Only You

by Kaleigh James

  Adrienne glanced from the computer where she was sitting. Her eyes narrowed on Shane.

  "Sign-in. She's in the usual room, so you can head in. I'll let her nurse know she's here." She immediately returned her gaze to the computer, ignoring Shane. He did as she asked and led Camden to her "usual" room. Camden's steps slowed when she entered.

  "Where is everyone?" She knew better than to expect that everyone would be here. It was only her third round, but they had come to her other two chemotherapy sessions. She had actually been surprised at the turn-out. Last time, the same group as before had been present. Well, everyone except for Stella.

  "Maybe they are just running late, baby," Shane soothed.

  Camden climbed into her bed and settled against the pillow. Shane was holding the bag with all her provisions. He handed it to her once she seemed comfortable. Camden immediately began searching for her e-reader.

  A chipper brunette man sauntered into the room, his sunny disposition catching Shane off guard as much as the fact that he was male.

  "Hi, I'm Christopher." The nurse held out his hand to Camden. "I'll be your nurse for today's treatment. How are you feeling today, Miss Shepherd?"

  Seeing Camden was in good hands, Shane turned to her. "Baby, I'm gonna head to the cafeteria to get a drink. Do you mind?"

  She looked up at him, concern on her face. "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, absolutely. Just thirsty," he replied hastily. Although she was suspicious, Camden nodded, indicating it was fine for him to leave.

  Shane hurried out of the room and headed straight to the men's restroom down the hall.

  "About time you showed up," Javier teased.

  Shane smirked when he saw Javier's head. Eric's equally shiny skull poked around the corner. "You ready for this?" he teased.

  "Do me," Shane said, pulling his shirt over his head and leaning against the counter.

  Brody and Javier chuckled. "That's what she said," they laughed in unison.

  As Eric plugged in his electric clippers, Shane asked, "Where are Molly and Jack?"

  "In the waiting room," Brody replied. He looked at Shane in question. "You sure about this, man?"

  "It's a little late to ask that, Brody," Javier teased, rubbing Brody's bald crown. Brody swatted Javier's hand in playful annoyance.

  "Yeah, I'm sure," Shane answered. "She said it made it easier, sharing the stares with Eric." He grinned as he heard the buzzing commence.

  Twenty minutes later, Camden was starting to worry. Shane was headed to the cafeteria for a drink, a trip that usually took ten minutes max. She looked around her empty room, and for a moment felt extremely lonely. She reminded herself that she was not alone this time, but her reminder proved unnecessary moments later, when her door opened and the love of her life stepped into the room.

  "Shane?!?"

  Camden couldn't help but stare at his shiny head. Her eyes watered. "Where is all your beautiful hair?!" she demanded.

  Shane grinned. "You said that last time, it helped to feel like you and Eric were twins. You said it was easier to share the stares with someone else."

  "Yeah, I did. And it was.... B-b-but your gorgeous, gorgeous hair..." Shane's smile faltered for a moment as he doubted his plan. Camden's eyes were watery, and she stared at him in shock. "You shaved your head for me?!?" She was in total awe, and Shane stood solid, afraid he had made a huge mistake.

  "Have I told you today how much I love you, Shane Hunt?!?" His smile returned, and he hurried to her side. He kissed her lips gently and whispered into her ear. "Now, you never have to feel like the stares are all for you."

  Shane stepped to the side, and the door opened. Eric entered, and Camden smiled at his naked head. He was her former twin, her partner in the battle against cancer. The fact that he would willingly shave his head for her was a HUGE deal to Camden. Eric had been thrilled when his dirty blonde hair had returned. He treasured his hair. Camden figured he owned more hair product than she did.

  When Brody walked in, bald dome glistening, Camden laughed. When she saw Javi, her laugh calmed to a smaller chuckle. By the time her dad entered the room, Camden was crying. But the most heart stopping moment was when Molly entered the room, her dark locks completely absent.

  Camden started to sob uncontrollably, and Molly hurried to her side. Sitting on the bed, she pulled Camden into her embrace. After several minutes, Camden lifted her head and locked eyes one by one with each person in the room.

