Only On Camera | Paige Bueckers GirlxGirl

8

Camilla stepped back quickly, her heart racing as she processed Paige's words. The tension between them was palpable, but anger still simmered beneath the surface.

"You need to leave," Camilla said firmly, though her voice wavered slightly. "This isn't just some game, Paige. You can't just show up here and try to charm your way out of everything."

Paige's confident demeanor faltered for a moment. "I'm not trying to charm my way out of anything. I'm trying to fix things."

"Fix things?" Camilla scoffed. "You let your best friend disrespect me, and then you sided with her. There's nothing to fix."

"I didn't side with her!" Paige protested. "I was trying to de-escalate the situation."

"By sending me away?" Camilla crossed her arms. "That's not de-escalation, that's choosing sides."

Paige ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "What was I supposed to do? Let you two fight it out in the middle of the bar?"

"You were supposed to stand up for me!" Camilla's voice rose. "If this relationship is supposed to be convincing, you can't just let people treat me like I'm nothing but a publicity stunt."

The words hung heavy in the air between them. Paige's expression softened as she realized the true source of Camilla's hurt.

"You're right," she said quietly. "I messed up. I should have defended you."

"Yeah, you should have." Camilla's anger was subsiding, but the hurt remained. "This whole thing... it's more complicated than I thought it would be."

Paige took a tentative step forward. "I know. And I'm sorry for making it harder. But Camilla... this isn't just about the PR anymore, is it?"

Before Camilla could respond, her phone buzzed. It was a notification from Twitter - someone had leaked footage of their argument with Azzi at the bar. The comments were already flooding in, with people taking sides and speculating about trouble in paradise.

"Great," Camilla muttered, showing Paige the post. "Now everyone thinks we're falling apart."

Paige read through some of the comments, her expression growing more concerned. "We need to address this."

Just then, Camilla's phone lit up with another call - this time from Ayanna.

"Ladies, we have a situation," Ayanna said without preamble. "And potentially, an opportunity."

"What kind of opportunity?" Camilla asked warily, putting the phone on speaker.

"ComplexCon is happening in Las Vegas next weekend. It's the biggest entertainment and culture convention of the year - celebrities, athletes, influencers, the works. We can turn this PR nightmare around if we play it right."

Paige perked up. "What are you thinking?"

"You two make a grand appearance. Show everyone that not only are you still together, but you're stronger than ever." Ayanna paused for effect. "And Paige, it's perfect timing with Camilla's birthday coming up. The press would eat up a public declaration of love."

Camilla's eyes widened. "Ayanna, no—"

"Actually," Paige interrupted, a determined look crossing her face, "I have an idea. Something big. Something that'll have everyone talking."

"Care to share with the class?" Camilla asked dryly.

Paige shook her head, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "You'll have to wait and see. But trust me, it'll be worth it."

"That's exactly what I want to hear," Ayanna said approvingly. "ComplexCon is the perfect stage. The media will be all over it."

After hanging up, Paige turned to Camilla. "Come to dinner with me tonight. We need to talk about everything - properly this time."

Camilla hesitated. "I don't know..."

"Please?" Paige's expression was earnest. "No cameras, no PR. Just us."

Something in Paige's voice made Camilla's resolve waver. "Fine. But I'm driving myself."

"Deal." Paige smiled - her real smile, not the one she used for the cameras.

As Paige left, Camilla's phone buzzed with texts from Angel:

*Saw the video. U okay? Need backup? 👊🏽*

*Also heard ur going to ComplexCon. Girl, u better spill the tea! 👀*

Camilla smiled despite herself.

*Video drama will blow over. But ComplexCon... might need that backup after all 😅*

She glanced at her calendar, her birthday circled in red. Whatever Paige was planning, it was either going to fix everything or blow up spectacularly in their faces. The thought of being surprised in front of thousands of people and countless cameras made her stomach churn.

Her phone pinged with dinner details from Paige, along with a message that made her heart skip:

*Wear something nice. Time to stop pretending we're just pretending.*

As Camilla got ready, she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. Between the upcoming convention and whatever grand gesture Paige was plotting, they were crossing a line that they couldn't uncross.

The question was: were they ready for what waited on the other side?

Later that evening, as she drove to meet Paige, Camilla's mind wandered to ComplexCon. The convention center would be packed with industry players, social media influencers, and entertainment journalists - all eager for the next big story. Whatever Paige had planned would definitely give them one.

Her phone lit up with another message from Ayanna:

*E! News already confirming coverage for ComplexCon. Whatever Paige is planning, make it count. We need this.*

Camilla took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. This was supposed to be a fake relationship - a carefully orchestrated PR strategy. So why did it suddenly feel so real? And why did the thought of Paige's surprise make her heart race with something that felt dangerously like hope?

She pulled into the restaurant parking lot, caught between anticipation and anxiety. Tonight's dinner wasn't just about clearing the air anymore. It was about deciding what they really were to each other, and what they were willing to risk to find out.