Page 40 of Finish Line

Back inside, I walk into the kitchen and open the fridge to see what I can fix for breakfast.

She returns about thirty minutes later, her body drenched in sweat, and her breast heaving with the effort to catch her breath. “Do I have time to take a quick shower?”

“Of course, I waited until you got back to start. I have eggs, bacon, toast, and fresh fruit for us.” I gesture at the stove, where I just dropped in the eggs, and the oven, where the bacon and toast are kept warm. The counter had the bowls of fruit ready and waiting.

“Thanks.” She heads off to her room and showers. It isn’t long before she comes back, towel-drying her hair, and sits at the counter. “Looks great. Thanks, Cam.”

“You’re welcome.”

After breakfast, she clears the dishes and puts them in the dishwasher.

As she does that, I debate what to say. “Frank found someone to undo the hypnosis on the guys. I was there when he did it.”

With her back to me, she peers out the window. “Did it work?”

I shrug my shoulders; she can see my reflection in the window. “I think it did.”

She releases the breath she was holding. “Did they say anything?” She sounds scared and unsure.

“Shelby...”

Her shoulders slump, and she curls in on herself.

“I need you to turn around and look at me,” I say gently but firmly enough that she knows this is important for her to hear.

It takes a few seconds before she does. “Why don’t we go out to the deck?”

I can’t imagine what is going through her head, but whatever it is, it’s not right. I head out to the deck first, and she follows me as if walking toward the gallows.

I settle at the table with the umbrella on it so we’re in the shade, my chair angled toward her and the amazing view of the Pacific Ocean.

While she needs enough space to make her comfortable, I don’t want her to think I don’t want to face her while I say this. I wait for her to settle into her chair facing the beach, creating an emotional barrier.

“Like I said when I arrived last night, I’m here for you,” I emphasize. “I promised to help you in any way possible. But I need to know how much you want me to tell you. I won’t force you to hear anything you don’t want.”

She stares at the waves lapping at the sand of the beach. “All of it,” she says, almost as if resigned to some form of torture.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CAM

Ichew on my lip while I consider where to start. “After Louis, the specialist, undid their hypnosis and made it so Roger can never do that to them again. Nick, Cin, Hannah, and I filled them in on everything they did between when Carrie said those words and Louis clapped his hands.”

When I glance over at her, she sits with her back ramrod straight. “They’re so sorry. They love you, and I’m sure it’s killing them not talking to you.”

“I’m just not ready yet,” she whispers.

“You understand that Roger put things in their heads.” I immediately regret the words.

Her head whips toward me, a glare on her beautiful face. “You think I don’t know that?”

She winces at her outburst and turns back to stare at the water, almost like it could save her from this pain. “I understand, better than anyone, how good Roger is at making you say and do things you never wanted to do.”

She digs her finger into the sand, trying to ground herself. I wait patiently while she gets her thoughts under control. I draw up my legs and wrap my arms around them, tilting my head toward her.

“He has this way of reaching into your mind and pulling out what you fear most, and then he twists it for his needs. Before you realize it, you’re doing shit you never would have done before. He’s a master manipulator.”

“I wish I could sit here and tell you what Roger used to twist them to make them do what they did. I can tell you it had nothing to do with you. The guys have never been in a healthy relationship.” I throw up my hands. “Just look at who they dated before. But I understand you’re hurt, and you have every right to be.”

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