Page 43 of For You I'd Mend
“Kind of the point, Cam,” I snapped.
“Fair,” she said, squeezing my hands. “From what I’ve read, Theo went to prison for an accident.”
“Wait. If you researched Theo, you should have known he was a felon that night at Church.”
Cammie shook her head. “I looked up his story after. I don’t research everyone when I meet them. Cal trusts Theo, and I trust Cal.” She blushed slightly. “After I did a background check on him.”
“Wow, you really have trust issues, don’t you?” I said.
“Obviously,” she said, giving my hands another squeeze. “Anyway, Aries has a long record. He’s got charges for dealing oxy going back to his late teens, probably further but his juvie record was sealed. Then there’s petty theft and a handful of othermisdemeanors, most having to do with using. But the thing that worries me is an assault and battery conviction.”
“Oh,” I said. Lauren bustled over with another tissue and wiped at my face, which was no doubt covered in black streaks.
“It was a bar fight, not domestic,” Cammie continued. “But in my experience, that kind of violence can follow a man.”
“Your experience?” I asked. All I knew of Cammie’s life before Peace Falls was something happened that made her afraid of most men, and her dad was serving a life sentence somewhere.
Cammie cleared her throat. “Just be a little guarded. If for no other reason, he’s been inside a few years. He probably wants to sleep with you as fast as humanly possible and will say anything to make that happen.”
“What if all I want is hot sex with someone who has enough pent-up frustration to go all night?”
Lauren laughed.
“I mean, if that’s what you want,” Cammie said. “No judgment here. I just wanted you to be informed.”
“Oh shit,” Lauren said, getting herself under control. “You’re serious?”
I shrugged.
“Don’t,” Lauren said with a steel-edge to her voice I’d only ever heard her use with Aiden.
Cammie gave Lauren a puzzled look. “Not to get too personal, Lauren, but are you really one to judge her?”
“I’m not the one saving my virginity for someone I love,” Lauren said.
Cammie’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”
“Thanks, Lauren,” I said. Not even my sister knew that little nugget. Leave it to “let’s take a few shots” Lauren to pry the info out of me after my last boyfriend ditched me for not putting out.
“You’re almost twenty-four,” Cammie said.
“I’m aware,” I said. “It’s not that weird. Rowan was twenty-two her first time, and she ended up marrying the dick.”
“Yes, but you’re you,” Cammie said, as though that made any sense.
“What the hell does that mean?” I snapped.
“It’s just you don’t seem like the type who’d be timid about sex,” she said, blushing.
“I’m not. I’ve done plenty ofthingswith plenty of guys. I’m just saving the p in the v part for someone worth the pain of breaking my hymen.”
“You know, that’s just something they tell girls in health class to make them afraid of sex. It doesn’t always hurt the first time. Many women break their hymen with tampons,” Lauren said, a slow smile on her face. “Or falling on a fence post while cow tipping.”
“Bite me, Lauren. We don’t speak of that night.” But yeah, it was totally possible I didn’t have a hymen left.
“Oh, my goodness,” Cammie said softly, putting a hand over her heart. “Poppy Stevens, you’re a romantic.”
I stood up. “I need to fix my war paint. Thanks for the heads up, Cammie. Lauren, you’re top of my shit list until further notice.”
