Page 40 of Staging Love
Those days at Jade's had been a revelation, and Camilla had loved every minute of it - from waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of Jade humming as she moved around the tiny kitchen, to falling asleep in Jade’s arms.
"Make yourself at home," she said, pushing aside her thoughts and moving to take Jade's bag. "I wish I didn’t have to go to work tomorrow."
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Jade’s eyes were still roaming the space as she moved towards the kitchen, running her hand along the smooth marble countertop. "Everything is so beautiful. I feel like such an imposter," she admitted with a self-deprecating laugh. "Like I'm going to break something just by breathing wrong."
Camilla crossed the room, taking Jade's hands in hers. "Hey," she said softly. "I never want you to feel that way. Not here, not anywhere." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a key card for the private elevator. "Here." She pressed it into Jade's palm. "This is for you. I want you to feel at home here, to come and go as you please."
Jade frowned. "Camilla, I can't-"
"You can," Camilla interrupted. "Just stay for a few days. You mentioned you have an audition coming up for that new theater production, right? You need a quiet space to prepare, and this place is perfect for that while I'm at the office during the day."
Jade looked down at the key card in her hand, then back up at Camilla. "Okay. Thank you. If you’re sure you don’t mind me staying here while you’re out.
“Never. I’m – "
Just then, Camilla's phone buzzed. She glanced at it andlet out a sigh. "It's Theresa," she explained, seeing Jade's questioning look. "She's called a late meeting for tomorrow. I might not be home until seven."
"Has she been okay at work?" Jade asked.
Camilla shrugged. "She's been... Theresa. Professional, mostly. But she keeps asking about the wedding. I really need to come clean to my family."
Jade tilted her head, considering. "You don't need to tell them the whole truth," she suggested. "Just that the wedding is off, for now."
"For now?"
Jade shrugged, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "We'll see how it goes, right? Who knows? We might get married in a couple of years." She paused, her expression growing more serious. "Is that something you'd want? For real?"
Camilla felt her heart skip a beat. She moved to the couch, pulling Jade down to sit beside her. "Honestly? It's not something I ever thought about in a serious manner before," she admitted. "But after meeting you..." She trailed off, searching for the right words. "I can picture it with you, even though it's still very early days." She took a deep breath. "I'm crazy about you, Jade. I've even had thoughts of..." She stopped abruptly, realizing what she was about to say. "Never mind, that's too much. I don't want to freak you out."
Jade squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Hey, you can tell me anything. What thoughts?"
Camilla felt a blush creeping up her neck. "It's silly, really. I've just... I've had fantasies about our future. About maybe starting a family together someday." The words tumbled out, and she immediately backpedaled. "I'm sorry, that's way too much, isn't it? We've only beentogether for a few weeks, and here I am talking about families and-"
Her rambling was cut off by Jade's lips on hers, soft and reassuring. When they parted, Jade was smiling, her eyes full of affection. "It's not too much," she said softly. "I've had those thoughts too."
"Really?"
Jade nodded. " I mean, you're right, it is early days. But I can see a future with you. A beautiful one."
Camilla let out a soft breath as she leaned in, resting her forehead against Jade's. "I'm so glad you feel that way. Being with you just feels... right. You were so great with the kids, by the way. Emma and Jack adore you."
“They’re super cute. I love kids.” Jade smiled, running her fingers through Camilla's hair. “So, you’re going to come clean to your family?”
“Yeah. I’ll start with Uncle Robert and Aunt Lara. I don’t want to give Theresa the satisfaction until the very last minute.” Camilla hesitated, fidgeting with the engagement ring on her finger. “I'm so nervous about telling them, but I don't want to wait too long either. Maybe next month? Uncle Robert and Aunt Lara live in Palm Springs, so I usually stay overnight when I visit."
Jade nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. How do you think they'll react?"
Camilla sighed, her brow furrowing. "I honestly don't know. We're very close, so I'm hoping they can move past it. But I've never lied to them like this before."
She looked down at her engagement ring and blew out her cheeks. "It feels so strange wearing this. I have to keep it on to maintain appearances with Theresa at the office, but it doesn't feel right wearing a ring I bought for myself to sustaina lie."
"Why don't I come with you when you tell Robert and Lara?” Jade suggested. “I’m in on this too, and I want to support you in any way I can."
The offer touched Camilla deeply, and she felt a surge of affection for Jade. The idea of having her girlfriend by her side as she faced this difficult conversation made her feels stronger.
"You'd do that?"
Jade squeezed her hand. "Of course. We're partners." She winked. Partners in love and partners in crime. It will all be okay, I promise.”
