Love in the Fields

4

One week had drifted by since Camila's day at the river with Lauren and her friends, and in that time, Camila had started to settle into her new routine. Early mornings no longer felt as brutal, her muscles slowly acclimating to the daily work that left her both exhausted and oddly satisfied. The rhythm of her days was somehow soothing: a cycle of work, warmth, and late afternoons with Lauren, whose presence was becoming a fixture she looked forward to more than she wanted to admit. It was the way Lauren's laugh echoed over the fields, her eyes sparking bright green in the sunlight—little details that stuck with Camila long after each day ended.

Today, they were tasked with mending the fence at the edge of the property, a stretch that seemed to go on forever. The air was warm, filled with the lazy scent of sun-baked earth and wildflowers. The sky above was a boundless, cloudless blue, and Camila found herself wondering if it always looked this open in the countryside or if she'd only now started to notice.

Lauren was focused, crouched by the fence with a toolbox by her side, hammering nails with practiced precision. Camila tried to concentrate on her own part of the work but found herself watching Lauren instead, admiring the way she handled the tools with quiet confidence.

"See something interesting?" Lauren's voice jolted her back to reality, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth as she caught Camila staring.

Camila felt heat rush to her cheeks. "Just... wondering if you actually know what you're doing with that hammer."

Lauren snorted. "Please, city girl. I could do this in my sleep." She twirled the hammer with an exaggerated flourish, then went right back to work, her smirk lingering.

Camila rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide a smile as she picked up her own plank of wood, sneaking glances at Lauren as she worked. There was something infuriatingly effortless about her, as if she'd been born with the knowledge of how to build fences and lead horses, her hands moving with an easy confidence that made everything she did look natural.

"Alright, hold this for me?" Lauren said, handing Camila a nail as she placed a steadying hand on Camila's shoulder for balance. The touch was brief, but Camila's heart gave a surprising little lurch, and she hoped her face wasn't betraying her.

Camila steadied the nail, feeling unexpectedly clumsy with Lauren's hand so close to her own. "Uh, you sure you trust me with this? I'd hate for your precious fence to fall apart because of me."

Lauren looked up, grinning. "Trust you? I'm putting my entire property on the line here. This is serious business, Camila."

Camila scoffed, laughing a little despite herself. "Just don't blame me if it all comes crashing down."

The two of them fell into easy conversation as they worked, the hours slipping by in a mix of jokes, teasing, and the kind of comfortable silences that felt like their own form of communication. By the time they finished, the sun was dipping lower, casting a warm glow across the fields. They leaned against the finished fence, catching their breath, watching as the shadows lengthened over the land.

"So," Lauren said after a moment, her gaze still on the fields, "farm life. How's it treating you? Still think you'll survive out here?"

Camila hesitated, feeling a strange sense of vulnerability. "Honestly? It's... not as bad as I thought it would be." She glanced at Lauren, her voice softening. "You make it... kind of bearable."

Lauren's lips curved into a gentle smile, her eyes catching Camila's in a way that made the air feel just a little thicker. "Bearable, huh? That's a high compliment coming from you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head," Camila replied, looking away with a grin, though she couldn't quite hide the slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

They stood in silence for a moment, the air heavy with things unsaid. Camila could feel Lauren's gaze on her, her pulse quickening with an unfamiliar thrill. She chanced a glance at Lauren, and for a fleeting moment, their eyes met—something unspoken passing between them, subtle but unmistakable.

Lauren cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "So... dinner? My mom's making her famous roast, and she keeps asking if you're coming. Think she wants to make sure you're not wasting away on frozen pizza or something."

Camila chuckled. "Does she know I'm already a fan?"

"Oh, she knows," Lauren said, her smile turning playful. "But I think she's hoping a few more meals will convince you to stick around for good."

Camila felt a flutter in her stomach, and she tried to play it off with a casual shrug. "Well... I guess I could be persuaded to stay a while."

Lauren's expression softened, her gaze lingering just a second longer than usual. "Good," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'd hate to see you go."

The words seemed to settle in the air between them, weighty and full of meaning. Camila felt a strange warmth unfurl in her chest, a pull she couldn't quite explain. She looked away, trying to ignore the quickening of her pulse as she reached down to grab the toolbox, focusing on anything but the magnetic energy drawing her toward Lauren.

Lauren broke the moment with a grin. "How about a race back to the house? Think you can keep up?"

Camila raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Oh, you're on." Without warning, Lauren took off, sprinting toward the farmhouse with a laugh, and Camila bolted after her, laughing as she ran, the weight of their earlier exchange melting away in the lighthearted chase.

They collapsed onto the grass by the porch, breathless and grinning, their laughter echoing through the quiet evening. Camila lay back, gazing up at the sky, a deep purple as the stars began to peek through. The warmth of the day lingered in the air, and as Lauren stretched out beside her, their shoulders touched, sending an unexpected tingle down Camila's arm.

Lauren turned her head, a lazy smile curving her lips. "You're not half-bad, you know. For a city girl."

Camila rolled her eyes, smirking. "Gee, thanks. I'll take that as the highest of compliments."

They lay there in silence, both gazing up at the stars, the quiet between them thick with an undercurrent of something new, something tentative. Camila's heart beat a little faster, and for a fleeting moment, she thought about reaching out, just brushing her hand against Lauren's. But she hesitated, her pulse racing as she fought the urge.

Lauren's voice broke the silence, soft and almost contemplative. "Do you ever... think you'd stay out here? Like, for real?"

Camila turned to look at her, surprised by the question. "I don't know... I guess I never really thought about it. My life's always been in the city, you know?"

Lauren nodded, her gaze flickering over Camila's face. "Yeah, I get that. But... I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if people find things out here that they didn't know they were looking for."

Camila felt her cheeks flush, her heart pounding as the words sank in. She glanced back up at the stars, her thoughts a tangled mess. "Maybe... maybe I have," she murmured, almost to herself.

They lay in silence, both of them seemingly lost in their own thoughts. And yet, in the quiet of that summer night, with only the stars bearing witness, Camila felt something settle within her—a feeling as boundless and unfamiliar as the countryside, as certain and undeniable as the warmth between her and Lauren.

And as the night deepened around them, she wondered if maybe—just maybe—she wasn't the only one feeling it.