Chapter 18

just so no one is confuse, this is cameron’s first book 

-LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES

Princess Eleanor of Swanville was set to be Queen, but not everyone agrees with her parent’s rules.

Tindra Laven was the youngest assassin to be recruited to the rebellion, and a pretty princess who doesn’t seem to know personal boundaries isn’t going to stop her from completing a mission.

But when a betrayal left both Eleanor and Tindra stranded without a side in the war, they’re left on the sideline, working for an unknown ally. The fate of the kingdom lies on their very hands. That’s if they could put aside their differences and approach the war from a different perspective. 

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“Are you Cameron Elsher?”

Being recognized in a small cafe across her apartment was not something Cameron was used to. She thought she would have an escape from the rain as most people stay indoors in weather like those, but she should’ve known better. She was living in London after all, and those people seemed unfazed by any kind of weather, especially rain.

The brunette pushed her glasses to the top of her head, blinking at the blurriness and cursing herself from forgetting contact… again. “Who’s asking?”

There was a woman standing in front of her. Dark hair falls down her shoulder in waves, and brown eyes that look as if it was reading her every thought. There was a look of embarrassment that flushed across her face, and Cameron eyed the book pressed close to her chest, that looked suspiciously like her debut novel.

“Hi, I’m Emma, I was just wondering if you will sign my copy of the book for me,” she looked shy, and Cameron let out her first smile that day, shutting her laptop with a half made website. She picked up a job straight out of university as a web content manager, it paid nicely, and she felt like a change of scenery would do justice to her second book in progress, as it is set in London. Cameron gestured to sit across from her, cleaning up her paper with scattered notes for the next book.

“Feel free to join me if you want,” Cameron smiled at the woman, who looked like Christmas came early as she took a seat across from her. “I have to admit, I haven’t met a fan on the street before. Not that the book didn’t sell well, it went better than I thought. But I just didn’t expect to get noticed on the street.”

“We’re not on the street,” Emma pointed out somewhat cheekily and Cameron glared half-heartedly.

“You know what I mean,” Cameron waved her arms around, gesturing to this coffee shop. “This place isn’t exactly private. I just mean being known in public is weird.”

Emma placed down her copy of the book on top of the table. “I know what you mean.”

Cameron dug through her backpack for a pen before looking up at Emma expectedly. Emma blushed and handed the book over, her hand fidgeting before she seems to decide to place it on her lap beneath the table. Cameron opened to the first page, signing a signature she had perfected over the years.

“So what do you think of the book?” Cameron looked up with a raised eyebrow as she handed the book back to the other woman. “You know you share a name with one of the characters, right?”

Emma nodded. “I am still a little upset when you killed Emma, I thought she deserved better.”

“Yet others would say she was a villain and deserved death. What made you think that she deserved better?” Cameron placed her elbows on top of the table, leaning forward in anticipation. She had never got a chance to discuss Emma before. Many of her friends had placed Emma as one of their favorite morally grey characters, but never once had she asked them for a reason.

“Well, she was just misunderstood, wasn’t she?” Emma’s eyes lit up excitedly. “She had a valid reason to join the rebellion, the King and Queen did execute her parents for a crime they did not commit. For her it is simply an act of revenge.”

Cameron smiled, and gestured for Emma to continue when the woman stopped to give Cameron a shy glance. “But do you think her action for Azazel was justified?”

“I think she was just a chess piece for Azazel,” Emma placed her hands on top of the book, staring out of the window before looking back and meeting Cameron’s eyes. “It is no secret that Azazel was a master of manipulation, both Eleanor and Tindra fell for his lies as well. They were all pawns. But because Azazel was all she had known for so long, neither Eleanor nor Tindra stood a chance to completely sway her to the light side. I think she died a hero. Afterall, her death did give Eleanor and Tindra a chance to escape.”

“That is a really interesting take on that,” Cameron nodded wistfully, lost in her own mind. Being a writer had always been her dream, but this conversation made the dream feel like a reality. She looked at Emma again, furrowing her brows. “Do you fancy a drink? On me.”

Emma looked at her in disbelief, pointing to herself. Cameron chuckled. “Yes you. You seem really interesting, and I could do well with making a friend in London.”

“First time here?”

“Yep,” Cameron grinned. “Some might call it an impulsive decision but I call it changing the environment. My next book is set in London, and I want to write something accurate. Plus, there was a job offer that I just couldn’t refuse.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “Did a break-up prompt this impulsive decision?”

Cameron gasped, how did this woman- “Can you read my mind? Are you a witch? If you are, I swear I won’t tell anyone. I just started the Harry Potter series, and thought it was fitting to start in London. And now I’m really upset that I wasn’t born a witch.”

