voice, “you don’t even know who her sister is. You think dredging up the past will make it better?”
“No, I don’t, but I think that if I don’t re-visit my history I am doomed to repeat it. If I don’t face it, then I can run from it, hide how awful and insensitive I was, pretend that it was no big deal that I have made no lasting or meaningful relationships in thirty years that didn’t involve a blood relative.” He growled as he stood and motioned for Sam to follow him out the back door as he snatched the paper off the table to take with him.
Once outside, Adam turned and started speaking once more. “You are my best friend. You…are my only friend. While I’m thrilled we’re finally close, I should have more friends. Really I should. Instead, I have a list…a growing list of all the women I slept with and discarded. I was so…wrong for that.” He sighed and looked down at the frosty ground. “It wasn’t even a challenge. It was just…fun. And I played it off and convinced myself that everyone was doing it, so it must be okay.” He stared at the paper he had clenched in his hand. “I don’t even remember the names for too many of these women. I don’t remember the sex. I just remember that it seemed like a good idea at the time. And I was lonely. It was nice to fill the emptiness for just a little while.”
“Okay, so you want the reminder to never be an ass again. I get that. What happens if you figure out who Cammie’s sister is? You think she’s going to want whatever details you recall of the experience? Hell, she’s probably worried right now that you are comparing the two. For all you know this is some crazy sister competition.” Sam was scowling at him.
“You’re right. And I might almost believe that, but I’m no prize.” With that admission, he turned on his heels and headed into the house.
He made it as far as the entrance to the great room before Cammie stopped him. “Hey, I hate to bring this up…” Her voice trailed off.
Adam turned to look at her and the pained expression on her face made him pause. “Did I do that?” He asked, coming over to her side as she stirred the gravy on the stove.
“What?” She asked confused. In response, he simply smoothed the worry lines on her forehead with the back of his hand and chased the frown lines away from her mouth. She slapped his hand away, but in doing so couldn’t help but smile just a bit. “No. I’m worried about court and Sam and Haley and the intense discussion last night that I felt all awkward about.”
He glanced over his shoulder and realized that Sam could walk in at any moment. While he wouldn’t just share something of such a personal nature with anyone…Cammie was not just anyone. “Can that sit a minute? Can we go to the bedroom and talk for a moment?” She wore a skeptical look. “Please, just talk…about Haley.”
She turned off the burner and nodded to him. Without giving her an opportunity to change her mind, he quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her across the great room, directly down the hall to his bedroom. He still had the list in his other hand and as soon as he closed the door behind them, he shoved the incomplete list in his underwear drawer before turning to speak with her.
“So, I don’t know how much you know about our recent history. I’m guessing you may have missed me at more than a few parties?” He watched her for a reaction.
She smirked and nodded. “There were one or two that I was sure you would have been at.”
“Did anyone mention what was going on with me? Where I was?” He studied her.
Looking off into the corner of the room, it was obvious she was trying to remember. She scrunched up her face. “No, I don’t recall anyone mentioning you.”
“And Sam wonders why I think I don’t have any friends,” he muttered. “Okay, well this all started nearly a year ago. Haley was living in Philly and engaged to a not so nice guy. From what I understand, they were at a New Year’s Eve party when he disappeared to hook up with someone, since Haley was saving herself for marriage. When she went to look for him, his best