Camila's POV
The house was too quiet after Julia left.
I cleaned a bit, made myself a smoothie, then checked my phone—twice. No messages from Anthony. Not that I expected any.
Tyler and Antwan came by just before noon. Tyler carried a bag of chips, Antwan had his hands in his pockets like usual, one headphone dangling out of his hoodie.
"She okay?" Antwan asked immediately.
I nodded. "She went home. She needed space to think. But I told her she could come back anytime."
Tyler tossed the chips on the table. "Did she say anything? Like… where she was gonna be?"
"Yeah. She said she might go down to the creek for a while."
The guys exchanged a quick glance.
"Just to think," I added, giving them a look. "She's not running away."
"Didn't say she was," Tyler replied, grinning. "Just… that spot always meant something to her. Kinda nice she went back."
We sat around the kitchen for a while, making small talk. Tyler stole half my smoothie, Antwan scrolled through his phone, and I just let the quiet of friendship settle around me.
Then Tyler spoke, voice softer. "You and Anthony… you really done?"
I blinked. "You're asking now?"
Antwan leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "We were just wondering. It never made sense. You two had something real. Then suddenly—boom—over."
"It wasn't sudden," I muttered. "He just… didn't choose me. He walked away before we could even talk about anything."
"But you're still looking at him like he's yours," Tyler said, not unkindly.
I looked away.
Antwan added, "We saw him. With some girl. Brunette. Kinda pretty. Curly hair Don't know her name."
Just his type I thought
My stomach turned a little. I hadn't asked about the girl. Hadn't wanted to. I was scared of the answer.
"He can be with whoever he wants," I said carefully. "He's not mine anymore."
"Doesn't mean he doesn't want to be," Tyler said.
I shot him a look. "I'm going to the bank. Then I need groceries. Want to come?"
They declined—thankfully—and I ran my errands. Bank, supermarket, bought too much yogurt again. All the normal things that felt heavy now.
Eventually, I headed toward the creek. I parked and walked the trail until I saw them.
Julia and Anthony.
. He was sitting. They weren't close, not like that, but they were talking. The sight caught me off guard.
I hadn't been expecting him.
Our eyes met.
I gave him a weak smile—polite, distant, unsure. He smiled back, small and hesitant. It hurt, just a little. The way his eyes lingered. The way he looked like he wanted to say something and couldn't.
I didn't interrupt. Just waved at Julia.
A few minutes later, she jogged over, still towel-wrapped and damp.
"What was he doing here?" she asked, breath catching. Not angry. Just… curious.
I shrugged, eyes still on the trail. "Probably the same thing you were. Thinking."
She looked at me, trying to read my face. "How are you?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I saw him, and I smiled. Like my body remembered what to do before my mind could stop it."
Julia smiled faintly, brushing her hair from her face. "It was a nice smile."
"Too nice."
We both laughed.
I added, quieter, "I didn't talk to him. But I felt it, you know? That thing that never really left."
Julia linked her arm in mine. "Maybe it's not supposed to."
I didn't answer.
We just walked back toward the water—together, quiet, the wind humming around us.