Protect Her

Chapter Forty Two

Derek

When I returned to Cam's room, Cole was already gone, and I went inside. I knew something was off about her immediately. It could be that the reality of everything she'd gone through was sinking in, but it seemed like something bigger to me. She had been crying and desperately tried to wipe her tears away when she heard me come in.

"Is everything okay, babe?" I asked, frowning as I sat down next to her.

"I'm fine." She said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just a lot to take in."

I studied her for a second, trying to decide how hard I wanted to push. I wanted to know more than anything what was going on in her mind, what she was feeling, where her head was at. I wanted her to feel comfortable opening up to me, but I knew she had to come to it in her own time. I took her hand, kissing it gently. "I'll be right here when you want to talk about it."

Cam nodded, fighting back tears.

A second later, the door flew open and Riley came bounding in. "Mommy!" She shrieked, jumping right up into the bed with Cam.

"Hi baby!" Cam lit up, wincing as she tried to move out of the way.

"Careful, Ry." I laughed, picking her up and putting her to the side of Cam so she wasn't on top of her. "Mommy is still a little sore."

"I missed you, mommy." Riley nestled into Cam's shoulder.

"I missed you, too! I'm so glad to see you!"

"I told you Derek was going to come save us." She grinned up at me, clutching on to Cam's hand.

Cam grinned. "Yes, you did! I'm so proud of you!"

It was overwhelming to see them together again. Even though there was a lot of healing left to do, they were both safe and happy. I had wondered if I would ever see this site again and, now that I was, I was almost overcome with emotion. I had to turn away to bite back my own tears. It had been such a whirlwind of a few days and I had been so focused on Cam I had hardly allowed myself to process through it. Even the possibility of losing them debilitated me more than I ever could have imagined. My worst fears had come true, and I was questioning how well I could do this job and be a part of their family. I would choose them, hands down, but that left me in a tough spot.

Staying in my position meant they were always going to be in danger. Maybe even more danger than Robby posed. People would use them and exploit them as my weakness, and that wasn't a chance I was willing to take. When Cam walked into that coffee shop months ago, I never could have imagined being in a position like this now. About to walk away from my job, from my life, from everything I'd ever known. But it wasn't a choice as far as I was concerned. They were what mattered to me and as I watched them together now, listening to their giggles and seeing their identical, beautiful smiles, I knew what I had to do.

"I'm going to leave you two alone for a little while. Is that okay?" I asked, kissing the top of Cam's head.

"Sure." She nodded. "We'll be right here."

"Can we bring mommy home tonight, Derek?" Riley asked. I lit up at the way she referred to my house as her home.

"I'll go talk to Cole about that." I smiled. "Be good while I'm gone!"

Riley launched into a story telling Cam all about her evening with my nieces, and I headed out into the hallway. I hadn't talked to Will since we left the house and now I had some big news to share. I wasn't sure exactly how he'd take it.

I pulled my phone out and dialed his number. It only took a few rings for him to pick up. "Hey man. I just talked to Cole. Sounds like Cam is on the mend."