Chapter 28

Part III - THE CHOICE

Sunlight streamed in through the cracked blinds, washing Cammie's face in a splash of light. As she blinked into consciousness, awareness of the body pressed against her back spread through her. Virgo's body was warm, comforting; it felt as if their skin was fused together into one entity. It took a moment for Cammie's brain to put all of the pieces of puzzle together of the night before, but slowly her memory came back to her and worked out the image.

A light blush covered her cheeks when she realized they had fallen asleep together, their shirtless bodies sharing much more than warmth. Virgo's tattooed arms were wrapped around Cammie, as if this might be the last time she would hold her. Their chests expanded and feel in unison, as if they were breathing from one heart. Cammie sighed contentedly, sinking further into her Soulmate's arms.

What a euphoric feeling, she mused, to be safe inside your lovers arms, to feel their delicate skin warming your own, to feel as though nothing in this world could be more sweet. Appreciation swelled through Cammie's chest, enveloping her like the ocean consumed the beach at high hide, completing consumed; Cammie never knew this feeling of total fulfillment, as though every need she could ever have was met in this moment by this one person. On this morning, Cammie began to this bizarre concept of a Soulmate, of what it meant to be consumed by another person. Briefly, she thought back to her breakup with Adam, how she had naively fought for him, trying desperately and willing them to work. But it never could, and that's what he was trying to explain to her: it could never work, not when another person could make her feel like this.

Cammie turned, carefully maneuvering herself to face Virgo, but not wake her. As her eyes fell upon the girl, it felt like having her Dream all over again. Cammie's eyes adjusted to the daylight now pouring into her eyes and they did, the world came into focus. Before her was that same face she once gazed upon months ago in a dream, whose nose was peppered with freckles and framed with thick eyebrows; whose long, waving brown hair fell all around her face; whose prominent small nose had a silver ring pierced through it.

The image of Virgo came into her head just like the Dream had: slowly, then all at once.

Now the girl, who for months made her appearance in Cammie's dreams, skirting the edges of her consciousness every day was sleeping next to her, had kissed her yesterday, had told Cammie that she loved her.

Cammie bit her lip, a huge smile spreading to the edges of her cheeks.

Virgo's body rose and fell with the lightness of her breaths; she looked so perfect, so beautiful, so peaceful. How innocent and peaceful Virgo looked, Cammie thought. In her sleep, Virgo appeared so much younger, much more vulnerable. With a gentle hand, Cammie's ran her knuckles along Virgo's cheek, studying her face. How much trust had the two of them conjured, to fall asleep next to each other?

Virgo stirred, her eyes fluttering open. The sunlight danced on her iris, flecking them with gold.

"Wow," Cammie breathed. "Your eyes are incredible."

"J'aime me réveiller près de toi," Virgo mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"What did you say?"

"'I love waking up next to you'."

Cammie's face colored.

"You blush so much," Virgo laughed, her eyes still heavy. Her hand gently came to Cammie's cheek and brushed her red cheeks.

Cammie buried her face in her pillow and mumbled into the pillow. "I know. I don't know why you make me blush so much."

"It's cute."

"It's not," Cammie said, turning to face her tormentor, twisting her face into an unconvincing frown. Virgo laughed and kissed her, the frown disappearing instantly.

"I love being able to kiss you. It was so difficult before," Virgo said as she pulled away. Cammie continued to blush, fighting a losing battle. "You're beautiful."

"Stop," Cammie said, drawing out the O.

"You don't like when I call you beautiful?" Virgo teased, unconvinced by Cammie's request.

"I do," Cammie mumbled, averting her eyes.

"What's that?"

"I do," Cammie said more forcefully, still unable to look Virgo in the eye, baffled at her own shyness.

"Good, because I want to tell you every day, jusqu'à mon dernier soupir."

Their eyes met, Virgo's steady and strong, Cammie's hesitant yet curious.

"T'es comme un rêve," Virgo said softly.

Cammie dared to let her eyes wander over Virgo's body in the daylight, to study Virgo as Virgo was studying. Her own body was tucked safely under the blankets. In the light of day, Cammie became shy and self-conscious, hiding under the veil of the sheets, while Virgo lay unashamed before her.

