Home | Happy Lowman/OC (Book 1)

eleven

Victoria arrived at Cameron's condo a few hours later. In the text she sent, she let him know she was coming whether he answered or not despite her anxiety about seeing him. They'd put this off for long enough, and what she'd done earlier solidified that even more. It had to end for both of their sanity.

When he answered the door, Victoria was shocked at the damage Happy had inflicted. Cameron's face was still bruised, the left side almost entirely black and blue. His eye was swollen and watery, and one eyebrow had a nasty, scabbed over gash running through it. His nose no longer had a crooked slant to it, so he must've at least visited the ER. There was a thick white bandage covering the place on his jaw where Happy's rings had slit his skin open.

"Jesus," she whispered, looking him over.

The look on his face was not kind. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't invite her in.

"We need to talk."

Cameron laughed. It was bitter and sarcastic. "I think I get it, Victoria."

"Can I come in?"

She was nervous, but hoped he wouldn't notice the way she was squeezing her own fingers that were laced together in front of her. Cameron said nothing, he just stepped out of the way and turned his back on her.

Victoria had held on to her apartment three miles from his because she wanted to maintain some sense of self. After she'd alienated herself from most of her friends and coworkers, after quitting her job and school, it was the only place she had left that was still hers. But Cameron's condo was where she really loved to be.

It had tall ceilings and enormous windows that looked out over the South Puget Sound. It'd cost him an absurd amount of money, but the second The Sound started bringing in real profit, he was signing the contracts. It'd taken a lot of willpower not to just drop everything and move in with him for the view alone. Fortunately for Victoria, there'd always been enough turmoil in their relationship to refuse parting with her own living space even if it didn't matter anyway. Cameron still paid all her bills. She'd been a fool to end up where she was.

Her stomach turned as she stared out at the water while he stood silently in the kitchen behind her. She was going to lose everything, but it needed to be done. Hanging in limbo was destroying them both. Her with guilt, him with bodily injury.

"Say what you came here to say," Cameron said after a few quiet moments, and when she turned, his arms were crossed over his chest as he stared at her.

She kept her distance. "I'm sorry for what he did to you. The entire situation got way out of hand."

"You're surprised that a guy like that started a fight?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say he started–"

"He came home with you expecting to get laid. He did start it."

"That's not at all what that was, Cameron. Happy really was just making sure I made it inside okay."

Cameron snorted. "Happy, really?"

She ignored the comment. "He's a little–" she searched for the right words. "–triggered by domestic violence."

Any trace of humor left Cameron's face and he stepped toward her. "Domestic violence? He thinks I beat you? Are you fucking serious, Victoria?"

This was not going the way that she'd planned.

"He saw the bruises on my face and just assumed."

"He assumed," Cameron repeated, his eyes darkening. "Is that what this whole thing is about? You think I abuse you?"