Full of Promise

by Kate Gavin

  Riley squeezed Cam’s hand. “I know. You’re right. I just want to be able to support you.”

  “Well, once I decide when, just be there for me afterward, especially if it goes badly.”

  “You don’t have anything to worry about. I will be there no matter what,” she said with a final squeeze of Cam’s hand.

  “Thanks, Riley. Ready to get out of here?”

  “Sure. Let’s go.”

  After returning to Cam’s, they chatted with her mom about their night before saying goodnight and heading up to Cam’s bedroom.

  Riley grabbed her pajamas. As she lifted her sweater over her head, Cam stopped and stared. Riley’s abs flexed as her arms stretched above her head. Cam slowly lifted her gaze, imagining the sight that lay underneath Riley’s sports bra. Her gaze traveled north—until her eyes locked on Riley’s. She realized she had been caught. Blushing profusely, she turned around to change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

  Once they brushed their teeth, Cam asked, “Do you want to just lie around for a while? Maybe watch some TV?”

  “Sure,” Riley replied as she got under the covers. Cam crawled in next to her and curled up to Riley, putting her head on Riley’s shoulder and wrapping her arm around her waist. Riley pulled the tie out of Cam’s hair, put it on her wrist, and lazily brushed her fingers through Cam’s hair.

  Cam turned on the TV and flipped through channels until she found a Friends rerun. They lay there in silence for several minutes, relishing the warmth of each other. “I had a good time tonight,” Cam said softly.

  “I’m glad. Sorry I didn’t pick a more romantic place. It was hard to compete with my birthday dinner.”

  “You thought that night was romantic?”

  “Yeah, I guess I did. I mean, I knew it wasn’t really a date or anything, even though I hoped it was.”

  “You did?”

  “Of course. I told you I had a crush on you since day one.”

  “I know.”

  “Speaking of that night, when you made me blow out the candle on my birthday ice cream, I did make a wish.”

  “What was it?”

  “Well, I guess I can tell you since it came true.” Riley slipped her hand under Cam’s shirt and caressed the skin just above the waistband of her shorts.

  “It did, huh?” She leaned up on her elbow to look down at Riley.

  “Yep. I wished that you were my girlfriend.”

  Cam rose a little more and rested her hand on Riley’s abdomen. “Is that what I am?”

  “Do you want to be?”

  Cam smiled brightly. “Definitely.”

  “Good. Me too.”

  Cam laid her head on Riley’s shoulder and curled around her. Her cheeks hurt from the wide smile that wouldn’t fade. Comfortable silence returned, as did Riley’s fingers in her hair.

  The show ended, but before Cam could let Riley’s touch lull her to sleep, she took a deep breath and slowly released it. Then she quietly asked, “Was Abby the first girl you had sex with?”

  “Yes, and the only one.”

  Cam cleared her throat. “So…what’s it like having sex with a girl?”

  “Are you talking feelings or mechanics?”

  Cam blushed. “Um, both?”

  Riley turned and faced her. She brushed a lock of hair behind Cam’s ear before trailing her hand down Cam’s side and resting it on her hip.

  “Well, I haven’t had sex with a guy, so I have no comparison. The first couple times we fumbled around a lot because we had no idea what we were doing, but I’m guessing it’s the same when both people are virgins. Mechanically, you just do what feels good.”

  Riley paused and locked eyes with Cam. “Like kissing,” she said as she brushed her lips against Cam’s.

  Cam wrapped her arms around the back of Riley’s neck and pulled her closer. She held Riley firmly enough that as Cam rolled onto her back, Riley rolled on top of her and straddled Cam’s hips.

  Riley broke the kiss and whispered, “And touching.” She slowly trailed kisses down Cam’s neck as one hand grazed the outside of Cam’s breast—and Cam gasped.

  She gently lifted the bottom of Cam’s T-shirt until it exposed most of her abdomen. Riley skimmed her fingers across Cam’s stomach before peppering Cam’s bare skin with warm and tender kisses that made Cam’s stomach contract in the most delicious way.

