Only You

by Kaleigh James

  Camden looked questioningly at the woman, who turned and gently grasped Camden’s hand.

  “Sometimes people fall out of love, Camden, but in situations as tough as ours, it’s hard to know the right thing to do.” She paused and made eye contact with Camden. “You love Shane and want what’s best for him, right?”

  “Of course!” Camden exclaimed.

  “Camden, you are dying of cancer. Do you really think it is best for Shane to stay here and watch you die? Can you imagine what that will do to him emotionally? Mentally?”

  “B-b-but Lauren,” Camden protested.

  “Yes, Lauren. He will love and care for Lauren, I’m sure, but doesn’t she deserve a daddy who isn’t haunted from watching her mother battle cancer?”

  Camden’s head ached, and flashes of her dream assaulted her.

  “I can still beat it,” she whispered, anger simmering in her belly.

  “Well, of course you can,” Daphne replied cheerfully, “and I really hope you do. But is it worth it to risk Shane and Lauren like this? Or is it just selfish?”

  Camden’s anger at the woman in front of her was growing. “I can beat this!” she yelled. “I will fight with all that is in me to beat it.” Her will, which had seemed so broken the last week, resurrected, and Camden stood in determination. “I will beat it, and I will be there for Shane and for Lauren.”

  Daphne stood and stared mockingly at Camden. “Of course you will. I truly hope you do, but ask yourself. If it weren’t for the baby….weren’t for the cancer….would Shane choose you?”

  She turned and strode to the door, her long red hair flowing luxuriously behind her. As she opened the door to leave, she turned to face Camden one last time.

  “Just one more question. Did he tell you he was going out of town this weekend?” Daphne smirked when she saw doubt flash in Camden’s eyes. “Wonder whose bed he’ll be sharing.” She winked at Camden. “I’ll let myself out,” she called, shutting the door behind her.

  Any energy and strength Camden had just experienced deflated, and she suddenly felt as if she held the weight of the world on her shoulders. She shuffled back down the hall, crawling into her bed. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks until she finally fell asleep, the nightmare once again taunting her. Only this time, the woman in her dream was no longer faceless. The women taking Shane and her baby was Daphne Cruz.

  ***

  Chapter 33

  “Hey gorgeous! Smile for the camera.”

  Camden smiled weakly at Eric. He was concerned at the hopelessness reflected in her eyes. Molly had been with them all weekend, and even that hadn’t helped. Camden was devastated by something, but Eric didn’t know what. Trying to get her to talk was like trying to breach Fort Knox.

  The door swung open and Christopher, one of Camden’s regular nurses, rushed into the room. The man was a ball of energy. Eric didn’t think he’d ever seen him walk. He ran everywhere. Eric secretly thought that Christopher must live on energy drinks… Or speed. Eric chuckled and continued filming.

  “Hey, chick!” Christopher grinned at Camden. “Ready to get this show on the road? Round five,” he declared. “Almost to the halfway point,” he encouraged.

  “Can we wait for Shane to get here?” Camden’s gaze scanned the room. Everyone was present – her parents, Brody, Javier…even Melia was there – but not Shane. Her heart hammered as she recalled Daphne’s words from Thursday afternoon. Where had he spent the weekend?

  Christopher shook his head. “If we wait any longer, we won’t be able to run the full course before my shift is over. Sorry, Camden,” he murmured apologetically.

  She nodded uncertainly at him, and protectively held her arm to her belly.

  “I’m sure he’ll be here,” Javier called from across the room. “Maybe he overslept,” he suggested.

  Camden shook her head mechanically. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from her family, hoping no tears betrayed her sinking heart.

  ***

  Shane cursed and kicked the tire on his truck. He knew he should have caravanned with Brody and Javier, but he’d had an errand he wanted to run in town before leaving, and he had to wait for the store to open. He had been cutting it close, but now he’d be lucky to make it to Milton before nightfall. He’d taken back roads to save time, which meant he had no cell signal, and his freaking serpentine belt had broken.

