Page 56 of A Sinner's Saint

“Because the last time I left, it was hard—really fucking hard. What if I can’t leave again?” I tell her.

“What if you don’t leave? What would happen if you don’t?” Daisy asks me.

“I’d end up hurting her more. Drag her down to my darkness again,” I try to explain. “I don’t want to do that.”

“Then don’t. You realise you’re only hurting yourselfand Cammiby keeping this distance between you? Does she even still want to be with you, Vin? How do you know she hasn’t already moved on and found someone else?”

I glare at my sister-in-law. Oh, yeah, by the way, another secret no one else in the family seems to know about is the fact Gabe went and married Daisy before he got locked up. Fucking idiot didn’t tell anyone.

“She’s not moving on,” I grunt.

“Seethat.” Daisy points at me. “You either need to let her go or man up and be with her before she does actually move on.” She shakes her head. “I get it. You’re scared to bring her into the world you and your brothers live in. But do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone?”

“It’s not the family business, Daisy. You know that. I’m fucked up. I can’t even touch her without her specifically asking me to. No matter how much I want to.” I run a hand down my face.

“Has she ever mentioned that it bothers her?” Daisy raises a brow at me.

“No.” I fully believe Cammi is my ride-or-die girl. She would do anything for me, and I’d do anything for her. Which is why I’m torturing us both by keeping us apart.

“No one can decide what to do for you, Vin. But if it were me, and Gabe was staying away from me on purpose, well, I’d probably rip his balls off. But I get it. I get why he doesn’t want me to visit him there. I don’t like it and I’ll forgive him eventually. But I understand. Which is the exact reason I’m waiting for him to get out.” Daisy rubs a hand over her protruding stomach. “Well, that and this little guy.”

“Yeah, you’re married, Daisy. It’s different. Cammi and I just graduated from high school. She has her whole life ahead of her.”

“Maybe, but if you know,you know. And from what you’ve told me, you both alreadyknow.”

“What Iknowis that sometimes I wish Gabe found some ditzy chick who wasn’t so smart.” I laugh.

“No, you don’t. I know I’m your favourite sister-in-law,” Daisy says with a smirk of her own.

“Meh, I don’t know. El made me chocolate chip pancakes yesterday,” I say. And at the mention of her friend, who shehasn’t spoken to in months, Daisy’s eyes water up. Fuck, she cries so easily and over anything lately.

“How is El?”

“Pregnant and probably about to kill Gio’s overbearing ass,” I grunt.

“I can imagine.” Daisy smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

Two weeks later, I find myself climbing up the side of Cammi’s house. I know she’s here. I might have put a GPS locater on her phone that I never told her about way back when we were dating. Luckily for me, she hasn’t upgraded devices. I push the window up and climb through.

“Ah, Elena, I have to go. I’ll call you back tomorrow.” Cammi stares at me while talking into her phone.

“He’s there isn’t he? Cammi, do not let yourself fall into that trap again. Kick his ass to the kerb,” Elena replies through the speaker.

“I’ll call you back tomorrow.” Cammi throws the phone to the edge of the bed, her glare still narrowed in on me. “Why are you climbing through my window?”

“I was feeling nostalgic and, honestly, I wasn’t sure your parents would let me in,” I explain.

“My parents don’t know who you are, Vin,” she says. “I never told them.”

“Oh.” I don’t know how I feel about that. Now isn’t the time to unpack it, though. “I.. ah… have a Christmas gift for you.”

“It’s not a car, is it? Because I’m still trying to explain why ‘a friend’ gifted me a car worth over three hundred thousand dollars,” she says while using air quotes.

“We are friends, Cammi. But, no, it’s not a car this time.” I smile. “But tell me you don’t like the car.”

“It’s nice, but I don’t need it, Vin. I don’t want you giving me extravagant gifts.” Cammi shakes her head and then leans over the bed, reaching for something on the floor. When she sits back up, she’s holding a small white package. “I got you something too.”

I pull a rectangular box from my back pocket and walk closer to the bed.

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