can either deal with it or you can stay the hell away from me. I’ve already told you I have nothing to say and I’ve been more than clear that I don’t want your help. I don’t care what anyone does or says, I will not cower in a corner.”
“I’m not asking you to cower in the corner, but you don’t need to put out flashing neon lights saying Look at Me.”
She knew he wasn’t dealing well with the situation. They’d already had this conversation a million times now, ever since he’d received that blasted file, ever since her father—not that he deserved the title—had royally screwed her over.
“Maybe I’m a girl who likes to play games—dangerous games, Camden. Maybe I’ve decided my life has been boring so far. Maybe, just maybe, I’m the perfect protégée for my parents,” she said, sending him a wink and shrug.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but you’re doing an excellent job of acting like a spoiled brat. If you want to roll over and play dead, I should let you, but I know somewhere, maybe locked deep down inside, is the smiling girl I used to know. Where is she, Grace?”
“How dare you! You have no right to psychoanalyze me. You have no right to step into this apartment. Where in the hell were you when I needed you most? Was that your week with bimbo one or bimbo two?”
“What happened in the past is in the past. You need to let it go.”
“Please go away, Camden. I’m too tired to deal with you anymore today.” The fight had been drained from her. She needed to put on her happy face and pretend everything was copacetic.
“This isn’t over, Grace,” he warned as he moved toward the door.
“It never is, is it, Camden?” She sighed as he turned toward her, fire burning in his eyes. Yes, she knew there was still hunger there, but more than that, there was rage. Right now they both felt it in spades, each at the other.
“I’ll leave for now, but don’t think for a minute that I’m going to just roll over and watch you ruin your life,” he said as she yanked open the door to push him out if she had to.
“Trust me, Cam, I would never think you were the type to ever roll over,” she said, trying unsuccessfully to smile.
Cam said nothing else as he left her apartment.
Grace sagged against the door, allowing herself a moment of pity. Then, blowing out a breath, she pushed her worries from her mind. It was Christmas Eve and she was going to spend it with her best friend. She’d had enough anger and sadness to last her a lifetime. She was going to bury all of that for at least the next few days.
“Sage, wake up right this minute!”
Sage sat up, disoriented and rubbing her eyes. “What time is it? What’s the problem? Is everyone okay?” she blurted out, still half asleep.
She’d taken naps at the hospital before, and she knew how to wake up quickly and be prepared for an emergency, but with her recent insomnia due to high emotions, she was struggling to clear the fog from her brain.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Grace told her. “You just have to come with me right now.”
“What are you doing at my grandmother’s? I thought you were flying out tonight.”
“I was, but I got stuck behind a major pileup on the freeway, and I had no choice but to turn around.”
“Well, I for one am glad. Spending Christmas in Hawaii was a dumb idea, Grace.”
“With all of this snow, I thought it would be a nice change.”
“Of course lying on the beach and soaking in the sun is always nice. But Christmas is time for family, and since you’re basically my sister, I call it abandonment when you leave me like that.”
“Well, I’m here now, and very grateful to be with you. Now get your butt out of bed and come with me. I can’t believe you’re sleeping at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. I’ve gone to bed early before so I can wake up in the morning, but never that early.” Grace tugged on Sage’s hand until she was standing, and then handed her a thick sweatshirt.
“Are we going somewhere?” Sage asked.
“You’ll see. Come on.” Grace shimmied Sage over to her UGG boots and stood there while she slipped them on, then dragged her down the stairs.
It sounded like music was playing, but that wasn’t a surprise.