The Disappearing Girl (27 page)
Read The Disappearing Girl Online
Authors: Heather Topham Wood
Cameron was close on my heels as I stomped over the graveled parking lot. “I thought the only reason I never went to the cemetery was because I refused to accept my dad’s death. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he wouldn’t be there. My dad hated cemeteries as much as I did. If I wanted to be close to him, I should go somewhere he loved.” I motioned to our surroundings. “This lake was my dad’s favorite fishing spot. Lila and I have been coming here since we were babies.”
Cameron stopped and took time to appreciate the surroundings. It was a small, secluded lake shrouded from the nearby highway by a line of towering pines. There was a small beach where Lila and I would wade while my dad casted nearby. We would bring a picnic lunch and run and swim for the day. I did a quick scan of the perimeter. “I only see a couple of anglers across the lake, so we’ll stay on this end. Since it’s the end of August, we’re fishing for bass. Trout season doesn’t start until the end of the month.”
He cocked his head and grinned at me. “Did I ever tell you how sexy it is to hear you talk like a middle-aged fisherman?”
I playfully shoved him. Then I reached into my beach bag to pull out a picnic blanket. “We could set up here.”
Once we’d unloaded the fishing gear, I reached out for his hand and squeezed it. “Thanks for coming with me today. I wanted to remember the fun I had with my dad and not dwell on the bad stuff.”
“I wish I could’ve met him. I’d like to thank him for having such an incredible daughter.” Without fail, Cameron would say something utterly perfect and remind me again why I fell in love with him.
“He’d be a huge fan of yours. Besides the fact you’re a lover of dogs and cars, you would win him over with how you treat his daughter like a princess.” My chest tightened momentarily, but I’d learned to allow myself to grieve for my dad instead of rejecting my feelings.
After a minute, Cameron broke the silence. “I got a call for an interview next week. The position is for an assistant in the HR department of a consulting firm.”
I squealed. “That’s amazing! I thought you only sent out your resume a few days ago. That must be a good sign if you’re already getting calls.”
Cameron wanted to eventually have his own business, but he acknowledged the goal was likely to be years away. In the meantime, he only wanted to find a job where he didn’t feel the urge to turn to hard liquor to get through most days.
“You’ll have to help me brush up on my interview skills.” He shot me an overzealous grin. “Hi, I’m Cameron Bennett, and if you hire me it’ll be the best decision you ever made for this company.”
I bumped my hip against his leg and giggled. “You’re interviewing for a job, not trying to sell a used car.”
“Okay, I’ll try to bring it down a notch. I don’t want to reek of desperation,” he said.
I sat on the blanket and Cameron squeezed next to me. I rested my head on his shoulder and watched the sun reflect off the surface of the still water. I brought my father’s face to my mind and welcomed his presence. Maybe he was with me, watching out for me. Since meeting Cameron, I had started believing in fate. And maybe my father had a hand in bringing an incredible guy into my life.
“I was thinking …” Cameron started uncertainly. At my questioning look, he continued, “I was thinking of seeing my mom. You know, my real mom.”
“Oh?” I prompted gently. His relationship with his mother was a landmine I had to tread carefully over. Thinking of the cavernous hole she had left in her son’s heart made me resent her. But I also understood Cameron would have that pain to carry with him until he dealt with the past.
“I do have a lot of pent-up shit I want to say to her. And you were right. I’m not over everything. My dad gave me these books of hers she left behind and that’s how I found the Vonnegut passage. I read those books over and over again, trying to get inside her head, trying to make sense of why she made the decisions she did.” I gripped the hem of his shirt and moved the fabric away to reveal his tattoo. I stroked it as he continued to speak. “So, it’s probably going to suck and be awkward, but I was hoping you’d come with me when I see her.”
“Of course,” I said. His head tilted toward me and he kissed me gently. “I love you.” I hadn’t been able to say it for ages, but the words kept slipping from my lips as if my heart was trying to make up for all the time it had been closed off.
“I love you,” he said. “But I still plan to catch a bigger fish than you.”
“Want to bet on it?” I challenged. “Loser has to clean and filet the day’s catch.”
“Fine, you’re on,” he agreed.
As we started preparing our lines, I peeked at him. His blue eyes were filled with mischief and he was trying to hide an ecstatic smile. His attitude was contagious, and I found myself beaming. His movements were confident and strong, and the way he held himself was sexy as hell.
He was it for me. He didn’t cause a mere fluttering in my belly, he ignited explosions. I was lucky to be with a guy who not only loved me, but who also helped me appreciate my body again. Instead of despising what was on the outside, I found myself daydreaming over what Cameron would do at night to my body.
Having an eating disorder was an ugly thing, but I had survived it. I didn’t become a tragedy, a warning to girls of what happens when you starve yourself for beauty. At the end, I’d chosen love.
And each time I stumbled, each time I felt the urge to deny my body what it needed to be healthy, I would remind myself of that choice.
The End
For questions or recovery assistance:
National Eating Disorders Association
1-800-931-2237
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Acknowledgments
My husband Bryan, my love and my everything, I wouldn’t be who I am without you.
My children, your love is always my biggest inspiration.
Lynn, a fabulous editor who has helped me become a better writer.
My parents and sisters, thanks for your awesomeness and allowing me to put parts of you in my novels.
To the rest of my friends and family, I love you all and will be eternally grateful for how much you’ve helped me succeed.
To Jo, thanks for your work on the book and for always be a supporter for aspiring and indie writers.
About the Author
Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. She’s the author of the paranormal romance
Second Sight
series and the standalone
The Disappearing Girl.
Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as
USA Today
, Livestrong.com,
Outlook by the Bay
and
Step in Style
magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.
Follow Heather on Facebook, Twitter and her blog to keep posted on her upcoming works:
https://twitter.com/woodtop255
https://www.facebook.com/HeatherTophamWood
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