Tangled in Moonlight のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 221 - チャプター 230

Chapter 221: The Echoes of the PastCamden reluctantly released Clayton from her embrace, the thought of Matt seeing them fueling her decision. While they waited for him to emerge from the gift shop, Camden admired her ring and smoothed down the orange fur of Dora, the cow plushie.When Matt appeared, he was holding two brown paper bags. He handed one to Camden with a shy smile. "What's this?" she asked curiously, unfolding the top of the sealed bag. "I just thought you'd appreciate it," he murmured, looking away as she pulled out a children's book entitled, 'My First Highland Cow'. "Is it for the baby?" Camden asked, eagerly paging through the colorful pages. "That was the intention, but I'm not sure how good your reading is, so you're welcome to use it too," Matt explained with mock seriousness. Camden chuckled and gave him a playful shove in the chest before she turned to show Clayton. He looked at the pages Camden showed him with enthusiasm and excitement.With a beaming smile fil

"Talk to me, baby," Clayton urged, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at him for a moment, considering whether she should pour her heart out to him. But fear and doubt gripped her, so she simply shook her head, squirming away from his watchful gaze and cowering against his chest. "Cam..." he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently as he wrapped his arms around her. "I wish you'd talk to me. I wish you'd let me help you," he murmured, a plea he knew she would never take him up on.Matt stepped closer, resting his hand on Clayton's shoulder as he said softly, "I think we should get out of here. We've drawn a crowd and Cam is totally out of it. It's not like we're going to be able to pick up where we left off on the exhibit." Clayton nodded in agreement. He was about to start leading Camden back to the car when the security guard appeared, blocking their path."Hold on there," he said in a Scottish brogue, his arm outstretched with his hand raised, "I'd like t

Camden took a few steps toward the couch when Clayton hurried over to her side. He took her hand and ushered her over to her usual spot, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible.Matt took the opportunity to grab a box of tissues from the kitchen, placing them down on the coffee table in front of Camden preemptively. "Do you want me to go?" he asked, watching as Clayton rubbed her back supportively. He wasn't sure whether he had any place in the conversation. With the Unbonding Ritual only hours away now, she didn't really owe him any explanation as they would likely part ways afterwards. To some degree at least. "No... You saved me. I feel like you deserve some answers..." Camden replied halfheartedly.The two men waited quietly for Camden to speak. The silence was awkward and soon enough she tried to combat it by filling it with words. "I don't know whether I should start at the beginning or just drop the bombshell first and then go backwards..." Camden mumbled to herself, consi

Clayton wasn't sure what to do. They'd worked through this before, but having it all laid bare like this once again was like ripping the old scar open and painstakingly massaging a bag of coarse salt into it. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and run away with her, taking her somewhere quiet and green and beautiful, as if they could outrun the pain of the past that always seemed hot on their heels. He wanted to promise her the world, as if delivering it could somehow erase the mistakes he had made. He wanted to make it right, but nothing he could do now could ever undo what had been done. The reality was cold and painful and bitter, but inescapable. Had it not been for Matt sitting there, watching the exchange with wide eyes, he was certain he would have broken down completely and wept like a child.The silence stretched on until Camden finally whispered, "So now you know the truth," wiping her tearstained cheeks with a tissue before abruptly standing up, shaking the two men off o

"You know, you could have just left this shit in the car. I don't know why you brought it out," Matt complained as he picked up the bags of salt that Clayton had hauled in earlier. Clayton had followed him to the kitchen and the pair were now carting the bags back to the car. "I know. I guess I wasn't thinking straight," Clayton replied with a dejected sigh. "I need to go get those vials. I'll call Cam while I'm inside, but then I think we need to get going," Matt urged, heading back into the house. "Yeah, you're probably right," Clayton agreed, looking at the darkening sky overhead and the last evidence of light from the sun blasting a vibrant pink hue over the horizon. He climbed into the front seat and waited. This was absolutely not how he wanted this day to go. Things between himself and Camden had been going so well, but now it felt like there was a ravine between them again. And the worst part was that there was no time for them to reconcile and get their