Burn In Hell Or Heaven On Earth?

Burn in hell, baby.1

Those were the last words she ever spoke to him. Or she had ever spoken to him. But they didn't have to be the last words. She knew the second she'd spat them in his face and whipped around to run to her car and weep, she regretted them. 2

When she finally stopped shaking, and got out of the car to apologize to him, she swore under her breath. 'Burn in hell'? she asked herself. 'Who says that anymore?' But the other part of her, however tiny, told her clearly, 'Girls who have just been cheated on'. 3

"No," she swore again, spinning around in the now completely full parking lot. She spun again. She hated public places, and she hated busy full, public places. 4

In fact, before him, she'd been a little hermit crab in her own personal, private home. Really, it had only been a lighthouse in a small town where she'd grown up in. She'd been living there for a year, only going out of the lighthouse to get food at the little corner store. She only had ever spoken to three people in town. However, people may have cast her off as a stupid hermit crab, but she watched people. She knew everyone in that town, even though she'd kept her distance from every single soul. 5

She'd been a ghost, a lost soul. She'd only meant to be a writer. If anyone had given her the time a day when she'd been growing up, she wouldn't have been like that.6

But then he came along. Told her he was working at the town's local post office, and that she had to do something about her mail box. She'd been uneasy, confused really. Since when had she'd had a mail box? When did she get mail? But he told her she'd gotten fourteen letters in the past two days, and if it kept coming, they'd have to throw it out. 7

His dark brown hair had fallen in his eyes, before she'd taken a good look at him. Looked like he came from a city, even in the postal uniform. His hair was shagging, but not too long, which made his eyes stand out. They were a sharp green. Big, bright, and totally friendly. She hated that. His face was soft, kind, paitent. She hated that too.8

He'd brought her the letters and two flyers that she'd been sent. She offered him some very weak coffee, and they'd sat down at her table. She remembered it like yesterday, how he'd simply asked about her little light house. Why she lived there, why she was so surprised she had mail. She didn't smile, but somehow, the fact that she was having a normal conversation with another human being softened her up. Even though she warned herself, she could tell that her heart was already on the line.9

All he said was, "Hey, Camilla, want to go out for supper with me tonight?"10

Her heart lept up, and she already knew she was in too fast. She'd let a stranger into her house, she'd even given him weak coffee. And though he didn't complain, she could taste it's awfulness. 11

Weeks passed, and they went slowly at first. One date per week, and never outside in public. That quickly turned into three dates per week, and suddenly, she was craving and aching for him when she was without him. It wasn't normal, in fact, it was so unreal--Camilla was sure it was a dream. Because she was unsure of herself, she went to the cliffs. She stretched her arms out, letting the wind crash against her frail, thin body.12

She couldn't believe it, but somehow, some way, the little postal man had made his way into her heart. She now realized, she was in love with Katch, as he had asked her to call him. His name was Damon Katcherine, but Katch suited him just fine. If he'd been seeing other girls at the time, she wouldn't know. She didn't know where he lived, or how he could stand people. So many, many people. She closed her eyes, still with her arms out like she was a little girl micmicking Rose's actions from the Titanic. 13

"Cam! Cam! Don't do it! Cam! Please don't! Camilla!" she heard his shrill screams ring out from behind her. 14

She turned, taking a half-step, and couldn't help, but for the first time in years, laugh. She called out, almost startled at her own shout as she watched Katch run towards her, "I'm not jumping! I'm just breathing!"15

Once he was standing in front of her, he put his hand on the back of her neck. Without wasting a second, he crushed his mouth to hers. Emotional whirl pools swarmed inside her and her stomach flip-flopped. "I love you, Katch," she whispered against his lips.16

"I love you too, Camilla," he whispered back.17

Screaming in pure terror, she closed her eyes and fell in the middle of the empty parking space. She was on her knees and begging the empty but musty air. People around her rushed to see what was going on, but she simply curled up and wept. What had she done? How could she've beleived that he simply cut her off and had sex with another woman? She didn't. She knew he wouldn't have. But seeing him lip-locked with that...that...slut, well, her thoughts were all confusing now. She had all but screamed at him, "Burn in hell, baby."18

Now she was alone again. It happened before, it was happening again. As she squeezed her eyes closer together, she begged, "Love me back, love me back. Let this be a nightmare. Oh, please..."19

She knew people were surrounding her, she felt their stares of disgust, she heard their comments. The world was slipping away from her now. Why had she come to the stupid store to meet him? she cursed herself for being so stupid. She couldn't stand it. It was her trial run, to see how she did in front of people, and she was failing. Big time. All because Katch became someone else's catch.20

Screaming again, because she could feel the pain burning in her stomach and heart, she let out a sob.21

Feeling hands on her small body, she heard him whisper, "Baby, don't worry. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."22

She wanted to believe him, but as she turned to look at Katch, she rememebered. 23

He'd gone straight past her, and straight to a blonde. She couldn't exactly fault him for not seeing her, condsidering she'd been hiding behind a huge pyramid of cans. But he'd gone to the blonde, laughed hard, and pressed his lips to hers. She'd seen it. Why had she believed he was better than the rest of the male population?24

