Julie wanted to thank Becca again for taking Finn for the night. And if she just happened to see Cameron for a few minutes before he headed off to work for the day, well... that would be okay, too.

Julie smiled behind her coffee cup as she mentally replayed the events of the prior evening. She'd come home from her meeting with Garrett feeling emotionally exhausted, but Cameron had somehow managed to revive her, simply by being there. And then, when he said that terrible thing to her... oh, man, he'd really pissed her off! Julie could still see the look of shock on his face when she'd shoved him up against the garage the way that she had. But later, after the harsh words and soft apologies—and the divine solace of a tender embrace—she'd seen something different in his eyes. Hurt. He'd convinced her to take the day off from work, told her to take as much time as she needed, and Julie had seen the sincerity in his eyes. But behind the sincerity was pain, and it was in that moment that she knew: Cameron Shepherd had feelings for her. And as for herself? Well, she suddenly had an Ex to contend with, and that made her a risky prospect when looking at it from Cameron's side of the equation. Julie had wanted so badly to reassure him, to tell him that it didn't matter, that Garrett Bradley could go to Hell for all she cared. And if she'd had only herself to think of, then that's exactly what she would have done. But she had a son to consider, and he had to come first, even if it meant putting her own wants and needs on the back burner. She'd wanted so badly to help Cameron understand, to tell him that she felt something for him, too, but she didn't know how. She'd reached out to him then, her fingertips tracing the chiseled line of his jaw as she tried to convey with her eyes all that her lips couldn't say; hoping that he could somehow decipher a message that she herself was just beginning to comprehend, and praying that he hadn't already given up on her.

I don't think that he has, Julie grinned, recalling the firm bulge of his erection against her lower belly when he'd pulled her in close. He'd almost kissed her right then and there, on the lips. And dear God, she'd wanted him to, but—

He stopped, Julie sighed with regret, setting her mug down on the step beside her. Would there ever come a day when she could stop living her life in limbo?

The chirp of a car horn interrupted her thoughts, and Julie rose from her seat as Becca's van pulled in to the driveway. The vehicle came to a stop and the back door slid open, Finn and Brandon spilling out almost immediately.

"Hey!" Julie called out as they raced past her. "Can I at least get a hug?"

Both boys sprinted back to practically tackled her with hugs, and Julie laughed as she fought to maintain her balance. When they finally let her go, Becca was already out of the van, pulling Finn's overnight bag from the back of the van.

"Hey! How come I don't get the love like that?" Becca kidded, holding out the bag as she approached Julie and the boys. "Here, Finn. Don't forget your stuff. Brandon, how about giving Finn a hand, so we moms can have a little chat, okay?"

Finn took the bag, and both boys bounded up the driveway and disappeared around the side of the garage. When their footsteps reached the top and she heard the door fall closed, Julie turned to her friend.

"Thanks again for taking him last night," she said, waving to little Baylee who sat strapped in her car seat.

"Anytime," Becca assured her, and then tugged Julie around to the back side of the van. "So? How did it go with Garrett? Did he satisfy his curiosity enough to slink back under the rock he crawled out from?"