— 12:14 pm | november 20, 2024
BISCUITS & BLOOM CAFÉ
hickory, north carolina

CAMERON STEPS TO THE counter, her fingers lightly tapping on the edge of her laptop as she sorts through the emails, scrolling through the latest batch. She's comfortable here, nestled in the corner of the cozy café, the aroma of fresh coffee and baked goods filling the air. It's quiet, the perfect place to get some work done.

She orders her usual, a caramel latte with soy milk, a drink that had become her go-to for the past few years. As she waits, she glances around the café, momentarily distracted by the soft buzz of conversations and the rhythmic clink of coffee cups.

Then, the door chimes open behind her. Cameron doesn't immediately look up, lost in her thoughts. But then she hears the familiar voice. "Jade?"

She freezes.

Slowly, she turns around, her heart giving a little jolt in her chest. There, standing at the entrance with his hand in the pocket of his jacket, is Drew. He looks as casual as ever, his dark jacket slightly rumpled, his eyes catching hers with a mixture of surprise and something else—something unreadable.

For a second, neither of them speaks. The noise of the café fades into the background as they just stand there, taking in the sight of each other after so many days of silence.

"Hey," Drew says quietly, his voice almost uncertain, as if unsure how to break the ice.

Cameron's throat tightens, and she forces a smile, trying to act like it's no big deal to see him. "Hey."

She can't tell if it's the genuine surprise on his face or the way he's standing there, a little hesitant, that makes everything inside her shift.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Drew continues, his gaze shifting down toward the ground. He seems a little out of his element, his usual confidence muted.

Cameron shrugs lightly, trying to keep things casual. "I needed a change of scenery. And this place..." She glances around briefly, "...just seemed right."

There's a moment of awkward silence, a heaviness that neither of them is willing to ignore, but neither knows how to address it either. The barista calls her name, breaking the tension briefly. "Cameron!"

She nods to Drew, offering a tight but polite smile. "I'll just grab my drink," she says before walking up to the counter, doing everything she can to avoid the flicker of emotions stirring in her chest.

As she picks up her latte and turns back toward her table, she's aware of Drew watching her, his presence lingering in the café air like a ghost.

Cameron reaches the table with her latte, fingers brushing against the warm cup as she tries to steady herself. She hadn't expected him to be here, and the unexpectedness of the encounter has thrown her off more than she cares to admit.

But just as she's about to sit down, Drew's voice cuts through the quiet hum of the café again. "You still get the caramel latte with soy milk, huh?"

Cameron's heart skips a beat. She freezes, looking up to find Drew standing there, a faint, knowing smile on his face. "Wait, how did you—?" she starts, her voice trailing off in surprise.

Drew's smile softens a little, and he shrugs, a little embarrassed but trying to play it cool. "You used to always get that when we came here... back when we were in high school."

Cameron's breath catches in her throat. High school. That was years ago. She'd moved on from the past, from him, from everything they'd once shared. And yet, here he was, remembering something as small and trivial as the drink she used to order at this very café.

She can't help but stare at him for a second longer than necessary, surprised by how easily he'd recalled that detail. "I didn't think you'd remember that," she says quietly, her voice softer than she intended.

Drew shrugs again, his gaze dropping to the floor for a brief moment before he looks back at her. "Some things stick, I guess."

The air between them shifts, filled with an unspoken understanding of just how much time has passed. Despite everything that happened between them, the way Drew recalls that simple memory, something so personal feels almost too intimate.

Cameron pulls her chair out and sits down, trying to regain her composure. "It's nothing special," she replies, her tone light but her heart still caught in that memory.

But Drew doesn't seem to buy it. He steps a little closer, leaning casually against the table. "I don't know... it's funny. I always remembered that about you."

She doesn't know what to say to that. All she can do is take a small sip of her drink, the sweetness of the caramel latte strangely comforting.

Cameron feels the weight of his presence before she even looks up. She's trying to ignore the fact that Drew is standing there, watching her, and focuses instead on the screen in front of her. But his voice pulls her attention away.

"You're still working," Drew remarks casually, his tone light but observant. "Even back at the barbecue, you were the one with the laptop open, doing your thing."

Cameron's fingers hover over the keyboard, and she hesitates before responding, her eyes flickering to him briefly. "Yeah, well, work doesn't stop."

Drew chuckles, a hint of something almost nostalgic in his expression. "I get it. Some things don't change, huh?"

Cameron tries to play it off with a shrug, typing a quick reply to an email that's been sitting in her inbox for a while. She wishes she could disappear into her screen, where everything feels more manageable.