"Your tattoos are so beautiful," Cammie said, mostly to distract from and mask her own timidity. It also seemed that each time she looked at Virgo's skin, she discovered a new piece she hadn't noticed before.

"I'm glad you like them so much. I always wondered if my Soulmate would like tattoos."

"Don't worry, I love them. I'm living vicariously through you."

"Vicariously?"

"It means, like, I get satisfaction from your tattoos, because I don't have many."

"Well, you don't have to live," Virgo paused and formed the new word in her mouth. "Vicariously through me. You can get more."

"And be disowned by my mother?" Cammie joked. "If she even sees the one I have she'll kill me."

"Your tattoo is beautiful though."

Cammie hesitated a moment, her insecurity chaining her body down. But after a reassuring look from Virgo, decided to draw back the sheets, exposing her chest, her side. Virgo reached out a hand and traced her fingers along the lines of the hummingbird and the poppy. A shiver ran up Cammie's spine and she found her heart pounding in her chest once again. It was so loud, Cammie wondered if Virgo could heart it trying to escape through her ribs.

After a moment, Virgo stopped tracing Cammie's tattoo and instead covered it with her palm. The thumping of Cammie's heart pulsed through her palm.

"Are you nervous?" Virgo asked.

"Yes."

Virgo grasped Cammie's own hand and pressed it against her chest. Cammie felt the rapid beat of Virgo's heart, racing almost as much as her own.

"Me too."

Cammie leaned into Virgo, the two of them collapsing into each other. Virgo wrapped her arms around Cammie and she rested her head on Virgo's chest. Cammie's ear was pressed against Virgo's chest, right above her heart, and listened as her heartbeat slowed to a steady pace, the warmth radiating from her skin. Virgo ran her fingers through Cammie's hair, lulling her back into a light slumber of bliss.

"You know, I've dreamed of this moment for years. I can't believe it's finally here." Virgo planted a kiss on the crown of Cammie's head. Cammie responded by pressing a light kiss to Virgo's heart.

"Honestly, I never imagined my future with my Soulmate. It never crossed my mind. Then I met you and suddenly it was all I could think about. And when I woke this morning, I saw forever."

Virgo's throat constricted, moved to tears of joy by Cammie's declaration.

"Je t'aime," Virgo murmured.

Cammie's eyes slid shut, trying to freeze this moment and stretch it into eternity.

This perfect morning the girls shared was suddenly shattered when Savannah burst into the room without knocking, a terribly bad habit she had acquired in her childhood and never learned to break, even though it had gotten her into trouble more times than she cared to admit.

"Hey, Cam." Savannah stopped short when she realized that Cammie was not alone in her room. Cammie and Virgo whipped their heads around to face her. Cammie's eyes were wide with the shock of embarrassment; Virgo's were wide with surprise; and Savannah's were wide with disbelief. "Oh shit. Jesus, I'm sorry!" Savannah was covering her eyes and backing out of the room just as quickly as she walked in, slamming the door behind her.

Cammie scrambled out of bed, hoping that the blankets had been piled high enough to obscure any view Savannah would have of the two of them. Quickly plucking their discarded shirts from the floor, Cammie tossed Virgo her shirt and sloppily pulled hers over her head. She yanked open the door and called to Savannah.

"Savannah, it's okay! We're not—we weren't doing anything."

Savannah emerged from her bedroom, looking, what Cammie believed was the first time in her life, embarrassed.

"Cam, I'm so sorry I didn't know you. . ." Savannah cocked her head to the side, deciding how to describe what she had seen. "Brought someone home?"

Cammie cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Yeah, um, not for. . . that. It wasn't like that."

Virgo appeared from behind Cammie and waved to Savannah.

"Virgo?" Savannah asked incredulous.

Savannah registered two things in that moment: one, Virgo was the girl in Cammie's bed and two, Virgo was wearing Cammie's shirt, which meant she hadn't brought a change of clothes. Savannah eyes widened.

"Nothing happened!" Cammie postulated, reading Savannah's mind.

"Um, something happened. What the fuck? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It just happened yesterday," Cammie said, bashful.

"Yesterday?!" Savannah shameless pushed her way into the room and made herself comfortable on Cammie's bed. "Okay, tell me everything."