  Shane growled in frustration and hit the truck bed. Pain shot through his knuckles and down his hand. He immediately cradled the throbbing hand to his chest. He walked to the cab of the truck and reached inside with his good hand to retrieve the giant cup of soda he had bought at the gas station on the way out of town. Propping the cup in the crook of his elbow, he held it to his body. Then, he tagged the blanket that remained tucked behind his seat and headed to the shade of a tree that was located in the empty field beside his now silent truck.

  Once he had settled on the blanket, Shane stretched his hand to test the damage. He winced, not able to open his hand even halfway. His knuckles were already swelling, and he feared he had broken a few of them. He sipped his soda and stared at the road, waiting for any sign of life. After an hour or so, Shane’s eyes began to droop. He laid his head on the blanket, resting his eyes and listening for passing traffic. Within another half hour, he had fallen asleep.

  “Hey, fella!”

  Shane felt something poking him in the ribs.

  “Wake up!” a voice grumbled. Shane opened his eyes and stared at the shadow above him.

  “You can’t stay on my property,” the man stated gruffly. “You need to get in your truck now, and be on your way.” He pointed to a sign hanging on the nearby fence. “See there. No Trespassing.” He stated the words slowly, as if talking to a young child.

  “I see the sign, sir,” Shane replied, trying his best to seem non-threatening and respectful. “It’s just that my truck broke down, and I don’t have a cell phone signal to call for help.”

  The old man looked at him skeptically and tugged at his bushy, gray beard. “What exactly is wrong with it?”

  “My serpentine belt broke. Whole thing shut down,” Shane explained. The man nodded in understanding.

  “Well, then, follow me, boy.” He turned and began walking towards the nearby white farmhouse. He called over his shoulder to Shane. “Lucky for you my son is a mechanic. He owns the auto shop ten miles up the road. When we get to the house, I’ll give him a call.”

  Shane breathed in relief, a weight lifted from his shoulders. “Is it possible for me to use your phone to make a call, sir?”

  The old man grunted. “Where to?”

  Shane gulped, hoping a long distance call wasn’t an issue.

  “Milton, sir. I need to call someone in the hospital there.”

  “Sure, sure, boy. We can do that.” The old man grinned like he had a secret and whispered, “Got the free long-distance.”

  Shane grinned in response. “Thank you, sir.” They reached the front porch of the man’s house. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” Shane held out his hand. “I’m Shane Hunt, by the way.”

  The man grunted. “Amos,” he replied. “Amos James Johnson IV.” He shook Shane’s hand vigorously.

  Shane grinned and followed Amos into his farmhouse.

  ***

  “Hold on, man,” Brody called to Javier. They were on their way to the cafeteria to pick up some drinks and snacks for everyone. Javi stopped and looked at Brody, brows raised, while Brody pulled the vibrating cell phone from his pocket.

  “You better have a damn good excuse for not being here,” he growled.

  “Brody, thank God!”

  “Start talking, Hunt, and talk fast. She tried to hide it, but Camden was crying when you didn’t show up.”

  Shane’s heart cracked at the thought of hurting Camden, even if it was unintentional.

  “My serpentine belt broke, Brody. Damn truck won’t work. A mechanic is picking it up right now, and I’m hoping to be on the r
oad soon.” Shane paced in Amos’ living room.

  “That’s well and good man, but why are you just now calling? We’ve been here for hours.”

  “I took a back road, cell wouldn’t work,” Shane defended. It pissed him off that after years of friendship, Brody was questioning him this way. “The owner of the adjacent farm found me about twenty minutes ago, and I called as soon as we got back to his house, so lay off, Brody.”

  “I’ll tell Camden. She’s not doing so well with treatment today,” Brody confessed, “so hopefully that will help.”

  Panicked, Shane demanded, “What do you mean she isn’t doing well?”

  Brody’s voice softened. “She’s okay, man. Doc said the longer she has the treatments, the weaker she becomes. She’s fine. They just had to slow the drip and up her anti-nausea meds.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Shane murmured.

  “You do that, Shane,” Brody commanded. “She needs you.”

  “I need her, too, Brody. Never doubt that.”

