Greg turned the doorknob slowly and quietly, stepping out of the room with a heavy heart. As much as he wanted to shove Ric away from Cammy, he restrained himself. He knew that causing a scene would only drive her further from him.
Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Greg returned to the sofa, his heart aching. When the wait grew longer than expected, he decided to occupy himself by slicing the cake they had bought. He carefully arranged the slices on the table, then called for the kids and Mr. and Mrs. Moore from Dylan’s room.
From the dining area, he raised his voice to call the others, deliberately avoiding entering Cammy’s room.
"Eve, Cammy, co grab so cake!" Greg called out, purposely leaving out Ric’s na.
’I can keep myself from punching him, but that doesn’t an I have to be near him,’ Greg thought, his jaw tightening as he worked to maintain his composure.
Within monts, the three erged from Cammy’s room, the tension from earlier seemingly dissolved. Ric and Eve were laughing, while Cammy managed a faint smile despite her puffy eyes.
"Who’s ready for so wine?" Eve exclaid with playful enthusiasm, raising a bottle of wine in her hand as she dashed to the kitchen to grab glasses.
"Should I whip up so strawberry milkshakes for you two?" Ric asked Dylan and Cassey, who eagerly nodded.
"There aren’t any strawberries, Ric. You’ll have to use bananas instead," Cammy gently pointed out.
The atmosphere was lively, with everyone chatting and laughing, but Cammy remained quiet, offering polite smiles and nods in response to Mr. and Mrs. Moore’s stories.
When an opportunity arose, she slipped away, pretending to have received a call, and stepped onto the balcony with her phone in hand.
Greg stepped out onto the balcony, noticing how lost in thought Cammy appeared. "Getting so fresh air?" he asked gently.
Cammy turned to face him, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes—a telltale sign Greg imdiately recognized. "Yeah, it’s been a long day," she replied.
"Tomorrow, Grace will bring the final draft of our contract. Let’s have lunch in my office so we can review and sign it without wasting ti," Greg suggested.
Cammy nodded silently, her gaze drifting back to the city skyline.
After a brief pause, Greg added, "I think it’s ti we all head ho. You and Dylan could use so rest."
He started to walk away but paused when Cammy called out, "Wait. Eve told you were in the room earlier... and heard what I said."
Turning back, Greg smirked faintly. "I did. But there’s no need to explain, Cammy. You’ve made my place in your life clear more than once. I just didn’t want to accept it. But I get it now."
"It’s not that, Greg. I’m just in a really confusing and challenging phase of my life right now. I need you to stay focused because I’m putting my trust in you. For now, I need you to be the strong one in this partnership. I promise I’ll pull my weight soon—I just need a little ti," Cammy said earnestly.
Greg nodded. "I understand, Cammy. You don’t even have to ask—I’d do it without you saying a word. I hope you find healing from everything Duncan put you through. You deserve to be loved the right way, Cammy.
Don’t shut yourself off from love just because he hurt you. Not everyone is like him. And you’re right, this is a tough ti, but I promise things will get better soon. I’ll make sure of it," he assured her.
Cammy pressed her lips together and gave a small nod. "Thank you, Greg. One day, I’ll find a way to repay your kindness."
Greg smirked, his tone turning playful. "Oh, you’re sure about that? You know there’s only one thing I want from you, and I’m not shy about saying it."
Cammy rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Goodnight, Boss. We’ve got work tomorrow. Make sure you gather everyone and head out. We all need to rest."
After everyone left, Cammy stayed with Dylan in his room until he drifted off to sleep. Greg had bought him an assortnt of toys, but Dylan seed most captivated by the digital pad. Cammy was about to pack it away when the screen lit up, revealing a drawing that stopped her in her tracks.
The sketch depicted a boy and a man playing football, a woman cooking—whom she assud was herself—and a man lying in a hospital bed with a woman seated beside him. What triggered her curiosity, however, was the figure in the upper-right corner: a man carrying a suitcase.
Cammy frowned as her eyes lingered on the drawing of the man and boy playing football. "Who are these n?" she murmured. "He gave them different faces and bodies. Could it be that the one playing with him is Greg and the other is Duncan?"
Her mind raced. ’That has to be Greg. Duncan’s never played football with Dylan. Could they have bonded this much already?’ She shook her head, a mix of disbelief and resignation crossing her features. ’He’s persistent, I’ll give him that. Getting Dylan’s favor is clearly part of his plan.’
Her gaze returned to the image of the man on the hospital bed, and an uneasy feeling crept over her. She couldn’t ignore it any longer. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number as she headed to her bedroom.
"[Hello? Cammy?]" a woman’s voice answered on the other end.
"Oh, how did you know it was ?" Cammy asked softly.
"[Aunt Felicity gave your number. Are you looking for your dad?]"
"Yes," Cammy said hesitantly. "I know it’s late, but is he awake? Is there any chance I can talk to him now?"
"[I’m already ho for the night,]" the nurse replied apologetically. "[But how about this? Send a video, and I’ll show it to him tomorrow. If you want to talk to him directly, call after lunch—that’s usually when your mom isn’t around.]"
"Alright, I’ll do both," Cammy agreed. "Thank you so much for taking care of him. I owe you."
"[No need to thank , Cammy. But please visit him soon. He keeps asking for you and Dylan.]"
"I will," she promised, though her heart clenched at the thought.
Ending the call, Cammy collapsed onto her bed, her body sinking into the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling. "What am I doing with my life?" she whispered into the quiet room. "I feel so lost. I don’t know which path to take. God, please... help ."
Tears began streaming from the corners of her eyes, tracing a path down the sides of her face. Her heart felt unbearably heavy, and no matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn’t stop.
"You’re so weak, Cammy," she muttered bitterly to herself. "You don’t matter to Duncan. Just forget him. Please, just forget him..."
But her mind betrayed her, replaying the happy monts she’d shared with Duncan and Dylan as a family. The warmth of those mories stung more than any argunt or betrayal, and the weight of her emotions overwheld her.
Cammy sobbed quietly, her chest rising and falling with each painful breath until exhaustion finally claid her, and she slipped into an uneasy sleep.
*********
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