"Savannah!"

"You guys weren't having sex, right? What's the big deal?"

Cammie turned beet red while Virgo laughed at Savannah's complete lack of tact.

"Get out!" Cammie demanded.

"No way! Tell me what happened."

"No! Not anymore, get out!"

Savannah laughed again and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts and stopped at Jess.

"What are you doing?" Cammie asked.

Savannah pressed the button to FaceTime Cammie's sister. The familiar ringtone of FaceTime filled the quiet space.

"Who are you calling?" Cammie demanded, marching toward Savannah.

"Nobody."

Cammie dove for the phone. The two girls wrestled for control when Jess answered the phone. The scene was in a complete disarray when Jess' phone connected.

"Hello?" Jess asked, the screen flying widly around the room. "I'm getting motion sickness, Savannah."

"Hi Jess!" Savannah called.

"Hang up the phone!" Cammie screamed.

"What is going on?" Jess asked.

Savannah managed to wrestle control of the phone long enough to throw Cammie off and point the camera at her face. "Guess who spent the night with Cammie?"

"Savannah! I'm going to kill you!"

"I have no idea," Jess answered.

Savannah flipped the camera and aimed it at Virgo like a loaded weapon. Virgo was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest laughing at the scene before her.

"I don't know who that is.".

"Oh my god, idiot." Savannah said to Jess. "Virgo, come here."

"Virgo?" the phone screamed.

Virgo crossed the room and climbed into bed, joining the fray, so that all three girls were in the frame of the camera.

"Hi," Virgo said.

"You spent the night?"

Virgo nodded at the same time Cammie made a dive for the phone, trying to wrestle it from Savannah's grasp. She handed the phone off to Virgo and pinned Cammie to the bed who was now forced to watch while the three other girls conversed.

"What happened? When did this happen?" Jess asked.

"Last night, apparently." Savannah answered.

"Okay, well what happened? Give me the details!"

"I don't have them yet. I was getting them when I called you."

"No you were not!" Cammie answered, struggling against Savannah's weight.

"Of course I was. Now what happened? Last week you were being a little bitch about everything and suddenly you two are together?"

Cammie's mouth hung open in surprise. "What do you mean I was being a little bitch?"

Virgo threw a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, not entirely sure if this was a normal part of the Savannah-Cammie relationship. But Jess was laughing, so she assumed this was probably very normal.

"You know exactly what I mean—being all scared to tell Virgo you like her and all that bullshit."

"Savannah!"

"So what happened?"

"I hate you."

"Virgo?" Savannah asked, deciding to change tactics.

Virgo exchanged a glance with Cammie, who shot her a look that she interpreted as "tell them and I kill you."

"Cammie kissed me," Virgo said, immediately thrown into laughter at the shocked expression that crossed everyone's face.

"One day into our relationship and you betray me like this."

"They were going to find out somehow."

"You're in a relationship now?" Jess and Savannah asked in unison.

"No," Cammie said quickly, avoiding Virgo's wondering eyes. "We haven't talked about it." Cammie stole a nervous glance at Virgo, who didn't seem to be bothered by her denial of a relationship. That all-too-familiar tug of anxiety pulled at the fringes of Cammie's mind once again. After yesterday, what were they?

"So, how did this happen?" Jess asked, interrupting Cammie's thoughts.

Virgo glanced at Cammie, offering her another chance to tell the story, which she reluctantly agreed to.

"And then I asked if she wanted to spend the night," Cammie concluded. At the suggestive smirked plastered on Savannah's face, Cammie added: "And nothing happened."

"But you'll tell us when something does happen, right?"

"God, no!" Cammie said, finally able to dislodge herself from Savannah and yank the phone out of her hand. "I hate you both. Goodbye Jess."

"Wait, wait. Let me talk to Virgo."

"No way."

Virgo plucked the phone from Cammie's hands.

"Hi, Jess."

"Hi Virgo. Did Cammie tell you that you're supposed to go with her to pick me up from the airport tomorrow?"

Virgo glanced at Cammie, then back to Jess, and shook her head.

"I'm going to be staying with Cammie for the week and she's picking me up tomorrow. I told her to bring you."

