Kiss This (32 page)

After thirty minutes, she still hadn’t
appeared. Teague got up from the couch and headed down the hall to
find her, pausing cautiously at the partially opened door. He
gently pushed it open further, spotting Camryn on the bed right
away. She was lying on her stomach, her face toward the window.
Teague stepped around the bed to talk to her, thinking she was
ignoring him, but her makeup-streaked eyes were shut.

She’d cried herself to sleep.

He sighed, feeling the weight of his actions
pressing on his chest. He knew how much Camryn worried about her
sister and he was a piece of shit for making her feel in the wrong.
He had his reasons, but he could have gone about it a different
way.

He quietly shut the curtains and glanced at
the clock. It was just after eight but hell, if he didn’t feel dog
tired as well. His lunch with Kate was a nightmare and once again,
his stomach was too tied in knots to even eat.

He went to the front room to turn everything
off and then returned to Camryn’s bedroom. She was probably pissed
as fuck with him, and he might even find his ass kicked onto the
floor once she realizes he’s there, but he climbed onto the bed
with her and fell asleep within a minute.

***

Camryn’s brain was buzzing. It wouldn’t stop
either, even when she squeezed her head. Then she realized it was
her phone under the pillow. She snatched it up, and sure enough,
Melanie’s face was smiling at her. The room was dark, the clock
read 11:20, and everything from earlier came crashing back to her.
Shit, she’d fallen asleep when she should have stayed up to make
sure her sister was okay.

“Mel, what’s wrong?” she answered, rolling
towards the bathroom out of habit. She hit something rock hard and
grunted. “What the—?”

“Camryn, I-I can’t drive,” Melanie’s voice
blubbered. “I’m too upset. I just- I had to pull over. And I threw
up. I’m so tired…”

Camryn turned on the lamp to see what the
hell she’d bumped into, shocked to see Teague stretched out on her
bed. He squinted from the light of the lamp, but sat up when he
realized something was wrong.

“Where are you?” Camryn asked Melanie.

“Uh, I’m at the- the quick mart by the
hardware store.”

That was a vague location, but Camryn was
pretty sure she knew where she meant if she’d been coming from
Loopsy’s. She used the bathroom as she listened to Melanie give her
a very jumbled account of her disappointing night with Jordan.
Camryn wasn’t surprised one bit and she told her sister to sit
tight, lock the doors, and she’d be there in a few minutes.

“I’ll drive you,” Teague said when she came
out of the bathroom.

“I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”

He followed her out of the room anyway and
put his shoes on by the couch. Pulling his phone out of his pocket,
he glanced at it and cursed. “She called me too.”

Camryn was already heading out the door but
Teague wasn’t having it when he said, “If you’re picking her up,
I’ll drive. Then you can drive her home without leaving a car
there.”

As much as she hated to budge, she silently
agreed by heading straight for his truck. They both climbed in and
the first silent minute of the ride was torturous.

“I shouldn’t have interfered,” Teague
finally said quietly. “I’m sorry, Camryn. I just… My opinions are
sort of warped over that kind of thing. From being an unwanted kid
myself and never feeling like I fit in with my dad’s family…to
media, lies, secrets… Parents need to talk and be on the same page.
I just feel for kids that are jostled around because of family
situations. I know it happens, but…”

He didn’t finish, but Camryn’s heart broke
when he mentioned being an unwanted kid. That was horrible. And she
could even empathize because of how her own mother always made her
feel. She didn’t know what to expect for Melanie’s baby, but she
did know that she would love him or her unconditionally and do what
she could to help her sister if she needed it.

“Turn left at this light,” was her only
response.

Teague followed her instruction, and then
the next directive at another intersection.

“Do you remember what you said to me over
the phone when I went to get Melanie in San Diego?” she asked
quietly.

He only shook his head no.

“You told me to just do my best. Do you
remember that?”

“Yes,” he barely replied.

