“You recall me saying you’re stupid in love? Emphasis on stupid. That fight you and Eva had in the hall was almost as painful to listen to as the rest of my injuries.”
Yeah, he wasn’t going to sit still for a lecture on relationships from Vaughn of all people. His twin’s idea of long-term started and ended with one-night-stand. “Vaughn, I love you, but stay the hell out of my business.”
“No, I’m not done. So she used you to get over her ex? Boo-fucking-hoo. You enjoyed every second of being used and if she hadn’t, she never would have come to the conclusion that she did.”
“What, that I have a superhero complex?”
“Well, yeah, you do.”
He strode to the door. “All right. I’m outta here.”
“Camden,” Vaughn said in exasperation behind him. “She loves you. And you know I don’t say this lightly, but I like her for you. Don’t throw away the best thing you’ve ever had.”
…
Best thing he’d ever had.
Vaughn’s lecture haunted him throughout the taxi ride home and followed him around the too-empty condo until he couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped outside. He needed a ride, couldn’t keep relying on taxis or his brothers, and he hadn’t even looked at the insurance paperwork for his toasted 4Runner yet. So, with nothing more than a flashlight and the icy wind for company, he set about finally fixing the Hummer’s slashed tire and hoped the busy work would keep him from thinking too much.
He was wrong.
Best thing he’d ever had.
The words rattled around in his skull as he removed the ruined tire and tossed it into the snow, then fit the spare in its place.
Yeah, no doubt about it. Eva was the best thing in his life. But right now, she was also the worst. Every cell in his being screamed at him that she was his—even as pissed off as he was at her, his body ached for the soft, tight heat of hers—but she didn’t see it. She couldn’t see it, or she’d have thrown Preston’s ring back at him the moment he tried to give it to her. Instead, she kept it. Even considered his proposal.
A more rational part of him got that this was all his fault. She’d only agreed to see Preston again because she was angry at him. He’d betrayed her trust. And after he’d sworn to himself he wouldn’t.
Cam released the tire jack, slid it out of the way, and yanked open the Hummer’s door hard enough that the hinges protested. The screech of sound dragged him out of his head, and he realized he’d also been grinding his teeth the entire time he changed the tire.
Jesus Christ.
He slid into the driver’s seat and leaned his forehead against the cool steering wheel. Opened and closed his mouth a few times to work the ache out of his jaw, and then just sat there, breathing. Each exhale clouded in the cold, but he didn’t switch on the behemoth excuse for an SUV because anger and fear burned in equal parts beneath his skin.
Fear?
Holy shit. That was exactly the emotion clouding his every thought right now. He was so damn afraid he’d lose Eva somewhere down the line like he’d lost his parents, like he’d nearly lost Vaughn yesterday. But instead of grabbing and holding on to her with everything he had in him, he’d shoved her away.
Cam banged his forehead against the wheel, once, twice, three times. Idiot, idiot, idiot. Groaning at himself, he sat up and cranked the ignition. He had to go talk to her.
Man, Vaughn called it right: Stupid in love.
Chapter Twenty-five
Eva had been shaking with anger since she left the hospital. What the hell did Cam know about her ideal family anyway? And fuck him for that comment about her not knowing what she wanted. She knew exactly what she wanted and she would have told him if the dumbass had just closed his mouth and listened.
She’d also been banging things around her mess of a kitchen for the last hour, not really accomplishing much in the way of cleaning, but the clang of pots and pans against the sink was satisfying. Maybe she could use one to beat some sense into Cam’s head.
Now there was a satisfying thought.
Still, she should probably do some actual cleaning. Shelby was away for a few days, visiting their mother at the psychiatric institute in Virginia—God knows why she even bothered after what happened between them—but Eva might as well take advantage of her sister’s absence and put the house back in order. Besides, the monotony of chores might help her find her Zen place so she could deal with Cam tomorrow on an even keel.
And she would deal with him. This thing between them was far from finished.
Somewhat steadier, Eva started unloading the dishes she’d tossed in the sink. Some of them looked clean already, but she’d been so pissed off she hadn’t paid any attention to whether the plates stacked on the counter had been clean or dirty, so they were all getting washed. She stoppered the sink and turned on the water as hot as she could stand it, then added a few squirts of dish soap.
The doorbell rang.
Cam?