Isn’t Rejection What You Wanted?

Little things

CAMILLA’S POV

—

"Cami, you deserve better." Jared deadpans as he hauls my bags down the stairs, carrying them like they weigh nothing and three other guys follow suit with the rest of my things. Derek said I had two days to get out, but there is no way that I'm going to stay in his house for one more night. He doesn't get to do me any more favors, and I don't need him, even if he thinks I do.

Every corner is filled with memories, and every single one is haunting me.

The kitchen is where we cooked dinner together, singing and dancing.

The couch is where we cuddled up, and feeling the warmth of his body was my favorite, to have someone hold me and feel as safe as I did.

But now every kiss, every hug, and every moment of sweet memories is ruined by an affair he had with the person I despise the most.

The loving relationship I once had with his parents is ruined, the trust broken and my social life over because I made friends with his friends, for him.

All I have now is my company, and that's one thing that he never knew about, and never had his hands on since we weren't married, but even if we were, he had a prenup drawn up that made it clear that our assets would stay separate.

The funny thing is, he thinks I was after his money...oh, but if only he knew that I didn't need a single drop of it...

I wanted to tell him everything on our wedding night, but I guess I have Alison to thank, because she made me see who he really was.

"Is that everything?" Jared asks, but I can't form the words as I'm pulled out of my thoughts. My eyes gaze around, and I see the couch, the fridge, and the art I bought, "No," I gulp down the lump in my throat, "What else?" he asks, looking around, probably for something girly. I turn my head, looking him square in the eyes, "I'm going to need a moving truck."

Four hours later, my bed from our bedroom is loaded into the truck, the couch and fridge are loaded, and the art is neatly wrapped in bubble wrap and packed. I also took my kitchenware, which was everything including the microwave, and left the food on the counter to rot.

He will have the most divine smell when walking into this house after a week.

I took the mirrors, the linens, and the hangers, and left his clothes on the ground.

The moon shines down on me as I stand on the pavement, and I stare at the keys in my hands. Jared causes a shadow to fall over me as he blocks the streetlight with his tall frame. "Done?" he sighs, sounding exhausted as if he did any of the heavy lifting. "Almost..." I turn to him, "Who the hell are these guys?" I point to them behind Jared as they sit on the sidewalk, smoking. He turns his head, showing off his sharp jawline as he glances back over his shoulder at them, "They work for me," he shrugs, grinning at me when he looks back at me. "You have your own company?" I raise my brows curiously at him.

"I have an empire, and I hear you have one too," he grins, catching me off guard. There are a handful of people who know I own my company, and Jared wasn't on that list.

"What? No..." I frown, "Where did you hear that?" I scoff. "Come on Cami, C and D designs? I know your work." I inhale a sharp breath, unable to fathom how he knew. "No one knows." I frown, whispering just above my breath. He leans forward, smiling, "I know," he whispers back. I stare into his icy eyes, the ones that I've known since I was a kid. His icy blues has always mesmerized me, the kind of way that makes me stop thinking, but that stopped when I moved from Boston to New York to start my company and I hadn't seen Jared in ten years, until six months ago. I was picking out my wedding cake when he came into the bakery and we exchanged numbers to keep in touch, but I haven't spoken to him since that day, until today.

Until I needed him to save me.

Jared takes a step back, "Where are you going with all of this?" he asks, and I suddenly remember I have no place to go, not yet anyway. "Uh..." I stall, unable to answer his question immediately. "I...Boston?", "To your parent's house?" he frowns, snorting. "Until I buy my own place, yeah." I shrug, and he shakes his head, snapping his fingers and the driver comes over. Jared gives him an address, snatches the keys from my hands, and tilts his head, "You can stay at mine, I have space and I will help you find a place," he deadpans. "No, it's fine," I try to decline his help, already feeling bad for using him. "Come on, leach off me Cami. I'm loaded," he grins and walks over to the car that I momentarily forgot I had since Derek always drove me around. but he won’t have anything anymore, "I'm driving," he winks and slides into the car.

I look over at the three guys, and they don't spare me a glance as they stomp their cigarettes under their shoes and get into their cars, but as I stand under the moonlight, having nowhere to go, I accept Jared's offer, knowing that I'll find a place by the end of the week.

Arriving at a large white mansion, he drives up the long driveway and stops inside one of the garages that is filled with other cars, some old and some new. “Do you own all these?” I’m not amazed by all of them, they are cool, but why does he waste so much money? “Of course I do,” he scoffs, turning off the car and we get out.

“Such a waste of money,” I snort. “Well, I can’t be buried with my fortune, so why not spend it on tiny things that make me happy?” he tilts his head, looking so full of joy, and it makes me miserable. My entire life just blew up because of my step-sister, and with her being the favorite, I don’t think that my parents will even take my side.

“Hey, let’s go inside,” he nods his head towards the elevator and my eyes roll back before I follow him. Stepping inside the elevator and watching the doors slowly shut suddenly makes me feel hot. The heat starts inside my chest, spreading to my back and up my cheeks. “Are you okay?” Jared’s soft tone makes my eyes tear up, but I blink the tears away, “Yeah, just…pissed.” I breathe out. “Pissed? Are you going to go cowgirl on me?” he jokes, snorting lightly.

I giggle a little, feeling a bit of weight being lifted off me. Jared has always been the kind of friend who always made me laugh and feel better, and he knows exactly who Alison is and what she has done to me. “I have ice cream,” his voice is a mere whisper, his hot breath fanning my neck. I turn my head, nodding as I smile. I do love ice cream, but as the sourness settles inside of me, and the acceptance of what happened hits me, it’s impossible to want ice cream, because all I want is to know why.

Why am I not good enough?

Did Derek not love me?

How did Alison get into his head?

More importantly, how the hell did she get him into bed?

I’ve never lacked in giving him what he needs or want, so none of this makes sense to me.

But what really irks me is how they even got together. I barely seen Alison, yet when he ran up to her, checking on her when she screamed for no reason, I saw how much he cared...but when did it happen?

When did they become friends?

How did they even start talking?