  As Riley’s lips moved lower, Cam let out a strangled whisper. “Oh God.”

  Just as Riley reached the waistband of Cam’s shorts, she stopped and slid back up, so they were face-to-face again. She wore a mischievous grin and said with a shrug, “Or, ya know, whatever.” She leaned down for a final, chaste kiss before rolling off Cam and lying on her side.

  Cam lay there, staring at the ceiling and struggling to catch her breath. She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Riley. “You are so evil.”

  Riley quietly chuckled. “Sorry.”

  “I don’t know if I actually believe you,” Cam muttered as she curled into Riley’s side yet again.

  Riley laughed again and squeezed Cam’s hip in response. “I am. I wasn’t trying to get you too worked up. I just think it’s a good idea if we wait awhile.”

  “Okay.” Cam paused for a beat and asked hesitantly, “So, that’s all there is to it, huh?”

  “Hey,” Riley said. She placed her hand under Cam’s chin and looked her in the eye. “It is. Just talk to me, Cam. I probably won’t be able to answer every question, but I’ll try. I don’t want you to feel pressured when we have sex.”

  Cam nodded. “So, it’s when, not if?”

  Riley smiled. “Oh, it’s definitely when. You gotta know how much I want you. You’re smart, caring, funny, and hot as hell. So, yes, it is most certainly when.”

  Never one to take compliments easily, Cam blushed with the praise and averted her gaze. “Okay,” she muttered again, not knowing what to say.

  Riley lightly squeezed Cam’s chin until she looked back at her. “Okay, then.” Their lips met in a reaffirming and lingering kiss. Riley pulled away and said, “But when we finally do, it’s going to be great.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Cam got in Claire’s car the Friday before Valentine’s Day, Claire asked, “Do you have any plans for Valentine’s?”

  While she hadn’t talked to Riley about it yet, Cam wouldn’t have been able to tell Claire that she had plans with her girlfriend, but she would have to play it off as just two friends celebrating being single. “I’m not sure. I’ll probably just see if Riley wants to hang out.”

  “Do you want me to try and find you a date? I mean, you’ve been broken up with Danny for a while now. You should try dating again,” Claire said gently.

  “No, that’s okay.”

  “I can find a date for Riley too, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Oh, I don’t think she likes celebrating Valentine’s Day, so I doubt she’d want to do that.” Cam looked out her window because she couldn’t look at Claire and lie. She honestly had no idea what Riley’s feelings were about the holiday, but she needed to avoid going on a triple date. That had disaster written all over it.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. You go out with Luke, and Riley and I will hang out if she wants.”

  “Okay.” As Claire pulled into her parking space, she shut off the car, but sat there gripping the steering wheel. “You guys seem to hang out a lot.”

  Warning bells blared. She knew she had to remain calm and neutral so Claire wouldn’t suspect anything. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

  “That’s good,” she said a bit curtly.

  “Are you jealous?”

  “No…okay, maybe a little.”

  “No offense, Claire, but you haven’t exactly been that available lately.”

  Claire placed her hands in her lap and stared at them. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sure I was like that when I was dating Danny.” Just like how I am
with Riley now. Cam cringed inside. She was skirting the truth with Claire and even trying to put the blame back on her. She could see Claire was upset that they hadn’t hung out as much lately, but she didn’t know whether it would make it better or worse if Claire knew the real reason she spent so much time with Riley. “You really love him, don’t you?”

  Claire smiled. “I really do. It’s crazy, huh?”

  “I don’t think so. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks, Cam. And, I promise I will get better at finding time to hang out with you. I know I need to make more of an effort, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Claire gave her a quick hug. “Ugh, let’s go get another school day over with.”

  * * *

  For Valentine’s Day, Riley and Cam decided not to go out. Since they couldn’t openly be a couple, they thought it was pointless to go out on a night made for couples. Instead, Cam invited Riley to spend the night. Cam’s mom was working because she knew it would be a good night for tips. Cam also suspected that her mom didn’t want to sit at home and think about her divorce.

