Page 23 of Just Like This
Chapter Nine
Cami
Iwanted to murder Palmerfor asking Garrett to drive Nikki home. I didn’t want her in my guest house either, but I couldn’t stand the thought of Garrett alone with her for more than ten minutes. Jealousy was an unfamiliar emotion, and with each glance at the clock, my patience started to fray, and I inched closer to complete irrationality.
“Jesus, how long is this going to take?” I hissed as I flipped another confetti pancake.
“If you don’t want to make pancakes, Cami, you don’t have to,” Palmer told me through a mouthful of pancake.
“I’m talking about Garrett walking Nikki over to the guest house. It’s not like he could have gotten lost.” I scooped the pancake onto my spatula and placed it on the plate in front of Jackson. He eagerly cut into it and took a bite. I smiled appreciatively. I liked seeing the looks of satisfaction and delight on people’s faces when I cooked or baked for them. And seeing Jackson devour pancake after pancake made me even happier because I knew that once his leave was over, he wouldn’t get homemade anything for a long time. I suddenly wondered why he wasn’t traveling back home to see his family.
“Jackson, are you going home before your leave is up?” I asked as I poured another dollop of batter onto my hot griddle. He looked up, surprised.
“I don’t have a family. I was in the foster care system before I enlisted. Palmer and Garrett are basically my brothers,” he said. My heart ached, and I wondered what it would be like not to have a family to come home to after being deployed for nearly a year. My thoughts instantly gravitated toward my father. I knew he would be gone soon, but at least I had Valerie. Jackson didn’t have anyone.
“Well, now you have me. I’ll send you care packages.” Talking to Jackson was a momentary distraction because one glance back at the clock made my eyes turn green with jealousy.
“Seriously, he’s been gone for twenty minutes.”
“Maybe she’s sick,” Palmer offered. “He wouldn’t leave her alone if she was throwing up.”
I shifted uncomfortably because I didn’t want to admit that Palmer had a point. If Nikki was really drunk, she could easily be sick. “I’ll go and check on them, then.”
An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I made my way to the front door. When I stepped outside and looked out across the driveway, I could see lights on in the guest house. So, they made it. My steps were hurried as I walked across the driveway, but I felt like I was going in slow motion. When I reached the door, I twisted the handle until it opened easily.
I stepped inside and heard a giggle and then a moan. My voice was caught in my throat. Garrett said she was nothing more than a friend, but Nikki clearly didn’t feel that way. I felt nauseous as I rounded the corner to the open living space, and my legs started to buckle at the sight in front of me. Nikki sat on the couch, her fingers grasped around the waistband of Garrett’s jeans. She had a satisfied smirk on her lips and a wicked gleam in her eye as she giggled again.
“God, I can’t wait to have your cock in my mouth again,” she slurred. “I’m so hungry for it.”
I covered my mouth with my hand.Again? That implied they had done this before. I stumbled back into the hall and out of the front door.
Palmer and Jackson were still eating pancakes in the kitchen when I returned, and they both looked up with concerned expressions.
“Cami? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Palmer rushed over and grasped my elbow to help keep me steady. He directed me over to the small kitchen table, and I sat down, my knees still trembling.
“You guys should just go home. I don’t feel well,” I lied. I stood and headed toward my bedroom. “I’ll clean up in the morning.”
“Are you sure? Do you want me to call Valerie?” Palmer offered as he trailed after me down the hall.
“No. I’ll be fine. I just need to get some rest. I’ll call you in the morning.” I stood in the doorway of my bedroom and looked up at Palmer. I managed a weak smile and leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Use the spare key under the plant to lock up, okay?”
I left him there, clueless, and closed my bedroom door. Minutes later, I heard the unmistakable sound of Garrett’s voice. I sat huddled in the dark under my blankets and cursed myself for being more naïve than I had thought.
“What do you mean she’s sick? She was fine thirty minutes ago,” he said loudly.
“Dude, keep your voice down,” Palmer implored. “Call her in the morning.”
There was a thud on my bedroom door, and the handle jiggled slightly. “Cami?” He said my name like a plea. “Are you okay?”
I wanted to remain silent, but I didn’t think he’d go away without talking to me. I sat up and shuffled over to the door. I opened it a crack and murmured, “I don’t feel good. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Garrett, please. I’m exhausted.”
“Okay,” he relented. He leaned forward to place a kiss on my lips, but I turned my head to the side where it landed on my cheek instead. “Is something else wrong?”
“No,” I insisted. “I’m just tired.”
