CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CAM THE PLANT EXPERT
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SAPPHIRE HAIR WAS SPRAWLED ACROSS THE
dark grey cushions as app after app was opened and then closed on Freya's phone. It wasn't until the fourth rotation in five minutes that Freya let out a sigh locking her phone and setting it on her sternum. The sunlight had cast a soft glow over the room, illuminating all the naked shelves Freya had yet to fill despite living in this home for months now. It's emptiness felt like a reflection of her own self in this moment.
She stared at the blank spaces in contemplation, trying her best to envision what she could fill the spaces with. She wanted something that would liven up the space, make it feel a little more like home. Somewhere her thoughts couldn't loom and expand until the room was shrouded in darkness and the air wouldn't be syphoned from her lungs.
Her eyes widened in excitement as she envisioned the perfect additions, knowing exactly who to call to help her find the ideal choices. In light speed, she scoops her phone back up from its resting place and opens the conversation.
SHORT KING
11:38: are you busy?
11:39: not at the moment
everything okay?
Her stomach swirled at his immediate concern, picturing his pinched brows as we waits for her answer. She almost feels guilty for not phrasing her text differently.
11:40: wanna do some shopping
with me today?
11:40: my house looks sad and
I need help making it happier
11:41: I'd love to :) pick
you up in ten?
11:41: see u soon ;)
Freya scrambles up from her couch, forgetting her not-fully-healed ankle and absolutely eating shit on her living room floor. She winces from the pain, muttering curses as she slowly pulls herself up and hobbles her way into the bathroom. She recoils at the sight of her hair, how could she forget it was hair wash day?
She sprays her hair down with dry shampoo, growing more and more frustrated as her roots don't seem to look any less greasy. Tossing the can absentmindedly behind herself, she separates her hair down the middle. She ties off her two braids and tosses on a beanie in hopes it will hide the monstrosity on top of her head.
She checks the time on her phone, shaking her hands in panic. There's NO WAY it's already been five minutes. She quickly rifles through her cosmetic bag, ferociously dabbing concealer where she needs it and coating her lashes with a decent layer of mascara. Her phone buzzes from its place on the counter but she doesn't hear it, ripping her shirt from her body on the way to her bedroom.
She grabs for a simple black skirt and slouchy sock, sliding those on as she tears through her closet for a sweater to match. She freezes at the sound of a knock on her door. Her bones are buzzing so much with excitement she grabs the grey sweater from the hanger in front of her and limps over to her front door. She starts to open it with a wide, gleaming smile.
Camren looks up from his phone with a smile of his own but as his eyes meet hers, her face drops. She scrambles to cover her chest with the sweater still clutched in her hands. Her face and body are on fire and she wishes the world would open beneath her and swallow her whole.
Camren's brows furrow before his eyes catch her movement. His mouth is agape and he flushes red, quickly clearing his throat and pivoting away from her. His blue eyes bounce back and forth between her front porch and her half covered form peeking from the doorway.
"Uhm, c-come on in. I'll be out in just a second." She stutters out, fleeing to her bedroom. As she shuts the bedroom door behind herself, she presses her back to it and knocks her head on it a couple times.
"What the fuck, Freya?!" she whispers to herself. She slides the sweater over her head, running her hands over her face. She gives herself a second to take a few deep breaths, using the time to lessen the embarrassment when she finally emerges from the room.
Once she steps out, she wears a small smile on her face. Camren, who's still very pink in the face, greets her with the same smile he held when she initially opened the door. And without missing a single beat just asks her;
"What kind of house things are we looking for that you trust me as a sidekick?"
Relief washed over Freya like a tidal wave. Her smile doubled in size as she grabbed her shoe and sat beside him on the couch. She bends over to start putting it on but is stopped by Camren swiping it from her hands. He kneels in front on her, patting his knees for her to rest her foot.
"I have all these empty shelves around and as much as I love books I think some plants would make it feel more.. homey, you know?" He carefully slides the boot onto her foot, tapping the heel to make sure her foot is fully in. He glances around and nods before lacing up her boot.
"I have some ideas that might be lovely. Your place is already great, but I can understand wanting to fill the spaces."
. * ✦ . ⁺ .⁺
Camren and Freya strolled through the local plant shop side by side, occasionally bumping shoulders or hands as they stayed lost in conversation. The air was thick with humidity and many sweet old women bustled around them, grabbing up several pots of indoor plants for the incoming winter season.
"So before we start choosing, I have t' ask how much care you think you consistently can put into them." Freya gives a nervous chuckle, scratching her head.
"Uuhhhhm, I have a hard time remembering to feed myself so probably anything low maintenance." Camren whips his head in her direction.
"You what?" Freya shrinks a little under his gaze, offering a smile while fidgeting with her fingers.
