always & forever

Part 1 - Sweet. Familiar. Delicious. Perfect.

James's POV

It was pretty simple. I was in love with her and she wasn't in love with me. That classic gut-wrenching, man-destroying, soul-sucking, logic-eating scenario.

It really wasn't supposed to happen. She was my best friend's little sister, the classic trap. Again, simple...but in reality, everything was very complicated.

I wasn't in love with her always. In fact, I don't think I ever saw anything in her that made me develop arrhythmia. Now, every time I saw her, I had heart palpitations, a flushed face, no brain, and a twisted tongue.

"What do you think, James? Should I get lemon or strawberry? What are you getting?" She turned to me and her pure eyes found mine, rendering me mute once more. Fuck my life, honestly.

"Um, I'll get Oreo." I responded with the first flavour I saw since the entire time we were supposed to be picking gelato flavours, I was standing there like a stupid idiot and stealing glances at her in between floating in fantasy.

"Oreo? Really? Maybe just get a box of cookies." She teased me gently, not putting anything behind it. "Why don't you get something you usually can't have?" She posed the question and I knew exactly what that was. Her. I couldn't have her. Not only because she didn't reciprocate my feelings, but also because it would be weird as fuck, right? It didn't feel weird, but seemed it. I'd known her since forever. We grew up all together, she was my best friend's little sister, almost as if she was my sister. Simple, right? But extremely complicated.

It all got so complicated only a week ago, right outside this specific gelato shop, actually. In fact, eight days ago, I was still free to live my life, not in constant agony over Camille. The last seven days have been absolute hell. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't concentrate on anything. All I'm doing is replaying every moment that I spent with her throughout my life and that specific second when it all changed for me. I've been over to her house every day this week and I'm pretty sure her father has caught on, but her mom thinks I'm gay since I've been technically over to hang out with Kevin, her brother.

"You're telling me you can't get lemons or strawberries everyday?" I responded to her and hoped she wouldn't notice that I've literally been staring at her perfect face for the last however many minutes. She giggled and I swear I floated when I heard that.

"I can. But lemon gelato tastes nothing like lemons. And strawberry gelato tastes like...."

You. It tastes like you, I'm sure of it. Sweet. Familiar. Delicious. Perfect.

"Tastes like shit, let's go Cam, fuck, you take forever." God damn Kevin rolled his eyes and huffed. Kevin still treated her like he did when he was twelve and she was eight.

"You're insufferable Kev, just stop talking." She lifted up her delicate little hand and didn't even look at him, but her facial expression visibly dropped and she sighed, taking a step toward the cash. "I'll get lemon and strawberry, please." Her sweet voice informed the teenager behind the counter.

"I'll try strawberry too." At my words, Camille whirled around to land her wholesome blue eyes at me, melting in a genuine smile. Literal butterflies accosted the inside of my chest. Bruh. How does a little woman do that to a big man?

"You will?" She asked incredulously. "I thought you wanted Oreo!" My God, the happiness and surprise in her voice completely bolted me to the floor.