The Billion Dollar Proposal [#9]

Chapter 13

Camilla had driven around with Stephen for over an hour searching for Connor. He had disappeared after he overheard the conversation between his own brother and fiancé. Camilla was worried he hadn't heard enough to judge her, but she couldn't blame him when she had been acting like she didn't care about the wedding as much as he did.

She tried to call for the millionth time that night and tossed her phone to the side when she was sent to voicemail again. "He's pissed."

"You two get upset at everything," Stephen muttered, unamused by her anxiousness. "I have no idea how you'll tolerate each other when you're married."

"That's if he still wants to marry me," she said with the shake of her head. "I never want to lose him. He makes me feel safe and protected, and at the same time I can keep him safe and protect him."

"You want a private wedding? Tell him that. You want to just make it official down at the courthouse? Let him know. You want the biggest wedding the Devereuxs have ever had? Use your voice, Cami."

"You don't get it, Stephen."

He scoffed. "I get it, sweetheart. You're indecisive. You don't know what you want. You want Connor, but you don't want to marry him. You want his baby, but you don't want a family."

She gasped at him, astounded that Stephen Devereux of all people would judge her. "Pull over," she demanded him.

"Are you fucking insane?" He took her hand in his, fearing that she'd try to jump out of the car if she got the door opened. "We're twenty minutes out of town with nothing but road for miles."

"I'll walk back," she said, managing to yank her hand free. "I'm not going to sit in this car with you while you judge me."

"Don't be so damn dramatic, Camilla." He pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road and unlocked the door. "There. I've pulled over. Now are you going to act like a child and get out?"

She stared at the road ahead of them. There was nothing but darkness and the road back looked even more terrifying to her. Her head fell into her hands, and before she could process the aching in her chest, tears streamed from her eyes and covered her face.

Stephen didn't say anything. He gave her the time to release whatever demons were hiding inside of her as he pulled onto the road and turned back around.

"Where are you going?" she asked, lifting her head just the slightest to look at the road.

"Fuck Connor," he muttered mostly to himself. "You are both intolerable children who shouldn't be allowed to own a marriage license, but you love him, and he loves you. So we're going back to the house. You're going to sleep, and then I'm heading back out to find him."

She desperately wiped her cheeks and composed herself. "I don't deserve it, but thank you."

He nodded his head to agree with her. "You don't deserve it, but I deserve to see you in that wedding gown on the day that you're supposed to remember for the rest of your life."

•••••••••••••••

Sharp pain woke her up sometime in the morning. She cried out, but no one seemed to have heard her. Another rush of pain stabbed at her insides, like a million needles pushing their way through her skin.

She moaned, but deep down, she knew she wasn't loud enough to be heard. She had to force her eyes opened. She was completely paralyzed, but she was able to adjust her eyes just enough to see that it was only past three in the morning.

"Camilla," a voice called out to her. It was faded, but it was close enough for her to hear. "Can you talk?"

The light in the room switched on, and it became clear to her that it was Kaine hovering over her with concern struck eyes.