Valeria huffs a quiet laugh, glancing down at their intertwined fingers. “It’s this idea that there’s an invisible string tying people destined to be together,” she says. “And no matter how far you drift, it’ll always help you find your way to each other.”
Camila’s smile softens. “So,” she says gently, “even when we didn’t know it, we were still kind of ... being pulled together?”
“Exactly,” Valeria replies. “Like the universe was playing the long game.”
“I like that.” Camila smiles. “The thought that you and I were inevitable. Written in the stars somewhere.”
“I do too.” Valeria squeezes Camila’s hands.
For along time, that summer had felt like it existed in its own little bubble—sunlight on the lake, easy laughter, and conversations that didn’t feel heavy or guarded. It was the first time Valeria felt truly safe being herself, especially after her dad had lectured her on how wrong what she and Celeste were doing was. That summer, with Camila, she didn’t have to hide or brace for judgment. Being open didn’t feel scary—it felt natural, like trust.
Looking back, the memory still shines. Not because everything was perfect, but because it felt real and pure. That summer changed Valeria’s world. Even though life eventually pulled everyone in different directions, the feeling stayed. It became a reminder that safe spaces exist, that sweetness is real, and that one day she could find a love that feels just as gentle, just as honest, and just as hopeful.
Fire blooms in her chest, radiating outwards to her fingertips, followed by a fluttery rhythm against her ribs that leaves her slightly breathless as Valeria takes in the inevitability of them. How can she pretend to be patient, to move slowly, when all she wants is for Camila to behers? The realization hits harder than she expects. She’d never thought of Brooke that way. Not once. With Brooke, Valeria had always belongedtoher—never the other way around, and the truth of it aches.
But now, Camila has her thinking ofus. Something shared. Something mutual. Something Valeria never thought to want with Brooke.
She can feel the shape of a question forming on her tongue. It’s a question she hadn’t realized lived in her heart. Now that she notices it, she can’t ignore it. She wants to ask. God, she wants to ask, but just as urgently, she wants the answer to be yes. To know that Camila feels the samecertainty about them, that Valeria feels blooming painfully in her chest.
“Camila?” Valeria says, drawing in a deep breath.
Camila looks up at her, immediately attentive, and it makes Valeria’s pulse stumble. “Yeah?”
The words are right there. Sitting on Valeria’s tongue.Be my girlfriend.Simple. Terrifying. World-altering. It’s not a question she came here wanting to ask, but now it feels like the words won’t wait any longer, as if they’re done being patient. Her fingers curl into the fabric of the napkin sitting on her lap, grounding herself as her heart hammers.
“I was—” she starts, then stops. Camila’s eyes soften, patient. Valeria pushes on, voice quieter but determined. “I wanted to ask you something. Something important.”
Camila shifts closer. “Okay,” she says gently. “I’m listening.”
Valeria forms the start of a word just as their server appears at their table, balancing a tray with a pitcher of water and their appetizers.
“Here you go,” he says, setting down the plates with a polite smile.
The sudden clatter of plates breaks the moment like a small explosion. Valeria exhales, cheeks warm. The words are still there, still burning in her chest. Just delayed, but somehow more urgent for having been held back. Her forehead drops forward, frustrated at the interruption, and worried she won’t have enough courage to finish.
Camila chuckles, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, waiting as the server sets everything before them.
“Enjoy!” he says when he’s done.
“Thank you,” they both say as he refills their waters. The server nods and moves on, disappearing toward the other tables.
Valeria exhales, blinking, and lifts her gaze to Camila.
“You were saying?” Camila reaches back for her hand. Eyes locked on hers.
“What I was saying was ...” She exhales again. “What I wanted to ask ...” Her words stumble, almost trapped in her throat. She takes a shaky breath, eyes locked on Camila’s, trying to find courage in the steadiness there. “Will you ... be my—my girlfriend?” Valeria’s hands grip the edge of the table, knuckles white, heart hammering in her ears.
Camila freezes for a second. Then her lips curl into a soft, slow smile, and the tension in Valeria’s shoulders melts, as if it never belonged there.
“Yes,” she says, barely above a breath. Then, a little louder, with certainty, eyes never leaving Valeria’s. “Yes, Valeria. I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
Valeria’s chest bursts open with relief, joy, and disbelief all at once. A soft, shaky laugh escapes her before she can stop it, and she leans across the table, drawn by want, byher, and their lips meet in a ridiculously soft kiss.Her girlfriend.God. The word already feels perfect. For a heartbeat, the restaurant—the chatter, the clatter, the swirl of strangers—doesn’t exist.
When Valeria pulls back, her cheeks ache with the smile that refuses to fade. “I ... I can’t believe you said yes,” Valeria whispers, breathless.
“You didn’t think I would?” Camila teases softly.
Valeria shakes her head, laughing again, still in disbelief. “I ... I’ve never been this sure about anything before,” she admits.
