Taking Chances [18+]

Pt. 10: It's Too Late

By the time I dragged my coward ass out of my office, Cami was gone.

Not that I could blame her, but fuck if that didn't make me feel like more of an asshole. I drove home looking for her, knowing she must have walked and in the back of my mind I was planning on what I could say to fix this. Would anything cover a fuck up this big?

I entered the apartment and spied the kitchen light on and sighed in relief, knowing she made it home.

"You just keep screwing it up, don't you?"

I leaned against the door frame and shook my head at Shayne. "Is she here?"

She scoffed, "You don't deserve to know."

"Just let me fix this with her, Shayne. I can stop screwing it up, I swear."

"Everytime you go around her, she looks more miserable than when you ignore her. How do you manage that?" Shayne demanded as she stood and placed her bowl in the sink. "You got her all kinds of messed up right now."

My shoulders fell in defeat. It was hard to hear that I had hurt her, even though I knew that was exactly what I was doing. "Then what should I do?"

Her mouth twisted as she considered it. "I should tell you to back off, let her cool down a little."

"But?"

Shayne shrugged and sighed, "I think she really could stand to hear some sort of explanation."

I bit back a smile and nodded. "I can do that. I can fix it."

"But..." Shayne added as I turned around. "If you fuck up again, I won't help you anymore. You need to tell her how you really feel."

I spun back around to find her standing close to me. "Is that what you plan on doing...if I screw up again? Do you plan on telling her how you feel?"

Shayne glanced away and chuckled nervously. "Uh...no. She's my friend. What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on. I've seen you watching her. Don't you think you should say something?"

Shayne blinked up at me and shrugged. "I don't want her to hate me."

"Who could hate you?" I whispered before pulling her into a hug.

She sniffled back a few tears before playfully punching me in the gut. "Quit stalling, asshole. Go talk to her!"

I walked Shayne to her room, my arm slung over her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple before she left me. I could see Cami's light on, her door left open a crack. Not wanting to take any chances with her refusing to talk to me, I let myself in.

She gasped when she pulled her shirt over her head and felt me hugging her from behind. "Chance," she sighed. "Just don't."

I buried my nose into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "I don't wanna fight, Cami."