The Promise (Magnolia Grove #3) - SERIES COMPLETE

Chapter 4 - {Cammie}

TURNING MY HEAD around slowly, I look up into fierce brown eyes. Father's salt and pepper hair is neatly styled, not a strand out of place. He's wearing a suit. My guess is he's here to get pastries and coffee for his small Sunday school class. Out of all the places, though. I don't say anything, but rather turn in my seat as I grab a napkin and wipe my face and fingers.

Father is glaring at Holden, his jaw tight, his fingers digging into the palms of his hands. He doesn't reply to Holden or shake his hand. His eyes narrow. "Camellia." His voice is a low, throaty rumble.

I swallow as I stand. "Yes?"

He rakes me over, his vision spending too much time on my heels. I cross my arms across my chest. How is it that he can make me feel dirty, trashy, and like an utter embarrassment in just a glance? Of course, he has no clue why I'm with Holden. I should have just called them to tell them, but I needed more time to sort through everything. More time alone with Holden is more like it. He squeezes his eyes closed and takes a deep breath. "Let's go."

Holden tilts his head at me, bewildered. "Did you call him?" he asks as my gaze shifts to him, his blue eyes bright and fierce.

"Um. No. No, I didn't." I look back at Father. "If you don't go, you're going to be late for church."

His eyes flash open, and I'm sure if he could throw flame daggers at me, he would be in this moment. "Don't make a scene."

It's not a question. It's not a statement. It's every bit of a threat. Holden has been used to doing the opposite of what everyone's expected of him for years, but this is new for me. If I tell him no, I'm going to make a scene. Scanning my favorite coffee shop, people are sipping and eating, carrying on with their conversations, but occasionally glance in our direction with their noses turned upward. I've already made a scene. Holden steps in between us. "With all due respect, sir, we don't want to make a scene any more than you do. Why don't you sit so we can explain?"

My heart races even more than it already was. That was probably not the best thing to say to him, but something about Holden taking charge makes me swoon, makes me want to fall into his arms even more. "I wanted to talk to you and Mom together later. If it'd make you feel better to talk now, we can." I nod toward the empty chair across the table.

"I don't think there's anything the Masters boy could say that I want to hear. As for you, you look like a slutty streetwalker who's been..." He glances around. "Fucked all night," he whispers through clenched teeth.

Bile rises in my throat hearing him talk to me like that. Holden lunges at him, but I throw my arm across him. "Don't. He's provoking you, Holden. Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you come unglued." I take his hand in mine and watch as he intertwines his fingers with mine. I assume he swallows whatever words he was about to speak because his Adam's apple bobs right after he closes his mouth. Averting my gaze back to Father, I shake my head. "I'll take that as a clue that you'd rather talk in private with Mom. We'll call you later to set up a time."

Father grabs my arm as I try to brush past him. I don't even care that Holden and I haven't disposed of our trash. "If you walk out of this building with him, don't bother."

I swallow, tears busting past the dam and overflowing over the rims of my lids. My chin quivers, and my chest feels like someone's squeezing the life out of it. I knew it would be bad, but I didn't expect this. Am I prepared to lose my parents to gain a relationship with Holden? One I don't even know if it's going to work?

Holden releases my hand and gets in front of me, tilting my chin up so there's no place to look except for into his. "Cam, listen."

I nod.

"My father hurt your family, and I was ashamed so I acted out in the only way I knew how." He shakes his head and blinks. "But I'm not him."

"I know."

Father growls. "You are a disgrace to this community, Masters. Nothin' but trouble. Cammie has worked too hard for you to lead her down the path your father led your mother down. He damn near ruined us in the process."

"You don't know anything about me, Rich."

"That's Mr. Spencer to you, son."

Holden's mouth opens like he's going to say something else, but he closes it, then says, "It's not worth it. What do you want, Cam? Do you want to go with him? Or do you want me to take you to get your stuff out of Oliver's?" Tugging Holden's shirt down at the hem, I glance at the clock and can't help but notice all the sets of eyes that suddenly looked away from our direction at the same exact time I glanced away from him. I release the brown cotton fabric and cross my arms over the exposed flesh of my abdomen. So much for waiting to tell them. I'm not sure if Holden just did that on purpose or not.

"What the hell does he mean get your stuff from Oliver's?" My father's gaze bounces between Holden and me.

The tension surrounding us is squeezing me like a boa constrictor hoping to push the last bit of air from my lungs. "I'm not doing this here with either of you. I just need some space." Pushing off both of them, I walk as quickly as I can—almost a jog—until I'm outside inhaling fresh air. My feet automatically take me to Holden's silver Mercedes. I'm not sure what kind this is, but even his car is sexy.

My father said if I walked out with him, not to bother coming around later, but I didn't technically leave with him, did I? Before the charity event, I'd put my phone down in the cabana while waiting on Oliver. In my haste to leave after my incident with Holden, I left it there. I didn't realize it until Holden and I were straightening the place back up. I put it in the pocket of the jean shorts he brought me. Pulling it out, I swipe the screen, and then pull up my Uber app. I should have done this last night.

But if I'd done this then, I wouldn't be wearing Holden's cut off shirt. The one Violet stole from him. The ones I know means something to him. I wouldn't have gotten to see this sweet side of him. And the thought of leaving him like this makes my gut twist into several knots.

I close the app, tapping my fingers against the back of my phone. Then, I open it back up again. Before I can talk myself out of it, I've ordered myself a ride, a way out of this particular nightmare.