She cursed herself again. She wanted to push Katch off her, tell him to go burn in hell again. But she couldn't. She was so numb, she couldn't feel herself being picked up like a baby. She was so scared, she couldn't push him and run. She was so lost, she couldn't just forgive him. She was confused, and hurt, but more than anything, she wanted to just kiss him.25

"Baby," he whispered close to her ear. He was carrying her in the opposite direction she'd come from. She could feel heat from his body, but only for a breif second. Suddenly, everything went cold. Except his voice, "Baby, oh my baby doll. You saw me and my ex, didn't you? Listen, I'm going to take you home--your home. I'm going to explain everything on the way. Just listen."26

How could she not? She knew Katch well enough that she knew he'd wait about ten minutes into the drive before flicking the radio on. She numbly nodded, afraid of her voice. She knew it'd come out all high and squeaky. She'd sound like a mouse on drugs. Smiling to herself, in her head of course, she wanted to shake her head. It was a crazy, and yet accurate description of herself. 27

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. When she opened her eyes, everything was blurry. Her heart racing, her body panicking, she whipped her head around. Only when she saw clear, sparkling green eyes, did she allow herself to relax. She closed her eyes again, and rested her head against his chest. She was safe. No one in the world could hurt her. Not anymore.28

Feeling herself being laid down, she opened her eyes. Rubbing them quickly, she saw herself in the backseat of Katch's truck. Her heart was still pounding fast, and she was still shaking. But she was going to be okay. 29

His words came, they seemed in the distance, but she heard them loud and clearly. "That was my ex-girlfriend. We ended our relationship on good terms, Camilla. Really good terms. We're just friends. And our little lip-lock is always how we greet each other. If you don't want me to do that anymore, it's okay. I won't."30

For her? He'd stop his, as he put it 'little lip-lock' with his ex-girlfriend for her? She couldn't think, and since she knew she couldn't speak, she whimpered and started to sob again.31

As if she had been counting the seconds, after ten minutes, Katch flicked the radio on. How cliche, she mused in her mind. Everything had stopped spinning now, and she felt alright. Except for her broken heart. Innocent. That's what he wanted to be. But she wouldn't accept his apology. The story was way too loose, way too cheesy. Who on Earth kisses their exes without it meaning anything? 32

When fifteen more minutes passed, she knew she was home again. Since she still couldn't move, more out of fear she'd have to open her eyes and see him, he craddled her like a baby. 33

She let him. He knew where her bedroom was, but their relationship had never gone that far. She had been planning it. She'd wanted it to. But there was never the right moment. He placed her on her bed, whispering sweet-nothings that she couldn't understand. 34

She kept her eyes closed, unsure how long he sat beside her. 35

Finding herself asleep, she dreamt about jumping off the cliff and floating down to the water. It was an odd dream, she knew, but it made her feel so free. It made her feel. 36

When she woke up, he wasn't there. Satifised he'd gone, she made her way into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth quickly, took another brush through her deep, dark hair and then stared at herself in the mirror. She'd never really cared about her hair until he'd come. Damn Katch to hell, she thought in her mind. He'd walked in, flipped her purpose in life up-side down, and then kissed another girl, breaking her heart all over again. 37

She circled down the sprialing stairs, down into the kitchen. Smelling no scent of burning bacon or sizzling eggs, which she'd come used to when Katch stayed the night. He never had done anything more than simply hold her. Then, when she'd wake up and see him missing, there was always the small part of her which had panicked that he'd left her--or that it was all a dream. But Katch was always found in the kitchen, cooking something up. Always saying when she walked in, "You need to put on weight, dear girl."38

She'd simply smile weakly. 39

But that wasn't today. No, he wasn't there. She sighed with frustration. Looking at her desk, where all her stories, everything, had normally been scattered, her heart stopped to realize they were gone. She raced over, without a second thought, she started to shift through the drawers. When she reached the bottom drawer, she found the three dozen letters she'd received when she met Katch. They were in three little bundles. They didn't have return addresses, and she'd never looked twice at them. Holding them up, she looked at the neat printing. 40

She threw the unread letters onto her small round kitchen table. She tore apart her desk. Nothing could be found. Then, as she was starting to have difficulty breathing, she noticed a little note on the kitchen table. She raced over, pushing the letters aside.41

It was Katch's neat, clear handwriting: "I know you'll never forgive me for this, Camilla. But these stories need to go to a publisher. NOW. Someone needs to read these wonderful stories. You've got a talent. I'm taking them to an publisher, and I'll be your agent--whether you like it or not. Expect to see me around noon on Friday. -K"42

She burst into tears. How could he have done this to her? Not only cheat but now steal the only thing that really mattered to her?43

She turned away from the note, and grabbed the letters. She didn't know what she was going to do with them, but it couldn't hurt for her to read them. She ran outside, letting the wind push her hair out of her eyes. It would be impossible, she mused, for him to get a publisher to publish any one of those stories. 44

She ripped open the first letter, as soon as she was sitting near the edge of the cliffs. It was almost torn out of her hands, but she shifted herself, pulling her hair back into a pony tail, so that she could read it. 45

