YOU AND AVA KISSED!?
Beatrice. I can't believe this. When? What? Why did I have to hear about this from Yasmine? Beatrice.
Beatrice!
Beatrice!
Beatrice!
I can't believe you didn't tell me...
Are you okay?
How are you feeling?
I'm here if ever you want to talk.
I KNEW IT!
I KNEW AVA HAD TO LOVE YOU TOO. THERE WERE JUST HEART EYES EVERYWHERE WE LOOKED.
Beatrice, respond already.
Beatrice?
Truthfully, there's a tiny part of Beatrice that wants to throw her phone into the ocean. She specifically didn't mention the kiss to Camila while she was with her for this exact reason. Imagine if Beatrice was actually in her presence, she'd never be able to hide anything.
Even now, staring at her phone, Ava looks over, eyebrows raised in question. Without an explanation, Beatrice turns the phone towards her, the two of them seated in chairs as they wait for the wedding ceremony to begin. Ava reads quickly, and then she laughs, her hand settling over Beatrice's.
"Someone's in trouble," she whispers, leaning in close to her. "Camila wants answers, Bea. What are you going to tell her?"
Beatrice hasn't spent much time thinking about it. When she escaped without queries before, and when she realised Yasmine didn't offer any unnecessary information, she just took it for granted the kiss would remain among the three of them forever. But now Camila knows, and Ava is asking her to explain it.
For now, Beatrice glances over her shoulder, trying to gauge how much longer before the bride begins her walk. Then she says, "You caught me by surprise."
"Did I, really?" Ava counters.
"There was already so much happening," she says. "You didn't take us to the Arc. You chose for me and Yasmine to go with you to the fake location. Why?"
Here, Ava looks away, and they both know she chose them for a very specific reason. "To keep you safe," she finally says. "Yasmine didn't sign up for all of that, and I just - with you - I needed you to be away from all the action. I needed the time and space to say goodbye to you."
"I would have fought you."
"You certainly tried," Ava recalls, the two of them thinking about Beatrice's attempt to take the Crown. It wouldn't have even mattered if she succeeded or not, because it was no longer part of the plan. Beatrice just didn't know that at the time. "But I guess my kiss is all powerful, hmm? Stopped you in your tracks, huh?"
Beatrice can't say she's at the point where they can joke about it quite yet. Not when there's still so much they need to talk about. Not when they can't quite agree on what their future holds for them.
Ava must be able to read it in her expression, because her own softens with understanding. "You should tell her that you're still trying to figure out how you feel about it."
"But I'm not."
"You're not?"
Beatrice looks down at her phone, trying to put together a suitable message in her mind. She's normally very good with words, but describing her feelings when it comes to Ava gets her a bit stuck.
In the end, Beatrice ends up snapping a picture of Freddie and Angelina on the beach, hands clasped as they beam at each other and vow to love each other forever, and sends it to Camila with the caption, I attended a wedding today, can you believe it? Then, in a separate text, she sends, Camila, I don't think I can answer all your questions right now, but I do know that whatever comes in my future with Ava: it's something close to what I just witnessed. You probably won't believe me, but it all caught me surprise. Maybe I'm still trying to make sense of it, but she's the reason I'm taking this time. When I have answers, I promise you'll be the second (after Ava) to know. Be nice to Yasmine - she was probably more surprised than I was!
