Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Fifty-Two

Cameron looked on in horror at the drama unfolding in the street, powerless to intervene. Julie jumping in to defend Garrett had been a knife to his heart, but that was nothing compared to the agony that Finn was currently suffering over his father's renewed abandonment. Cam hadn't noticed that the boy was outside until it was too late, and by then the damage had already been done. Finn had seen and heard just enough to be gravely misinformed, and Julie was paying the price.

"I hate you!" Finn shrieked at his mother, then turned and bolted down the street.

Julie stood looking after him, her shoulders heaving with violent sobs, and then dropped slowly to her knees. Cameron trotted down the driveway, slowing his pace as he drew near. Crouching down beside her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and attempted to help her stand, but she pushed him away and clambered beyond his reach. Her breaths were coming fast and ragged, her eyes frantic, and Cameron wasn't entirely sure that she was even seeing him.

"Julie?" he said, cautiously extending his hand. "Julie!"

She jerked visibly at the sound of her name, but it seemed to snap her out of her fugue. She was looking at him instead of through him, and she no longer seemed in danger of hyperventilating.

"Julie," Cameron said again. "Let me help..."

She glanced down at his hand, and then closed her eyes and shook her head as a fresh flood of tears streamed down over her face.

"You can't help me, Cameron," she whispered, a sob catching in her throat as she turned to look in the direction that her son was last seen. "Nobody can help me."

"I will, Julie," he vowed. "I swear to you, I will. Just tell me what I should do..."

"What you should do?" Julie echoed distractedly, slowly rising to her feet. "What you should do is stay away from me, Cameron. Can't you see that?"

"Julie, don't..." Cameron reached out and tried to put his arms around her, but she lurched away.

"What is wrong with you?" she blurted out, suddenly angry. "Are you a masochist? Do you enjoy inflicting misery upon yourself?"

"Julie, I'm just trying to help..."

"Why? Why are you so dead-set on saving me all the time?" she raged, throwing her hands up in the air. "Do you have some kind of Hero Complex or something, Cameron? Is that it?"

Cam stood gaping back at her. Hero Complex? Is that really what she thought, that this was all just a big fucking ego trip for him?

"You know what, Julie?" he said, masking his pain with anger as he backed away from her. "Fine. You don't want my help, I won't help, okay?"

Cameron turned and stormed up the driveway, feeling the weight of her gaze as he walked away, but she didn't try to stop him. After everything that had happened between them, she didn't even try to stop him, dammit! Cameron hauled open the door of his truck and slammed himself inside, grateful to see that the keys were still in the ignition. The engine roared to life and he backed out onto the street, pausing just long enough to fire one final retort out the window.

"And another thing? I'm not a masochist, so I definitely don't need this shit!"