  Because her brothers were also home, Cam opted for video games and junk food. By the time Riley arrived, she and her brothers had set up the living room with the controllers laid out on the coffee table next to bags of chips and pretzels, and cans of pop. Cam opened the door to let Riley in, but checked to make sure her brothers were occupied before gently kissing Riley. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  “You too.” Riley placed her bag at the bottom of the stairs and took off her coat, hanging it up in the closet. “So, what’s the plan?”

  They took a seat on the couch with Josh and Ethan sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. “Eating a bunch of crap while we beat my brothers in Mario Kart.”

  “Hey!” Ethan yelled. “That is so not happening!”

  “Bring it on!” Riley said.

  For a few hours, Josh and Ethan tried to gang up on Cam and Riley. After a while, they decided to switch it up and Riley moved to the floor to play next to Ethan while Josh joined Cam on the couch.

  As Cam watched Riley conspiring and whispering with Ethan, warmth spread throughout her. She was always amazed at how Riley made her feel when they were alone together, but she was equally happy to see her easily getting along with her brothers. Family was extremely important, and having her girlfriend fit into that life made Cam fall for her even more.

  Wait. Fall for her? Cam knew she felt strongly for Riley, but she didn’t think she could fall in love this quickly. It took her five months to say it to Danny. She was a little scared that her heart was moving too fast.

  “Cam, you know you’re running into the wall, right?”

  She jerked her head up to see that her character was in fact driving straight into a wall. “Oh, whoops. Guess I got distracted.”

  They finished that round with Josh as the winner. Before he could start another game, Cam said, “It’s getting late, guys. Let’s clean up and head to bed.”

  “Oh, come on, Cam,” Ethan whined, a clear sign he was also tired.

  “No, you guys need to be in bed before Mom comes home. It’s already past eleven. Help me clean up this place.”

  “Fine,” Ethan muttered as he shut off the system and put the controllers on a shelf on the TV stand.

  They all pitched in and gathered the trash and half-full bags of snacks and took them into the kitchen. With mutters of goodnight, her brothers headed upstairs for bed. Cam made sure everything was neat enough for her mom, and she turned off the overhead light, leaving a lamp on so her mom could see when she got home. Riley picked up her bag and followed Cam upstairs. They took turns getting into their pajamas and brushing their teeth.

  As Cam closed her door, she noticed Riley sitting on her bed holding a small box. “Whatcha got there?”

  “It’s for you.”

  “What? I thought we weren’t getting each other anything.”

  “I know, but I saw this and thought it would look good on you, so I thought tonight would be a perfect time to give it to you.”

  “But I don’t have anything for you.”

  “No worries.”

  Cam sat next to Riley and took the box from her hand. When she opened it, she saw a rose gold necklace with a small crescent moon pendant. She took it out of the box and handed it to Riley. “It’s beautiful. Can you put it on me?”

  After Riley clasped the ends together, she placed a light kiss on the back of Cam’s neck. “Like it?”

  Cam held the pendant between her fingers. “I love it. I’m sorry again that I didn’t get you anything.”

  “You’re all I need, Cam,” she whispered as she leaned in for a kiss.

  Cam pulled back with a smile. “Back at ya.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cam thought fall semester was busy, but spring semester seemed to fly by because of everything she had going on. Spring break was only a couple weeks away, and while other seniors had started slacking off, she was trying to maintain her GPA so she wouldn’t lose the scholarship she had been awarded by a local business.

  On top of that, she picked up more hours at the library to earn extra cash in preparation for everything she needed for college. Claire had also been busy with school, and of course, Luke. Unfortunately, their dating was still putting a damper on Cam’s friendship with Claire, and Claire hadn’t yet made any effort to hang out more. But Cam couldn’t really fault her for it, seeing as she spent most of her free time with Riley.

  Since it was Friday, Riley gave Cam a ride home because Claire had a standing date with Luke. They said hi to Cam’s brothers in the living room and quickly headed upstairs to her bedroom. As soon as Riley closed the door, Cam gently pushed Riley against it. Her hands traveled up Riley’s arms, across her shoulders, and up her neck until she cradled her face, lightly brushing her thumbs over her cheeks. Cam looked into her eyes and whispered, “You are so beautiful.”

