The next few months passed in a blur of warmth and indulgence. Cameron had never felt more secure, more certain, more head-over-heels in love. Every day with Jasmine was an affirmation that this was the way things were always meant to be. The doubt that had lingered in the early days of their relationship had faded into the background, overshadowed by the dazzling light of Jasmine's presence.
Jasmine became more enchanting by the day, slipping effortlessly into every crevice of Cameron's life. It was as if she had always been there, a part of her, a missing piece that finally clicked into place. Cameron often found herself just staring at her, in awe of how she moved through the world—how she tied her hair up in the morning, how her voice lilted when she spoke about something she loved, how she touched Cameron absentmindedly, her fingers tracing patterns on her skin like she was memorizing her.
It was real now. This wasn't a fantasy she had built in her head. Jasmine was hers, and Cameron was Jasmine's.
The thought filled her with a high unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was intoxicating, consuming, and yet… grounding.
With the security of their relationship now solidified, Cameron wanted to do something grand—something extravagant to show Jasmine just how much she adored her. The idea struck her one morning as she watched Jasmine sleep, her face serene, her fingers curled lightly against Cameron's pillow. She wanted to give her something unforgettable, an experience that would cement this moment in time forever.
A trip.
Not just any trip, but something more than their previous little getaway. This one would be a true escape, a celebration of them. Somewhere luxurious, where they could be entirely wrapped up in each other without the weight of the real world pressing in. Somewhere Jasmine would never see coming.
Cameron spent the next few weeks discreetly planning, scrolling through destinations late at night when Jasmine was asleep beside her. Every detail had to be perfect. She considered Paris, but then dismissed it—too cliché. Greece? Maybe, but she wanted somewhere more intimate. Then she found it: a secluded island resort, small and exclusive, where the days were golden and the nights stretched into infinity. A paradise just for the two of them.
She started budgeting, working out the logistics. It would be a surprise, down to the very moment they stepped onto the plane. She imagined the look on Jasmine's face when she found out, the wide-eyed wonder, the way she'd turn to Cameron with that smile that made her feel like the most special person in the world.
Cameron had never been this sure of anything.
Jasmine was her soulmate.
Hadn't the universe been guiding her toward this all along? From the moment they met, Cameron had felt it—the pull, the inevitability. And now, finally, it was all coming to fruition. Jasmine was hers in every way that mattered. She felt owned, in the most delicious way, the kind of ownership that made her heart race and her breath hitch. She would do anything to keep Jasmine happy, to keep this perfect world intact.
But, beneath all the sweetness, there was something else. Something unspoken.
A shadow, thin and creeping, just at the edges of her bliss.
It was in the way Jasmine looked at her sometimes, when she thought Cameron wasn't paying attention. An expression that flickered too fast to catch, something sharp and knowing. It was in the way Jasmine's touch sometimes lingered a second too long, like she was ensuring Cameron was still caught in her web. It was in the way she never asked what Cameron was doing on her phone at night but always seemed to know.
Cameron ignored it.
She didn't want to ruin this.
And besides, Jasmine was perfect. Jasmine loved her.
This time, her delusions weren't just fantasies. They were real.
Weren't they?