Congrats, You're In Love!

You're Safe With Me

Cami liked logic. She liked when Point A led to Point B to reach A Conclusion. But this was a conclusion she wasn't completely ready to reach yet.

"Where did I come from, I'm glad you asked," Zack said brightly, as if sensing her contemplative mood. He picked up his paper bags and started to file through them. Cami spotted a lightbulb, a few metal parts and a basket.

"True Value, Ace Hardware and Miniso," Cami said. "And...Nono's?"

"Amazing, as always," Zack exclaimed, pulling a large sugar cookie out of his many paper bags. Ironically, the cookie was heart shaped, and said 'Be Mine.' "Hati tayo, ha. Consider it my contribution to our dinner date."

Juskolord. A man shouldn't throw around words like "be mine" and "date", not in such a tiny space?

"I have to shoot a Miniso-flip as sponsored content this week. I finally got that hardware for the TV console. Seeing those silver handles against all the dark wood and black iron in the living room has been driving me up the wall. I got a refill for the lighter so you can light scented candles again."

"Oh! thank you," Cami said, surprised because she didn't realize that he'd noticed her not being able to light her candles lately. "Ikaw kasi, when will you DIY a candle warmer for me? I did some research..."

He raised a brow doubtfully at her.

"Fine, I did a lot of research," she conceded. "Can you believe there were 16,382 fires in the country, this year? And okay, I know faulty electricity is the number one cause, but open flames are still number three. So I would rather have a candle warmer than a lighter in my bedroom. And I know I could buy one--"

Zack gasped, because his social media profiles all said, "why buy when you can DIY?"

"But then you would react like that," she pointed out.

"I know there's a way to make it, I just have to figure it out," he said in that earnest way of his.

And to be fair to Zack, he always did, figure it out. Which was why he was so close to getting seven hundred thousand followers on Youtube, and more on his IG. "Is that why you've been avoiding me for the last week?"

"Hm?" Cami's voice was suddenly very high pitched. "I haven't. We've both been busy."

"Cami," Zack said, in that tone that let her know that they both knew perfectly well that they knew each other too well to believe that. "But I swear I'll figure out the candle warmer. I'll ask my followers, maybe they could give me some leads."

"The things you do when school's out," Cami teased.

"I know," he groaned, dropping his head so that his curls fell just over his eyes. "Also, would you have any use for a basket pendant light or a plastic vase that looks ceram--shit!"

A sudden jerk of the elevator cut him off mid-speech, and Cami's stomach plummeted to the ground. The elevator went dark. Panic crashed over her like a wave, like an invisible hand had shot out in the dark to squeeze her lungs. Cami's instinct was to reach out for Zack, who wrapped an arm around her, despite her nails digging into his arm, pressing his free hand against the elevator wall behind her to keep them steady.

There was a lurch and a long, horrible groan. Cami was sure she wasn't breathing, because if she breathed she would move too much, and the elevator would crash, and--

"You okay?" he asked, his grip on her waist tightening a little, as if making sure she was still there. "Cami? Breathe for me, please. That's it. Slowly."

She matched her breath with his, watching him carefully. And as her breathing returned to normal, she slowly realized that the lights had come back on, and that the elevator wasn't actually plummeting to the ground. She lifted her head, blinking against the light.

And she found herself in the arms of Zack Watson, for what felt like the first time. Eleven years ago it had been in a perfectly placid, friendly hold. Now, it was...intimate. Special. Calm and assuring.

"Wha--" she said.

Had she ever really looked at him, she wondered? His eyes were still kind, but had a molten, warm edge to them, as if he was looking at something he absolutely desired. Hidden behind long, dark lashes, it was a lethal combination. Say yes, they radiated. I'll make it good.

Zack was all smiles and softness on the outside, but she knew better. She knew he could be really intense when he was working, could glare down anyone who dared hurt the things he loved the most. She could hear him breathe, could hear how fast it was. Saw him bite down on his lower lip, so quick she wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't looking.

It was calming, looking at him. Cami felt her breath even out, her grip on his arms loosening.

"It's okay," he assured her, smiling. His voice was low as his hand brushed across her cheek, almost a flutter. "You're safe with me."

The words settled under her skin and crept into her heart, into that place that always seemed reserved for him. Cami nodded, and blinked away whatever it was she saw, releasing herself from Zack's hold to walk to the opposite corner of the elevator.

Maybe it's time to say it back?