Chapter Seven The River That Carries Us
Camille sat back, her phone resting loosely in her hand, eyes still on the view outside.
But something in her changed.She looked around the boat, taking in the glass ceiling, the tables, the people sitting comfortably in their seats.Then she looked back at Simone.
“We should go upstairs.”Simone looked up.
“Upstairs?”Camille nodded, already leaning forward slightly.
“There’s a top deck, right?”Simone looked around, then back at her.
“Yeah.”Camille stood up before Simone could say anything else.
“Come on.”Simone smiled, standing as she pushed her chair back.
“You don’t sit still, do you?”Camille smiled over her shoulder.
“Why would I?”Simone stood, following her as they moved through the aisle of the boat.Other passengers sat at their tables, some turning their heads toward the windows, others already standing near the stairs.Camille reached the narrow staircase first. She stopped long enough to look back.
“Coming?” Simone nodded, she would follow Camille anywhere if she asked. Then Camille turned and started walking up the stairs. Simone followed right behind her.
The moment they reached the top, the air changed.
It was cooler. Camille stepped out onto the open deck.
“Wow, everything is so beautiful.”She walked forward slowly, taking it all in.
Simone stepped beside her, watching Camille instead of the view.And somehow, it felt even better than she imagined.Camille moved toward the railing at the edge of the deck, her hands resting against the metal as she looked out over the water.
“This is amazing,” she said softly.Simone stepped up behind her.
Close. Close enough to feel the warmth from Camille’s body, even with the breeze moving between them.Camille didn’t turn.
She knew she was there. Simone leaned forward slightly, just enough to see past her shoulder.
“It is,” she said quietly, her voice low near Camille’s ear.
Their faces were close now.Too close. Camille felt her.
But she didn’t move. She just looked out at the view, taking a deep breath as Simone stood close to her.Someone moved nearby, stepping a little too close into Camille’s space.Without thinking, Simone’s hand moved to Camille’s lower back.
Just enough to guide her forward slightly.
Just enough to steady her.Camille froze.
Then, slowly turned her head. Simone looked at her at the same time.Their faces were inches apart.
Eyes locked. Everything else faded out, the wind, the water, the voices around them.Simone felt her heart pounding.
Camille didn’t look away. For a second, it felt like something was about to happen.Simone pulled back first. She dropped her hand gently and took a small step back.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. Camille blinked once, like she was coming back to reality.
“It’s okay.”Her voice was softer now. But her eyes stayed on Simone for just a second longer before turning back toward the river.And nothing felt the same after that.
Camille turned back toward the river, her hands resting lightly on the railing again.But she wasn’t really focused on the view anymore.
She could still feel it. Simone’s hand. That moment.She let out a small breath, then shook her head slightly to herself.
“You’re really focused on me aren’t you,” she said.Simone blinked, caught off guard.
“What?”Camille looked over at her, smiling.
“That little ‘save me’ move you just did?”Simone laughed, just a little.
“Someone was about to run into you.”Camille raised an eyebrow.
“So, you had to hold me?”Simone smiled.“I was being helpful.”Camille nodded slowly.
“Right.”Then, the boat passed beneath a bridge.
The sound changed, the engine echoing as the structure moved overhead.
The light dimmed for a moment, shadows passing over them as people around the deck looked up.A few quiet laughs, the sound of voices bouncing off the stone above.
Camille tilted her head back, watching as they moved underneath it.
“That’s actually really cool,” she said.Simone looked up, then back at Camille.
The light returned as the boat cleared the bridge.
The speaker came on softly.“Mesdames et messieurs”Camille rested her arms back on the railing, listening.
“We are now passing beneath Pont Alexandre III, one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris.”Camille looked around.
“The one we just went under?”Simone nodded.
“Yeah.”Camille shook her head, smiling.“I loved it, I think that was my favorite moment so far.”Simone smiled.
Not because of the bridge. Because of Camille.
Camille rested her arms on the railing, her eyes following the slow movement of the water.But her mind wasn’t on the view anymore.
After a few minutes, she spoke. “Simone.”Simone turned her head.
“Yeah?”Camille didn’t look at her right away.
She kept her eyes on the river.“Have you ever done something like this before?”Simone frowned a little.
“Like what?”Camille gestured around them.
“This,” she said softly. “All of this.”Simone shook her head.
“No.”She turned then, really looking at her. “Then why me?”
Simone didn’t answer right away. When she did, it was the same as before, “she wanted to do something nice” but Camille was starting to feel like it was more than just a nice gesture from her best friend.