page21 (2/2)

“Yeah, it happens when you spend a week in the hospital without eating much,” I bite back

“You spent a week in the hospital?” he asks My fists clench and I have to resist ht off his beautiful face I don’t need him to care anymore It’s too late for him to care

“Yes, hter needed me”

Caht?” he asks quietly “Your daughter”

My anger flares and I struggle to reign in the warring e here with him has evoked

“Don’t do that, Cam,” I state firmly “Just don’t”

I start walking away fro I just need to get away from him and the pull I feel e’re in the saers press into my skin as he pulls me around to face him

“Don’t do what, Hayley?” he asks His eyes bore into mine and it makes me uncomfortable

“Don’t pretend you care just for et me into your bed, so there’s no need to act like it was more than that”

Calowers athis face until our noses are al and breathe hi with the sood It’s nearly too much

“You think I’h his teeth

“Aren’t you?” I throw back

Silence

Caaze remains hard and it’s a full minute before he responds “Maybe it started that way,” he concedes “But it changed I started to care about you more than I wanted to”

That definitely doesn’t make me feel any better I snort “Oh sure, that’s why you said you would have never asked irl Is that supposed to convince me you care?”

“I was caught off guard, okay?” His voice grows louder, frustrated “Is that what you want to hear? That I freaked the fuck out when I found out you have a kid? Because fuck, Hayley, that’s not so you should’ve kept from me!”

We are going around in circles Neither of us ready to relent Not to each other and not to the inexplicable cheh me, I feel it I feel him

“I was protecting hter, Cameron! What was I supposed to do? I knew you would run once you found out, but I wanted one night where I could be a teenager, and not a mother!” I half-shout I don’t expect him to understand, no one does

“It doesn’t matter now,” I add “You o back to doing whatever it is you did before you met me”

Before Ca else, the rest of the tea ready for practice My chest deflates, athe spaces between my ribs

I catch up with Coach Andrews and thank hi to work I walk along the poolside as the guys dive in one after the other, swith, stroke after stroke I try nment, but when Calides effortlessly through the ripping water, I have a difficult ti his ression His muscles tense and then release, each transition as effortless as the one before It’shi a wild animal move in its natural environs and poises itself as if getting ready to strike its prey With grace and precision, speed and power I realize then that Cas, wrapped up in a sexy-as-sin, frustrates-the-bejesus-out-of-e