Page 54 of Never Dance with the Devils
That means more to me than he could possibly realize.
“What made you change your mind?” His answer is important, mostly because I recognize that I’m rocking the foundation of everything that everyone thinks of me. Myself included. Learning how Cameron came to be so accepting about the whole thing might help me with my other brothers, as well as my ownacceptance of this firestorm I never planned to be in the middle of.
A shadow passes through his eyes as he exhales slowly. “I told you I spent the weekend thinking? Well, I went back through the last ten years in my mind, replaying situations from your perspective, trying to see the ways in which you’d intervened to help us all. It was eye-opening to say the least. But what I kept coming back to was that you stand upforus. You stand uptous. But this is the first time I could think of that you stood upfor yourself. That told me this is important to you in a way nothing has ever been before, and that distinction alone deserves my attention and support.”
I have been affectionately called a ‘bomb in pretty packaging’ more times than I can count by my brothers. I don’t tip-toe around the truth or let them slide by with bad behaviors. I call things as I see them, no matter the fallout. But Cameron’s right. As stern as I am with my siblings about their own choices, I have never… not once… stood up for myself this way. Maybe that’s been the problem all along?
Or maybe I never had something I wanted this much before?
He’s causing some wheels to turn in my mind, thoughts clicking into place at a frighteningly rapid pace, but I still fight to uphold the crumbling walls around my heart, which is trying to fly out of my chest. “I don’t know what I’m doing yet. It really is still very new, which is why the whole inquisition was grossly premature. But thank you.”
“It might be new, but when you know, you know. I waited ten years, and when Riley waltzed in, I was fucked in mere days. I fought it as long as I could, whichwas an embarrassingly short time, but it felt right. I knew it.”
“It was rough for you too,” I remind him, remembering the gossip about Cameron taking up with the nanny. So cliché. And the twelve-year age difference? Blasphemous. “Was it worth it?”
“Absolutely. Or at least we think it was.” He pins me with a shrewd look. “Do you think you three can withstand the heat? They have actual paparazzi, you know? Not just the business pages forecasting the demise of Blue Lake leadership.”
I press my lips into a thin line, still fuming over the headline that highlighted Dad’s step back from the day-to-day at Blue Lake, as if Cameron and I couldn’t continue to handle things in his stead.
“I haven’t thought too deeply about it. I’m kind of avoiding it because we’re not there yet.” But Cameron has verbally walked me to an uncomfortable realization. I can deal with the private, business-related fallout. Business people are primarily focused on profit, and greed trumps morals most of the time. But I don’t want to be a poster child for throuplehood. I never meant for this to be…that. Still, I care about both Riggs and Maddox, so intentional or not, it is what I’m potentially doing.
“Well, when it comes out—and you know it’s going to—I’ll stand with you. So will everyone else.”
“Chance won’t,” I remind him, bitterness creeping back into my tone.
His lips quirk pensively. “Publicly, he will. Family first, no matter what. You know that.”
He’s right. If there’s one thing we Harringtons know how to do, it’s to stick together when it counts. There were times we were cursing each other’s names—or throwingpunches in the boys’ cases—but when the foundation gala rolled around and cameras were clicking, we were the quintessential picture of a perfect family. It’s how things are done.
“And privately? He’ll shame me for being happy?” It’s an ugly accusation, but it’s the truth. After what he said, it’s sad to say, but he’s the one I don’t trust the most.
“At the end of the day, he’ll fight for you the way you’ve fought for him. Harringtons show up for each other. We care. Even when we disagree, or it's inconvenient or difficult, we’re family.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. His intentions are pure. He wants you to be happy. He just doesn’t see how this could make you happy,” Cameron says, inhaling and exhaling before continuing. “I don’t think any of us understand, but we don’t have to. We just have to support you, and we do.”
“Well, I’m glad to have you on my side, at least. The rest of them, I doubt it’ll happen. But if things get ugly publicity-wise, I’ll make sure to protect Blue Lake.”
“Don’t,” he scoffs, dismissing the worry. “Blue Lake has survived Dad. It’ll survive your having two boyfriends.” Despite his initial blasé comment, it looks like it nearly chokes him to say that.
“I have two boyfriends,” I echo, my eyes wide as that sinks in for what I think is really the first time. “Thoughboyfriends seems a bit inaccurate.”
“Do we get to meet them?”
“I don’t know. They’re not very happy with all of you right now. I told them about your intervention.” The threats Riggs and Maddox levied against my brothers are woven into the statement, and I can’t help but add an evil smile to amplify the menace.
“They’re willing to fight for you too,” he muses, sounding like he approves. “I did some reading about them. Teammates and best friends? I think they understand the concept of family first as well as we do.”
“Family first.” It means something more this time. I’m not only talking about Harringtons, or even Blue Lake, the way I always have before. I am beginning to consider me, Riggs, and Maddox a family too, exactly the way Cameron is implying.
It’s too fast. It’s utterly ridiculous. And I’m terrified down to my core. But I also can’t wait to tell them about my conversation with Cameron and take him off their shit list.
He grins, pointing at my mouth. “You’re doing it again.” Instantly, I touch my lips, feeling the smile lifting the corners. “Make sure you warn Mom and Dad before you show up with the two of them. And I do like Kyle’s idea of filming it. Might be funny later when things blow over, or you know, if we need it for the legal proceedings when Dad tries to kill them and Riggs accidentally gives him a heart attack. Self-defense and all.”
“You’re the worst,” I scold.
“Worse than Kyle?” he counters.