You Fight For All The Wrong Reasons

I rehearsed the scene in my head for the millionth time. So, Cam. Sorry about your house and all. I know this is kind of abrupt, but it’s over. It’s all cool, right? Good. I knew you would agree.

Ha. If only it were that easy.

“Audrey!”

My head snapped up and I exited my daydream. Julia was looking at me strangely. “Are you okay? You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“Oh.” I looked down at my trembling hands. “I guess I am.”

“Don’t be afraid to crush his cold little heart.”

“I just feel so terrible. And right before Christmas, too. That’s the worst time to break up with someone.”

Julia rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Do you want this hanging over your head over your Christmas?”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t think so. So pick up the phone and find out where that boy’s at.”

I took a deep breath and picked up the phone. “Actually,” I said before I punched in any numbers. “I’m really glad to be getting rid of him. I just don’t know how to go about doing it.”

Julia smiled. “Just go with it.”

I dialed Cam’s number and held my breath as I counted the rings. After the fourth one, it went to his answering machine. “Hey, Cam, it’s me, Audrey. I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something. About what happened last night and everything. I kind of wanted to do it face-to-face. So, if you could call me back, we could meet up. Okay, thanks.” I hung up. No I love you’s or baby’s in there. Because the feeling that used to conjure up those words wasn’t there anymore.

And once I realized that, I wasn’t freaking out about breaking up with Cam. I actually couldn’t wait to end the relationship.

Julia clapped as I hung up the phone. “Bravo! I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“Oh, man.” I drew my knees up and hugged them against my chest. “I burned down his house, Julia!” I covered my face.

“Compared to what he’s done to you, I think you two are pretty even.”

“He loved me,” I said.

“No. He manipulated and confused you.”

I took a deep breath and stood up as I remembered what Mitch had said last night. “Yes. You’re right. I’ve got to choose a side.”

“You chose the right one, my friend.” She opened her arms to me. “Hey. Welcome back.”

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Cam didn’t call back that day, or the next. I spent all of my time pacing nervously around the phone and constantly checking my voice mail. This all proved to be a waste of time; Cam hadn’t contacted me yet.

Three days later, it was Christmas Eve and I hadn’t heard from or seen Cam. What would have been a cheerful, happy time spent with friends and family turned into a nerve-wracking scenario. The hours dragged by with still no sign from Cam.

On Christmas morning, I woke up to find something hard and cold pressing itself around my neck. Panicking, I sat up and clasped my hand to my chest. My fingers wrapped around a beautiful, intricate necklace that had not been there last night. A silver heart hung around a chain of diamonds. It was absolutely stunning. Attached to the end of the heart was a note. My heart pounded as my eyes perused the words.

Don’t worry, I got your message. Meet me by the shack tonight at 11:00 and we can talk.
Merry Christmas.

Love always,
Cam

I didn’t know which scared me more: that Cam had been in my bedroom last night or that he still had feelings for me.

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That night, I slipped on my coat and boots and silently set off into the cold. I went alone.

My feet unconsciously retraced the countless steps that I had taken to the shack on previous trips. I could see the shack from a distance now. Cam had kept up his end of the bargain; he was leaning against the overgrowth and siding that made up the walls of the shack.

My eyes drifted to the snow crunching beneath my boots as I approached him. “Hi, Cam,” I said softly as I slowly raised my eyes to him.

Cam studied me for a minute, his eyes drifting from the holly that was still intricately woven in the French braid that Christina had put in my hair, to my snow-crusted shoes. He opened his mouth to say something, but his face suddenly contorted with anger.

I looked at him, startled. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Dark, angry eyes met my own in a painful stare. “You were supposed to come alone,” he growled.

“I did!” I cried, throwing my arms out, as if to show that I had nothing to hide.

“Oh, really? Then who’s that?” He pointed an accusing finger to something behind me.

I whipped around, and to my horror, I found a wolf standing between the trees, frozen with fear. I didn’t recognize him. I did a double-take to make sure that the new werewolf wasn’t some hallucination, but the wolf appeared just as real and unfamiliar as he had at first glance.

I turned back to Cam, wide-eyed and stumbling over my own words. “I…I have no clue who that is. I’ve never seen that wolf ever in my life. I swear.” I threw my hands out as if to show that I had nothing to hide.

But my words sounded guilty rather than confused to Cam, who was now inches away from me. “I don’t even know why I trusted you in the first place, Audrey.” He glared at the werewolf in the forest, then back at me. “Fine. We can play dirty, Audrey. Good thing you brought your little friend, because I’ve got reinforcements.” And, never breaking his stare, he called for Eli.

“What?! I thought you two hated each other!” Cam just looked at me and laughed. “You’re so gullible,” he said.

I tried to break away from Cam as Eli sauntered out into the moonlight, but Cam wrapped his fingers around the base of my throat and pressed me up against a tree trunk.

“What are you doing?!” I screamed. “I just came here to tell you that I’m breaking up with you!”

Terror must have been clearly displayed on my face, because Cam laughed. He slid his tongue along white, glistening teeth. “Okay, then. You’re breaking up with me? That’s fine. But let’s end it on a good note. Come on. One last kiss goodbye.”

He paused and a grin flickered across his lips. “By the way,” he whispered, he mouth dangerously close to my skin, “I don’t want you playing Who-Dun-It in the afterlife. Eli and I killed Mitch.”

A twisted, fiery anger rose inside me. But was I really all that surprised?

“Wait,” I said, as an awful realization dawned on me. “Mitch isn’t dead yet.”

Cam smiled. It was an awful, wretched smile that made my stomach plummet to my shoes. “Are you sure?”

And he went in for the kill.

I tried to escape, but he was too fast. I screamed and collapsed to the ground as a searing pain shot through my body, and the scenery laid before me slowly faded from sight.