Page 37 of Just Like This
Chapter Fifteen
Garrett
As I drove away fromCami’s house, I thought about the conversation I needed to have with Palmer. Clearly, it bothered him that I was with Cami even though he had accepted my apology. For years, he’d talked about Cami like she was some innocent girl-next-door type, nothing more than a little sister. I’d even wondered if she actually existed since he’d never showed us any pictures of her. Now that I knew how very real Cami was, I didn’t blame him. After all, he’d been surrounded by a bunch of horny assholes waiting for fresh material to replenish their spank banks, and Cami would have starred in many fantasies.
It was my fault for not reading between the lines, though. Even though Palmer never explicitly said he was in love with Cami, it was written all over his face. Even now, I foolishly ignored the way he looked at her, the way he agonized over her, refusing to accept her final rejection. The conversation was going to hurt, but the bandage needed to be ripped off.
When I walked into Palmer’s, he and Jackson were engaged in an intense video game battle. I stopped at the entrance to the family room and watched them.
“Are you two fucking serious?” I asked. “You’re playingCall of Duty? Haven’t you seen enough warfare?”
“Where have you been?” Jackson asked, barely looking up from the television screen displaying the digitized images of all-too-familiar scenes. I shook my head in disbelief. We were supposed to be on leave, trying to forget some of this shit.
“Cami called. She found out some news about her dad, and she just needed to talk,” I answered as I walked a few steps into the room.
Palmer paused the game, causing Jackson to unleash a string of profanities, and looked up at me. “Is Alex okay?”
“It’s not my place to say. I’m sure Cami will tell you, though.” I didn’t know enough about Alex’s illness to truly answer anyway.
“So did you do more than just talk?” Jackson grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. I retreated uncomfortably to the doorway because I really didn’t want to talk about that in front of Palmer. He didn’t need me constantly rubbing it in that I was with the woman he’s loved unrequited for years.
“Let it drop,” I said to Jackson.
“Oh, come on! Spill the juicy details.” I growled because Jackson was treading on some very thin ice. Palmer looked like he was either going to be sick or punch something.
“Jackson,” I warned him. “Stop.”
“Dude.” Jackson’s teasing expression became serious as he stared at me with surprise. “You’re in love.”
I narrowed my eyes but looked away. “Fuck off. No, I’m not. Is Cami special? Hell, yes. But I’m not in love. No way.”
“Palmer, Garrett is in love with your precious Cami!” Jackson’s laughter was practically hysterical, and he didn’t even notice the intense stare down that Palmer and I were now locked in. It was clear I had claimed something he thought was his.
In a flash, Palmer was on me with his fists wrapped tightly in my T-shirt. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he seethed. He shook me but let go quickly. “Why, Garrett? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What the fuck is wrong withme? What the fuck is wrong withyou, Palmer?” I demanded. Jackson stopped laughing and watched us cautiously. He knew better than to interfere and would only step in if it got physical. “Val said you were talking shit about me last night. Apparently, when I’m on leave, I fuck anything with a pussy.”
Palmer looked away, but I could see the tension in his jaw. “Cami was supposed to be mine. You should have stayed away.”
“You don’t think I tried? Do you really think I wanted to ruin our friendship? You’re like my brother, Palmer.” For the entire week while I was back home, I tortured myself over wanting Cami so bad but not wanting to ruin my friendship with Palmer. And when I returned to Gig Harbor and took one look at her, I knew that all hope was lost. Hurting Palmer was the last thing that I wanted to do.
“Then maybe you didn’t try hard enough because you and Cami getting together happened way too easily,” Palmer spat out. Where the fuck was all of this anger coming from? What else had I done to piss him off?
“I’m sorry if that’s how it appeared. But I heard her tell you more than once that she only wanted friendship. You had to know that she was never going to be yours.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Palmer caught me off guard and landed a nasty blow right in my gut. I doubled over from the intensity of his punch. I waited for the second hit, but it didn’t come. “Get the fuck out of my house,” he spat before walking away.
Poor Jackson was stuck in the middle. I could see the battle between chasing after Palmer and staying to talk with me.
“Is she worth it?” he asked quietly, making his way over to see if I needed help. I brushed away his offered hand and slowly stood. There was definitely going to be a bruise.
“Yes,” I said with finality. “Now let’s go get drunk.”
I made my way through Palmer’s house to the guest room where I was staying and packed my duffel. Palmer sulked in the family room, staring stonily out the window. I didn’t bother with a goodbye. Jackson offered a hand for my duffel, and I handed it off before following him out to my car.
I had no clue where I was going, but it was easy enough to just drive around and find a bar. I’d figure out where to stay later. We pulled into the parking lot of the first one that looked like a decent hole-in-the-wall. Jackson didn’t utter a word or ask a single question until we were both firmly planted in a dark booth with a round of beers in front of us.
“So you want to talk about what just happened?” His voice was casual but cautious.
