I nodded. “Yeah!”
She led me by the hand down the steps and didn’t let go of it even after we sat down.
Swoon.
“Well, um, you’re gorgeous,” Cam said with the cutest giggle. I couldn’t help but notice the way her nose wrinkled as she smiled. Our knees bumped against each other on the steps, and a pleasant chill ran through my body in response.
I covered my mouth with my free hand as a blush warmed my cheeks and neck. “Oh, my God. No. You’re gorgeous.”
Cam’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe we’rebothgorgeous, then.”
Is it possible to fall in love in mere seconds?
Jesus. I needed to get a grip, ASAP.
My gaze was drawn back to the tattoo on her collarbone. “What is ‘most ardently’ from?” I asked, trying to make some conversation through my unavoidable awkwardness. I registered a few clicks of Sadie’s camera as I traced the letters on her flesh with my pointer finger. “Shit. Is it okay for me to touch here? I’m sorry.” My face was surely beet red by now. I hoped Sadie could edit it out if it was too obvious.
Cam giggled and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear with her free hand. “You can touch me, Bella. But we’re going to have a major problem if you’ve never readPride & Prejudice.Please tell me you have atleastseen the movie—or better yet, the BBC miniseries?”
Ah.I knew the two words seemed familiar. “Admittedly, I have never read the book, but I am a fan of the movie with Kiera Knightly.”
Cam rolled her eyes, but it was in an endearing kind of way that made my heart do a somersault. “The BBC version is superior. In my opinion, of course. I’m a lesbian, but I would fully leave women in the rearview for Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy.”
Oh, my God. She’s just the cutest.“He is a good one. Maybe youcan show me sometime.”
I regretted my boldness once the words escaped my lips, but Cam’s reaction set me at ease immediately. She leaned in and touched her forehead to my own. “I’d like that, Bella. Just know I’m going to be obnoxious about it the entire time we watch it, and I’m also going to require an unhealthy amount of chocolate for this date.”
For a moment, I got lost in her. In those few seconds of time where her forehead was pressed against my own. It felt more intimate than many moments in my life, and I wondered how such a simple touch could stand out to me in such a magical way.
“You two are just the cutest!” Sadie squealed. “Come on down here. I want to show you these shots.”
Cam stood up first but didn’t let go of my hand. She waited for me to stand and then led me down the steps to where Sadie stood beaming down at her camera. Our hands only fell apart as we naturally stood on either side of Sadie to look at what she’d captured.
“Look!” Sadie said. She scrolled through several shots, beginning when we first turned around and met each other on the porch and ending with the most adorable picture of Cam and I pressing our foreheads together, hands clasped, as we laughed. “Let’s make our way down to the pond and see what we capture along the way.”
“Awesome,” Cam agreed.
We began walking away from the mansion and in the direction of the pond. The light in the sky was warm as the sun started to descend below the leaves and branches of the nearby trees. As we walked, Sadie and Cam made small talk, but I remained quiet as I took in the beautiful scenery all around me. Eventually, the terrain became more hilly, and in the distance I could spot the sizable pond. The water glittered under the sun like a giant crystal. For a moment, I simply stared and admired it.
“I just had the best idea,” Cam said enthusiastically, bringing me out of my temporary daze.
Sadie looked at Cam with a silent question in her eyes. “What’s that?”
Cam pointed at a very sizable hill up ahead of us. “What if we rolled down the hill together?”
Sadie’s face lit up. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes.” She turned to me with a wild expression in her light brown eyes. “Only if you’re comfortable with that, Bella?”
I hadn’t done anything like that since I was a child, but I found myself nodding. If Cam wanted to do that, I was down. “But Cam—your skirt?”
Cam shrugged nonchalantly. “If it rides up, I trust Sadie can crop a photo.” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully and grabbed my hand once more. “Come on, we’re losing daylight!”
CHAPTER 06: CAM
My heart was a jackhammer inside of my chest, almost as though it was trying to escape the confinement of my own body, and I didn’t mind the sensation one bit. Bella and I skipped hand in hand up the hill, and I was all smiles because I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun.
Something told me that Bella wasn’t used to acting so silly, and that made my idea even greater. There’s nothing better than seeing someone outside of their comfort zone for the first time. I’ve noticed in the past that’s when most people’s true colors shine through, and I already liked Bella, but I wanted a deeper look. Plus, I really,reallywanted to roll around in the grass with her.
At the top of the hill, I released my hold on Bella’s hand and faced her head on. “Okay. How should we do this? Do you want me to start out on top, or you?” I resisted the urge to wink.
