He looked at me with sad eyes and said, “I think we need to talk.”
Cameron
“It’s okay,” Hailee said, completely catching me off guard. I’d come here prepared for a battle. After spending the day with Xander trying to figure out how to tell the girl I loved more than anything that I couldn’t be the guy she needed right now, I still didn’t know how to say the words.
To tell her I needed to be there for my family.
Yet, she was sitting there, with nothing but resignation in her sad expression.
“You don’t need to do this, Cameron. I know what you came here to say, and it’s okay.”
I blinked, hardly able to believe my ears. “I— I don’t understand. What exactly are you saying?”
“I would never ask you to choose between me and them. You need to be here, more than ever. I get it, and it’s okay.”
Relief slammed into me. She got it.
Fuck, she got it.
“Thank you.” I went and sat beside her on the edge of the bed. “I need to do this, for Xander, for them.” My voice shook as I tried to find the words. “She’s terminal, Hailee. They can make her comfortable and give her meds to manage the symptoms, but there is no surgery this time or magic fix.”
“Oh my god, Cameron.” She threw her arms around me and I sank into her embrace. It had been the hardest thirty-six hours of my life. I’d spent all day with Xander trying to explain everything to him and then picking up the pieces of his meltdown as his developing brain tried to process things.
“I’m so sorry.” Her tears splashed on my sweater.
I cupped Hailee’s face, touching my head to hers. “Your mom said you were sick?”
“I’m okay now.”
Our lips were so close I could almost taste her, but I didn’t come here for this. I came to tell her I needed time and space to be with my family. But now I was here and she was clutching onto me as if I might disappear at any moment, I was overcome with the need to love her. To just be with her.
“Cameron?” Her eyes glittered with so much love it gutted me, and I knew if I asked it of her, she would give me whatever I needed.
“Come here.” I tried to hold her tighter. I didn’t want to be that guy, the guy who used sex as a goodbye, but I wanted it.
God, I wanted her.
Hailee made the decision though, sliding her mouth over mine.
“Hailee, wait...” I grabbed her shoulders, swallowing the ball of emotion lodged in my throat. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“I need this,” she said, her hands trailing down my chest and tugging my sweater away from my body. “And I know you do too.”
“You’re sure?”
I was going straight to hell.
I was pretty sure Jason would drag me there anyway after I did this.
But I couldn’t stop. Hailee was everything I’d ever wanted. She was strong and good and so fucking selfless, it was breathtaking.
She hadn’t made me choose.
She’d given me a gift—she’d let me go.
Hailee climbed onto my lap, kissing me. Small uncertain kisses as my hands slid into her hair, so I could deepen the angle. She traced my lips with her fingers, her tongue. Teasing and tasting. Until the kiss took on a life of its own. Fierce and brutal, as we both fought our demons.
“Is this okay?” I murmured against her lips, as my hands began exploring her body, running them up and down her waist, tracing her soft curves.
She nodded, clawing at my sweater, until I pulled it off my body. Hailee painted letters of love over my skin, branding me with her touch. She felt good, too fucking good.
And you’re going to give her up.
I forced down the thoughts. I only wanted to focus on this. Here. Now. On the way Hailee felt so perfect, the way her body fit against mine as if it was made for me, and me alone.
Her clothes went next, her jeans and t-shirt, her black cotton panties. Then my jeans and boxers. Until we were nothing but skin on skin, regrets and apologies.
“I love you, Cameron, so much,” she whispered before kissing me deeply.
My dick ached for her, but I didn’t want to rush this. I wanted to savor her, imprint this moment to my memory for when things got too tough and I needed to distract myself from the gaping hole in my chest.
I buried my hands deep in her hair, angling her face to mine as I captured her lips. Hot, needy kisses. “I will always love you,” I barely whispered the words against the corner of her mouth.
Hailee rose up slightly, grasping my shaft in her hand before sinking down in one smooth motion. “Cam,” she breathed, clutching onto my shoulders. “It feels—”
“I know,” I groaned, rocking into her. My hand curved over her hip, guiding her movements. I wanted her slow and deep, fast and hard. I wanted her anyway I could get her. Because being like this with Hailee would never be enough… and yet, for now, it would have to be.
My chest tightened as she rode me. I memorized every roll of her hips, every breathy moan to fall from her lips. But I needed more. I needed every single thing she had to give.
Without warning, I flipped Hailee over and began thrusting into her. She raked her nails down my back, crying out as I went harder. “Oh God, Cam…” Sucking in a sharp breath, she held onto my shoulders as I chased that moment when everything else melted away and you were left with nothing but a feeling of complete ecstasy.
Hailee moaned again. “It’s…”
Everything.
It was everything…
And it was goodbye.
Hailee
I woke up to an empty bed, but I hadn’t expected Cameron to be here. We’d said all we needed to say last night, with every kiss and touch and whispered I-love-you.
I didn’t doubt Cameron loved me; it was never about that. But I knew he couldn’t be what he needed to be to his family while he felt tied to me.
So I set him free.
We hadn’t discussed what would happen when I went back to Michigan. We hadn’t discussed if we were on a break, or over, or going to try to do the long-distance thing.
We hadn’t discussed anything.
But that told me all I needed to know.
Right now, Cameron’s priority was his family, and I couldn’t hate him for that.
No matter how much it hurt, I just couldn’t.
“Sweetheart?” Mom’s voice drifted through the door.
“Hey, Mom.”
She peeked around the door. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m okay.”
“Did you and Cameron work through things?”
My cheeks heated. “Actually, I’m going to head back to Michigan later.”
“Alone?” Confusion clouded her eyes.
“Cameron needs to be here.”
“I know, sweetheart. I can’t even imagine...” She perched on the edge of my desk. “But that sounds kind of final.”
“We haven’t worked out the details.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
I shrugged, dropping my gaze. “Cameron needs to be here for his family.”
“Of course he does, but—”
“Mom, I appreciate your concern, I do. But it’s done.”