"Okay, listen. It's not like that just comes up organically in conversation," Cammie argued. "We hadn't been talking until last night."

"When you planning on telling her?" Jess demanded.

"Today sometime!"

Virgo laughed. "Yes, sure. I'll come to pick you up."

"Great!"

"Oh, by the way, Jen is having a party tomorrow night. She wants us all to go." Savannah interjected.

"Sounds fun," Virgo said.

"Yeah, I'm in." Jess agreed.

"Okay, great. I'll see you tomorrow at one, Jess. Bye," Cammie said, trying to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

"I'll get more details then tell you tomorrow. Bye Jess!"

Virgo waved goodbye and Savannah hung up the phone.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," Cammie said to Savannah.

"Oh, please. As if I wasn't going to call Jess the moment this happened. You're just embarrassed because I caught you with your girlfriend."

Hearing that word sent a weird twitch through Cammie's stomach. She glanced at Virgo, who, if she didn't know any better, seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Was she her girlfriend? Was this something that they needed to talk about? Just because they were Soulmates didn't automatically make them a "thing", did it? But, she supposed when she had kissed Virgo, she had made the decision to be with her in whatever capacity that meant. Could they still take things slow? Virgo agreed that Cammie didn't have to tell her family. But now she was introducing Virgo to her sister. How should she introduce her? Hi Jess, good to see you. This is my Soulmate? My girlfriend?

A million questions weaseled their way into Cammie's head and the willful veil of ignorance that Cammie was able to cover her eyes with yesterday was ripped away and she was forced to face the impending doom of relentless questions.

God, why couldn't she just catch a break? It didn't matter if she was anxious about one thing, the next day she would just find something else to anxious about. It was ridiculous! It was tiring! It was frustrating. And she was sick of it. But when did being sick of anxiety ever make it go away? When did deciding that enough was enough ever actually change anything? With words like "relationship" and "girlfriend" being thrown around the room, Cammie found herself panicking all over again, worrying, envision that future that ran through her head when she woke up from her Dream.

If telling her best friend and sister about her and Virgo made her this anxious, Cammie couldn't bear to think about telling anyone else, especially her parents.

Cammie snapped back to reality, forcing herself to close the door on these poisonous thoughts, and glared once more at Savannah.

"You didn't catch us. We weren't doing anything."

"Sure, Cam. That's why your clothes were on the floor."

Virgo stifled a laugh as Cammie turned bright red once again.

"Savannah we weren't doing anything! Shut up!" Savannah winked at Virgo and shrugged as if to say it couldn't be helped. When Cammie realized she wasn't winning any ground with Savannah, she decided to flip the situation around on her. "I've literally walked into the house and heard you having sex with someone."

"I'm sure it won't be too long until that happens to me too."

Cammie sprang off the bed to punch Savannah, but she was much too quick and escaped the room. "See you after work!" she called, closing her own door.

Puffing with humiliation, Cammie turned to face Virgo. "I'm so sorry. They're both assholes."

Virgo just laughed. "It's fine."

"You need to teach me how to cuss out Savannah in French. Or at least teach me to call her a bitch." Virgo laughed at the death glare that Cammie was throwing over her shoulder at the door leading to Savannah. "I'm sorry if she embarrassed you. That's just . . . her."

"It's fine, Cam. I wasn't embarrassed."

Cammie shook her head in disbelief. "I'm amazed." Virgo just laughed.

Cammie once again found herself glancing at Virgo, wearing her own shirt. What were they? Should she ask? No, it was too soon. It was too soon to broach any subject like that. For now, Cammie simply wanted to enjoy her time with Virgo and do her best to push her anxieties away, to lose herself in her Soulmate. If she spoke her fears, then they would be real. If she spoke her fears, then everything would change; she could bury them for now, make sure that nothing came between them, especially not that silly little voice in the back of her head.

"What do you want to do today?" Cammie asked.

"I had no plans."

"Do you want to spend the day together, then? I mean, only if you want. I don't know if you're sick of me already," Cammie half joked, wondering if this was already too much.

"Like a date?"

Cammie chewed her lip. "Yeah, like a date."

"I would love to."

***

As always everyone, thank you so much for reading and for your support! :)