Keep Me Where The Light Is (Camren)

Ch 32 - Epilogue Pt 2

To Listen To: 'Thinkin' Bout You', by Ariana Grande

//

Silhouetted by the setting sun; there's a woman standing waist deep in the wading pool, staring out into the ocean.

She's wearing a simple, black bikini, and she has her dark hair balled up in her fists atop her head. Several loose strands trace a path down her back, their ends pooling just on the surface of the rippling water.

I slowly exhale the breath I was holding in, and my pulse resumes its incessant pounding.

So I breathe in deeply, just as she turns around to face me.

And my heart, it stops again-- and I prepare to exhale.

And I whisper, "...Camila?"

I watch her eyes round out in surprise, and she turns her body around abruptly-- but she somehow manages to lose her balance, and splashes down into the water, causing her to sputter since her mouth is already halfway open.

I immediately let my suitcase go, and I run up to the edge of the wading pool, and kneel by it. Obviously I know Camila's safe, but the reflex was still there to make sure she's alright.

"A-are you okay?" I ask tentatively, as Camila spits some water out of her mouth.

Her skin is sun-kissed, but her face is flushed red. She runs both hands through her hair, and she kinda peers up at me with this sullen, embarrassed expression.

She opens her mouth to speak, and when our eyes meet, we both burst out into laughter.

Some things never change.

"H-hey, Lauren. I wasn't, um, expecting to see you here..."

When she says my name, I feel my chest tighten up.

Camila starts wading towards me, and it's then that I notice how the water's beading down her glistening body, the closer she gets.

So I get up abruptly, and grab the towel sitting on one of the oversized loungers.

I hear her pull herself out, and when I turn around, Camila's standing on the deck in front of me, dripping wet in her black bikini. I avert my eyes politely, and hand her the towel.

I feel her take it, and when I see from my peripheral vision that it's safe to look, I turn to face her.

I see her glance over at my suitcase, and she asks, "Um, w-what're you...?"

My thoughts catch up to what she's implying, and when I turn towards the bungalow, I realize that it's one of those joint rooms-- two separate spaces, sharing the same deck, same pool, probably same bathroom, even.

I watch her expression reach the same conclusion I just made, and we both kind of nod awkwardly in realization.

RIiight, of course.

Great.

Yup.

I puff my cheeks out slightly, and start gesturing my thumb over at my suitcase. "I, um-- I'm gonna...Y'know--"

"Yeah-- go-- ahead, I mean...uh..."

I turn around completely this time, scrunching my face and internally screaming. I can feel her eyes on me as I scramble over to my suitcase, and I grab the handle with sweaty palms.

When I turn back around, she looks up at me, and blinks. She almost looks flustered, I think.

Wait-- was she checking my ass out...?