The Real Me (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 4) (14 page)

Kate was quiet for a minute, but couldn't let it go completely. "Just don't blow it without giving it some serious thought first," she said. Her arms were crossed and she wore an expression that said she was disappointed
about having to drop the subject.

"I know it's cool that he's famous and everything, but that doesn't change the fact that he looked me in my face and lied
about who he was. He let me call him Cole for God's sake."

Chapter 15

To her own shame, there was a teeny tiny piece of Jax that was excited and star-struck at the realization of who Cole was, but most of her was angry and hurt. They drove for a few more hours in mostly silence.  When they did speak, it wasn't about Cam.

Jax had a reoccurring sequence of thoughts
during the drive. She'd catch herself feeling excited at the possibility of dating a celebrity, then her logical self would take over and remember that if
anyone else
had put on a mask and lied to her like that she definitely wouldn't forgive him. It was just   bizarre.

Kate brought it up one last time about 20 minutes before they rolled into town. "If it all turns out to be true, would you
please
promise me to at least
think about it
before you go ending things?"

"You
wouldn't say that if you didn't know who he was."

Kate shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. But who he is happens to be a big freakin' deal, Jax."

"I've been thinking," Jax said.

Understatement of the century.

Her brain had been on overdrive since she picked up that magazine. "I think I'm gonna give him a chance to tell me," she said. "I'll make plans to see him. If he shows up with that rug on his face that'll be a sign that it's meant to be that I don't see him anymore."

"Y
ou have to at least give him a chance to tell the truth," Kate said—ever the advocate for Cam.

"Well if I
ask
him if he's wearing a fake beard then he'll know I know the truth and he'll be honest. I'm going to have to rely on him showing up and telling me the truth without asking."

Kate wore a worried expression like she feared all might not end well. "I think you should at least talk to him for a little bit. Give him a chance to tell you."

"I don't think I'd be able to. I couldn't sit there and let him wear that in front of me and pretend like I didn't know."

Kate sighed. "I hope
he tells you the truth," she said, wistfully.

"I do too."

The sisters were quiet for a few minutes before Jax spoke again. "Are you spending the night in Nashville or are Mom and Dad coming to get you?"

"Mom and Dad are coming. They're probably already there. I think we
're all supposed to eat dinner."

"I hope we're not going out," Jax said. "I really don't feel like sitting in a restaurant."

"We'll let Mom and Dad go out with the Gregorys and tell them to bring us takeout. We can hang in your apartment. I need a shower, and I want to call Jeremy."

Ja
x smiled at her little sister—thankful she was thinking rationally enough to come up with a plan.

Their parents
were indeed at the house when they got there. Jax told everyone that she and Kate were road weary and they wanted to stay at home. Thankfully, they went for it with almost no questions asked.

Jax was still reeling from everything and was in a surreal state. The two hours that Kate was in her apartment went fast. Before she knew it,
her family was on their way back to Clarksville, and she was alone with her thoughts. She'd made tentative plans with Cole (or Cam) for that evening, but hadn't contacted him at all since she found out. It was now dinnertime, and she hadn't been alone long enough to text him. She didn't want to get into whatever it was while her sister was still there, and she was just having the chance to decide what she'd say.

She had two texts from him that came in earlier that day. Both of them asked when she'd be home and said he'd like to see her. Seeing the name
Cole
at the top of the screen infuriated her, but she tried to type out a text that made it seem like she had no idea.

Jax: "We made it home a little while ago. My sister and parents were here till just now."

She heard back from him in under a minute.

Cole (or so it said on the text): "I've been waiting for you."

He had been. Macy was waiting by the phone in case he called.

Jax: "I'm
here."

She was sure it was obvious by her short reply that something was wrong, but every second that went by
that he
didn't
tell the truth made her even more pissed.

Cam: "Want company?"

Jax: "I was thinking about coffee. How about now?"

Cam: "Great. I need about an hour or so, but I'll be there. Café Coco?"

Jax: "See you at eight?"

Perfect. That gave him an hour and a half.

Cam: "Eight's perfect. It's a date."

Jax: "See you then."

Cam knew something was different by the way she was texting. Usually, she included hearts and smiley faces and this time she was curt and to the point. He figured she was just tired from the trip, which made sense with her wanting to go get coffee. He couldn't really spend too much time worrying about it. There was too much to do. He called Macy right away and told her he needed the beard, stat.

Jax got to the parking lot of Café Coco twenty minutes early. She wasn't planning on going in
to the coffee shop. She'd strategically chosen the place knowing that she could confront him in private while still in a public place. It was getting dark, and Jax new she wouldn't have a problem finding a place in the parking lot where they wouldn't be noticed. She parked near the back of the lot.

She was watching the entrance when he pulled in
, and got out of her car to stand next to it and wait for him. Jax could barely breathe. She wasn't even sure if her voice would come out right when she tried to speak. She was way more nervous than she'd ever been with him and she had no idea whether it was because she was anxious about a confrontation with him, or if it was because he was famous. Both were probably a factor.

He whipped into the spot next to her—his tires causing the loose gravel
to shift and crackle. She was so anxious she could hardly think straight. He stepped from the truck with a big smile on his face. Oh yeah, he was definitely the guy from the pictures. He was wearing a t-shirt, but she knew exactly what was under it, thanks to those Godforsaken pictures.