  ***

  Shane looked expectantly at the wiry, freckled, man in front of him. He wore greasy blue coveralls and a smear of oil was on his cheek. His bright orange curls were covered by a dirty John Deere hat. His faded badge declared that his name was AJ, and the sign outside declared him the owner of the small garage.

  “I don’t know how to tell you this, but your belt was cut.” AJ cleared his throat uncomfortably.

  Shane’s expression grew puzzled. “What do you mean it was cut? It worked all the way from Jackson to here.”

  “Well,” AJ explained, “It wasn’t cut all the way through. Whoever did it, they knew what they were doing. Cut the belt just enough to weaken it so that it’d break after you were on the road a bit. My guess is that they figured that would keep you from suspecting foul play.”

  “How are you so sure?” Shane demanded. He didn’t know anyone that would benefit from stranding him in the middle of nowhere.

  “Follow me,” AJ called. He adjusted his cap as he walked toward the back of the garage. “This,” he spoke, lifting a long black belt into the air, “is what a serpentine belt looks like when it breaks due to natural causes.” He rubbed his hand along the edge of the broken belt. He motioned for Shane to follow him again and walked to Shane’s truck. He looked under the hood, and waved Shane closer. “This,” he pointed to Shane’s serpentine belt,” is what yours looks like. You can see right here what is a clear cut. Someone didn’t want you making it to Milton today, man.”

  Shane shook his head in disbelief. “Can you fix it quickly?”

  AJ shook his head and pulled off his hat. Wiping his brow, he replied. “Sorry, man. I don’t have the right belt. My buddy over in Concord does, so I can definitely have it ready for you by tomorrow.” He paused, assessing Shane. “Dad said you needed to get to Milton to see someone in the hospital.”

  “Yeah,” Shane admitted. “My girlfriend is having chemotherapy today.”

  AJ locked eyes with Shane for a minute. He must have found what he was looking for, because he nodded once in decision.

  “Let me get my keys from the front office. You can borrow my truck and come back to get yours tomorrow.”

  Shane’s jaw opened in surprise. “Seriously?!”

  “Yeah man. You’re only an hour or so away. Just take good care of her.” AJ winked.

  “I will, man. Thank you!”

  “I was talking about your lady,” AJ smiled.

  “I’ll take care of her, too,” Shane promised. With a bounce in his step, he followed AJ to the front office of the auto shop.

  ***

  Brody quietly entered the hospital room. Camden was sleeping, exhausted from the chemo. He was sure her tears had probably tired her further. She was snuggled into Eric, who lay sleeping, as well, his head resting on Camden’s. Brody smiled softly at his parents and Melia in greeting.

  “I heard from Shane,” he informed them.

  Molly jumped from her seat. “Is he okay?”

  “That boy better have a good reason for not being here,” Jack grumbled.

  Brody relayed the information Shane had told him. He hoped Shane arrived before Camden completed her treatment. He didn’t want to wake her, but the moment she woke, he’d tell her what was keeping Shane.

  A few minutes later, Javi entered the room, arms laden with food and drinks. Melia hurried across the room to help him, and everyone settled into their seats. The guys were watching an MLS soccer game on ESPN. Molly was resting against Jack reading a book, and Melia was playing Sudoku on her phone. They were an odd little group, but Brody smiled because they were his.

  Two hours later, Camden began to stir. The effects of her anti-nausea medicines were fading, and she lunged toward the waiting bucket. Eric stirred immediately and began rubbing her back soothingly. Molly hurried across the room, speaking softly to Camden. She pressed the call button, and Christopher was in the room in less than a minute. Brody really liked that dude. He was always prompt and alert. Christopher added some more anti-nausea medication to Camden’s picc-line. As Camden tried to relax against Eric once again, Brody walked over.

  “Hey, girlie,” he murmured. “I talked to Shane while you were sleeping.” Camden flinched, and Brody saw pain flash through her eyes. “His truck broke down, Cam,” Brody informed her. “He was on his way here.” Relief flooded her face, but she still seemed hesitant.

  “Brody?” she whispered. “Where did he sleep this weekend?”

