Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Sixty

You've got to be kidding me, Cameron groaned inwardly as he reached over and snatched the phone from Julie's hand and clapped it to his ear. He should've pounded the little prick into the ground when he'd had the chance!

"How long ago did you leave him?" Cam demanded, glancing at the clock on the dash.

"Well, if it isn't the Boy-friend," Garrett sneered on the other end. "Listen, dude, this isn't any of your business."

"I'm making it my business, and you'd better not fuck with me," Cameron growled into the phone, his fury rising. "Tell me right now, how long ago did you leave him?"

It was obvious that Garrett didn't take kindly to being told what to do, and a stony silence flooded the line before he finally decided to answer.

"I dunno, half an hour or so," he said coolly. "Look, what's the big deal? Julie leaves him alone all the time."

"Yeah, at the library, asshole, in a town that's probably the size of the block you live on!"

"Whatever, man," Garrett evaded. "Look, the kid is fine! I knew Julie was probably already on her way, so I told him to wait on the bench out front—"

"You left him outside?" Cam blurted out, instantly regretting the impulse when he heard Julie's horrified gasp.

"Hey, I had to lock up and leave the key with the manager when I left," Garrett bleated in his ear. "What was I supposed to do?"

You're supposed to look out for your damn kid! Cameron wanted to roar, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. He smacked his hand against the steering wheel and took a deep breath to clear his head.

"Okay, this is what you're going to do," he said, forcing himself to remain calm. "Do you know anyone trustworthy who lives in that building?"

"Umm... Zeke is pretty cool, I guess," Garrett supplied. "He lives in the apartment above mine."

"And is Zeke home right now?"

"Probably, Zeke's almost always home."

"Good. As soon as I hang up, you're going to call Zeke, and you're going to have him go outside and sit with your son until Julie and I get there," Cameron instructed him. "Is that clear?"

"And if I don't?" Garrett sneered defiantly.

"Then I'll get the police involved, and you'll be facing charges of child endangerment and neglect," Cameron bluffed, hoping that Garrett was as unfamiliar with the law as he was. "Unless I find you first, in which case missing your flight to California will be the least of your concerns!"

"Chill, man," Garrett quickly relented. "I was just messing with you."

"Pretty sure I warned you not to do that," Cameron reminded him dryly.

"Okay, okay—I'm hanging up and calling Zeke right now," Garrett said. "If you don't hear back from me, assume that it's a done deal."

"Fine," Cam said, and then snapped the phone shut and looked over at Julie with what he hoped was an encouraging mien. "Garrett's lining up a sitter as we speak."

Julie sighed with relief and reached for his hand, which he willingly surrendered to her.

"You're amazing," she said, smiling over the center console at him. "What would I ever do without you?"

Cam shrugged as he turned his eyes back to the road. "You'd manage."

"No, I wouldn't," Julie insisted earnestly. "You've helped me out so many times: Dealing with my Ex, going after Finn, giving me a jo— Oh, my God, The Sub Shack! Who's running The Sub Shack?"

"The Sub Shack will be closed today," Cameron said, squeezing her hand as he glanced over at her with a poignant smile. "Family emergency."

Julie blinked back at him as she absorbed the significance of his words, and a slow smile spread across her lips.

"God, I love you," she breathed reverently.

"I love you first," he grinned, and she laughed as she relaxed back into the seat, their linked hands still resting on her thigh.

*****

Cameron eased his truck into a spot parallel to the curb, just a few doors down from their destination. Curled up in the passenger seat beside him, Julie remained still. She'd fallen asleep within minutes of hearing that her son was safe, which had allowed Cameron to ease up on the gas pedal just a bit, but they'd still made good time. He twisted the key backwards and the engine fell silent.

"Hey," he said, reaching over the console and giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Wake up, we're here."

"Mmm?" she murmured, shifting in the seat as her eyelids fluttered open.

"We're here," he repeated, sweeping her tousled mane back from her face. "We're at Garrett's"

Instantly alert, she sat bolt upright in the seat, her eyes frantically scanning the urban landscape for any sign of her son. Cameron pointed out the windshield to an old brownstone further down the street, where Finn sat huddled on the sidewalk looking inordinately small and vulnerable, and Julie scrambled to open the door. Cameron grabbed her arm, and she turned to him with an expression that bordered on madness.

"Breathe," he said softly, and he felt the tension leave her muscles as she complied. After she had taken a second deep breath and let it out, he released his hold on her and motioned out the window. "I'm going to that coffee shop over there to get us all some breakfast." She nodded, and he motioned for her to go to her son. "Take your time, but just... go easy on him, okay?"