Before she knew what was going on, he
crossed to her and took her into his arms, giving a tight squeeze. Her instinct was to melt into his strong embrace, and she told herself it was okay to enjoy it for a second because that's what she'd do if she didn't know anything. She wanted to at least give him the opportunity to tell the truth.

Then she reminded herself that he was
currently wearing a freaking beard, and that in itself was a lie. She pulled back to regard the thing. She just put him at arms length and studied his face unabashedly.

Cam was so glad to see her that it didn't even register that she was scrutinizing his beard. He just thought she missed him too and was looking at him like that.

The beard was a freaking masterpiece, and Jax caught herself doubting the falseness of it. He smiled at her and she wanted so badly to return it, but she couldn't.

"What's the matter?"

She struggled with knowing whether to call him out on it or give him more time to tell the truth, but ultimately decided she had to go ahead and get it out in the open. She sighed a defeated sigh as she leaned against the side of her car. She hated what she was about to do on so many levels. She started to speak, but couldn't decide what to say first.

"
What's the matter?" he repeated. His tone was even more concerned this time. He tried to grab her by the waist to pull her in, but she evaded his grasp.

"Who
are
you?" she asked. She stared at him with an expression of challenge and anger that made his heart drop. He knew she knew—could tell it by the look in her eyes.

He stared at her for a few second
s with an unreadable expression then had the decency to look ashamed. "I was planning on telling you."

"Oh, of course you were,
" she said, shaking her head. "But instead I have to read about it in a magazine."

He sighed and ran a hand through his
hair and a frustrated gesture and Jax looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard. She reached out and tapped the lenses on his plastic glasses. "That's why you forgot your glasses, because you probably don't even
need
them. That's why you never wanted to
Facetime
." She let out a frustrated groan. "Lies, all lies. You're name's not even Cole, is it?"

"I'm sorry Jax, I was gonna tell you."

"Are you Cam Bishop?"

She'd put the pieces together, but she needed to hear him say it.

"I was plan
ning on telling you everything. Soon. I didn't know when we met that I'd feel like this and—"

"Are you Cam Bishop?"

He paused. "Yes," he finally said.

"I don't even know what to say. You lied about everything."

"I didn't mean to," he said. "I liked being able to be out in public without everyone knowing who I was. I didn't plan on meeting you. I had no idea I'd fall for you."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Don't even say that," she said.
"I
trusted
you. I did that stuff…
that nasty stuff
over the phone with you and was planning on letting you do other things—
whatever
! I trusted you and everything I know about you is a lie." She was speaking in hushed tones, but she might as well have been yelling. She stared up at him, daring him to deny it.

"You know more about who I really am than just about everyone else in my life."

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Well, that's pretty sad then, because I just learned your name a few hours ago, and it
wasn't from you
."

Embarrassed and frustrated, he let out a hopeless sigh. Then, in one swift motion, he reached out and drew her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. I need you Jax."

Just like that
, his oh so glorious lips were on hers. She wanted him so badly that she actually gave into it for a split second. It was the feel of beard that helped her come back to reality. It sickened her to think about everything being a lie, including the hair on his face. She stopped the kiss and pulled back just far enough to slip her hand between them. She was still staring up at him when he felt the blade of her knife come under his chin. He didn't know what it was at first, but figured it out when he tried to look down and felt the painful poke of the tip.

"What the fuck?" He said, taking his hands off her, pulling back
, and touching his own chin as if to check for blood.

Jax closed the automatic knife and stashed it into her back pocket where it had been.

"You carry a fuckin' switchblade?"

She stared at him. "And I know how to
fuckin
' use it, so don't put your hands on me again unless you've been given permission."

"Shit Jax, it's me. The same guy you've been talking to for weeks. Don't you think you're being a little extreme?"

"Don't you dare act like it's okay for you to wear a mask and lie to me about who you are. That's messed up and you know it. My daddy would beat your ass right now."

"My dad would beat my ass too," he said. His family knew he was wearing a beard but they didn't know hearts would be broken.

"I don't care that you're famous."

"I know," he said. "I love it that you like me for who I am."

"That's not what I'm saying," she said. "I'm saying that's not gonna make me reconsider never speaking to you again. I don't
care
who you are."

It was a lie, but she was strong enough to stick to it.

"Reconsider because you know I love you, then," he said.

She laughed. "I know
nothing
about you."

"Yes you do."

She studied him for a minute with a regretful expression. "I never want to see you again," she finally said. He reached out for her but she stepped back and put a hand on her pocket as if she wasn't afraid to use what was inside.

"Jax, please don't do this." He reached again, and she gave him a warning glare.

"Don't. Don't come near me, don't come to my work, don't call my phone, don't send flowers, and don't write a song about me."

He was so gorgeous and looked so heartbroken that for a second she thought
about taking back everything she'd just said.

Cam certainly hadn't predicted it would play out this way. He had fallen hard for
Jax and felt devastated at the idea of never seeing her again. She seemed so serious that he honestly didn't know what to say to make her change her mind.

"I feel like
an idiot
for believing you," she said. "For trusting you."