“Well I am, Teague. I’m trying. And guess
what? Sometimes it sucks because I don’t know what the hell is best
for
me
, let alone anyone else. Melanie is my little sister,
and I would do anything for her. Sometimes that consists of tough
love that she still doesn’t learn a lesson from, and it makes me
mad. But mostly my heart breaks every time she does something I
advise her not to, and she ends up screwing herself over anyways. I
don’t want to keep picking up the pieces, Teague. I want for her to
grow up and be an adult for once. And now she’s
pregnant
… My
God, I don’t even know what these next few years are going to
consist of…”

She took a deep breath and released it.
Ranting about the struggles in her life wasn’t going to change
anything, but while she was caught up in her impetuous outburst,
she figured she’d keep the ball rolling.

“While you’re already mad at me, can I ask
you a question?” she inquired.

Teague sighed. “I’m not mad at you, Camryn.
But yes, you can ask me a question.”

“It’s awkward,” she mumbled, looking out her
window.

He paused for a moment but she decided not
to witness his reaction and continued to stare out the window.
“Okay,” he finally said. “Let’s get it over with.”

“You told me to come to you if I heard
something I wasn’t sure about.”

Silence again, but this time she looked at
him. With the streetlights flashing across his face, she could
instantly tell that his jaw was tense as he stared ahead at the
road. “So what is it that you heard?” he asked.

“Let me first say that Melanie is intrigued
with your family.”

“Yes, I know,” he slowly nodded. “She’s easy
to read. So she’s been reading tabloids or something? You know how
I feel about that, Camryn.”

His voice was soft, and he almost sounded
hurt. It was like she’d wounded him just by mentioning such
garbage.

“She read some stuff online.”

“That’s sometimes even worse,” he glanced
over at her. But he sighed and added, “So what’d she read?”

“What
didn’t
she read?” Camryn
replied with a tiny smile. She was trying to lighten the mood, but
she didn’t feel humorous in the least bit.

Teague didn’t seem amused either. “Ask.”

“Fine. Have you been married before?”

He actually slowed his truck as he looked at
her. He studied her for a second and answered, “No.”

“
Almost
married?”

“Engaged? No.”

“What about kids? Do you have kids?”

He took a deep breath and exhaled as he
pulled to a stoplight. “I don’t have kids, Camryn.”

“Are you mad at me for asking?”

“No, I’m not mad,” he shook his head. “I’m
just bothered that you even
have
to ask. But I understand
that we’re still getting to know each other and because of who my
family is, it might be more complicated. Anything else?”

She thought for a moment, debating another
question while she had him in the hot seat. “Did you drop out of
school?”

Glancing at her he said, “I thought I told
you that I did.”

“You did, but
you
dropped out, right?
You didn’t get kicked out?”

He finally smiled. “Are you talking about
stealing my dad’s car?”

“So that was true?”

“Did I steal his car? Yes. Did I crash it
into the school? No. And for the record, I didn’t crash it at all.
Someone plowed into me when I was parked.”

“Sucks you got caught that way,” she said,
biting back a smile.

“Yeah it did,” he agreed, releasing a tiny
chuckle.

The tension eased a bit, and after a couple
of blocks, Camryn said, “Turn right up there.” Teague pulled into
the minute mart lot and they spotted Melanie’s car right away. “Oh,
shit,” Camryn groaned. She was already unbuckling her seatbelt to
hop out of a moving vehicle when Teague grabbed her arm to stop
her.

“Hang on, sweetheart. You stay with me,
Camryn.”

“That’s Jordan and I’m gonna kill him,” she
said, yanking her arm from him.

Camryn jumped onto the pavement before
Teague even had the truck stopped. Jordan must not have seen her
coming because he was still trying to talk to Melanie through her
closed window.

“Come on, baby,” he was saying, trying to
sound patient. “Just come home with me.”

“Get the hell away from her!” Camryn yelled
as she approached and Jordan jolted upright to face her.

“Hey, you stay away from me you crazy
bitch,” he told her.

“You stay away from my sister or I will cut
your balls off and make Christmas ornaments out of them!”

Jordan snickered and shook his head. “Still
the comic, even in a psychotic rage.”

“Stay away from her.”

“She’s carrying my kid. She’s the
mother
of my
child
,” he smirked.

