Pacing in front of the bathroom, Cameron switched between looking at the floor and the door. He felt so helpless. Never had he felt as helpless as this. Sharon was crying, alone in the tub and he was just out in their room, pacing around for a lack of anything better to do. He wanted to be in there with her but she had thrown him out the moment tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to reason with himself. He tried to find some excuse for his exit. Something to explain why he wasn't there, inside the bathroom, beside her in her time of need.

He told himself that he wouldn't be much help since he still didn't know what had happened.

Then ask.

He would just be taking up space, space she needed right now.

Did she say she needed space? Or was that what he had assumed?

He would be a reminder that his afternoon had been so much better than hers.

Then try harder to help her.

The frustrated voice countered each and every justification he came up with. He knew, deep inside, he was more than willing to do all that as long as he was beside her. He just didn't want to leave her alone. This wasn't the time to let her indulge in her need to be isolated. She needed someone beside her. He needed to be by her side.

Making his decision, and feeling lighter from it, he was about to head back inside when the door opened. Disoriented by the sudden change, he stood in front of the door, looking down blankly at Sharon who was trying to get out. Then he blinked and realised that Sharon was standing right in front of him.

He didn't know what to feel. He was both thrilled to see her but saddened when he noticed the resolve in her eyes. Knowing her, it was clear she was going to sweep this under the rug even though she still hadn't gotten over it. And he knew it must've been bad. She had looked like all the life had been sucked from her upon coming in. He didn't want this for her. But when he needed them, words failed him. He had to step aside after a while.

Turning to follow her movement, his chest tightened as she changed and then quietly packed her bag. All the while, she was ignoring the bag she had come back with. Even though he hadn't gotten a chance to go through the content, it was clear that it was important to her. She had held it so tightly that the straps were etched into her palms when she entered the tub.

Knowing this, It was painful to watch her pretend it wasn't even there. The thing was, she knew it was there. She gave it a wide berth, never coming close. And when it was unavoidable, she stepped over it. But never once did her eyes land on it.

"Sharon, we have to talk,"he said, unable to withstand her continued silence. But she was determined to ignore everything, not just the bag. She didn't even turn, much less react, when he spoke. Her eyes were fixed on what she was doing. He didn't even know what she was doing. There wasn't a lot of things to pack and now that everything was in the bag, she was just walking around.

Still, she refused to look at him. He was close to exploding. It was tough to fight the urge to get her attention by force. He just wanted to grab her arm and make her look at him. But he managed to hold back. Instead, he sat on her bag, taking away her only outlet. She was not happy.

"Cameron, get your fat ass off my bag,"she growled, glaring down at him. Or not since she was short enough that they were now at eye-level.

"Are you going to listen to me?"

"Why? What do want to talk about?" Finally it looked like the dam was breaking. His relief was at odds in front of the impending danger. "Is it about my bright idea to come here? Or is it my stupid idea to get my stuff? Or, I know, how about my sick attachment to my family who has let me down time and time again? Take your pick because there are so many to choose from,"she cried, tears filling her eyes.

Or maybe not. The dam she placed in front of her emotions had crack, allowing little sprinkles to come through but her resolve was still strong. And he hated that as much as he admired her.

"Because I am such a colossal idiot. I think I'm the biggest one in the entire universe. I can even beat Atlas who carried the entire world on his back"

"You're not that bad. You're an idiot but you're my idiot,"he couldn't help saying. It only occurred to him after that wasn't the most helpful thing right now. But he was proven wrong when she snorted and immediately looked away. He realised that was a way to get through to her. "I mean, would an idiot come all the way here just because I failed to get into Training Camp which is just another form of torture? Of course not. But you did. And you know why? It's because you're an idiot just for me."

"I wonder how you get anywhere when you have such a big head,"she said with a snort. Her eyes were full of derision for him but he didn't care. He was just glad that she was looking at him. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the junction of his thighs. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I thought you needed a hug." Then he wrapped his arms around her. This was the only thing he could think of to help her. While it was uncomfortable to be the one to initiate it, he wanted her to know that he was there for her. That he was on her side.

And he had a feeling she knew that because after a while, her own arms came around him and she held onto him tightly.

-----@@@@------

Being held in Cameron's arms was a balm to her soul. It was like all the ugliness and dirtiness that befell her this afternoon was being stripped away. She was left with a refreshing, comforted feeling. It was something she really needed right now and she just wanted to savor it.

Relaxing into his arms, she was surprised at how much she loved being in this embrace. Never being a tactile person, hugs had always stressed her out. To her, they felt like something forced, part of everyday interactions but it was never good part.

Maybe it was just that she hadn't been hugging the right person. Because, apart from comfort, she was also feeling the urge to talk. Her chest felt hot, her eyes burned, her lips trembled. So much had happened that day that an outlet was needed.

