Chapter One The Quiet Truth #2
Camille watched.“Why do you look like you’re about to take a driving test?
” she asked.Simone looked over. “I don’t.
”Camille tilted her head.“You kinda do.”Simone started the car.
“I’m driving us to the airport,” she said.
“I’d like us to get there alive.”Camille laughed softly.
“Simone, you’ve driven me a thousand times.
”“I know,” Simone replied. “And you’re still alive.
”Camille leaned back in the seat. Then Simone pulled away from the curb.
For a minute they drove quietly. Then Camille looked over.
“You’re excited right?” she asked.Simone smiled, eyes still on the road.
“Of course I am.”Camille smiled.“Paris,” she said, almost like she still couldn’t believe it.
“A whole week.”Simone looked over at her for a second.
Camille was looking out the window now. Happy.
Excited. Completely unaware of the storm Simone had been carrying for years.
Simone looked back at the road.“Yeah,” she murmured.
“A whole week.”The road opened ahead of them.
Camille rested her elbow against the window, watching the houses pass.
She sighed.“You know what the weirdest part of all of this is?” she said.Simone looked over.
“What?”“Everyone acts like divorce has some kind of timeline.”Simone frowned a little.
“What do you mean?”“Like you’re supposed to be devastated for a while, then suddenly you’re strong and moving on and everything’s fine.
” She shook her head.“But some days I’m good.
Like really good.”“And then other days it hits me out of nowhere.”“That makes sense,” she said quietly.Camille laughed.
“My aunt asked me last week if I was over it yet or going back.”Simone scoffed.
“Really?”“Exactly.” Camille said as she leaned her head back against the seat.
“I don’t even miss him the way some people think I should.
”She paused.“I just miss what I thought my life was going to be.”Simone nodded slowly.
That, she understood.“I understand that” Simone said gently.Camille looked over at her.
The car went quiet again for a moment. Then Camille sat up.
“Okay.”Simone looked over.“Okay what?”Camille reached for Simone’s phone sitting in the console.
“Enough of this conversation before we both start sounding like we’re in a therapy session.
” Simone laughed. Camille connected the phone to the car.
“Let’s lighten the mood.” A second later music filled the car.The opening beat of “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé blasted through the speakers.Simone couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh my God.”Camille smiled.“Don’t act like this wasn’t our song.
”Simone shook her head.“You played this before every football game.”“Because it’s iconic,” Camille said.
The song switched to another. The familiar intro of “Yeah!” by Usher started playing.Simone groaned.
“Girl, turn it down.”Camille turned the volume up slightly.
“Why? You loved this song.”“No, I didn’t.
”Camille shot her a look.“Shut up, yes you did.”Simone laughed, shaking her head as she drove.
The car filled with music, nostalgia, and the energy they’d always had together.Camille leaned back in her seat, smiling as she looked out the window again. “See,” she said. “This is better.”
Simone looked over at her. And for a moment, with the music playing and the morning sun cutting through the windshield, it felt like they were teenagers again.Only this time, Simone wasn’t planning to keep quiet forever. The music shifted again. A few soft piano notes filled the car.
Simone recognized the song almost instantly.
“Oh no,” she muttered. Camille’s head snapped toward the speakers.
“Wait.” Her eyes widened.“WAIT.”Simone laughed.
“Don’t do it.”Camille turned the volume up.
The opening of “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey filled the car.
Camille gasped dramatically.“Oh my God.”Simone shook her head, already smiling.
“Camille don’t do it” But it was too late.
Camille had already started singing. Loudly.
“And I’m like,” pointing dramatically toward the windshield.Simone started laughing.
“Camille, if you don’t hush.”Camille ignored her completely.
“When you left I lost a part of me!”Simone nearly missed the next turn because she was laughing so hard.
“You don’t even know the words!”“HUSH!”Camille kept going, completely committed now, using the seatbelt as an imaginary microphone.
Simone shook her head, still laughing as she pulled into the airport entrance lane.
“Please stop, you’re embarrassing me.”Camille finished the chorus dramatically, holding the last note like she was performing in front of a sold-out stadium.
When the song faded slightly, she turned toward Simone with a satisfied smile.
“See, that’s the energy we need for Paris.
”Simone parked the car and turned to look at her.
Camille was grinning, completely unapologetic.
Simone shook her head.“You.”Camille shrugged.
“You love it.”Simone looked at her longer than she should have.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I do.”Camille didn’t notice the weight behind the words.
She was already reaching for the door. “Come on,” she said excitedly.
“Paris is waiting.”Simone stepped out of the car and walked around to the trunk, lifting their suitcases out.
As she followed Camille toward the airport entrance, she took a slow breath.Simone adjusted her grip on the suitcase handle and walked inside after her.
The airport was flooded with travelers.Rolling suitcases, quiet conversations, the occasional overhead announcement.
Simone and Camille made their way through the sliding doors, the cool air hitting them.Camille looked around.
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” she said again.Simone smiled.
“You’ve said that like four times already.
”“Because it still doesn’t feel real.”They moved toward the check-in area, Simone pulling both suitcases while Camille walked beside her.
A few minutes later they reached the airline counter.Simone handed over their passports.
The agent typed for a moment, then smiled politely.
“Alright,” she said, printing the boarding passes.
“You’re all set.”She slid them across the counter.
Camille grabbed one casually and looked down.
Then stopped. Her eyebrows slowly lifted.
“Simone.”Simone kept her expression neutral.
“What?”Camille looked back down at the ticket.
Then back up.“First class?”Simone shrugged.
“It’s a long flight.”Camille stared at her.
“But first class?”“Yeah.”Camille laughed in disbelief.
“Simone.”“What?”“You did not have to do that.”Simone grabbed the suitcases again.
“I wanted to.”Camille shook her head, still smiling as they walked away from the counter.
“Wow,” she said quietly. “Okay.”They followed the signs toward security, reaching the entrance to the airline lounge.
A flight attendant standing nearby looked at their tickets and smiled.
“Right this way,” she said.Camille looked around as they stepped inside. Soft lighting. Comfortable chairs. Large windows overlooking the runway. She turned slowly toward Simone.
“You are spoiling me.”Simone laughed softly.
“It’s one week.”Camille looked at her for a second, then she smiled.
“Well,” she said, linking her arm briefly through Simone’s, “I guess Paris is starting early.”She cleared her throat.
“Let’s just try not to miss the plane.”About forty minutes later, their boarding group was called.
Simone picked up their bags and nodded toward the gate.
“Ready?”Camille grinned.“Yup.”They walked down the jet bridge together, the noise getting louder with every step.
A flight attendant greeted them at the door.
“Welcome aboard.”Simone stepped inside first, Camille just behind her.
The attendant looked at their tickets and gestured forward.
“Right this way.”Camille followed Simone down the aisle.
The wide seats. The extra space. The quiet cabin.
She stopped for a second, looking around.
“Simone.”Simone looked back.“What?”Camille shook her head slowly, smiling again.
“This is so extra.”Simone smiled softly.
“Just enjoy it.”Camille slid into her seat, running her hand across the armrest like she still couldn’t believe it.Simone sat beside her.
Camille leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
“Okay,” she said. “Now it finally feels real.”Simone looked over at her.
“Paris,” Camille said softly.Simone nodded.
“Paris.”The plane slowly began to move down the runway.
Simone looked over at Camille one more time.