Redeeming You(67)

“Evelyn, my roommate from when I lived in Seattle, is coming to the show tonight.”

Cam held her hand as they walked down the steps from the bus. “Do you need tickets or anything for her?”

“No. Alec set up everything already. Thanks for offering.”

Cam nodded. “Are you going to watch the show with her?”

“No. She’s bringing a friend, so I thought I would watch from backstage one more night. It’s the last one for a while.” She shrugged.

“Good,” Cam said smiling down at her through his dark lashes. “I like being able to sneak a peak or two of you while I’m on stage.”

“I noticed.” She squeezed his hand half-heartedly as she took in the familiar streets and landmarks of downtown Seattle. Chasing Ruin’s performance tonight was the last thing on her mind. Her life had changed enormously in the seven months since she left. It almost felt as if her life in Seattle—Miles, Evelyn, promoting bands and school—was a different lifetime belonging to a different person and she didn’t think she wanted any part of it back. Suddenly, Seattle seemed entirely too small for her comfort.

“What’s wrong? You seem distracted.” Cam guided her into the hotel restaurant.

She released a shaky exhalation. “I don’t know…I thought I’d be excited to be back in Seattle and see Evelyn again, but I’m not.”

“Okay, I’m confused. Why did you invite her to the concert?” Cam slipped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to his side.

“She’s my friend for the most part, but she was more of a surface type friend if that makes any sense. We never really discussed anything too personal.” She shrugged feeling uncomfortable explaining the details. She and Evelyn weren’t better friends because Taylor never allowed the friendship to evolve just as she did with most relationships in her life.

Cam studied her face for a few moments giving her the sense that he understood exactly why her friendship with Evelyn had stagnated. Taylor was emotionally stunted and she couldn’t handle anything more. She started chewing on the inside of her lip, her confidence floundering under his intense stare. “I’ll be with you after the show. You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll act as a buffer or whatever else you need me for.”

She nodded leaning into his chest feeling a new mixture of emotions: safety, companionship and, yes, love. There—she finally admitted it. She loved Cam, and surprisingly, she was okay with it. No, better than okay. She was elated and it rocked her to the core.

With his arm still wrapped around her, Cam requested a table for two in a back booth of the restaurant. As they followed the hostess, she saw Jax and Bre sitting at a table across the restaurant. Bre raised her hand in a wave and Jax nodded in their direction. Taylor smiled back. “Did you want to sit with them?” she asked timidly. She didn’t, but she would if Cam wanted to.

“No. Do you?” Cam asked.

She shook her head. She didn’t want to share Cam with anyone. “Not really.”

“Good, I want time alone with you.”

She slid into the booth and Cam followed, his hand seeking out hers almost immediately. His other hand fiddled nervously with the silverware surrounding his plate. “Are you planning to meet up with your ex? Is that why you’re nervous about being in Seattle?” The words were soft, not accusatory and his face was unreadable.

“What?” she said, stunned. She hadn’t said a word about Miles, except that she had recently ended a long-term relationship. “How do you know about him?”

“Alec told me a little about him.”

Cam didn’t elaborate and Taylor couldn’t guess what that meant because she tried to keep the details of her relationship with Miles hidden. Initially, she didn’t say anything to Alec to protect Miles. She rationalized that Alec wouldn’t understand. After the relationship had ended, she was embarrassed that she stayed with him despite his controlling behavior. It made her feel stupid and not much better than her mom. Like mother, like daughter rambled through her head on more than one occasion.

“What did Alec say?”

“Not much, just that he didn’t treat you very well and he worried about you when you were with him.”

“Ah,” Taylor said looking away as she tapped her fingers on the edge of the table. “He didn’t hurt me physically, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Cam cupped her face forcing her to look him in the eyes again. “There are other ways to hurt someone.”

“If anyone knows that, it’s me.” She fell silent for a few seconds, every muscle in her body tensing as she thought about Miles. “I don’t have plans to meet Miles. I don’t want anything to do with him.”