“Who gives a shit? You told her you didn’t
want anything to do with the kid!”

“Maybe I’m coming around. And why the fuck
are you in her business all the damn time. Why don’t you get your
own life, stupid bitch?”

“Take Melanie home and I’ll see you there,”
Teague said from behind her. She knew he hadn’t been far behind,
but she liked the look on Jordan’s face when he saw him. Teague was
a lot bigger, but even just the look on his face and the tone of
his voice was intimidating.

Teague’s hand was on her shoulder and he
gently pushed her toward the car but she stopped. “Don’t even
bother, Teague,” she spoke quietly. “I’m not kidding. You get in
your truck and leave, and then
we’ll
leave. This is my
problem. I don’t need you in the middle of it.” She could see him
eyeing Jordan like he was waiting for another reason to kick his
ass.

“It became my problem when he called you a
bitch the
first
time. Two times is grounds for hitting him
so hard he shits his fucking pants.”

“I understand that upsets you, but please,
Teague. Let’s go home.”

He sighed, but after staring at Jordan for
several seconds, he eventually nodded his head. Jordan was already
headed for his car anyways, but when he opened the door he said,
“Are you Camryn’s boyfriend? She’s a junkyard dog, if I ever saw
one. How ‘bout you keep your bitch minding her own business and me
and Mel will sort out our own shit, okay?”

Teague moved before Camryn could even
register that he was headed across the parking lot, but Jordan had
already jumped into his car. The engine roared and the little
coward peeled out on the pavement as he sped away.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“It’s unbelievable that you even have to
think about this, Teague. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Teague had been glad to see Jay until the
last five minutes happened. He heard Teague had been offered a spot
on one of the most anticipated movies of next year and couldn’t
believe he turned it down.

Teague slid a surfboard out of his truck and
handed it to his cousin. “It’s my dad’s movie.”

Jay paused before saying, “Ah, fuck me. I
didn’t know that. Your pops got the production rights to it?”

“Yep. And guess who daddy’s number one star
is going to be?”

“Hell, that’s a double fuck me. ”

“I swore I was never going to do another
movie with him again.” He grabbed the board from Jay and walked it
to the garage. He slid it up on the rack against the wall and
headed inside.

“What a movie to miss out on, Teague. Tell
me you’re not sporting wood over the scenes in that mother.”

“I didn’t say anything about not being
interested in it. But after what happened on the set last year, I’m
surprised I’m even getting the jobs I’m getting
now
. I’m
fine with that, Jay. I’m not going to press my luck.”

“Fine. But what’s up with the board?” Jay
asked as he followed Teague to the kitchen. “You’re not even
putting in water time. What’s the deal with that?”

“I let someone borrow it last year. But
guess who’s in town to turn my happy life to hell?”

Jay stopped in his tracks. “No way. Kate?
Seriously?”

“Unfortunately, yeah.”

“To see you?”

“Who knows.”

“She’s talking to you again?”

“Apparently I’ve been knocked off the shit
list.” Teague opened the fridge and removed a pair of sodas,
handing one to Jay.

“So what’s going on?” Jay asked. “Isn’t she
breaking the agreement? All hell is gonna break loose. What are you
gonna do?”

Teague slowly shook his head and sighed. “I
guess I’ll have to see what’s up her sleeve first.”

Jay popped open the can and took a drink.
“And what about Chase? Have you been able to see him?”

Teague left the kitchen with his can and
cracked it open on the way to the TV room. “Not really. She’s
playing her games again.”

“What a damn psycho,” Jay murmured.

“Let’s not talk about Kate, okay? I haven’t
told Camryn anything about her. As long as it’s buried in the past,
I just want to keep it there. Things are too good with Cam to bring
all that up.”

Jay dropped down on the couch and let the
topic drop, which is what Teague loved about the guy. You say
enough is enough, and he lets it go.

“So you’re back for good, too?” Teague asked
him, just to make sure.

“Yeah, you’re stuck with me again,
asshole.”

Teague grinned. “Thick and thin, bro.” He
held his fist out and Jay bumped it.

“So tell me more about Camryn,” Jay said.
“Things are that good, huh?”