  Riley gave Cam a shy smile as Cam kissed her tenderly, in a way that—she hoped—conveyed how much Riley meant to her. All Cam wanted to do was memorize the softness of her lips and the warmth of her skin. After several minutes, Cam reluctantly broke the kiss, needing to catch her breath, and she leaned her forehead against Riley’s.

  Cam cleared her throat. “Slow. We’re supposed to be going slow. Um, want to watch a movie?”

  “S-sure. Your turn to pick.”

  While Cam looked through all the titles, Riley wrapped an arm around her waist and brushed the hair off Cam’s neck, lightly kissing her just below her ear. “I thought we were stopping?” Cam asked with amusement in her voice.

  “Sorry. Can’t help myself,” Riley said softly as she trailed light kisses down Cam’s neck.

  Cam turned and rested her forearms on Riley’s shoulders, burying her hands in her hair.

  “You’re not sorry at all.”

  Riley was sporting her knowing grin as she stared at Cam’s lips. “You’re right. I’m not,” she replied in a slightly husky voice as she leaned in for a bruising kiss. Riley grasped Cam’s waist and pushed her back, so she was practically sitting on her desk with Riley standing between her legs. Goosebumps broke out across Cam’s skin as Riley slowly moved her hands underneath Cam’s T-shirt and up her sides. Cam moaned—and they heard a gasp.

  “What the fuck?”

  They pulled apart and looked toward the door.

  “Claire,” Cam whispered.

  Claire’s jaw dropped open as she continued staring. Riley stepped backward and Cam stood and straightened out her shirt, but before she could explain, Claire bolted down the stairs.

  “Claire! Wait!”

  Cam ran down the stairs, hearing her mom ask Claire if everything was okay. She didn’t answer but rushed out the front door. As Cam hit the bottom of the stairs, her mom came up to her with confusion and concern etched across her face.

  “What was that all about?” She looked to Cam and then to Riley, who had followed Cam down the stairs, and back to
Cam again.

  Cam was sure she had that deer-in-headlights look since she was too stunned to speak. Finally, Riley spoke up. “Cam?”

  Cam shook her head to clear it and looked at Riley, both of their eyes full of fear. “You should go.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Cam nodded. She watched Riley hesitate and then finally accept the fact that it wasn’t a good idea to stay.

  “Okay. Call me later.” She grabbed her backpack and headed out the door.

  “Cam, what happened?” her mom asked as soon as the front door closed.

  “Nothing. I’ll be upstairs.”

  She turned to go, but her mom grabbed her wrist. “Oh, no you don’t. Go sit in the kitchen. You’re going to tell me what’s been up with you lately.”

  Hesitantly, Cam made her way into the kitchen and sat at the table. She couldn’t look at her mom, so she just stared at her hands. She was having a hard time processing what just happened. She was trying not to panic, hoping she hadn’t ruined her friendship with Claire. Plus, she knew her mom wasn’t going to let her leave until she heard the truth, and Cam didn’t think she could lie anymore about who she was. Tears stung her eyes before they trailed down her face.

  “Cameron, what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t,” Cam whispered as she took in a shaky breath.

  “Can’t what?”

  “Mom…I…um…”

  “Whatever it is, just tell me,” her mother replied, and Cam heard the underlying fear in her voice.

  “I’m bi,” she whispered. Holy shit, did I just admit that? That was the first time she had said it out loud to anyone other than Riley.

  “Bi? What do you mean?”

  “I’m bisexual, Mom.”

  Her mom let out an incredulous laugh. “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am. I figured it out a few months ago. In the back of my mind, I always knew I found other girls attractive. I just forced myself to ignore it before, but I don’t want to hide it anymore. I can’t.”

  “It’s just a phase, Cam. You’re still upset about Danny, but you’ll get over it and you’ll meet some new guys once you get to college.”