The One That Got Away (11 page)

He
wasn’t angry at her now. He sort of understood why she was cold
towards him. She probably couldn’t forgive him for his part in
her attack, probably blamed him for it—and rightly so. If she
hadn’t known him, she wouldn’t have been attacked. If he
hadn’t left, she wouldn’t have been attacked.

If
he hadn’t rung up his Dad on his nineteenth birthday and opened
up old wounds that night…she might not have been attacked.

He
hated his father. He hated himself.

“
I
think that you should go get her,” Rich said, and took another
sip of his beer.

Will
huffed in exasperation and shook his head. His chest wound tight but
he ignored it. “That’s your thought?” he snapped.
“You think I should just go and tell her that I love her?”
He growled in temper and put his glass down. God, Rich was a dick! As
if she would just take him back—accept him—even though
his old man scarred her for life.

Impossible.

“
Yep,”
Rich replied and nodded. “She fell into your bed, did she not?
Even after your Dad—” He tapped his neck with no amount
of sympathy at all, and Will glared.

“
Yes,
but—”

“
I
rest my case.” Rich grinned and then sipped his beer again.

“
What
case? You rest
what
case?” Will snapped as he stood up and went to stare out the
window again.
Jesus!

Can’t
hit my friend. Can’t hit my friend…

The
room went silent for a moment. Will turned to see Rich holding out
his car keys. Will flicked his angry stare at the metal bunch and
then at Rich.

“
Go
and tell her.” Rich raised a shoulder and jangled the keys
noisily. “What’s the worst that can happen? She rejects
you again? Been there, done that.”

Will
dropped his eyes back to the keys and wondered if Rich was right.
Should he go to her? At least tell her he was sorry…

To
see her again—one more time…

Will
ground his teeth against the feeling of acceptance.

Could
he take another rejection from her?

Uh…

Could
he live the rest of his life knowing he never tried?

No.

He
reached out, snatched the keys from his friend’s hand and
stalked to the front door. “If she does reject me, it’s
you I’m going to punch.” He turned in time to see Rich
stroke his jaw, as if imagining the pain.

“
Well,
you better hope she doesn’t, because I hit back.”

Will
found himself grinning as he flew out of his front door until fear
wrapped around his throat in a barbed grip, again.

Oh,
fuck. Am I really going to do this?

*
* * *

Cammy
stared mutely at the pile of bills on top of her desk. She had been
in the same position for at least an hour, and her coffee had gone
cold. She just couldn’t seem to muster up any motivation for
anything in the past few days, and she wondered if she ever would
again.

She
was ashamed, shamed by the cruel way she had told Will what his
father had done. She had flung that information at him like hot water
and not stuck around to tend his scald. And she hated herself for it.

But
the longer she had stayed away, the harder the idea of going back
was.

He
must hate me.

Heavy
with guilt and loaded with loneliness, Cammy leaned over her desk and
rested her forehead on the cool wood. She was so tired. She hadn’t
slept properly since she left Will’s apartment; she desperately
needed to rest. She picked up the phone and waited for Chris to
answer in the bar.

“
Yep.”
He spoke loudly over the din of the evening rush. It was Saturday
night, and Cammy couldn’t bring herself to be in a bar full of
smiling, happy people.
Ugh.

“
I’m
going home, okay?” she muttered sadly, imagining the silent
house she rattled around in daily. After her parents had passed she
had often imagined selling it, but the longer she kept it, the harder
that was to do.

“
Uh,
Cam, are you okay?” he asked. His words made her eyes burn with
yet more tears.

“
Yep,
just tired.” She couldn’t even manage chirpy. She didn’t
want to talk. Oh God, how could it hurt this much?

“
Uh,
okay. I’ll pop by to see you tomorrow.”

She
should say no to halt his new attempt to date her, but she didn’t
have the energy to talk, let alone be gentle with his feelings. She
just hung up and rose from her desk. She hooked her coat from the
rack and headed out the back door, not wanting to go through the
happy
bar.

She
kept her head down as she walked to her black car, she clicked her
key fob and the lights flashed—and then stopped walking when
she saw a figure standing propped against her car. Her heart punched
her chest and her mouth dropped open.

Will
uncrossed his legs, stood tall and watched her with gentle eyes.