  "I am so stupid," she whispered.

  Everyone looked stunned, and Shane looked horrified. This was NOT the reaction that he'd been hoping to get. Molly placed her hand on Camden's head, which at the moment was clothed in the cutest hand-made beanie, and stared into her eyes.

  "Why are you stupid, sweetie?" she asked softly.

  Camden looked at Eric. "Why didn't I listen to you? Why did I push everyone away for so long?!" She began to cry again.

  "Thank you," she whispered through her sobs, tearfully scanning the room. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. You will never know how much each one of you means to me."

  Molly pulled Camden back into her embrace, and squeezed her gently. "Anything for you, baby girl."

  Each person took a turn hugging Camden, and Camden told them each directly how much their gesture meant to her. After everyone had "face time" with Camden, they each found their spot from the prior two sessions. A few minutes later, Christopher entered the room to discuss white cell counts and to start the treatment.

  "What movie did you bring for us this time, Eric?" Molly cooed. It wasn't lost on anyone in the room, including Jack, that she was enjoying watching the movies Eric chose each week. "Eye candy" was a new term in her vocabulary, and Jack thought it was hilarious. It grossed out Brody to hear his mom talk about the actors that way, but Eric was doing a good job of picking movies the guys would also enjoy.

  "Ahh, Molly. Today, I brought a lovely movie called Drive." He sighed dramatically. "Ryan Gosling."

  "Yum," Camden giggled from her place on the bed.

  "Hey!" Shane playfully elbowed her.

  "He ain't got nothing on you, baby," Camden teased.

  As usual, the hours of chemo treatment were relatively uneventful. Shane hated the last bit, however, as Camden didn't react well to the final drug. Each session, it seemed her body grew more aggravated with the drug, and the doctors had to slow the drip. The last one also seemed to be the one that caused her the most issues with nausea, too.

  It had been really difficult for Shane the last couple of chemo cycles. Thankfully, Eric was always there to help him. Camden seemed to grow a little out of it by the end of chemo day, and she was usually exhausted by the time they left. Her nausea seemed to increase over the next twenty four hours. Then, she had several days where she was miserable. Shane was by her side every minute, holding back her hair, wiping her sweaty brow, giving her pain meds, and taking her temperature. He felt like a nurse, but he wouldn't choose to be anywhere else.

  As he watched Camden sleeping on the hospital bed, he sat next to her and placed his hand on her stomach. It was hard to imagine that while Camden was fighting to live, she was also growing a life inside of her. Shane couldn't believe she was four months pregnant already. In a few weeks, they might even learn what they were having. He grinned at the thought. He was so excited to become a father.

  Shane's eyes scanned the hospital room, and for the first time that day, he registered the absence of Melia. He had been shocked that she had come to Camden's first two treatments. He'd been even more shocked that she had sat quietly in the corner and hadn't said anything inappropriate or anything intended to create drama.

  "Where's Melia?" he asked Javier and Brody. Brody shrugged his shoulders, but Javier replied.

  "I don't know. She's been avoiding me. She's shows up for her shift, keeps her head down, and hardly talks to anyone," he explained. "I don't like it."

  "Anything happening with her that I should know about?" Shane asked. Brody ans
wered immediately.

  "We had some problems with Vinnie a week or two ago. He started a fight in the bar. Something about the way Melia acted makes Javier think Vinnie might be 'mistreating' her," Brody grumbled.

  Molly, who Brody thought was napping on Jack's shoulders, snapped to attention. Jack continued to snore quietly.

  "He hits her?!?!" she cried.

  "We're not sure, mom," Brody placated. "We're keeping an eye on her to find out."

  "You had better watch closely, Brody Shepherd," Molly demanded. "That girl needs to keep herself and that baby of hers safe. If you think she's in trouble, you better get her protection."

  "All due respect, Mrs. Shepherd," Javier started. "I offered her Shane's place for the time being, but she turned me down."

  "That doesn't mean you quit asking, Javier. It's hard to ask for help sometimes, so you have to keep offering it, whether she takes your help or not."

  Javier nodded, appropriately scolded.

  "Now," Molly started," go give that girl a call. Offer again."

