Chapter 16:Under the Stars
1123 Words
Chapter 16
Cameron drove Camille home in comfortable silence.
Not the awkward kind.
The kind that felt… settled.
Like they didn’t need to fill every second with words anymore.
When they reached her apartment, he turned off the engine but didn’t move right away.
Camille looked at him.
“Do you want to stay a bit?” she asked softly.
Cameron glanced at her, then nodded. “Yeah.”
⸻
Inside, the atmosphere felt different from the night before.
Calmer.
Clearer.
More real.
Camille kicked off her heels and motioned toward the couch. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“I already am,” he said, sitting down.
She laughed lightly and joined him, tucking her legs slightly under her.
For a while, they just talked.
Simple things.
Favorite food.
Childhood stories.
Random thoughts that somehow felt important when shared with the right person.
“You’re really my boyfriend now,” Camille said at one point, almost like she was testing how it sounded out loud.
Cameron smirked slightly. “I was wondering when you’d acknowledge that.”
She nudged his arm. “I just did.”
“I like the sound of it,” he said.
She smiled, then hesitated slightly.
“So… your past?” she asked carefully. “You said you’ve had girlfriends before.”
Cameron leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful.
“I have,” he admitted.
She waited.
But he didn’t continue.
“You don’t want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
“Not tonight,” he said.
There was no tension in his voice—just a boundary.
Camille nodded.
“Okay,” she said simply.
And that was enough.
He looked at her for a second, like he appreciated that she didn’t push further.
“What about you?” he asked.
She shrugged lightly. “Nothing serious. I never really… let anyone get close.”
Cameron tilted his head slightly. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “They just didn’t feel right.”
“And I do?” he asked.
She met his eyes.
“…Yeah,” she said quietly.
Something shifted again.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
To lighten the mood, Cameron leaned forward slightly. “Did I ever tell you how I got scholarship offer from Harvard?”
Camille blinked. “You must be hell of a smart!"
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
“I love the confidence?”
“Very.”
She stared at him. “You’re actually… insanely smart.”
“I try,” he said casually.
She shook her head. “No wonder you act like you know everything.”
“I don’t know everything,” he said.
She raised a brow. “Just most things?”
“Just the important ones.”
“Oh really?” she challenged. “Like what?”
He looked at her.
“You like strawberry ice cream more than vanilla,” he said.
She crossed her arms. “That’s basic observation.”
“You pretend to be tough but you’re actually soft,” he continued.
She narrowed her eyes. “Careful.”
“And…” he leaned slightly closer, voice softer now, “you overthink everything when it comes to feelings.”
Camille froze for a second.
“…Okay, that one was unnecessary,” she muttered.
Cameron smiled.
“Am I wrong?”
She didn’t answer.
Which was answer enough.
⸻
Time passed without them noticing.
The clock hit midnight.
Neither of them mentioned it.
At some point, they ended up outside on her small balcony, the night air cool and quiet.
The sky stretched above them—dark, clear, scattered with stars.
Camille leaned against the railing, looking up.
“It’s nice out here,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” Cameron replied, standing beside her.
A quiet moment settled between them.
Peaceful.
Real.
Camille glanced at him. “What do you want after all this?”
“All this?” he asked.
“School. Life. Everything.”
Cameron looked up at the sky for a second.
“I want to graduate,” he said. “Start something of my own. Build something real. Be successful… not just for me, but for everything I worked for.”
She listened carefully.
“You will,” she said softly.
He looked at her. “You sound sure.”
“I am,” she smiled. “You’re too stubborn not to.”
He chuckled.
“What about you?” he asked.
Camille looked up at the stars again.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I used to think I had everything planned.”
“And now?”
She glanced at him.
“Now I just…” she hesitated, then smiled faintly, “want to see where this goes.”
Cameron held her gaze.
Then, slowly—
he stepped closer.
Not rushed.
Not forced.
Just… intentional.
“Camille,” he said quietly.
Her heart started racing.
“Yes?”
He reached up, brushing a small strand of hair away from her face.
She didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
And then—
he leaned in.
The kiss was soft.
Gentle.
Careful.
Nothing like the night before.
This one felt different.
Real.
Camille’s eyes closed instinctively, her heart racing wildly as everything around her faded.
For a second—
it felt like time stopped.
When they pulled away, she blinked slowly, trying to process what just happened.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly.
“…That was my first,” she admitted quietly.
Cameron froze slightly. “Your first?”
She nodded, a little shy now. “Yeah.”
"But you kissed me at the club"
He looked at her, surprised—but something softer followed.
Camille smiled.
“I was drunk." she wittily smiled.
They stood there for a moment longer, side by side, looking up at the stars again.
“Make a wish,” she said softly.
Cameron glanced at her. “You believe in that?”
“Just try.”
He sighed lightly, then looked up.
“Fine.”
A quiet moment passed.
Then Camille whispered, “What did you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because then it won’t come true.”
She rolled her eyes lightly.
“What about you?” he asked.
Camille smiled faintly, still looking at the sky.
“I just want you to make your dreams come true,” she said.
Cameron looked at her again.
Really looked at her.
“You don’t want anything for yourself?” he asked.
She turned to him.
“I already have something I didn’t expect,” she said softly.
His expression softened.
And in that quiet moment—
under the stars—
everything felt exactly where it was supposed to be.
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