❤︎ chapter twenty eight
❪ cornelia street ❫
imessage
between: caleb and drew
caleb
i'm driving up to you guys
figured i'll give you a heads up
i have to see cami
drew
no problem
she'll be really happy, it'll lift her spirits
caleb
don't tell her
i want to surprise her
drew
your secret is safe with me
there was a knock at the apartment door. cami furrowed her brows, wondering who it could be. drew was working out at the gym and then he had a meeting of some sort, and she knew he wouldn't be back that early.
her heartbeat sped up and she felt foolish. stop acting like a baby, cami, she told herself annoyedly. getting up, she wrapped her blanket around her body tightly and made her way to the door.
when she opened it cautiously, she didn't know who to expect—but certainly not caleb. he had a longing sort of expression on his face, and she noticed that tucked under his arms was a baguette.
"how are you, petite fleur?" caleb used their family's french term of endearment, giving her a crooked smile and opening his arms for a hug. she squeezed him tightly, before stepping away and taking the baguette from him. cami turned, trying to regain her composure, walking into the kitchen to put the bread away.
"i missed you, caleb. i can't believe you're here, i wasn't expecting you!"
he shrugged slightly, slumping on one of her barstools. "my little sister needs me, whether she wants to admit it or not, so here i am."
cami stopped on the other side of the counter, her hands resting on the cool marble as she looked over at her brother, with his blonde hair and lean yet muscled figure. yet she could still remember when he was only a tween, and cami still a child, when they moved over to america and had only each other to hold onto the shattered remnants of all they had ever known.
his eyes softened as he looked at her disheveled state. "cami, come give me a real hug, okay?"
she had thought there were no tears left to cry; but enveloped in her older brother's arms, with him squeezing her so tightly like he was afraid she would go away if he didn't, she broke down again. caleb didn't really know how to handle crying women, but the ache of pity and sadness in his chest told him enough to keep hugging her and let her get it out.
finally she pulled away, and caleb watched her wipe her cheeks hastily. he wanted her to feel normal, if only for a night. thoughts of her being pregnant brushed by his mind briefly, and he panicked but pushed them aside. cami definitely wasn't ready to think about that, and he prayed with all his might that she wouldn't even have to.
"listen to me, cami; you're going to go take a shower, and get changed into something nice—still comfortable, but nice—and we're going to cook dinner and have fun, just the three of us in your apartment. you, me, and drew."
she nodded slightly, mock-saluting him before turning to the direction or her bathroom. a smile spread of caleb's face at the action—she was already feeling better.
it was a few hours later when drew arrived, and when he shut the door he could hear music playing from the kitchen, and caleb and cami's voices. cami didn't see him when he came in, facing away from him, but she turned quickly when caleb set down the knife he was chopping with, exclaiming, "drew!"
"what's up!" he laughed, taking in the sight of the kitchen and giving caleb a hug. "are you guys making a three course meal in here? jesus!"
cami dried her hands on a dish towel as drew walked around the counter, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair, which smelled strongly of lavender and vanilla. that scent had become a source of comfort for him, in a way. "you look beautiful, cami," he told her softly, meaning it.
she had put on the tiniest bit of mascara and blush, and was wearing a pair of straight-legged jeans with a close-fitting olive green sweater. the dainty necklace drew had gifted her for her birthday adorned her neck, and her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, her curtain bangs falling out. but what really made her stunning was the shine in her eyes, and the smile on her face. it had been gone for so long, and it made drew happy to see it.
cami smiled and blushed slightly as caleb asked from the oven, peering in cautiously, "wait, cami, how long was this supposed to be in for?"
she rolled her eyes, coming over and tapping him out of the way, slipping on an oven mitt and pulling out the quiche. "test it with a knife or a toothpick, it's like a cake."
turning back to drew, she brushed the vegetables caleb had chopped off of the cutting board and into a bowl filled with lettuces.
"what are you guys making?" drew asked, stealing a cucumber slice from the salad and popping it into his mouth before cami could take it back from him.
she shrugged. "just a salad and quiche. but caleb brought bread, so we're going to have some cheese and fruit.
"and wine!" caleb called from the other room; he had left to try and find another roll of paper towels.
cami shook her head minusculely, her face falling slightly. drew caught it and moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. she rested her head on his chest for a moment and breathed, relaxed—then caleb came back in and she continued dressing the salad with drew's arms still around her.
they ate "like french people", drew had declared, and laughed; caleb dug up a bunch of old photos from somewhere in cami's apartment, and they looked through them with many memories and stories passing between each.
cami couldn't remember feeling this happy since everything that happened, and she didn't want anything to change.
instagram stories
drewstarkey posted 2 photos!
👤 camilledevaux caption:
old photos are fun forever
calebthedv posted 2 photos!
👤 camilledevaux caption:
📍: 2001 (i think)
notes: let's pretend that the photos look like they're old 🤩 also tysm for 8k! all votes & comments mean the world!