Page 39 of All Mine

“You’re just so much fun to play with,” he said, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

The temperature of the room rose, and I gripped the glass in both hands. “Do you think my livelihood is something to play with?”

“Jesus, Hart, you have a fucking one-track mind.”

“It’s my life,” I spat out through gritted teeth. “And you kiss your mama with that mouth?”

“She’s dead,” he shot.

I stopped. Camden had tossed a bucket of cold water on the flames. “I’m sorry… Your dad, then?”

“Dead, too, Princess.” He gulped his beer.

Maybe he was joking with me, but there wasn’t any humor or sarcasm in his voice, only hollowness.

“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered.

“Don’t.” Camden shook his head and stood. “It’s been fun,” he said, and tossed more than enough money on the table for our drinks. He stormed across the room and out the door.

“Is the show over?” Sloane asked.

“Funny,” I replied, not amused.

“You’re going after him, right?” Eden asked.

“Why on earth would I do that?”

Everyone at the table looked at each other.

Sloane shrugged. “Thought you might want to check on him.”

“I want him to leave and not screw up my life.”

“He’s not the bad guy here,” Adrian said from behind me.

I jumped. “Jeez, dude, creep much?” I pushed away from the table, making Adrian step back. “And don’t tell me what kind of guy he is. He doesn’t fool me one bit.”

“You need to get laid,” Sloane announced.

“Shush… quiet. What are you trying to do? Don’t say that out loud in a bar.”

My friends roared, laughing it up. Sure, my long-neglected lady parts agreed with her, but it was way too complicated. Just because the town had slim pickin’s as far as eligible men were concerned didn’t mean that I should jump the bones of the first man to wander through here and look my way.

“I’m out,” I said, turning and strolling away with their protests behind me.

The thick night air enveloped me as I stepped from the building. There were two routes home. If I turned right, I’d walk through the parking lot and up to the road. Left would take me to the boardwalk that ran alongside the lake and the docks. Then I’d have to walk through a small grassy field to get to the road. In case Camden waited in his car for me to pass, I went left.

Most of the boats in the marina sat dark and motionless, like the water. There were a handful of people that lived there full-time. Lights shined from the inside of two of the watercraft. Boisterous voices carried down from Lou’s and across the water and met with the symphony of crickets chirping out their nightly sonnet. The solar-powered lights that lined the boardwalk were dim and angled down, splaying swatches of light sweeping across the wooden planks, leaving the night almost as dark as nature intended.

I rounded the covered dock at the end and froze. A tall figure with broad shoulders stood on the lakeshore, facing out at the water. After what Camden said about both of his parents being dead, my heart broke for him. No one should have to deal with that so young. I was almost to the street and home and should’ve kept walking and left him to his thoughts. But glued in place, I couldn’t move. Why?

Camden turned, his features indistinguishable in charcoal shadows. He moved toward me in a brisk, purposeful stride. He didn’t stop until he was well into my personal space, breathing the same air. The fragrance of his soap or shaving cream hung between us. His dark eyes lingered on my lips.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, my heart skipping beats.

“What I should have done the other day.”

Fifteen

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