Maddie

When I decided to stay at this hotel, I wasn't in the right state of mind. I made a rash decision based on anger and how hurt I was that Cameron went back on his word. I should have foreseen the implications of leaving my home after the photos of Cameron and Katie surfaced. This is what the paparazzi live for. A shot of me leaving our home? Worth a million dollars.

And they got exactly what they wanted.

The following morning, a photo of me pulling into the hotel parking lot and lugging my suitcase inside made headlines. I sat through breakfast (room service) with Izzy and reflected on my poor decisions. Then again, it wasn't a poor decision. Plenty of couples get into fights and need space from each other, right? I'm allowed to feel violated. I'm allowed to be pissed off that there are dozens of paparazzi waiting outside this hotel for their perfect shot.

It's almost midnight. Don't they have anything better to do?

With a huff of frustration, I shut the curtains behind me and peek my head into the adjoining room where Izzy is sound asleep. My heart falters at how peaceful she looks. Her eyes are closed, lips slightly parted. She has no knowledge of what's going to come when she gets older. Cameron and I have tried to shield her from the reality of the world, but the fame is going to hit her eventually.

I had originally planned on returning home tonight. Twenty-four hours felt like more than enough time to teach Cameron a lesson, but now with all of this? With all of those people outside? No way am I going to wake up my sleeping daughter and traumatize her for life by exposing her to fame. Especially this type of fame—the kind where people will say anything to get a photo.

Shutting the door to the adjoining room behind me, I suddenly hear screaming and commotion coming from outside the hotel.

What in the world?

I rush over, careful to only pry back just a tiny bit of the curtains so nobody can get a shot, and that's when I see him, Cameron Holden pushing through the hoards of paparazzi with a pissed-off expression on his face. It's been raining outside, his curls dampened to his forehead, and if I wasn't so pissed at him, I'd linger a bit longer to admire how he parts the crowd with little to no effort from towering over the paparazzi.

I'm pissed, I remind myself.

This isn't a time to ogle my husband.

I'm not surprised he came to the hotel. He gave me space like I'd asked him to, but in the process of staying here, I still haven't figured out what the hell I'll say to him when he gets to the room. What he did was wrong, so wrong. It was a decision for us to make together.

I have to keep that in mind because my husband has a way of...distracting me when I'm supposed to be upset. I'll take one look into those emerald eyes and forget why I was ever even mad in the first place, and I—

Fuck. Knocks sound off on the door, disrupting the silence.

Cameron must have run up here for crying out loud.

Throwing open the door, my suspicions were correct. Cameron stands before me panting and out of breath, water trickling down his face and onto his chest, where his white t-shirt is drenched, showcasing the outline of his abs.

Focus!

"Mads—" His voice breaks, which snaps my eyes to his face. It's not until now that I see just how affected this situation has made him. His cheeks are hallowed out with bags beneath his eyes from lack of sleep. His eyes are red-rimmed and glossy, and fuck I hate the way my body urges me to pull him into my arms. I hate to see him upset, but there's a reason I'm upset.

"Can I come in? Please?" He raps his knuckles against the doorframe, a nervous habit.

"Are you sure you'd rather not find a way to escape out of here? Wouldn't want the paps to catch a photo of you cheating on your new girlfriend."

"Maddie, come on." His eyes flare with anger. "You know I wouldn't have gone if it weren't for your career on the line. I understand that you didn't want her holding this over our heads any longer, but I'm not just going to let you—"

"Come inside," I relent, my eyes darting to the empty hallway. The last thing we need is for a stranger to eavesdrop on this conversation.

Cameron strides into the room, his sneakers squishing from the water until he's dripping on the living room carpet of the suite. "I'm not going to let you throw your entire life away," he continues. "You have worked so hard for your career, Mads. I'm not going to let her take that away from you. No matter what it costs."

"Even if it costs me my sanity?" I arch a brow, waving to the windows. "I'm going to be stalked and hounded for months because of your decision. Did you think of that when you agreed to be her date?"

"Look me in the eyes right now and tell me you're one hundred percent fine with throwing away everything you've ever worked for."

"You know I can't do that!" I shriek. "But that's not the point. The point is you made a promise to me. We should have made that decision together. We're married, for fucks sake! I should have been told. Not notified by—" I'm chest to chest now with him, tilting my head back from him being so tall. Cameron's nostrils flare at where I decided to cut off my sentence.

"Notified by who?"

"Tre," I reply honestly because, unlike Cameron, I don't lie.

"Tre," he repeats. Then he laughs angrily, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wouldn't be surprised if that fucker has media alerts sent to his phone. He fucking waits for the opportunity to jump at you again, doesn't he?"

"Tre didn't make a move, Cameron. He assumed I knew, kind of like the rest of the world did. They probably didn't assume my husband would go on a date with another woman without telling me!"

Cameron inhales deeply, closing his eyes before releasing a large sigh. One of his hands clasps around my waist, holding me close. "You're right," he whispers. "I went about this the wrong way. I wasn't thinking of the implications my decision would have. All I wanted was for you to have this one thing, Mads. You've sacrificed so much for me. You moved across the country for me, leaving your brother, best friend, and parents behind, and the only thing you got to keep was your career. I just wanted you to keep it."

Damn him. Damn him and his way with words.

I didn't realize that was why he made that decision. I knew he wanted me to keep my career, but now that I know why?

I clasp his cheek, wiping away a tear on his face. "Cam, all I'll ever need is you. It's why I moved across the country in the first place. I don't need my career. Do I want it? Sure, but it's not what's going to satisfy me. This family we're building will always be my number one priority. If the video comes out, we'll deal with it but never think for one second I gave everything up for you. I gained so much by choosing you."

His forehead falls to mine, a smile of relief tilting his lips. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. Do you understand how scared I was coming home to find the house empty?"

"You deserved it after what you did."

"We can both agree on that," he admits. His hand moves lower, just above the band of my sweatpants. "I assume you don't forgive me yet?"

"Ha! Give me a couple of months then come talk to me."

My husband is too good at this. He's always been too good at being able to win me over. My breath catches when he licks up the column of my neck, pausing at my ear to whisper, "Is there anything I can do to speed up that process?"

"No." I intended for my voice to sound confident, but it's shaky instead.

"Are you sure?" His hands move lower, grasping my ass, chuckling when my head falls back from the feeling. "What do you want? A car? Jewelry? A bag? It's yours. Say the word."

"I...I want..."

Fuck. What do I want?

"Keep thinking, baby," he murmurs.

"I...I want you," I gasp.

There are so many things we need to discuss, such as where we're going with Katie, but right now... Right now I've missed my husband, and I'm more than intrigued to see what kind of forgiveness he plans on showing me.