Same Time

twenty-two.

j a i m e e

+

Tonight was date night. Shayden had spent the last hour grocery shopping while I practically cried from the lack of attention.

We're finally leaving when we hear a voice behind us, Shayden finishes putting our shopping bags into the trunk of his car.

"Shay!"

We turn around as Taylor jogs over to us, Shayden's eyebrows furrow.

"Hey, man. You good?

"You were asking about Cameron last week so I did some digging."

I tense up at the name, the resurfacing memories of that night hitting me like a hurricane. The anxiety, dread, fear.

As much as I didn't want it to be true, I knew what Taylor was going to say next. I fucking knew it.

"He's been in prison for the past three years apparently." Taylor looks solemn, like he can't believe the words he's saying.

"Oh?" Shayden cocks an eyebrow, seeming just as surprised as Taylor was.

"Yeah, Libbie was told he had sex with someone and they cried rape. Apparently anyways." The way Taylor says it tells me straight away that he doesn't believe a word of it. "I just remembered so I thought I should let you know. See you both later."

Taylor walks off, leaving both Shay and me alone.

He's looking at me. I can feel it with every sense in my body. No matter how much comfort his black eyes bring me, I can't find it within myself to look at him. I can't. I can't face it.

Cameron was our best friend. He was everything to us. Shayden and him were basically brothers, which made the ordeal so difficult to deal with. I couldn't keep quiet, that was never even considered. Because what if I wasn't the first? Or what if I didn't speak out and he did it again? I couldn't do that, I couldn't hold that much responsibility.

But I couldn't tell Shayden. Absolutely not. A part of me knew he would have defended me and stuck with me no matter what. He's a good man. But that minuscule part of my brain told me he'd believe Cam, he'd side with him. I couldn't lose him through that, so I decided I wouldn't.

"Cameron?" Shayden whispers, yet it sounds more like a hiss. He raises his voice, "Cameron?!"

Tears fill my eyes, a lump forming in my throat that renders me unable to speak. I try to blink them away but the pain won't leave.

"Cameron." Shayden snarls, beginning to pace. "That stupid motherfuc-FUCK!" He slams his fist into the car, the sound makes me flinch back.

He notices instantly, our gazes locking. The anguish and torment prominent in his feature hurts me somewhere I can't place. I never wanted him to find out at all, nevermind like this.

"I'm sorry." I blurt out, "Shay, I'm so sorry. I.-" I begin to stutter, cutting myself off and taking a deep breath in a bit to stop my body shaking.

"Don't." He silences me, putting two fingers on the bridge of his nose as he tries to steady his breathing. "None of this is your fault, Jai. Don't you dare apologize."

I bite my tongue, preventing myself from apologizing any further.

"Come here." He mutters, wrapping his arms around me as he completely shrinks into my arms. Tightening his grip as he leans his head into the crook of my shoulder. "I love you. I've got you."

"I love you too, Shay."

+++

"It's been a long day."