Page 81 of Beyond the Cage

Over wine, we exchange bits of information. I tell them about school, my family, how Cameron and I met. Nick is the baby of the family, single, and is a real estate agent. Ryan is a financial consultant and is married with two kids. Their sister, Nora, is the eldest. She’s a lawyer, and has a husband and three kids.

“Have you heard from Nora?” Ryan directs his question to Cameron.

Just as he shakes his head, I notice a tall brunette hustling toward our table. Her sights are set on me, but her expression is not pleasant.I think Nora has arrived.I nudge Cameron and alert him to her presence. The brothers stand first, greeting their sister with hugs and cheek kisses. I introduce myself and she sneers at my hand before shaking it gingerly.Okay then.Cameron shoots her a warning glare but she ignores him, taking her seat.

“So…you’reher,” she says with disgust.

“I assume by that you mean Cameron’s girlfriend. If so, then yes. I’m her.”

Her gaze flicks to my ring and she narrows her eyes at me.

“How long have you known him?”

“Nora,” Ryan interjects. “Quit it with the inquisition.”

“Why? I can’t let some gold-digging tramp –”

Cameron slams his fist on the table, rattling the entire setting. My wine glass topples over and I’m not able to move out of the way fast enough. It ends up spilling on the hem of my dress and down my leg. Cameron rushes to my aid but I brush him off and excuse myself, heading to the bathroom.That bitch!The nerve…I can’t believe she not only accused me of being a gold digger but also of being a tramp.Me!Ugh!

There’s not much I can do about my dress, so I concentrate on my legs and shoes. The door opens and I look up to see Nora walking in.Great.She leans a hip on the sink and stands there watching me. I ignore her, refusing to expend any energy on her.

“Sorry about the dress. It looks…expensive.”

I don’t reply.

“Louboutins…cute.”

I roll my eyes and turn to her. “I didn’t ask for them. It’s not my fault my man likes for me to look good.”

“Your man?” she scoffs. “You’ve been here longer than the others, I’ll give you that. But how long do you think you’ll last?”

“What’s your problem? Cameron is a grown man who’s perfectly capable of making his own decisions. Our relationship is none of your business.”

“Heis. I just don’t want anyone taking advantage of him.”

“I’m not.” Putting my anger aside, I decide to be straight with her. “I love him.”

That catches her off guard. She stares at me, searching my eyes for the truth. When she finds what she’s looking for, her expression loses some of its rigidity.

“You do, don’t you?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“Well…I never expected that.”

“Can I ask you something? About Cameron?”

And she’s on guard again. “What?”

“His voice…what does it sound like?”

I surprised her again, but this time, her grey eyes soften and she smiles. “To be honest, it’s been so long I don’t even remember.”

“What’s his deal? He won’t tell me anything.”

“We’ve been trying to find out for years.”

“I thought it may have something to do with his childhood.” She raises a brow and I quickly add, “He got upset when I asked about it.”