Chapter Fifteen
Camille
The butterflies hadn’t stopped since that kiss and instead followed me as I made the short walk from his truck to my apartment.
They were in my chest, my stomach, my fingertips tapping nervously against my jeans.
It was ridiculous, really. I was a grown woman, a mother of three, someone who had lived through abandonment and bruises and years of struggle.
I had once believed in love fiercely, letting it sweep me up.
It was in these moments that made the heartbreak later feel so much sharper.
And yet, one kiss had undone me. I thought about his laugh, his blended choice of music, the way he didn’t pull away when I admitted my chaos.
He’d kissed me anyway. Maybe even because of it.
By the time I kicked off my shoes and sank into the sagging couch, my cheeks still ached from smiling.
And every time I replayed Hunter’s ridiculous impersonation of me ordering fries at a taco stand, laughter bubbled up again.
My stomach hurt in the good way that lets you forget, just for a moment, how heavy life can be.
But as the laughter faded, joy gave way to a quiet thread of doubt.
What if this feeling was as fleeting as the sunset we watched, shadows stretching long over the ache I’d barely stilled?
I tried to shake it off, clinging to the happiness a little longer.
I wasn’t ready to say it aloud, not even to myself, but I already missed him.
Which was absurd. We’d just parted, his truck easing away as I stood there like a lovesick teenager watching taillights fade.
The scent of him still clung to me, blending with the echo of laughter scraping against the hush.
But beneath this aching hovered a fear I couldn’t shake…
a voice murmuring warnings about opening my heart too quickly.
Trust, once broken, is delicate. Even with warmth in my chest, I wondered if exposing too much would leave me defenseless again.
I didn’t want to text I miss you already; it felt too raw, too soon.
Still, I reached for the thought of her, aching to close the gap between yearning and caution.
My fingers drifted through my playlist until I found it.
Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” Too obvious?
Maybe. Too cheesy? Definitely. But honest. That soft guitar intro had kept me company on lonely nights before, back when love was just a pipe dream.
Tonight, though, it felt like more than a dream. It felt possible.
I hesitated, thumb hovering over send. My heart raced; my mind screamed too much, too soon. But the part of me that laughed with him over greasy tacos and sticky tables pressed anyway.
The link sent with a soft whoosh.
For a full minute, I stared at the screen, nerves crawling up my spine. Then my phone buzzed.
Hunter: You sending me Romeo and Juliet
stuff now? That’s dangerous.
A jolt of excitement shot up my spine. I couldn’t stop the small, nervous grin tugging at my mouth, heart pounding harder as I tapped out my reply.
Me: OMG, Hush. Just listen.
Hunter: Fine…You’re lucky I like you.
A few minutes later, another reply.
Hunter: Cheesy…but I may be grinning like an idiot.
I thought about how he’d smiled on FaceTime when Avery peeked into the screen, about how he hadn’t flinched when I told him stories of Zeke’s sass or Chloe’s stubborn streak. Instead, he’d leaned in, curious. Like he wanted to know them, too.
That thought gave me butterflies all over again. Still, fear coiled in my chest. Because I knew how it felt when men decided this life was too much. I’d seen the back of the door close before.
Me: Don’t get used to it. You’ll start
thinking I’m soft or something.
The dots appeared, disappeared, then came back.
Hunter: Beautiful, you sent me Taylor Swift.
You’re already soft.
Heat flushed my neck and I laughed, burying my face in the pillow. He was relentless.
But when I closed my eyes and the chorus played in my head:
“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone…”
“You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess. It’s a love story, baby, just say, Yes”.
For a moment, I let myself believe that maybe this was my second (or third) chance.
This feeling was more than hope. It was a quiet promise, echoing against the old scar I kept hidden.
Years ago, when trust broke and love felt impossible, I promised myself I’d only open my heart again if it felt right, truly right.
Maybe this thing with Hunter was the answer I’d been waiting for, the light that could finally reach the places I’d kept in shadow.