“A muggle like you wouldn’t understand,” Emma winked, the shyness from earlier gone. “And no, I can’t read your mind. I guess I’m just really good at reading people.”

“Scarily good,” Cameron raised an eyebrow. “And perhaps I am hiding away from a break-up. It was mutual though, we are still friends. But she has her own path to take, and I have mine. Now about that drink. Personally I’m a latte person, but I’m not judging.”

“Motcha for me,” Emma grinned, and Cameron let out a sign of relief.

“Thank gosh. Do you know my best friend only drinks her coffee black? It is an abomination!”

Emma laughed, and Cameron grinned back before walking towards the counter to order her second cup of coffee. London might not have been her worst idea then.

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Time flies in a new place, and Cameron soon finds herself celebrating her first year of freedom from university. Her friendship with Emma bloomed slowly, and Cameron had laughed for a few minutes when she heard that she was an actress. Maybe she does attract a certain type of person.

But Emma was the one who laughed at Cameron when she finished the Harry Potter series and started the movies, only to come face to face with her friend on the screen. “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU WERE HERMIONE GRANGER! Look who’s famous now!”

Cameron giggled as she threw herself onto Emma’s lap. Emma rolled her eyes. “It barely seems relevant, and it’s nice to not be recognized, that way I know you actually want to be my friend, and not just for the fame.”

“I can never look at you the same again,” Cameron hid her face in Emma’s shirt. “Now I’m going to expect you to magic us everywhere.”

“You do know that magic isn’t real, right?” Emma looked down at Cameron. “As much as I wish I could do magic, most of those are CGI. They aren’t real.”

Cameron groaned. “Shut up, let me live this childhood that I somehow missed.”

Emma laughed but remained quiet for the rest of the film.

They made Wednesday their weekly movie nights whenever Emma was in town, which was more often than not, which led to another conversation as Cameron’s curiosity grew.

“So what did you study at Brown?”

Emma looked up from the pasta she was trying to cook. Cameron was doing her third re-read of her novel, trying to note plot holes and making final edits. She situated herself on the kitchen island, giving Emma a look. “I mean I know you’re smart, and I know you graduated from Brown, but you never told me what you studied.”

Emma bites her lips. “You’re going to laugh at me.”

“I have a creative writing degree, love. Nothing can make me laugh at you,” Cameron grinned. “Why? Did you study history or something? I would expect you to study acting but you don’t seem to do that often. And you have an office job that pays too.”

Emma put the finishing touches on the pasta and placed them on the plate. “I graduated with a English Literature degree. And I actually just quit that office job.”

“What? Why?” Cameron gasped, ignoring the pasta being placed in front of her. “You seem to love that job.”

“Well, I did. But the boss was seriously pissing me off, and I have enough money to live comfortably before I need to find another job again, so I quit,” Emma shrugged. Cameron gasped. Her job pays well enough, and her first book went better than she ever thought possible, which gives her a good enough income. But not having an active job still scares the shit out of Cameron.

“Well, you can always co-author one of my books. You give me enough free ideas as it is,” Cameron exclaimed. Emma made herself a plate before taking a seat beside Cameron on the counter.

“And you offered your home to me whenever I needed it,” Emma shrugged. “I am more than grateful. Though you should really invest in a second bedroom, I know you have a huge bed, but I always wake up with your hair in my mouth.”

Cameron gasped in offense. “Excuse you! You are the one who always cuddles me to sleep. And if you’re gonna quit your job, you might as well move in with me. There’s no use in keeping an apartment you barely use. Look around, half of your stuff is here.”

Truth to be told, Cameron wasn’t sure when that happened, but at one point it just became nature to see Emma there. They never defined their relationship, but they weren’t dating. Emma is straight, as she had said many times before, it was just a close friendship, it almost felt as if she was a sister she never had.

“I’ll think about it,” Emma took a bite of her pasta. “And you should really take a rest. I’ve read that book over a million times, it is perfect.”

“You sure? Cause I feel like there’s still so many things I can change and-” Cameron yelped when she found a spoonful of pasta shoved into her mouth.

“Eat first, worry later.”

“You’re such a mom,” Cameron rolled her eyes, biting into the pasta. A new notification on her phone stole her attention and she froze when she saw the name on the screen.

Taylor Swift

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i love cliffhangers- 

i think there might be one or two more chapter before we close the red era and dive headfirst, fearless into the 1989 era

i hope you loved this chapter, i know it’s a bit different and more cameron focused. lemme know what you think about it! 

~ kathy