game. It was his friend who chucked the paddle on the floor and stood to greet me. “Well I’ll be. Look at who decided to come home for a visit. Cammie Healy in the flesh. I don’t think I’ve seen you since you were in high school.”
I didn’t want to seem rude, but I had no idea who this guy was standing in front of me. He was near six-foot tall, his longer hair tucked back in a backward baseball cap. His jeans were worn, the tight-fitting T-shirt having a few holes in random spots. Muscles protruded from each sleeve, almost stretching the fabric sitting against them. He held out his hand to offer it, and until I saw him smile I didn’t have an inkling as to who this dude could be.
Then the dimples came out, and suddenly I was reminded of a dorky middle school aged kid who’d hung out with my brother. At the time his horse teeth had given him the nickname Bucky, but the pearly whites I was staring at has obviously seen a very reputable orthodontist. “Buck?”
He cackled when I said his name. “What’s wrong? See something you like now? I haven’t been called that in years.” He was cocky right off the bat. “I bet she came home because she heard I was in town.” He said to Josh.
My brother stood and shoved him out of the way. “Pay him no mind. He’s salty since I’ve been banging his sister. He’s trying to get under the skin.” I felt my brother’s arms wrap around me and completely lost it in front of his friend. It didn’t matter if the guy thought I was insane. I sobbed, so much that Josh refused to ask the reason. My brother knew something was seriously wrong, and when I finally had the courage to tell him about it he’d be ready to take care of whoever hurt me.
Isn’t that what brothers are for?
“I better give you some space. Text me later, loser.” He offered a friendly smile while exiting the room.
“Eat shit, Wes.” I’d almost forgotten his real name. Wesley Parrish. His grandfather owned a group of banks in North Carolina and Virginia. When his parents got divorced, Wes moved to Charlotte with his mother, where she later married someone else. Being a year younger than me, and friends with my brother, I steered clear of them. They were always getting into trouble, which was the opposite of how I’d acted back then.
I hadn’t seen him in years. Puberty had been good to him in more ways than one. Never in my wildest dreams could I have pictured someone as awkward looking as Wes turning out like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. Since I wasn’t in any condition to catch up with an old friend of the family, it was better that he’d decided to leave. Trouble seemed to be following me, and I was determined I wouldn’t involve the people who mattered the most, friends of the family included.
It took me a while to calm down enough for Josh to let go. He backed away and offered me a seat on his unmade bed. For a brief second I wondered how dirty his sheets were, and how many girls he’d brought home and screwed on it.
“Start explaining, Cam. It takes a lot to get you upset. You’ve never been one to cry. Spill.”
“I’m in trouble, Josh. It’s bad,” I managed to get out.
“How bad? Like, Cassie bad, or your idea of mischief?”
I tried to manage a smile from his comparison. Our sister Cassie had a checkered past, all because she’d gotten involved with a criminal. Since then she’d turned her life around. She’d joined the police force, and was in a serious relationship with an FBI agent. Her drama aside, I knew my problems were just as severe, at least they would be in our parent’s eyes. “Cassie bad.”
“Holy shit. What did you do?”
Telling him everything would be too difficult. I needed to break the truth to everyone slowly. “I was involved with a married man.”
My brother eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true.” I looked away because I felt ashamed for my actions.
“Miss Goody-two-shoes went and got herself involved with a married man?” He clapped his hand together and chuckled. “This is fantastic. Now I know they won’t get on me for wrecking the combine.”
“You wrecked the combine? The new one?”
He pointed to me. “Don’t change the subject.”
“Josh this is serious.