Eternal Flame (Eternal Flame #1) Read Free Page A

give a damn Cameron.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “Leave me alone!”
    Roman was now walking past their car, not even stopping to glance in their direction. All ladies watched him rapt, their mouths hanging open, their eyes narrowed in shock and concern. What the hell was going on?
    Cameron refused to give up and started off in pursuit of him. “Roman Elijah Jacob Dean. Stop.”
    “Oh shit,” Joy dead-panned. “She called him by his full name. That’s never good.”
     
    Roman halted and irritably sighed. He closed his eyes, roughly rubbed his temple and gritted his teeth. Momentarily, he turned back to Cameron and dully eyed her as she walked over to him. Kristen felt her world stop. He was right beside their car, completely oblivious to the huge vehicle or the occupants inside it. The windows were tinted too so she supposed he couldn’t see them. Even if he could, whatever they were arguing about had him so riled up, he probably wouldn’t care.
    He was standing a few feet from their car, half facing them, half facing Cameron as she walked up to him and stared him square in the face, her hand on her hips, her lips pursed. Roman warily eyed her, his dark eyes slightly wide, his lightly stubbled jaw set; his posture defensive. The full pouty lips she had been daydreaming about kissing for years were set in a hard, thin line. Kristen felt she would pass out from the sheer delight of being able to look at him up close, even with all the strange drama going on.  If she died today, she could never imagine being any happier.
    Her gaze on him was focused, unflinching. She was distracted by his beauty. As wild emotions mature and juvenile rushed through her she struggled to breathe. The posters on her wall did him no justice. The endless videos of him in her possession were like a filter of what his true beauty was in the flesh. He was dressed simply in a fitted blue t-shirt, loose-fitting jeans and a baseball cap, which he was wearing backwards. He could be wearing a burlap sap covered in dog shit and still be alluring to her. All of a sudden, her teenage fantasies and dreams she’d been having about him for years flashed before her. He was here. She was at his home. Her best friend had won a contest for her to spend not only his birthday with him, but an actual date. Alone. She didn’t know what was going on with him and his sister and she didn’t want to know. She just hoped it wouldn’t ruin what could turn out to be the best weekend of her life.
    “Mama, roll the window down,” Joy whispered, snapping Kristen from her reverie. “I want to hear what they’re saying.”
    “You already have your window down. I don’t want to draw attention to us.”
    “The way they’re glaring at one another I hardly think they’ll notice.”
    Ms. Austin slightly rolled down her window and leaned closer to it, slipping her phone in her purse as she listened with the girls.
    Cameron hesitantly touched his arm. Roman flinched but didn’t move to pull away from her. “Listen,” she tenderly began. “I love you. I know this is a lot. I know you’re going through a lot right now. But we’re your family. We’re not the enemy. This has gone on long enough. Don’t you think it’s time for you to move on? Stop moving backwards. This weekend is supposed to be all about you. Don’t let her ruin it. Let her go.”
    “I don’t want to talk about this anymore Cameron,” he tightly replied.
    “But Roman-“
    He put his hands up, silencing her. “I’m done,” he forcibly replied. “I’m done. Done.”
    He abruptly turned and walked away from her, ignoring her as she called him one last time. He walked to a dark blue Hummer that was parked further up their driveway, got inside, started the vehicle, and recklessly skidded down the graveled driveway, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. The large vehicle sped down the road and disappeared from sight.
    Cameron just stood there looking lost, helplessly staring after her baby