Page 78 of Coincidentally Kismet

My knees buckle first, plunging me into the powdery dirt. My eyes close as my body is being rolled over, images of Cam flashing in my mind. Her smiling, laughing, the scent of her lingering in my nose. She’s the best person I know, selfless and caring. She’s the light in all the dark around me. All the things I wish I would have said bounce around in my mind like colorful ribbons dancing around a dark room. Then the world goes black.

CHAPTER 35

CAM

“HEARTBROKEN” - DIPLO & JESSIE MURPH

Wind whistles outside my window as rain pelts the side of our building. Tampa has bad storms from time to time, even wrestling with hurricanes occasionally, but this storm seems to be one of epic proportions. Lo barely avoided being blown off the road when she went to pick up pizza, and Elliott’s flight was the last to leave prior to all planes being grounded.

I’ve always been a fan of a good storm. Maybe it’s the country girl in me, knowing how great the rain is for the crops and soil quality, or maybe it’s just the way a perfect rain can bring peace, lulling me to sleep. This storm feels different, though, almost foreboding of bad things to come. The lights have flickered on and off several times, prompting us to carefully place candles around the apartment, just in case.

I’m curled up in the coziest spot on the couch with a slice of pepperoni and onion, watching and debating with Lo about some “sister wives” on TV.

“I just don’t get it...How are they okay sharing this dude? He isn’t even that nice.” Lo’s talking around a mouthful of pizza.

“I think it’s all about the independence they get and the extra help to raise the kids.” I take a big gulp of wine. I can see how it would be nice to have someone to help with the school run, dinners, childcare. It’s the sharing-a-man part that I could never do.

“So, you would do this? If Will wanted to marry two women, would you agree?” Lo pins me down with her stare. She knows that would be a hard pass for me.

“Hell, no. I am way too overbearing for that and I don’t share well. I’m just saying, I think they do it for reasons outside of the man.”

“I don’t know. I think they are forced into it, like a cult or something.” Lo is open-minded about a lot of things, but this clearly isn’t one of them.

“I mean, we don’t watch the show to agree with them. We watch it for the drama,” I remind her, taking a sip of smooth red and carefully placing my glass back on the end table.

A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky, illuminating the living room and obliterating our power. I look at Lo, my eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness that has descended upon us, and I see that she is suddenly as creeped out as I am.

“Why am I scared of the dark all the sudden?” I ask her hesitantly.

“I don’t know, but this is creepy. We need to light these candles. Come on, help me.”

We both extricate ourselves from the couch and are moving toward the kitchen to grab lighters when there is a loudthump, thump, thumpon the door. Glancing at Lo, I make my way to the peephole, hoping it’s not an ax murderer waiting on the other side. Slowly looking through, standing tiptoe, I see it’s Bri. What the hell is she doing here in this storm?

Quickly unclasping the locks and swinging the door open, I sweep a drenched Bri into the foyer, dripping water everywhere.

“Hey, are you okay? What’s going on? Lo get some towels!” I rush out in a huff.

“Hi. Sorry to barge in, I need to talk to you.” Misery is etched in her wrinkled brow.

“Okay...come in. Let’s get you some dry clothes and then you can tell me whatever it is.” I try to reassure her, but I can see this effort just deepens her worry.

Lo comes over holding some leggings, a hoodie, and a towel to sop up the water. Bri makes quick work of changing in the bathroom and then settles in next to me on the couch.

“Cam, I don’t really know where to start. There’s something I need to tell you,” Bri chokes out the words as tears bubble at the corners of her eyes.

“You’re scaring me, just spit it out,” I snap at her. I don’t intend to come across so crass, but she is making me nervous. Is she here to tell me she lied about the whole thing with Will? Did she just pretend to call me and say it was him? Are they secretly in love?

Oh God...did something happen to him? Is he dead? My mind is spiraling out of control.

“Listen...I can tell by your expression that there are about a million thoughts racing through your head right now. First, let me say that I shouldn’t even really know this but I have a friend who keeps me in the loop when the team deploys. Second, Will is alive.” Her voice is shaky, like she’s trying to be calm and confident but can’t quite seem to get her body to fake it at this moment. “Will was injured, Cam. He was transferred to Germany for surgery and now is on his way to Andrews Air Force Base for more treatment. I do not know the extent of the injuries, only that it was bad enough to medevac him to Landstuhl.”

I hear Lo berating Bri with questions about the rest of the team, but all I can do is sit in stunned silence. My heart is in my throat, my stomach is churning with pizza grease and worry, andmy mind is wondering if he’s going to be okay, what this means, and if I can see him. Taking a deep breath in, I close my eyes and say a prayer to all the powers that be.

“Lo, stop. Is he...is he going to be okay?” I mutter the words in a whisper.

“I don’t know. I wish I could promise you he will be, but I can’t. Since I’m not family, they won’t give me any information. I know that there were other injuries, but none on their direct team. I know that Butler was the one to get to him first. We can go, Cam. I can get you on base and into the hospital to see him. I have a friend in DC who will escort us since neither of us has a working base ID,” Bri explains.

“We can go, I can go.” I turn the words over in my mind. I can be there with him, I can see him. “Yeah, okay... let’s do that,” I manage as I stand, turning in circles because I don’t know where to start.

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