Page 70 of The Backup Plan

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I’ll walk home.”

“That’s a forty-minute walk.”

“I’ll call a rideshare.”

“I’ll drive you home.”

“No. I’ll get home on my own. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

Cam cleared his throat as he approached. Avery startled, eyes wide, and wondered how much he’d heard.

“I need you guys,” he said. “Justin’s sick, and he’s asking for you. I guess I don’t need you, but I wanted you to know, if you want to see him.”

“He’s throwing up that mess?”

“It’s not pretty. He’s in the bathroom across the hall from his room.”

“If he asked for me, I’ll go. Did he ask for our brother, or the real Isaac?”

“He asked for Fields.”

Isaac turned Avery’s chin so she’d look into his eyes. “I’ll only go if it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable. I really am sorry about what I said. That was ridiculous and selfish, and I think I just lost my mind for a minute, so?—”

She felt Cam’s eyes on them. “You’re fine,” she said. “I’ll be fine. But if Justin goes off on you again, I want you to leave. Don’t let him use you as an emotional punching bag.”

“Then I guess we’re both on clean-up duty now.”

Cam reached for her hand as Isaac turned to go. “Avery, wait. I’ll stay if you want. Justin’s my friend, and I want to help him. I want to help you.”

“I’m compartmentalizing,” she said, uttering a harsh laugh. Her tone softened when she saw the hurt in his brown eyes penetrating hers. “Cameron, seeing you is always the best part of my day. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you involved in this mess.”

She didn’t want him in Justin’s mess, or Isaac’s, and she didn’t want him to see her with Isaac any more than he already had that evening. She didn’t want him to hear Isaac say anything else in the same vein as the uncomfortable conversation a minute ago. She didn’t want her plastered brother to say anything more about her choices, and giving Cam shit for something that wasn’t even real yet. More than anything, she didn’t want Cam to see her as the girl with a messy family and messy mascara and a messy heart that she couldn’t train out of the fear that everyone she loved might one day be lost.

He held out his hand.

“Then please call or text me tomorrow and let me know you’re okay.”

Wordless, she handed him her phone, and he added his number.

“Please,” he repeated, handing it back.

She smiled at the contact card. “I will, Orange Hat Boy. I will.”

Isaac put his arm around her and pulled her away.

TWENTY-ONE

Emotional Support Bee

CAMERON

To top the one he had before finding Justin at the bonfire, Cameron slammed two more shots of whisky. If he burned his throat, maybe he could burn from his eyes the sight of Isaac holding Avery close. Then, the more gut-wrenching view of him pulling her away right after she said he was always the best part of her day.

He grabbed a bottle of water and started to walk back to campus.

She was never more desirable than when she shoved her own hurt aside to defend her dead brother and her friend. Her drive to heal her heart and calm her fears led her to that moment, and the blazing bonfire next to them could spark nothing else so lovely.

He was the brightest part of her day, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe she wasn’t enough. The emptiness and the ache persisted.