When I'm Gone ( Nate Maloley AU)

Aftertaste: Epilogue

I remember how it felt to feel so insignificant with my mother never being around and my father dying. With  Sammy and Nate treating me like I was nothing. Thanks to them, though, I got my happy ending. I remember loving someone who really never felt the same.

"You okay?" Cameron asks as he wraps his arms around me.

"Yeah," I smile as I look down at the photos in my lap.

Cameron sits beside me on the bed and looks through them as well. He smiles at the ones while I was still in high school. I blush at the one of Nate and I. He had grabbed my waist and kissed me.

Cameron sighs.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Deciding which to keep."

"Keep them all."

"What?"

"They're memories, Hayden. Whether good or bad. They are all memories of growing up. You can lock them in a box."

"I love you," I say softly.

"You better," he smirks as he kisses me.

Maybe being insignificant at one point was a good thing. It led me to greater things. Cameron was the only good thing to come out of everything. He knew I needed him and I know he needs me. Sierra has finally come around me, I think maybe Taylor talked to her.

Cameron leaves my side to go downstairs as I put the photos away. I follow him downstairs and see him with his friends. My face heats. Jack and Madison are also over completely as they both sabotaged their relationship, and unfortunately Johnson won't talk to me because I refuse to give up on her.

"Hayden?"

I look at Cameron as he raises a brow at me.

"Sorry," I say softly and come to sit beside him.

He takes my hand and I smile at him. He kisses my head and I realize how much I miss my father, how I miss being that nobody. Even with being married to someone who would never really hurt me, I still hated myself.

I lay my head against his shoulder and he kisses my head.

"We're gonna go."

"Okay."

I smile at them on their way out. Cameron then pulls me on his lap making me laugh and blush. His lips graze my neck as he leaves kisses down and turns my whole body so I'm facing him. His lips trail down my collarbone before there's a pounding at the door. I get off of Cameron's lap. He goes to the door first and opens it to find Sam, Nate, Jude and Johnson.

My heart races as they come in. Cameron quickly pulls me to him.

"We're here to apologize, like really apologize," Jude says softly, "especially me, Hayden. I am the biggest dick here."

"Jude-"

"No, seriously. I was so fucking in love with you, that when you left the day I was broken. Natalie would just come and get me drunk to have sex. That's no excuse for me to cheat, but it's the truth. I'm so sorry for trying to ruin your love life."

I shift uncomfortably.

"Please, forgive me. I want to stay friends."

I nod and he smiles. Nate and Sam soon look at each other.

"Hayden," Jack says, "I'm sorry too. What happened with Madison and Jack isn't your fault. I know you understand that they both weren't working for awhile. I just was pissed you sided with her-"

"Jack, I didn't defend Jack because he basically told me everything that happened was my fault. I am not, nor have I been, lately, mad at you."

Nate looks at me.

"I'm not apologizing."

"Then don't, Nate. I don't care."

"You don't care! Why not?"

"Because even if you apologize, I'm still going to wake up screaming because you two tormented me for seven years. Even longer since we dated out of high school. If you're not sorry, then fine. Same with you Sam. You told me to change my last name, I did."

Nate looks at me confused, as does Sam.

"Just leave, all of you," Cameron states.

Once they do he looks down at me.

"The nightmares?"

"Never going to go away. Cameron."

He grabs my wrist and I look at him. His fingers run across the jagged cuts along my arms. I feel self conscious again and my heart breaks.

"Cam-

"I promise to help you when you need it," he whispers, "Even when you don't want it and push me away because I know you'll want me by your side."

"Cam-"

"And I promise, that when you have the nightmares I'll stay up with you and talk or just listen to you about them because I won't let them continue to hurt you.

Tears form in my eyes. He wipes them away and kisses me softly. His fingers curling into my hair, and my hands on top of his. My back is soon pressed against the wall, and he bites my lip. I smirk when he lets go.

From the day we met we became addicted to each other, and he's seen me when I was completely and utterly broken. Yet, he fell in love with me and even though I wish I had pushed him away, I'm so glad I didn't because I wouldn't have found the person I needed in my life.

"I will never leave you."

"Don't," I whisper.

He looks down at me and sighs so softly.

"Fuck, if I ever hurt you please tell me. I cannot stand the thought of you leaving my life. I will not let you get hurt by me either."

He finally pulls away and runs a hand through his hair. My father would have loved Cameron despite his obnoxious personality and behavior. I no longer felt unloved, or unloveable. I felt complete with him in my life.

Being insignificant, being broken, it's so far away. Maybe over the course of our lives the two of us will never be able to leave one another, and we'll finally have our loving ending.