Camille: “Hey,” I said when I saw Lucia behind the door. She had a deep frown on her face and wouldn’t look at me, as if the very idea of seeing my face would send her over the edge. “My mom is here,” I said curtly. I moved away when she didn’t respond. I wished we hadn’t had that big fight just before my mom came around. I wished Lucia still had ward duty. I wished she would just suck it up and act cool knowing my mom was here. I wasn’t ready to answer my mom’s questions when she got curious. Daniel gave me a questioning look as I returned to the dining room. He rubbed my hand when I sat down beside him, assuring me that everything was okay. I wished I could believe him and stop fidgeting. My actions were only going to make my mom suspicious. Lucia came in about a minute later. The smile, or rather the grimace on her face made her seem like she had been punched and forced to smile through the pain. There was an awkward silence when she walked to the dining room and s
Camille: Hearing him say that wasn’t sweet. It was… quite sad. I admitted I had been selfish in the past because I never saw things from his point of view. It had always been about my feelings; me being disgusted with myself and angry at him for tricking me into sleeping with him. There was always an argument, with me storming off afterwards. Before now, I hadn’t tried to imagine how all of that made him feel. How could the man who was supposed to be my boyfriend be thanking me for not bashing him and regretting my actions after sleeping with him? That was such a low bar. “Hey, hey,” he said when he noticed my face had fallen. He placed his both hands on my shoulders and peered into them with worry. “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. You had every right to react the way you did in the past, babe. I’m just happy you trust me now.” “Ok,” I said into his chest with a muffled voice. “Cami…,” I jumped when I heard my mother call my name. Her voice sounded so c
Camille: I swallowed and shut my eyes involuntarily. It was crazy how easily he turned me on. Daniel’s eyes went a step further from caressing the length of hands, to my shoulders and neck, then down to my chest. This time, his fingers tapped lightly, feathery on my skin. It almost felt like a spa session. From my chest, his hand slid down till it was navel level. He hesitated there, as though asking permission. I knew consent was really important, but sometimes I wondered why he bothered. My body always wanted him. I bucked my butt backward, hitting him. He had to know that was a yes. He cupped my butt with his free hand, taking me by surprise because I didn’t even realize his other hand had been there. I gasped and reflexively jerked forward, but his uncertain hand held me taut against him. “Easy there, girlfriend,” he whispered in my ear. His deep sultry voice sent a ripple down my body. Like that wasn’t enough, he lightly bit my earlobe before spreading kis
Camille: I frowned and shook my head, deciding not to let such uneventful thoughts consume me. When we got to that bridge, we’d cross it. I decided to go grocery shopping just so I could get some foodstuffs to prepare my mom a fresh meal. I was sure she’d missed my cooking. Before long, we were home and with the way my mom was smiling even when she was on her own, I suspected she was already planning our wedding in her head. It was a funny sight, but I didn’t say anything to mock or interrupt her. I enjoyed seeing my mom happy. The door was locked when we got to the apartment. My heart sank when I realized Lucia had simply left because she knew my mom was coming. I couldn’t blame her. Not everyone could keep up appearances. But it hurt nonetheless. At least on the bright side, I wouldn’t have to walk on eggshells on my mom’s first day here. Nothing flew past her, and I wasn’t ready to answer uncomfortable questions yet. Daniel took my mom’s luggage into his room that h
Camille: I never knew I would break down when I saw my mom. Hugging her made me realize just how much I’d missed her. I felt bad for not having made an effort in the past to see her sooner. “Cami,” she said after our hug, holding me at arms length and appraising me with a huge smile on her face. “You look good.” I chuckled, feeling giddy all of a sudden. I couldn’t believe my mother was here in the flesh. “You too, mom. I’ve missed you so much,” I squealed as I hugged her again. “How’s dad?” “The restaurant is driving him insane but he won’t step back. I’m sure if he were to choose he’ll take that place over me,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Oh mom, be serious,” I laughed. I knew how much my father valued and loved the restaurant he had built from scratch. Most of my life had been shaped from it. When I was newly adopted, learning to cook with him was one of the only things that made me relax enough to even talk to anyone. Maybe that was why I enjoyed cooking so much even no
Camille: I had won, so why did I have such a heavy, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach? After Lucia left, I remained standing next to a silent Daniel, my eyes still glued to the door and my mind replaying her last words over and over again. His hand that was clasped around mine now felt too clammy and cold for some reason. I had won, yet I felt a hovering shame over me. Right then, I wished Daniel would start to chuckle and maybe tell me how he was sure his sister had lost it. I wished he would say something that would assuage this damning feeling I felt within me. It was soaking up all the courage I had and I didn’t like that one bit. “What was she talking about?” I asked Daniel as I stylishly pulled my hand away from his. He didn’t let me pull back my hand. “Cam, look at me…” he started to say, using his other hand to push my chin away from the door and toward him. I shook my head. If he had something concrete to say, it didn’t matter if I was loo