  "Now?!" Javier asked.

  "It's never too early to do a good deed," she admonished.

  "I doubt she'll even talk to me, much less agree to stay at Shane's apartment," he grumbled, but Molly smiled when Javier stood and exited the room, his cell phone in hand.

  By the time the phone rang the fifth time, Javier was ready to hang up. Melia's voicemail hadn't picked up, and she obviously wasn't going to answer. He growled in frustration and started to lower his phone when he heard a click.

  "Javi?" Her whisper was panicked, and Javier immediately stiffened.

  "Melia, where are you? Are you okay?"

  "Javi," she whispered. "He's got Aiden."

  "Who has Aiden, Melia?"

  "Vinnie," she cried. "He was pissed about something, and he took Aiden from his crib. He said I won't get him back."

  "Where are you, querida?" Javier murmured again.

  "Home, Javi. I'm at home, but I don't know how to get Aiden away from him."

  "You don't worry about that, Melia. I'm on my way. I'll have Brody with me. We'll get you and Aiden out of there safely," he promised.

  "Okay," Melia whimpered.

  "Do you trust me, Melia?" Javier asked gently.

  "With my life, Javi," she whispered in reply.

  ***

  Chapter 29

  Shane woke to the chirping of his phone signaling an incoming text. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to light from the little screen, but when they did, he halted all movement and stifled a frustrated groan. He glanced over to a sleeping Camden.

  She had been having an extremely rough night. Shane hated the second week after chemo. It always seemed to be the worst week for her. She hadn’t been able to keep any food down today, and it made him worry about the baby. He was already worried about Camden. They were just eight weeks into treatment, and he could see the weight loss it was causing. Shane gently pressed the back of his hand to Camden’s forehead to check her temperature. He had given her medication for nausea an hour or so before, and she had managed to keep at least that down. Hopefully, she would be okay until morning. He couldn’t believe he had to make the two hour drive to the bar tonight.

  Growling in frustration, Shane slipped out of the bed and headed to the walk-in closet. After stepping into a pair of jeans, he grabbed a black t-shirt and his black motorcycle boots. He stepped quietly into the hallway and knocked on Eric’s door before heading into the living room.

  Moments later, a yawning and grumbling Eric entered the room, looking at Shane in confusion.

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yes, finally,” Shane replied. “She kept her meds down, and she’s settled into sleep. I’m hoping she actually gets some rest.”

  Noticing that Shane was pulling on his boots, Eric looked at him in question.

  “And where are you going at…” He searched the room for the clock before continuing. “One o’clock in the morning?”

  “Just got a text from Javier. Emergency at the bar.” Shane shoved his phone into Eric’s hands and finished tying his boot.

  Eric looked at the text in front of him.

  Bar robbed. Cops here. Want 2 talk 2 u b/c u r owner. Come ASAP. Brody hurt, but ok. Don’t tell Cam. He doesn’t want her 2 worry.

  “Go,” Eric ordered. “I’ll keep an eye on Camden, and I agree with Javier. She doesn’t need to worry about Brody right now.”

  Shane grabbed his jacket off the kitchen barstool and nodded to Eric.

  “Thanks, man. I owe you.”

  Eric laughed. “You will ALWAYS owe me, Shane, and I love being able to hold that over your head.”

  Shane smirked and shook his head, then hurried out the door. He ran to his truck and drove like a bat out of hell. He made the two hour drive in an hour and a half. Pulling up to the bar at two-thirty in the morning was never fun, but Shane expected the presence of the police department would make it even less so. This explained his confusion when the parking lot was completely dark and vacant.

  Shane stepped out of his truck cautiously. He reached under his front seat nonchalantly and grabbed his Glock 17. He gently closed the door behind him and scanned the area vigilantly as he approached the bar’s entrance. With his free hand, Shane reached into his pocket and started to retrieve his keys. He hesitated and decided to test the front door. It was secure, so he withdrew his key set and slid the appropriate key into the lock. The click of the latch resonated throughout the parking lot, and Shane strode silently into the bar.

