The Forgotten Claim (The Claim: Book 1)

Chapter 19 - Olivia

Saturday came quickly, much to Olivia's delight.

She dropped Chloe off at her mother's after lunch around one o'clock in the afternoon and spent a few minutes filling her mother in on her plans for the day and when she'd be back on Sunday to pick Chloe up after the open house.

Needless to say, her mother was less than amused and extremely wary about her spending the night in that hotel with Cameron. Olivia assured her that she spent the last week getting to know Cameron well. Going back to the place where it all began could be the ticket they needed to move onto the next step in their lives. To retrace their steps and see if they could pick up where they theoretically could have left off.

The idea was to give Cameron some insight into their past while simultaneously giving her some closure. She needed to put her trust issues with him to bed in order to let go of the past and move forward.

"I want to be open and honest with you," she had told him over the phone Friday night after they had put Chloe to bed. "If you think I'm holding back on something, push me to open up on it. Ask me hard questions. I want us both to come out of this certain of who we are now, who we were then, and who we could be together."

As she drove out of the city to the beach town, she reflected on everything that had happened in the last few weeks and that day five years ago. Was Cameron any different now than he was back then? He seemed like the same person. Maybe there were little changes, but if it was one thing she had learned through the years was that nothing stayed the same. Change was inevitable. Change was part of life. He suffered from amnesia and lost his closest friend. That was bound to have an effect on him.

Still, he treated her almost the same way he had back then—especially the last time she met him at the cafe. How easily they were able to converse. The subtle glances and light flirting they exchanged came naturally. There was no tension like there hadn't been any on that day five years ago.

If it weren't for the fact that she had to return to Chloe, things could have ended differently last Sunday. She certainly didn't want the evening to end and she didn't doubt he felt the same way.

When she arrived at the hotel in Aspen Beach, it was still too early to check in. Cameron hadn't arrived yet either. To kill fifteen minutes, she wandered down to the beach and kicked off her flip-flops as she walked across the warm sand to test the water with her toes.

She packed a bathing suit in case they decided to go for a dip, although she wasn't sure she could handle seeing him in swim trunks. If his body looked anything like it did five years ago, she'd be a goner in five seconds flat.

After staring out at the water for five minutes, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Cameron approaching in jean shorts and a white T-shirt. He kicked off his flip-flops and flashed a smile that made her stomach somersault.

He was here. It was really happening.

"Hey," she greeted softly as he closed the distance between them.

"Hey." He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. "I missed you."

She sucked in a breath, his cologne filling her senses and making her head swim.

"I missed you too," she whispered, forcing the truth out as much as she wanted to keep it to herself.

He tilted her chin up. His eyes catching and holding hers. "Are you nervous?"

"I'm a little anxious," she admitted. A blush warmed her cheeks. "Nervous and excited kind of anxious."

He leaned down and placed a lingering chaste kiss on her lips. "Me too.".