But Drew doesn't leave. He lingers near her table, waiting for his drink. She can feel the uncomfortable tension that's grown between them, the unspoken things still hanging in the air from that night on the dock, and the distance that's only widened since.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," he says after a beat, his voice quieter now. "I just remember how, back then, you always seemed to be in the zone. Like, you could never sit still without doing something."

Cameron stops typing, her eyes flicking up to meet his again. She's surprised by the sincerity in his words. "Yeah," she says, her voice softer than she intends. "I guess some things do stick."

For a moment, neither of them says anything. Drew's gaze shifts, and he seems to hesitate before taking a step back. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Just... didn't want you to think I was ignoring you."

Cameron nods quickly, forcing a smile. "Thanks."

As he walks away to grab his drink, she turns her focus back to her computer, but her mind lingers on the words he just said. Some things stick. She doesn't know what to make of it yet, but for the first time in a while, something in her chest feels a little less tight.

Just as Cameron starts to dive back into her emails, trying to push the encounter to the back of her mind, she hears Drew's voice one more time.

"Hey, Jade," he calls out, his voice carrying over the soft hum of the café.

She looks up, surprised, her fingers pausing mid-type as she sees him standing under the door frame, looking back at her. His hand rests against the wooden frame, his posture a little more relaxed than when he'd first walked in. He seems to be holding something back, hesitating, unsure whether he should say what's on his mind.

"I know this might be a weird time to bring it up, but..." He pauses, then exhales, like he's deciding to let it all spill out. "If you ever want to talk about... whatever happened between us, or just catch up... I'm here."

Cameron blinks, the words sinking in slowly. Her stomach flips unexpectedly, and for a moment, she's not sure what to say. His eyes lock with hers, quiet and earnest, and for the first time in a long while, she sees the vulnerability in him.

"I'm not asking for anything, Cameron," he continues, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable. "I just... I don't want things to stay like this between us. Not forever."

Cameron opens her mouth, unsure of what to say in response. She wants to say something, to explain how complicated things are, to tell him how much she's been keeping to herself for so long. But the words feel stuck.

Instead, she gives him a small nod. "I'll think about it," she says, her voice quieter than she expected.

Drew offers a half-smile, though there's a hint of relief in it. "That's all I can ask for."

With that, he turns and walks out, the door chiming behind him as he leaves the café. Cameron watches him go, her mind racing with thoughts, the weight of his words lingering in the air long after he's disappeared.

— 4:46 pm | november 20, 2024
THE ELLIOTT LAKEHOUSE
hickory, north carolina

THE AFTERNOON SUN hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows across the Elliott family's front porch. Cameron sits on the wooden bench, the cool breeze rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. Her mind is elsewhere and far away from the peaceful quiet of the afternoon, lost in the conversation she had earlier with Drew.

Francesca walks out of the house, her sneakers tapping lightly against the porch as she notices Cameron sitting there, staring off into the distance. She hesitates for a moment before making her way over, concerned by the distant look on her friend's face.

"You okay?" Francesca asks gently, sitting down next to her, her gaze following Cameron's.

Cameron blinks, as if snapping out of a trance. She sighs, letting her shoulders drop. "Yeah... just... thinking."

Francesca watches her for a moment, sensing there's something more to it. "What's on your mind?"

Cameron takes a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. She turns to her friend, her expression a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Drew came up to me at the café earlier today."

Francesca raises an eyebrow, looking at her curiously. "Drew? What did he want?"

Cameron laughs, though it's a hollow sound. "He wants to have the talk." She pauses, her lips pressing together in a thin line. "You know, the one that's supposed to fix everything or at least make things less awkward between us. He said he didn't want things to stay the way they are forever."

Francesca's brows furrow as she processes this. She knew Drew's presence had stirred up something in Cameron, but hearing this makes it feel more real. "What did you say?"

"I told him I'd think about it," Cameron replies quietly, her gaze shifting down to her lap. "I don't even know why I said that. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with all of this."

Francesca tilts her head, considering her words carefully. "You don't have to figure it all out right now, Cam. But, you can't keep ignoring what happened. It's been years, but it's clear it's not just going away."

Cameron swallows hard, feeling a lump in her throat. She's trying to keep her emotions in check, but hearing Francesca's words, the truth of them, makes everything feel heavier. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk to him about it, though. Not after everything that happened. And I don't even know if I can trust that it'll be different this time. I just need time."

Francesca reaches over, resting a hand gently on her friend's. "You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. But at some point, you'll have to decide if you're okay with it staying unresolved."

Cameron nods slowly, the weight of her friend's words settling deep inside her. She's been running from this for so long, from Drew, from the past, and now she's realizing that maybe it's not something she can just ignore anymore.