The next time they saw each other, her apartment was silent except for the sound of their breathing, punctuated by the occasional sound of traffic outside. Cameron sat on the edge of the couch, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her posture was stiff, her legs restless, shifting from one foot to the other. Jasmine had been pacing, her mind clearly spinning.
She was talking too much again—rambling, words spilling out of her like a torrent. But Cameron couldn't really make sense of it all. It was the same cycle: the complaints about Andrew, the confessions about his insecurities, his mistakes, and how they had long lost whatever connection they'd once shared. But no matter how many times Jasmine spoke of the pain, of the frustration, Cameron could only feel an overwhelming sense of indifference.
"I don't even remember the last time I was happy with him," Jasmine said, almost too loudly, her hands gesturing aimlessly as she talked. "He just... he doesn't get me, Cam. I don't know who he is anymore. He's selfish. He's so fucking selfish, always making everything about himself, and I just... I feel invisible. And then, it's like he doesn't care when I need him to, and when I pull away, he acts like it's my fault!"
Cameron's gaze was fixed on the floor, her mind elsewhere. She had heard this all before. Jasmine had said these exact words a thousand times. It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, and it wouldn't be the last. But something about it—something about the desperation in Jasmine's tone—was starting to grate on Cameron's nerves.
Her patience, usually thin, was wearing even thinner. She stood up slowly, a tightness building in her chest. Her voice, when she spoke, was cold and distant, not at all the way she used to respond. She was done with the game.
"Jas," Cameron interrupted, her voice sharp. "If you're not happy, I don't understand why you don't do something about it. You're too powerful to let someone like him keep you stuck in this miserable situation."
Jasmine froze. The words hit her like a slap. For a brief moment, she couldn't speak. Cameron had never said something like that before. It wasn't comforting. It wasn't the kind of advice Jasmine wanted. It was clear, detached, and cold, a truth that stung.
Jasmine took a step toward Cameron, trying to find some way to soften the harshness that had just slipped out. She opened her mouth, but Cameron wasn't done.
"You can't keep asking people for help if you're not helping yourself," Cameron said, the words coming out in a rush, as though the dam had broken. "You keep coming to me, talking in circles, expecting me to help with this. But you're the one who has to make the change. I can't do it for you."
Jasmine's eyes widened, a flicker of something dark crossing her features. For the first time in what felt like forever, Cameron had refused to be part of her world, her problems, her neediness. Jasmine wasn't used to this, not from Cameron, not anymore. The words hung in the air like a suffocating fog, and for a brief second, she wondered if she had pushed too far.
She took a shaky breath, her emotions beginning to boil beneath the surface.
"Cam... what are you saying?" Jasmine asked, her voice wavering. She was fighting back the sting of panic creeping into her chest, her hands trembling at her sides.
"I'm saying that you need to stop playing the victim," Cameron responded, her voice quieter now but still carrying that edge. "You need to make a choice, Jas. You're the one who can decide if you want to stay in this, or if you want to walk away. But don't ask me to carry that burden with you."
The weight of Cameron's words landed hard, and for a moment, Jasmine didn't know how to respond. She had never seen Cameron like this—there was no pleading in her voice, no comforting presence. It was as though the person she had been leaning on for so long had finally grown a backbone. It terrified her.
Jasmine's breath caught in her throat, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. She felt her chest constricting, her stomach turning with anxiety. No. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. Cameron wasn't supposed to be this distant. She wasn't supposed to push her away like this.
"Cam, please," Jasmine whispered, her voice barely audible, "you're scaring me."
She could feel the panic rising inside her like an unstoppable force, her mind spinning, her heart pounding. She couldn't lose Cameron. Not now. Not after everything.
Jasmine moved toward Cameron, her steps unsteady. She reached for her, her hand trembling as it brushed Cameron's arm. She needed to regain control. She needed to pull Cameron back, to make her stay.
"Please, don't shut me out," Jasmine pleaded, her voice breaking. She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes, threatening to fall. She wasn't ready to lose this—wasn't ready to lose her. "I can't... I don't want to lose you, Cam. I can't... I can't do this without you."
For a brief moment, Cameron stood there, her breath heavy in her chest. There was something desperate in Jasmine's voice now, a vulnerability that she hadn't shown before, and it made Cameron's insides twist in discomfort.
But Jasmine wasn't done yet.
"I—I'm in love with you," Jasmine blurted out, her voice trembling with raw emotion. Her eyes locked onto Cameron's, pleading, terrified. "I'm in love with you. I don't know how or when it happened, but I do. I've always loved you."
The words hung in the air, suspended in the heavy silence that followed. Jasmine's chest heaved, as if the confession had taken everything out of her. Cameron's heart pounded in her chest, her mind scrambling for an answer. But all she could do was stand there, frozen in place.