Chapter 16 He Could Encircle Her Wrist with One Hand
Juniper was all about that sashimi life, so she went ahead and ordered some fresh salmon and the usual suspects like shrimp.
Camilla, on the other hand, wasn't down with cold food, so she got herself a bowl of ramen and some sushi.
The ramen was just okay, but the fresh ingredients kinda made up for it.
Seeing Camilla wasn't really feeling her food, Juniper couldn't help but tease, "This salmon is so tender and fresh. You sure you don't wanna give it a shot? Might just blow your mind."
Camilla shook her head, "You know I can't deal with raw food. I'll stick to my ramen, thanks."
"It's been ages, and you still haven't changed a bit."
From the get-go, Juniper noticed Camilla was always stubborn about what she liked and didn't like.
Then Juniper said, "I haven't hit the spa in forever. My hands are getting all rough from work."
She sighed, "It's all my dad's fault. He's been on my case about blind dates. And my mom? She's totally in on it, setting me up left and right. It's not like they can't support me. Do I really need to rush? Plus, Sebastian's successful and still single. Why should I be in a hurry?"
Thinking about Sebastian, Camilla remembered how they were neighbors but always busy. Since their last meal, she'd only seen him once when she brought him a sandwich.
Juniper didn't notice her zoning out and popped a piece of sushi in her mouth, thinking back to their last hangout.
"You went to see Professor Garcia with Sebastian. What happened after that?"
Camilla slurped her noodles, chewed for a bit, then swallowed, "…That's about it. Professor Garcia's got a spot for me, so I gotta ace this year's postgrad exam."
Juniper clapped, "Nice! Love seeing you so pumped! To celebrate, how about I take you somewhere this weekend?"
Camilla asked, "Where to?"
"You'll find out."
After they finished eating, Juniper drove Camilla back to the library since she insisted.
It was still early, so she could hit the books for a while.
After a long study session, she looked up to see the sun setting.
Sitting by the window, the golden sunlight bathed her in a warm glow.
Camilla stretched, packed up her stuff, and heard the library's closing announcement.
She grabbed her bag and left right on time.
The sunset painted the sky in layers of orange, like a vibrant oil painting.
Camilla slowed down, thinking about dinner.
Before she knew it, she was at her apartment and spotted a dark figure.
A week ago, the lab's latest data was off. Sebastian had been grinding for days, redoing experiments, but the results still sucked.
The guy in charge, a middle-aged dude who'd been there since Sebastian took over, was worried, "The initial results were good, and everything was on track. Why'd the data go south?"
Sebastian frowned, "Experiments are all about finding errors. Results aren't everything."
"But if the data's wrong, the experiment's wrong. We've hit the same snag dozens of times. Isn't a week enough to figure it out?" The guy in charge looked at Sebastian and cautiously suggested, "Maybe if we can't move forward, we should cut our losses and try a different approach?"
Sebastian's face was stone-cold, and his eyes cut through his glasses like lasers, "Are you worried about the experiment tanking, or are you just vibing more with the other professors' ideas?"
He adjusted his glasses, "Physics isn't a one-and-done deal. It's got its own groove, and you can't just change it on a whim."
The guy in charge awkwardly mumbled, "I was just throwing it out there."
The convo ended on a sour note. As Sebastian turned around, Camilla waved with a grin, "Long time no see, Sebastian."
Walking home side by side, Camilla dodged the earlier topic and kept it light.
"Thanks for your help last time. I've been handling my stuff pretty well lately."
Sebastian shrugged, "You got a good head on your shoulders. Have you seen Professor Garcia lately?"
Camilla kicked a pebble, "No, just a few phone calls. She's doing better and should be back at school soon."
Sebastian nodded, "That's good. She's always been all about her teaching. Bet she's itching to get back."
As it got darker, some dude on a wobbly bike zoomed past them.
Camilla stepped on a wonky stone slab, stumbled, and almost crashed into the bike.
In a flash, Sebastian grabbed her wrist, pulling her close and dodging the bike.
"You okay?"
Sebastian's warm fingers gripped her wrist through her thin summer clothes, making her ears burn.
"I'm fine, thanks."
They were so close their breaths mingled. Realizing this, Camilla took a step back.
Sebastian let go of her hand, and they walked in silence.
When they got home, they said their goodbyes and went inside.
Closing the door, the scene replayed in Camilla's mind, every detail magnified.
Sebastian's warm fingers, their breaths, his deep eyes.
Camilla rubbed her wrist, feeling like it was on fire.
After the lab and that argument, Sebastian was sweaty and uncomfortable.
He changed into slippers and headed for a shower.
He picked up his phone to order takeout but saw a pop-up ad for bear slippers, priced at $9.99.
He paused, remembering Camilla had the same pair last time he visited.
Sebastian's mind flashed back to earlier, realizing he could wrap his hand around her wrist.
Sunday rolled around with a blazing sun and clear blue skies.
Amara picked a light green lace dress with yellow flowers, looking fresh and artsy.
She spent an hour perfecting her makeup.
Her roommate on the top bunk teased, "You usually sleep till noon on weekends. Why up so early and looking so fab? I'm jealous of whoever's dating Amara."
Last time Amara and Leopold were seen kissing at the school gate, it blew up on the forum, and now everyone knew she had a boyfriend.
Another girl chimed in, "Do we even need to guess? It's gotta be Leopold. Amara, it's your birthday today. Bet he's got a surprise for you, right?"
Amara put on her sunflower earrings, feeling a bit hopeful but said, "I don't know, maybe?"
Her roommates wanted to ask more, but Amara glanced at the time, grabbed her bag, and changed her shoes, "We'll chat later. Gotta run!"
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