  Brody looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. “Well, since Melia is using his apartment, he slept in my guest room.” He raised his eyebrow in question. “Why?” he probed.

  “Forget it,” she whispered, shaking her head slowly. Before Brody could push for an explanation, the door to the room was shoved open and a breathless Shane entered. Shane’s gaze came to rest on Camden, and a sigh of relief came from his chest. He hurried to her side.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” he cried. His eyes were watery, and Camden forgave his absence immediately. Shane raised his questioning gaze to Eric.

  “Thanks for holding my girl, Eric, but now that I’m here…may I have my job back?”

  “Sure,” Eric winked. Teasingly, he continued. “She’s a little too clingy for me.”

  Camden smiled weakly as Eric exited the bed. Shane climbed behind her, spooning her, his hand resting on Lauren. As the nausea began to subside, Camden grew drowsier. Shortly, she fell asleep in Shane’s embrace.

  ***

  Chapter 34

  Camden smoothed her pale pink cashmere sweater and tucked her legs underneath her. Her gray leggings and fuzzy striped pink socks helped warm her, but she was still cold. She tugged her beloved beanie lower on her head. Eric had made two more since the first one, but the first was still her favorite. She grasped a fuzzy pale green blanket beside her, laid it over her lap, and leaned against the pillows resting on her headboard.

  “You ready, mama?” Eric asked.

  “I think so.” She smiled at him. He hid his disappointment when he saw that her smile was forced. He longed for her traffic-stopping grin.

  “Alright.” He muttered under his breath as he reached for the record button on his camera. “And action,” he called, fancying himself a director.

  “Hi, Lauren!” Camden smiled and waved at the camera. “I’m your mommy! Uncle Eric is behind the camera making sure I look good for you.” She winked at the camera, and Eric was amazed. Moments before, she was still acting like a zombie, but she had come to life the moment she started talking to her baby.

  “Mommy is very sick, Lauren. “ Camden’s face grew sad. “I’m not sure that I’m going to be around to give you hugs and kisses like I want to, so I’m going to make some videos to tell you things you need to know about growing up.” She smiled sadly at the camera.

  “First, though, Lauren, Mommy wants to tell you some things about the people who love you and will always be there for you. Do you want to hear some stories about th
em?” As if Lauren was actually responding, Camden paused and held her swollen belly.

  “Let’s see. I think I’ll start with the story of the first time that I knew I loved your daddy.” Camden smirked as her eyes grew unfocused, lost in the memory.

  “I was ten years old, and your daddy was thirteen. I was in the fifth grade, and I had my very first boyfriend - Alan Trimble. I had gone to a birthday party, and the kids started playing a kissing game. Alan was the first boy picked, and he had to kiss a girl named Janice Short.” Camden frowned. “Someone set a timer for seven minutes, and Alan went into a closet with Janice. On his way into the closet, Alan looked at me like he was worried about how I would react, but I smiled at him because I didn’t feel the least bit jealous. When they came back out, Alan’s hair was all messy and his glasses were crooked. He told me that he liked Janice, and he broke up with me in front of everyone. I should have been humiliated, but I didn’t care.

  Later that afternoon, I was walking home and saw your daddy and Uncle Brody at the park near our house. They were with some girls, and I walked up to them to tell them what happened at the party. As I was walking over to them, one of the girls leaned forward and kissed your daddy square on the lips. I was so angry. I hadn’t been upset at all about Alan, but I felt like my chest was going to explode when I saw Ruthie kiss your daddy. I walked right over and punched her in the eye!” Camden laughed.

  “Your Uncle Brody freaked out. He thought I’d gone crazy, and your daddy looked at me in total shock. I was embarrassed, so I said something about kissing being gross. I told them about Alan and made it sound like he broke up with me because I wouldn’t kiss him. They believed me, and I was off the hook.” Camden smiled softly. “But that was the day I knew that I loved your daddy. I never wanted anybody else.”

  Camden giggled and looked into the camera lens. “You know, I just realized something. Alan came to school with a black eye that matched Ruthie’s the next week. I wonder if your daddy had anything to do with that.”