  Shadows played on the walls, the only light from the security bulbs left burning all night. Shane scanned the bar and saw that nothing was out of place. He began to lower his gun, frustration roiling in his gut. Javier had gotten him out of bed and made him leave Camden in the middle of the night for this?! He pulled out his cell phone in anger and immediately dialed Javier’s number. A light began flashing on the bar, and Shane heard the familiar ring tone of Javi’s cell. Puzzled, he walked slowly to the bar. When he reached it, the lights to the bar triggered, and the whole room was illuminated.

  Shane turned, gun raised, eyes fighting to adjust to the sudden glare of the harsh lights.

  ***

  Melia jerked awake. She blushed at the sudden memory of her dream, but she stiffened when she realized that something had woken her. Sitting in bed, she listened in the dark for any noises. She didn’t hear anything, but her heart was still racing, and her mind was alert. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until she checked on Aiden.

  Removing the bed covers, Melia shivered at the cool temperature of the apartment. She had gone to bed wearing a pair of tiny pink plaid pajama shorts and a short sea green tee shirt. At least she was wearing a warm pair of socks. Melia grabbed her fuzzy lavender robe and slipped it on before creeping quietly down the hall. Nothing looked out of place, thankfully, and she felt her heartbeat begin to slow. She reached the room where Aiden slept and peeked inside.

  There he was, sleeping like a little angel. She still couldn’t figure out how something so precious had come from such a scary person as Vinnie. Aiden’s tiny fist was resting by his mouth, and Melia grinned when his mouth started making sucking motions. She wondered what her little angel was dreaming. Melia reached forward and gently ran her fingers through his dark curls. He wiggled, and she quickly removed her hand, not wanting to wake him. She couldn’t believe it had almost been a year and a half since he’d been born.

  A sudden noise caused Melia to flinch. She and Aiden were the only ones in the apartment, so there shouldn’t be noises coming from anywhere but the room they currently occupied. Suddenly fearful, she briefly touched Aiden’s cheek and hurried to her bedroom. Retrieving a large wooden bat from behind the bedroom door, Melia stepped into the hallway. She was not being taken without a fight.

  She crept silently throughout the apartment, first checking all the windows and doors
to ensure they were still locked. As she traveled through each room, she also checked any available hiding places. When she finally had begun to relax, Melia heard a man yell. Her eyes widened, and her hands began to shake.

  She followed the sound, her heart suddenly pumping in double time. As she reached the front door of the apartment, she heard him yell again. The sound was definitely from downstairs. She didn’t want to leave the safety of the apartment, but she had to make sure that Vinnie wasn’t there to get them. She unlocked the door and walked uncertainly down the hall.

  ***

  “You can put the gun down. There wasn’t a robbery, and there are no intruders.” Shane heard the melodic laugh that followed the statement and his brows furrowed in confusion.

  “Daphne?!” he shouted. As his eyes finally focused, he took in the woman standing in front of him. She was still curvy in all the right places, but her hair was red instead of blonde, and her clothing was sluttier than he remembered. And after actually being with Camden again, he realized that Daphne really didn’t resemble Camden as much as he had thought a couple years ago.

  “In the flesh.” She grinned at him expectantly.

  “What are you doing in my bar? And what do you mean there wasn’t a robbery?” he demanded. “I got a text from my bar manager.”

  “You’d be surprised, Shane, how easy it is to visit a bar and ‘borrow’ the bartender’s cell phone when he’s not looking.” She giggled and started to walk seductively towards Shane.

  “Why would you steal Javier’s phone?” Shane didn’t know what was going on, but he knew he didn’t like it.

  Daphne frowned. “I didn’t steal it,” she protested. “I just borrowed it. And only because that jerk wouldn’t let me talk to you,” she whined. She reached Shane’s side and traced her fingers gently down his cheek. Shane recoiled at her touch, and Daphne’s eyes flashed in anger. He took a step backwards, distancing himself from her.

  “Why did you need to talk to me, Daphne?” His tone was sharp, and Daphne looked puzzled at his anger.

  “I’m out of the service, Shane. We broke up because the distance would be too much. Distance isn’t a problem anymore.” She smiled, as if this argument was indisputable.