But she had made a decision to never tell him about it in the bathroom. She wanted to preserve his positive memory of the town. She had been thrilled to hear about how the group of boys had helped him. She was torn.

Then as if he read her mind, he spoke.

"Why don't you tell me what happened today?"

"What? No. I want to hear more about those boys you met."She was still reluctant but a part of her wanted to give in.

"No. I want to hear it." Then he stood up and, keeping his arms around her, carried her to the bed. With the disparity in their height, she didn't have much of a choice. Instead, she was dangling in his arms during the move. It was such a shock that she didn't have any reaction. It was only after they had settled under the cover that what happened register. But by then, they had other things to talk about. She especially felt the pressure when Cameron turned expectant eyes on her. "So what happened?"

"Um, I don't know where to start." She literally didn't. Her train of thought had derailed under his eyes. For a big guy, he looked surprisingly adorable right now.

"How about when we went our separate ways? That feels like a good start." She wanted to refuse him. She had made that resolve and everything. But as if someone had taken over her body, her lips began moving and the story spilled out.

"Right. OK. So nothing much happened when I made my way back. And, as expected, Mum wasn't at home."

"How did you get in?"

"I still had my key. Thank God she didn't change the lock. So anyway, I managed to get all my stuff. And honestly, it isn't a lot. Just some mementos and pictures. I mean, she wouldn't even miss them."

"But?"

"But then, she suddenly bursts in and began shouting about a burglar. And then all her close friends and some of the nosier neighbors began rushing in, as if she needed protecting. I mean, what protection does she need? She's the one accusing me falsely. And I never thought anyone would believe her. I've grown up in these parts all my life. I know these people. We're not close but we know each other. So imagine my surprise when they all began looking at me like I'm a bug under their shoes."

"They are assholes,"he commented fiercely, his arms tightening around her. And as coarse as he was, she needed to hear that. She needed to put that label on them, something she was afraid to do. Even in her own mind, she was reluctant to label them as bad people. But they were. They were exactly that.

"Yeah. And I was ready to leave. I wanted to get out of there asap. But they kind of stopped me from leaving. There were so many of them that they blocked the door and refused to move. I was stuck, listening to Mom berate me. It was tough. I was trying to close my ears to her words but they kind of entered and took root in my heart. I just can't forget about them."

"Then why didn't you call me?"

"Why should I?"she asked, surprised.

"Why shouldn't you? I know you came here for me but I'm also here for you. I know how tough this is for you. I was sure that you didn't want to see them again. But here you are. So I'm here for you."

"But it's not your problem. It's my family."

"And my injury isn't your problem too. I got it before you even entered the picture. But you stuck your nose in there and made it your problem. I mean, we're together, in a relationship just between the both of us. Doesn't that mean your problem is my problem too?"

"But it's my family." She sat up and looked down on him. He didn't look convinced.

"It's not family if they make you miserable. And it's not a relationship if you're only willing to help out but not accept help. It's a two-way street, baby. Am I such a bad guy that you won't rely on me?"

"No. You're the reason I'm still sane. You're the only thing that makes me get out of bed and live. But this is my family-"

"And you're my girlfriend. My lover. Does that mean nothing?" He sat up as well and faced her. But she couldn't answer him. He had sounded so fierce that she could hear the strength of his resolve. Then she was reeling from this sudden realisation. That they were in a relationship. And it meant the both of them against the world. Then he let out a sigh and slumped into the pillows. "Then how did you get out?"

"Mom got a call from Scott that they were heading to the house. SInce Amelia is pregnant and all, I thought seeing this mob wouldn't be the best for her so I made them stop and left after that."

"So you made them stop."

"Yes. I'm quite proud of myself for that."

"Sharon, I don't know why you are so timid when it comes to yourself but are so fierce when it involves someone else. You're doing so well at work that I wish you can bring that Sharon out when you face your family. Especially your mother." His disappointment hurt her worse than any words her mother could have hurled at her. The conversation stopped after that.

He left the bed to get dinner while she stayed there, lost and hopeful.

AN: Hey guys. Hope you're well. Sorry for the lack of update about the early upload. I've decided that once I've finished the story entirely that I will do the early uploads. Still a few more chapters to go. Fingers crossed I get everything done before chapter 50.

So what do you think about the chapter? Sharon can be so dense sometimes but I feel like that reflects me too. I always want to do everything on my own but not everything can be done like that. Recognising when I need help is something I'm working on and have been getting better at. I hope you guys do this too. Don't take too much on your own.

Anyways, please VOTE and COMMENT if you liked the chapter. Please follow me on Wattpad for updates. And also check out my book, Accidental Babies, on Amazon.

THANKS