Page 25 of Always Be My Baby

“I wanted to know if Cammy dumped Lucas,” Julie said.

“Dump him and get a new one that can keep his mouth to himself.” Tiffany shrugged. “You deserve someone who treats you like he can’t live without you.”

“We all do.” Valerie tapped her bottle.

My mind went silent and heartache began to build. “But how do you let go?”

Julie murmured, “You just do it. You just say goodbye and don’t look back and know that there is someone else meant for you out there waiting for you, too.” Julie had recently broken up with her boyfriend of two years. She knew my pain.

“That’s why you date around, like me.” Valerie bumped her shoulder to mine. “After the honeymoon stage is over is when you really get to know the person. Sometimes you match, and sometimes it’s time to say see ya later.”

“Do you want to see my glamour shot? I had them done a week ago.” Tiffany took out a picture of her.

I leaned closer. “You look beautiful.”

“Gorgeous.” Valerie winked. “I should do one.”

Tiffany shrugged. “You should. We all should.”

Leah lightly tapped her shoe to mine under the table and gestured to the entrance. Blood drained out of me as my friends and I observed. Lucas and his buddies strode in like they owned the place, right to a table of girls opposite our spot.

Lucas hadn’t seen me yet. We were in the corner under the dim light. I tried to hide, letting my hair cascade down my face, but I peeked through the layers.

Lucas hugged some of the girls and he sat next to a brunette. Her hand slid down his arm, and the way he ogled her with lust told me more than words could say. They were smiling at each other as if... Oh God. I felt nauseous.

Was this the way Lucas acted when he went to his social functions? Did everyone see the way he was with other girls except for me? The picture seemed clear now. And after what I had seen, there was no chance in hell I would give him a second chance.

My friends whirled away from Lucas, disgust boiling in their eyes, and spun to me with sympathetic expressions.

“Let’s get out of here.” Leah raised her hand to get the waitress’s attention to get our bill.

My friends agreed. I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t want to be in the same vicinity with—I couldn’t say his name. I gave Leah a twenty from my wallet and didn’t glance back to him.

If he truly was sorry and wanted us to have a second chance, he wouldn’t be friendly with any girl. Perhaps seeing me with Grayson, he thought he had no chance of getting me back. Or maybe his mask had finally revealed after a year. It didn’t matter. After what I had just seen, I would never be able to trust him.

“We should walk around them.” Leah stood up after counting the money. “I want to see the look on Lucas’s face when he sees us.”

Tiffany stroked my arm. “Is this what you want to do, Cammy?”

All eyes flashed to me.

At first, I didn’t know. I wanted to hide when I saw him, and then I wanted to punch him a second later when he flirted with that girl. The insecure part of me wanted to run away. But the new me, the one that had enough, the one that finally opened her eyes rose out of her seat.

“I have a score to settle.” I marched to Lucas, my friends behind me.

Lucas spotted me. His eyes widened with shock. His hands lifted from the girl and he stood up, stiffening, and parted his mouth to speak.

Grabbing a full glass of water, I dumped it in his face. “We’re done. I don’t ever want to see you again.” With that, I strode out the door with my head up, never looking back.

Behind me, I could have sworn I heard snorts and curses from his friends.

Chapter Seventeen

First Kiss

Cammy

A Week Later