My
Cammy…
his
words flew through her mind like a haunting ghost, and she felt her
lungs stall.

“
Hi,
Cammy.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He
watched her with wary tension.

“
Hi,”
she breathed as relief, fear and shame rushed over her all at once.

He
looked up at her pub and narrowed his eyes, before he dropped his
gaze back to her. “Going home?” He sounded cautious, much
as she felt.

“
Yeah.
I, uh—I didn’t feel like working.”

He
grinned and nodded. “Me neither.”

“
Oh.”

An
odd heavy silence stretched out between them. Cammy felt compelled to
talk, but what would she say? Where would she start? Thoughts of
running into his arms took root in her mind, along with telling him
she loved him. But as she watched him, she wondered if he even liked
her anymore.

After
all she was the woman who accused him of being like his father.

Shame.

“
Look—I—”
She stopped when he stood up and shook his head, he walked towards
her and tugged her into his arms. At first she went stiff, confused
by his actions, but as he stroked her hair and kissed her head, she
gave into the pleasure of being held—by Will.

“
I
am so sorry,” he muttered into her hair.

Cammy
pulled back and stared up in shock. “What have you got to be
sorry for?”

He
frowned as if she should know already. “Don’t, Cammy.”
His eyes dropped to her neck and Cammy felt frightened all of a
sudden.
Don’t
reject me because of
them.

”
I’m
sorry for what my…father did to you.” He stepped back
and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry for
leaving you. Shit! Fuck! I’m sorry for not being there—”

He
was clearly in pain; his expression was agonized as he apologized for
something that he could never have stopped. She placed her hands on
his cheeks, looked him in the eye and spoke her truth.

“
Don’t
apologize for him! Don’t apologize for the fact that I decided
not to go with you.” She saw his eyes flare wide at her words
and she continued. “Yes, it was my fault that this happened to
me. If I had gone with you ten years ago, then this—” She
pointed to her neck and took a deep breath. “Then this would
never have happened.”

He
shook his head and frowned before he grabbed her and pulled her into
his arms.

“
Ah
fuck, Cammy. I missed you.” His hot breath fanned against her
throat and Cammy gripped him with tight fingers. Tears fell fast and
true down her cheeks, but she held him—she held Will. And there
were no more secrets, no more hidden shame or unanswered regrets.

“
I
missed you, too—so much.” She took a deep breath and
continued. “I love you.” The words were little, so minute
compared to the feelings she held for him. She wished she could say
more so he could understand the depth of her emotions, but she feared
there were no words strong enough.

He
pulled back and Cammy kept her head bowed. She was terrified of
seeing what he thought of her words. What if he didn’t feel the
same? What if he rejected her? Oh shit, what had she done?

He
placed his finger under her chin and raised her face. She reluctantly
lifted her gaze and almost fainted at what she saw.

Love.

It
was in his expression, in his wonky smile and disbelieving eyes. He
watched her as if looking for truth, and when he found it, a slow but
brilliant smile spread across his perfect mouth.

“
I
love you, too,” he whispered.

Relief
punched the air from her lungs and buckled her knees. Joy burst into
her mood and lit up the dark shadows in her soul. Cammy grinned like
a fool.

He
loves me too
.

The
idea was ridiculous and utterly wonderful at the same time. Will
scooped her into his arms and started to carry her across the
car-park towards the pub. She yelped and tried to wiggle free.

“
What
are you doing?” she asked, even as she gripped his shoulders
and smiled up at him.

He
looked down and in all seriousness, he said, “First, I’m
going to tell Chris you’re mine. And then we’re going
back to your house to celebrate.” He kissed her fiercely, and
Cammy’s body responded immediately. She sank her hands into his
hair and reveled in his taste. When he drew back, Cammy couldn’t
be angry at him for wanting to tell Chris.

She
was his, and she wanted the world to know.

Finally
William had come home and given back her heart
.

*THE
END*

About
the Author

Kerrianne
Coombes lives in Lyon, France with her husband and two children. When
she is not writing, she will be with her family, friends and her many
animals.

Kerrianne
is a hopeless romantic and she loves nothing more than escaping into
a good love story.

Other
books by Kerrianne

Running
Home

Secret Cravings
Publishing

www.secretcravingspublishing.com