Chapter Twenty Three

                                    

                                          
Maddie
"Say, happy birthday mommy." 
I hear Cam's voice echo into my ears. I'm too tired to get up though, so I keep my eyes shut. "Tell her to wake up!" He laughs, and I can tell he already knows that I'm faking. 
Damn.
Blinking my eyes open, they settle upon a shirtless Cameron. He's carrying a plate of breakfast on a tray, a little vase with flowers and a glass of orange juice placed perfectly next to it. Izzy is holding onto his leg, already dressed and ready for the day.
Am I dreaming?
"Oh, wow. Thank you." I smile tiredly and slowly sit up, gratefully accepting the tray when he passes it over to me. 
"How does it feel to be twenty-four?" He asks. 
"Not as bad as twenty-five probably feels," I tease, dodging his hand when he tries to playfully swat me. "I'm kidding. Sorry. Turning twenty-four feels...good," I admit. "It's already the best birthday I've had in a long time."
Izzy plops down onto the floor and runs her hands over the texture of the rug, becoming fascinated by it. 
"Well, I hope so," he tells me. "Are you excited for tonight?"
A joking smile plastered to his face, I roll my eyes and fight the urge to swat him back. "No," I groan. "My parents under the same roof? A recipe for disaster."
"Oh, come on," he reassures me as I take a bite of eggs. "It won't be that bad. My Dad is coming too, so he should be able to distract them. Everyone is coming to celebrate your birthday, baby. It's your day. They aren't going to make it about themselves."
"You don't know them since they officially divorced. We celebrate every holiday separately now. The first thanksgiving we spent together after the split resulted in-"
"Mashed potatoes flying across the room?" He finishes, and I quickly nod my head, utterly confused until he adds, "Ethan told me."
"It's just going to be stressful. That's all. And what did your dad say about Izzy? Does he even know he has a grandchild? He's probably just as pissed at me as you were."
All of my fears tumble out of my mouth at once, my stomach twisting up into a large ball before Cam finally sits down next to me and takes my hand. Just the mere contact from him helps me calm down. 
"Everything is going to be fine," he says gently. "Yes, my Dad knows. He wasn't the happiest when he found out, but he loves you, Maddie. He wants to come to celebrate your birthday tonight, so he couldn't be that mad, right?"
"He just wants to meet Izzy," I say. "He probably isn't coming for me."
Giving my hand another squeeze, he dips his head down to catch my gaze again. "Everything is going to be fine." 
***
Seven hours later I'm sitting in the middle of one of my favorite Mexican restaurants as my parents bicker back and forth about whether or not salsa or guacamole is the best dip for chips. My mom swears it's salsa, but my dad will die on his own hill that its guacamole. 
His new girlfriend is here. I barely know her. I hardly hang out with my Dad anymore since he had the affair on my Mom, especially since he seemed to move on that quickly with someone else. Two months after the divorce was finalized he wanted to introduce me to Susan, a rich lawyer from Chicago who was only seven years older than me.
Blonde hair and blue eyes, she looks exactly like the bimbo I found with him at the club. I didn't think my dad had a type, but I'm starting to think otherwise. Maybe that's why he cheated on my mom. Ethan and I got the blonde hair from him, not my mom, who's a brunette.
On a more positive note, Cameron's dad has been captivated by Izzy the entire night, and he didn't seem mad at all after he saw her. He's been talking to me throughout dinner, and he even brought me a birthday gift. I'm just happy Cam was at least right about one thing. 
"You've always been this stubborn." My mom wags a finger into my father's face, causing me to suppress a groan as Susan sits there speechless. "You're unbelievable!"
Cam squeezes onto my knee underneath the table and leans over to whisper into my ear, "I'm sorry I thought there was ever a chance they could be civil. Don't worry, I'll help." Then he clears his throat to capture the attention of everyone. "Richard, can I talk to you for a second in private?" He asks.
What the hell does he have to talk to my dad about?
Is he trying to help the feud between him and my mother? That's never going to happen, but he can try to. 
My dad nods and gets up to follow him down the hallway towards the bathroom just before my mom breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank god," she mutters. 
I watch as Susan grabs her phone to try and act busy even though I know it's just because she's feeling awkward as hell right now, and she should. I wish she hadn't come at all if she wasn't even going to speak one word to me. 
"Maddie, let's get you a shot." Maya waves down the waiter when she sees him, but I quickly shake my head.
"No, I can't. I have Iz."
"Are you going to lie to my face and tell me that Cameron isn't sleeping there tonight? You drove together here, correct?"
Feeling my cheeks turn redder than normal, I have nothing to say as she orders the shot and Ethan lets out a laugh. Izzy is with Cam's dad at the other end of the table perfectly content as she watches everyone interact, seeming to not have a care in the world. 
After another five minutes or so Cameron and my Dad return to the table. My Dad smiles at me, but it's a different kind of smile. He almost looks...emotional?
"Dad, are you okay?" I ask and then glare at Cameron. "What the hell did you guys talk about?"
It must not have been that bad though because Cameron is smiling from ear to ear too. He leans over and kisses me in front of everyone, in front of both of our families before he pulls away and says, "All that you need to focus on is that they've stopped arguing, right?"
Being this close to Cameron is dangerous. I smell the freshness of his cologne as I stare at his lips which are already wet. I just know that they're going to bring me so much pleasure tonight. 
It also doesn't help that he dressed up in a dress shirt and a tie.
I wonder if he'd tie me up with it...
"Mmm..." he leans in to kiss me again, lingering there for half a beat too long before he slightly pulls away. He clearly can read my mind. "Later, baby. I can't wait." 
"I'm just saying you shouldn't eat like that," my dad hisses at my mom, interrupting the moment between Cam and me. "You sound like a goddamn chipmunk."
You can almost hear the annoyance from everyone sitting at the table. 
"Oh my god." Ethan heaves out a frustrated sigh as he tries to get the attention of our waiter. "We need the check please!"