Never Say Never Rachael Sommers (story read aloud txt) 📖

sat down. Her sister better behave because when Emily had sent a text that Camila was coming too, the reply had simply been a line of exclamation points. “Good to see you again.”

“You too.” Camila sipped her scotch and turned around to look at the stage. The dim lighting cast shadows across her face, and God, she was gorgeous.

Once the music started, it was too loud to talk. When Cassie and Maia threaded into the crowd to dance, Emily and Camila moved to the other side of the table so they could watch the band. Emily stole glances at Camila every few minutes until Camila caught her, their eyes meeting. Emily quickly looked away, back to the band on stage.

They weren’t great, but they weren’t terrible either, and it wasn’t the worst Friday night she’d ever had, especially with Camila by her side.

When the people at the next table got up, they jostled Emily, and Camila steadied her with a hand on her waist. Her fingers slipped under Emily’s jacket, brushing against bare skin, the music drowning out her gasp.

“Are you okay?” Camila tilted her head back so she could look Emily in the eye. Her fingertips still burned against Emily’s side.

“I… Yeah.” It was a miracle she could form words at all with Camila touching her, and Emily didn’t know whether to curse at the guy or thank him when he knocked into her again, pressing her even closer to Camila until she was practically pinned to the wall, surrounded by the Camila’s perfume. “I…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Camila spoke softly as her eyes dipped to Emily’s lips. Her pulse hammered at the side of her neck when she swallowed.

The whole night felt like a date, and if it were, this would be the moment when, with Camila’s lips so achingly close to hers, Emily would lean over to kiss her. She struggled to remember why that was a terrible idea.

The sudden applause as the band finished a song made Emily jump. She had lost herself completely in Camila’s eyes. Camila removed her hand from Emily’s waist to clap.

“I…I’m going to go get us another drink.” Camila cleared her throat and walked away, leaving Emily alone at the table, too dazed to respond.

She was still processing what had happened, wondering whether the look in Camila’s eyes had been longing or if that was just what she wished it was, when a woman with dark hair and brown eyes approached.

“Pretty good set, right?” she asked, raising her voice to be heard over the next song.

“Yeah, they’re all right.”

“They’re a lot better than some of the bands they’ve had in here. This your first time? I think I’d remember if I’d seen you here before.” She leaned in closer. She was pretty, but she was nothing compared to Camila.

“Uh, yeah, this is more my sister’s scene than mine. I’m just tagging along.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

People coming on to her made her feel awkward, it always had, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

“I actually have one on the way.” She gestured vaguely toward where Camila had melted into the crowd.

“Oh, sorry. Is the blonde your girlfriend?”

“Uh no, definitely not.” Only in her dreams. “But I’m not really looking for one right now.”

“Who said anything about a girlfriend?” the woman said with a suggestive smile, and Emily flushed.

“I, um…” She trailed off as she caught a glimpse of Camila over the woman’s head—she stood frozen, a drink in each hand, her face dark, but as her eyes met Emily’s, her expression shifted. She downed her drink in one gulp, then set Emily’s on the table.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said to the brunette, though she didn’t sound sorry at all. “Emily, I think I’m going to go home. I still have work to do, after all.”

“Camila, wait—” But Camila slipped away, and Emily took off after her without even offering the brunette an apology. She caught up with her outside, where she stood with her phone in hand, foot tapping impatiently, no doubt waiting for her driver. “Camila, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She didn’t look up from her phone, her face impassive. It was like staring at a brick wall. “I have work to do, and you should be talking to attractive women who want to sleep with you.”

“But I…I don’t want to do that.” Emily reached for Camila, brushing her fingers against her bare forearm. Emily’s touch made Camila look up, but her expression was unreadable. Even under the horrible neon lights flashing the name of the bar, she was beautiful. “I wanted to spend the evening with you.” She spoke the heavy words softly, probably revealing too much, but it was too late to bite them back. “I…I thought we were having fun.”

“Emily…” Camila’s voice sounded pained, but Emily kept her hand on her arm. Camila ran her tongue along her bottom lip. “You should really go back inside.”

“I don’t want to,” Emily said, shaking her head, emboldened by the alcohol running through her veins and the fact that Camila had not yet moved away. She wanted Camila to understand that she didn’t want to be with anyone that wasn’t her.

“What do you want, Emily?”

Oh, that was a dangerous question, and Emily suspected from the glint in her eye and the way she tilted up her jaw that Camila knew it too.

If it was a dangerous question, the answer was even more dangerous, and before she could talk herself out of it, Emily leaned down and brushed Camila’s lips with hers. It was brief, chaste, and she felt Camila kiss her back for one quick second before she remembered what she was doing. She stiffened, and Emily stepped away.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Emily put her face in her hands, absolutely mortified. “I—”

“It’s quite all right, Emily.” Camila cut her off as she smoothed down her blouse. “Let’s just blame the alcohol, shall we?”

Emily opened her mouth to reply, but Camila held the floor.

“I think… I think there’s been some