Page 15 of A Matter of Time
“What’d you do that for?”
“I didn’t play fair,” I had to admit. “That line always makes you laugh. It feels like a cheat.”
“Youalways make me laugh.” His eyes were warm, and far too close to me, and before I even knew what happened, his lips were on mine.
It all felt incredibly familiar and yet completely new at the same time. His kiss was firmer and more assured than it used to be, but he still tasted the same, other than the shots we’d just drank. His scent filled my nose and his hand cupped the side of my face, just like always, holding me like I was the most precious thing in the world.
I couldn’t say how long it lasted, but probably no more than a few seconds before we both came to our senses and pulled apart.
“Sorry, that was…”
“No, I know, I didn’t mean…”
“... too many shots…”
“... long day…”
We both mumbled excuses until Cam asked the bartender for the bill and gave me a sheepish smile. “Think we better call it a night.”
We definitely should. Cam typed something into his phone while I checked mine for the time, and I’d just made it out as 11:42 when another message popped up on the screen.
“I thought we were done,” I reminded him, smiling again as I opened it and began to read out loud. “Had to take Shawna to the hospital today. Just got the results and the cancer is back.”
It took a moment for the words to make sense to me, to realize that they weren’t from Cam at all but from my brother, Dex, and when I looked up at Cam in surprise and dismay, he looked just as concerned as I felt.
“Are you serious?”
I could only nod as I looked down at the phone, rereading the message to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. Both my good mood and the awkwardness of that unexpected kiss completely evaporated, as though I’d been dunked into ice water. “I’ve got to go there. I have to get back.”
I knew the mere idea was ridiculous; we were three hours away and neither of us were in any state to drive, but that didn’t matter, not compared to my family needing me.
“I’ll get a taxi,” Cam promised. “Hang tight, I’ll be right back.”
He went off to the reception desk while I tapped out a reply to my brother, reading it four times to make sure I hadn’t messed it up in my drunken state. I only managed four words, but I knew what they’d mean to him and I didn’t want to get it wrong.
I’m on my way.
~Cam~
Although it only took about ten minutes for the taxi to arrive, it felt like forever. Tonia had nothing with her but her purse and her business bag, since she hadn’t been planning to stay overnight here in the first place, and as we stood side-by-side outside the front door of the hotel, waiting for the car to pull up, I didn’t know what to do.
In another life, I would have offered to take her bags for her. I would have put my arms around her and comforted her, encouraging her to share what she felt, but that wasn’t our relationship anymore and it hadn’t been for a long time.
She didn’t want me to see her vulnerability, and I didn’t want to see it either, because then I would have to remember that beneath the tough exterior and the look of disdain she usually threw in my direction these days, the girl I once loved still lurked. The girl I would have done anything for, including driving three hours for no reason and taking a taxi back the same distance that same night, even though I would have to come right back tomorrow to pick up my truck.
I definitely didn’t want to do anything foolish like that.
I’d asked for an SUV rather than a sedan when I called for a taxi, and once we settled ourselves inside, I told Tonia to take a nap.
“How can I sleep?” she asked, sounding dangerously close to tears. “I can’t believe they have to go through this again.”
“It’s not fair,” I quickly agreed. “But you’ll be a lot more use to Dex if you’re rested and a little more sober. Besides, you know you’ll be out like a light as soon as we hit the highway anyway.”
More memories flashed across my mind: driving along quiet back roads in my old truck, Tonia’s head resting on my shoulder as I drove us both home in the dark after a night out somewhere. If she drove, she could stay awake no problem, but as a passenger in a car at night, she would be asleep within minutes. It took a little longer that night, the emotional strain obviously taking its toll on her, but eventually, the motion of the car, the darkness, and the lingering effects of the alcohol all combined and her eyes began to drift closed.
When her head fell onto my shoulder, I left it there. She needed the rest, I told myself.
Only when we got back to Houston and the taxi stopped at a traffic light did she lift her head again, looking around in confusion for a moment before it all came back to her: where we were and why.
