“You started it, Tiger.”
“Yeah and when I get you home, I intend finishing it.”
He puts the car into gear and churns up the gravel on the drive as we roar off, while I sit back and smile.
We’ve spent the last few days locked away in Cam’s apartment. We’ve kept our phones on silent and hidden ourselves away from the world. A statement was released to the press a couple of days ago confirming our relationship and asking for privacy, and surprisingly, the paps have left us alone. Cam told Marian not to come back into work until Monday, so we basically spent every day in bed, only getting up to eat and shower or bath. We’d talked and talked and I feel we are in a good place. I explained about Jimmie and Ashley’s offers to carry a baby for us and Cam wants to move on with those plans straight away, but I’ve managed to convince him to wait until we’ve found a house and to get Christmas out of the way.
We pull up in front of a Lutyens inspired English country manor. It’s stunning and I get a little flutter in my belly as I look out of the car window.
“First thoughts?” Cam asks from beside me. He still has a hold of my hand and kisses the back of it this time. I turn to look at him.
“Loving what I see so far. The location’s perfect and I like how secure it is.” He chews on the inside of his lip.
“I think the inside needed some updating with this one, but that’s not a problem.”
I shake my head, but I’m actually agreeing with him. My head’s spinning slightly. We might actually be about to buy a house together. This shit just got real and I’m suddenly feeling all over the place; hot, cold, happy, and tearful.
The large, arched, oak front door opens and my mouth drops open as Vera White steps out to greet us. Well this couldn’t be anymore awkward. What the fuck is she going to think of me being with Cam so soon?
Cam’s hand is at my jaw as he turns my face to his.
“Stop. I know what you’re thinking and stop. This is no fucker’s business but ours, you got that?” I nod as best I can while he’s holding onto my jaw. “Good girl.” He leans in and kisses me full on the mouth.
“Let’s go and buy a house, Tiger.”
*
I’m out of the car before Cam can get around to my side and open the door for me. He’s old fashioned like that. Always holds doors open, pulls my chair out for me and likes to open the car door for me to get in and out, and as much as I like to think that I’m all for being a modern, independent woman, I actually love it when he does all of those things for me. Cam makes me feel safe, loved unconditionally and protected, and what he’s done these last few days is, for the first time in a very long time, he’s made me feel normal. I sort of felt normal in Australia, but I knew, deep down, it was all a lie, pretence. I had run away and was pretending to be someone I wasn’t. This week, I’ve been home, around people who know and love me and I have just been me. I’ll never be the woman I was before Sean’s death, before the accident, but with Cam’s love and encouragement, I am hopeful of becoming a pretty good version of my former self.
I reach the front of the car at the same moment as Cam.
“Why didn’t you wait?” he asks. I smile up at him as I wrap my arms around his neck.
“I’m sorry, Tiger. I didn’t do it to piss you off. I was just lost in my own little bubble there for a while and got out on autopilot. I’ll get back in and we can start again if it’ll make you happy?” He bends his knees slightly so he can look me in the eye.
“Now you’re just taking the piss out of me, Kitten.”
I smile and kiss him gently on the mouth. “No, I’m not, Tiger. I’m just trying to make you happy.”
He looks all over my face for a few seconds, gives his little head shake and says, “Let’s go look at this house.”
He takes my hand and we walk the few steps to the front door where Vera is waiting. She puts her hand out to shake Cam’s.
“Cameron, so good to see you. Hope you’re well?”
Cam shakes her hand and says, “Vera, good to see you. I’m well, very well, thanks.” I lift my sunglasses from my face, push them up into my hair and put my hand out to Vera, I hear her breath catch slightly and watch her eyes widen as she recognises me.
“Georgia, oh, my darling girl. How on earth are you?” Her eyes fill with tears and her hand moves to cover her mouth.
“I’m doing okay, Vera, you know? One day at a time.” I put my hand out to her, but she pulls me in for a cuddle.
“I’m so sorry. This is so unprofessional of me.”