"Well, I just start doing things and sometimes if I stop doing the thing I'm doing, I won't finish it. So I just try to finish it as fast as I can so I can go make food but sometimes the hungry feeling goes away and then I start another task and then I can't stop that task so the cycle repeats. Once I get a little dizzy though, I go and grab like a granola bar to make it through what I'm doing and then get food after." Freya rambles.
Camren raises his eyebrows throughout her explanation, more and more flabbergasted by the woman before him. He shakes his head, smacking his lips. "No, we're not gonna have you doing that anymore."
"What? Why, I mean I eat. It's just, a little complicated." Freya pouts. Camren's stern expression melts for just a moment at her round hazel eyes but quickly hardens again when he remembers what they were talking about.
"No. Not good, not happening." He points a finger at her. "Now, some really beautiful plants that would work for you would probably be devil's ivy and probably a snake plant. Those both would look stunning with the decor you already have at home." He starts to make his way to a corner of the greenhouse.
He reaches a hand backwards and grasps her hand in his, lacing their fingers as he guides her. Freya's glancing around at the varying colored plants as they go when she takes notice of an older couple watching her and Camren. They offer a sweet smile to her and a wave that she returns, though suddenly paranoid there's something a mess with her appearance.
"Cam," he hums, immediately twisting his head back to her. "Is there anything wrong with how I look today?" He's taken a back by the question but still takes the chance to give her a once over. She steps away from him, doing a small spin.
"Not at all, Frey. You look beautiful." He turns back to the section of plants, immediately returning to his search. Freya looks back to the couple, their eyes still pinned on them. She offers another smile with the contact and then twists back around. She rests her head on Camren's shoulder, pointing to a pot towards the back.
"That one looks like it's in good condition, right?" Camren can't help the grin spreading across his face. The devil's ivy she had pointed out was in fact in practically perfect condition. To anyone's eye there were plenty that would suffice, but only someone familiar would be able to tell that that one was the one.
"Great eye, darling." He drawls.
"Excuse me." A soft voice says behind them, they both turn to see the same couple that had been watching from afar. "So sorry to bother, my husband and I just couldn't help but notice you two. You see, you remind us an awful lot of us in the early years of our marriage." The woman smiled sweetly, gently grasping her husband's hand.
"It's not often I see someone look at a woman the way you do her."
"And her him!" Camren crosses his arms with a soft chuckle, while Freya waves her hands in front of herself with a chuckle to match.
"Oh, we aren't, uhm," Freya stutters.
"She's not my, yeah." Camren tries to add. The couple simply laughs, giving each other knowing glances.
"Our apologies for assuming." The husband says.
"You two would make a very lovely couple though." His wife adds as they turn to walk away. Freya and Camren share a look, a million expressions flashing across their faces within the couple seconds.
"Right, let's find you a snake plant for that other shelf." Camren says, lacing his fingers with hers once again as they head over to another section.
. * ✦ . ⁺ .⁺
"What is your favorite ice cream flavor?" Camren asks as they sit across from each other at the ice cream parlor. Freya's gaze is set on scooping massive spoonfuls of her hot fudge brownie ice cream.
"That's such a hard question!" She turns to him, tapping her chin with her pointer finger. "It really depends on my mood, but I'd never be mad at getting these flavors. Uhhhmmm, I like coffee flavored ice cream-"
"Coffee??" Camren laughs. "How very fitting for the little barista."
"Yeah, yeah." Freya rolls her eyes. "Chocolate is always a safe flavor. Oh! Ben and Jerry's has this amazing s'mores one that I literally practically nut every time I eat it." Freya's eyes roll back in bliss at the thought of it. Camren is taken a back by her language, tossing his head back in laughter.
"You fuckin' what?! Excuse me?!" Freya rests her head on the table in laughter.
"You heard what I said! There's children around, I'm not repeating myself."
"I cannot believe you." Camren shakes his head, taking a bite of his mint chocolate chip ice cream. The pair fall into a comfortable silence together while they eat. Though Camren can't help the giggle that escapes him when he looks up to Freya and she has a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth.
"What?" Her eyes double in size, panic filling hazel.
"Come here." He beckons her with two fingers. As soon as she's within reach, he swipes his thumb over the corner of her lips. She frowns at the sight of the chocolate. He offers his thumb to her. She blinks owlishly at his outstretched hand until he shakes it slightly at her. "Here."
She leans forward, wrapping her lips around his thumb and swirling her tongue around to clean up the remnants. Camren's smile dissipates as his eyes go half lidded. His mouth falls open slightly, Freya's eyes never leave his.
Even after she pulls away, his hand still hovers above the table. He blinks twice, retracting his arm. He pulls his hoodie over his head, exposing the brightly colored bottom of his stomach tattoo for just a moment. He bunches up his hoodie and places it over his lap, continuing with his ice cream.
"You okay?" Freya asks, noticing the shift in his behavior. He nods a couple times, swallowing his spoonful of ice cream before responding.
"Yeah. Yeah, just really warm in here."