Finally Found (33 page)

By the time they arrived at Cin’s apartment, Cammie was struggling to stay awake. “I am worn out,” she complained. “I was going to argue with you about taking the bed, but now…well, thank you.”

“So, let’s get you tucked in. I’ll go get ginger ale. What are your other symptoms?” Cin was acting really worried.

“Do I look like hell?” Cammie asked, slightly agitated.

Shaking her head, she responded, “It’s not that. I just don’t remember you ever being sick. I mean…ever. You don’t get sick. And on those rare occasions that you did, it was always so mild. Nothing could ever keep you down. Now…you just act so…weak.”

They took the elevator up to her apartment. Cin lived in a nicer place. She wasn’t afraid to spend money on having nice things. So she had a one-bedroom apartment instead of a studio. She had real furniture. She looked like more of a grown up than Cammie, but the look also came with debt and the constant financial struggle.

“I’m just going to sit here for a minute,” Cammie said. “If I know you, you need to clean
your room before I can even lie in the bed.” She tried to smile, but it just made her feel nauseous. As soon as Cin left the room, she sank down on the couch. By the time Cin returned, she was asleep sitting up.

Adam had just returned from dinner with Sam and Haley when there was a knock on his door. He still had that moment of hope that maybe when he opened the door, Cammie would be there. He swung the door wide without looking through the peephole. “Close,” he said seriously. “But no cigars.” He sighed and backed away from the door, leaving it open. “What do you want, Cin? Cammie isn’t here. In fact, Cammie hasn’t been here since the engagement party. We haven’t even spoken.”

She looked really self-conscious, incredibly nervous. “I know. She’s at my place. She’s passed out on the couch. I think she’s sick. Maybe really sick. Nothing ever keeps her down. Ever. Only she was sick at Christmas Eve dinner. And so I took her home with me. She can’t drive. She can’t even stay awake.”

He had planned to be tough, but this new
s wrecked him. “So let’s go.” He went to the closet and grabbed his jacket. “I’ll follow you. Just know in advance that I won’t be leaving without her.” He had his game face on. He was serious.

For the first time since she tried to get him to sleep with her, Cin smiled. “I was counting on that.”

The quiet streets made for a quick trip to Cin’s apartment. He could tell just from the outside that hers was a lot nicer than Cammie’s. “What do you do?” He asked curiously.

“I work for my parents, pick up extra catering shifts now with Cammie. That’s all.” She smiled proudly.

“Are you going to school? What are your plans?” He was genuinely curious. Cammie and Cin were so different.

“No, I’m just going to run the family business one day.” She seemed pretty proud of that fact. Yet, Adam was even more convinced than ever that Cammie was the right choice.

When he reached the apartment, he noticed nothing but the woman he loved who was completely passed out on the couch. She had fallen over and was curled up there. Adam rushed to her, knelt beside her, and began talking to her. “Doll, wake up,” he urged.
He could see why Cin was worried. He had never seen Cammie look this bad.

“Shhh,” she said. “Let me sleep.”

“Have it your way,” he said. Then he picked her up and sat down with her in his arms. “Rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” He tucked her in against his shoulder and looked at Cin. “Can you get us a blanket?”

Soon, with Cammie snuggled against him, he was asleep.

When Cammie woke at 8am the next morning, she was surprised to find that she had slept in Adam’s lap. “Hey,” she said, “when did you get here?”

“Oh, you know, Santa dropped me off.” He joked. “Merry Christmas, doll. How are you feeling?”

Cammie made a face while she stretched as if she was concentrating very hard before answering that question. “I think I’m fine. I must have just been overworked.”

“Cin said you were puking and that you were worn out. She was really worried.” He frowned as he looked at her. It was true that her color was better. She was smiling up at him.

“So, are you my present for real?” She asked happily.

“I’d like to be,” he said honestly. “I’ve figured a few things out while we were apart.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” She asked as she continued to lie in his lap.

“Well, for one…I can’t stay busy enough to stop missing you. You?” He asked her hopefully.

She frowned. “Lately, there’s a hole where my heart’s supposed to be. I only really feel when you’re near. Doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“And you call me ‘genius.’” He joked. “It seems like the obvious solution is to be together, doll. Two birds, one stone and all that crap.”

He stood, still holding her in his arms. Gently, he set her down, making sure she had her footing before letting go. Only she didn’t want to let go. She wanted to be closer. He could feel the determination in her as she held him and pressed as far into him as she could. Soon enough they kissed. Cammie hopped up and her legs wrapped around his waist. He smiled at the familiarity of it all. His hands were on her hips. She looked him in the eyes and very deliberately let go, falling back until she was dangling, her ponytail grazing the ground, her arms were outstretched, her eyes were closed and there was a huge smile on her face.

“You trust me,” he said incredulously.

She laughed. “Obviously, genius. You shouldn’t even have to mention it.”

“Hey,” he said, “I don’t suppose you call me genius because your mother had a porcelain doll…” He smirked.

“No,” she said seriously, “but we did have a beagle once that my father called Genius and kicked a lot. Is that the same thing?” She laughed.

“I like my story better. Can I help with the last five years of your ten year plan?” He asked as she still dangled upside down.

She was quiet for a moment. “Pick me up! Pick me up!” She begged.

He panicked and pulled her up as quickly as he could. “What’s wrong?” She dropped to the ground and rushed to the bathroom.

Cin came out of her bedroom when she heard the commotion. “Hmmm.” She said.

“I guess she’s still a little sick,” Adam said.

“Maybe,” Cin commented and she went to knock on the bathroom door.

Cammie had her head in the toilet when her sister walked in. “I don’t remember saying you could come in,” she mumbled. “Do you think it’s food poisoning?” She asked. She looked at Cin for a moment, still the picture of health. “Maybe not.”

“Have you peed yet?” Cin asked seriously.

Cammie chuckled. “Normally that would have been my first stop, but then the puking started.” She laid her head on her arm and her arm on the toilet seat. “When was the last time you cleaned this thing?”

Reaching under the sink, her sister passed her a pregnancy test. “Do this. See you in three minutes. We may have the answer to this mystery ailment sooner than you think.”

Cammie stared at it. She hadn’t used one of these since the freshmen year of college. All it took was the one scare and she had been so much more careful. She had been on the pill for years, so her doctor had recommended that she discontinue that and consider
instead getting an IUD. She was supposed to have an appointment for that when her next cycle came. She had been so busy. When was her next cycle? Hell, when was her last cycle? She knew she had one in November. It was now the end of December. Shit.

Unwrapping the test, she yanked down her pants and panties and peed on a stick. Having to do this once a decade didn’t make her a whore. She had slept with less guys than she had fingers…on one hand. The pill was such a habit. Never having to think about protection because the pill was such a habit. She never considered for a moment that she could get pregnant that quickly. She might not be pregnant. She might not. She wiped and flushed. She stood, pulled up her panties and pants, walked over and washed her hands. It was early. She shouldn’t even look yet. Only as she looked, there were two very distinct lines. She smiled. The control line that meant she had peed enough. The other had to be the minus sign. She felt better already.

Drying her hands, she grabbed the stick and proudly walked out to where Cin and Adam were talking. “Look. Control and minus. No baby!” She exclaimed happily.

Adam and Cin both shook their heads. He looked at Cin. “You want to explain this to her, or shall I?”

“Honey,” Cin began quietly. “Two lines mean you’re pregnant.”

“Can’t be,” Cammie murmured, just before her eyes rolled back in her head.

Adam jumped as soon as he saw her knees begin to give. Just before she sank completely to the ground, he caught her. Looking up at Cin, he said calmly, “Well, I thought that went well.”