Chapter 8: Angelic
256 Words
He’s reading. I’m writing an essay. We both brought out, seemingly at the same time, pillows and blankets to sit with on our separate balconies. It’s peaceful, companionable but also with a level of comforting aloneness.
I finish my last body paragraph: "What's your full name?"
He doesn’t even look up but turns his page blithely. "You'll laugh."
"I promise I won't."
"Your promises mean nothing to me," He smirks up at me, a friendly way.
"Cameron? Camden? Camroy? Cambridge"
"Those aren't names. Think about my brother's name."
"Cam… I’m going to start calling you Cambridge if you don’t tell me."
"Cambriel. It's Cambriel De Luca."
My mouth gapes a little bit, and then I laugh. Cam's expression is pained.
"You're bringing me back to elementary school, Katherine."
"No, no, it's a good name.... fitting!"
"How on earth is it fitting?" He asks, arching an eyebrow and looking at me in bemusement.
"You're kind of..." I trail off when I realize how silly it is about to sound. "Angelic?"
"Oh am I?"
"Are you?" I repeat, laughing.
"Heavenly? Clearly not."
“Where did it come from, exactly?”
“My parents were dumb kids when they had me, and maybe they were influenced by the slight angelic resonance, but I’m not saying anything…”
I go back to my essay, and he goes back to his book, but as he turns to the next page, I catch him smiling, widely.
- Writer