First words;46

"I miss you, Cam."47

These were letters from her mother. Her heart stopped. Her mother? Impossible. She couldn't have known where she'd ran off to for cover, for three steady years. But she couldn've. She knew Camilla. She knew her daughter well. She looked at the date. It was dated three years ago, and she hadn't gotten them until months ago. She went through each letter carefully. She would get a letter per month. Because her mother didn't want her father to know that she was writing Camilla. Except, her mother had told her, in each envolpe, there were four letters. One a week. 48

Camilla took the letters into the house, where the wind wouldn't bother her. She sat down, reading the very last envelope, and found herself sobbing. She missed her mother. But why hadn't she gotten any letters in the past few months? She wondered.49

They were still in the mailbox at the postal office. Without thinking, she ran up the stairs and changed. As Camilla came down the stairs, she put her jacket on. She slipped her shoes on, that were old and worn down, and pushed the door opened. She didn't care. It was Monday, the postal office would be open. 50

She ran for her little beat up car that she'd bought four years back. She got into it, slamming the door shut. She hadn't driven it in two years before yesterday. She smiled, it still purred like a kitten. 51

She wanted to know what her mother had to say. Her father was safe and sound, and so was she. Her brothers, Mac and Darcy were married now. Even her baby sister, Allison, was pregnant and engaged. She had to know when the wedding was. She wanted to be there. She needed to be there. But that last letter came months ago. The wedding would've been done and over with, wouldn't it?52

She hit the gas hard, as she made it onto the main road. Slowing down, she barely parked, as she got out. The wind whipped against her face, but she couldn't help it. She was scared for her life, it seemed. She ran into the office, with a little key in her fingers, in the pocket of her jacket. Katch had given it to her when she told him that she hadn't had a key. 53

She found the number: 177. She quickly unlocked it, to find four envelopes waiting for her. For the first time, she wasn't aware of the people rushing around her, and she wasn't aware that some of those people recongized her. 54

"Miss. Camilla, it's good to see you out and about," a voice came. It didn't even startle her. She spun around, seeing old Mrs. Kelming standing there. She'd been a friend of her grandmother's. 55

Without a thought in the world, she flung her arms around her. "Oh! Mrs. Kelming! I never thought I'd see someone like you here. How are you?"56

Mrs. Kelming simply laughed and stepped back. She was beaming, Mrs. Kelming thought. She was.57

Camilla smiled, a little surprised by her little out burst to a person she hadn't seen in, probably, ten years at the least. "I'm fine, child. How about we go and get some tea at the tes room?"58

"I'd love to," Camilla said, with a smile, "but I'm leaving town." She is? she asked herself. Where did that come from? 59

"Ah, yes, your sister's wedding is this weekend, isn't it?" Mrs. Kleming asked.60

Camilla nodded, pleased that she could still go. What had changed her was simply in the matter that her mother wrote her for all of those three years. Telling her all the gossip. She'd only went to the lighthouse because of that bastard.61

As she waved bye to Mrs. Kleming, promising to see her at the wedding, she got into her car. Driving back to the lighthouse, she almost cried. Something had healed in her heart. Knowing her mother, she knew this day would have come. Once at the lighthouse, she ran up the stairs, packed everything she could manage, and then she went back down the stairs. Without a thought of Katch until she reached the kitchen, she sighed. Scribbling down these words: "Katch, those letters were from my mother. My little sister's getting married this coming weekend. I refuse to stay in the dark anymore. Thank you for that. I went to the post office today, Katch. I spoke to my grandma's old friend. I wasn't scared. Thank you, Katch. You changed everything. I owe you. -C"62

She dashed for the door and got into the car again. She held the letters, the read and the unread, in her hands. She tossed them onto the seat beside her and pulled out of the driveway.63

Time flew quickly, and she knew she wouldn't make it home for another day and a half. Finding herself comfortable at a hotel, she pulled out the other letters. The ones she had yet to read. She stayed up until midnight reading them. Laughing, because her mother was sly, and crying because she didn't realize how much she'd missed her family. 64

She was gone from the hotel by seven o'clock, and back on the road again. She drove quickly, but she drove safely. Her parents would probably kill her if she'd gotten into an accident, or gotten a speeding ticket. 65

Sighing, as she lugged her for-the-road suitcase into another hotel, she wondered how her family would react to her. Best not think of that, she told herself. 66

She went to sleep around ten that night, and woke up at six. She was back on the road about seven, and as she neared her parents house around noon, she was crying. She knew where they'd lived. She could've drove there in her sleep, for all that it mattered. 67

And as soon as she saw the old brick house, she sped up in the driveway. She mused, a normal person might slow down, take the scenery in, but she didn't want to slow down. She sped up, thinking it was funny. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and her parents might not even be home.68

But as soon as she knocked on the door, certain her hair was brushed, and her baby sister Allison opened the door, she started to cry. Allison stared in shock, without saying a word. 69

"Can I come to your wedding?" Camilla found herself asking.70

"Cammy?" Allison asked, with a wide smile. Cam looked up at her baby sister, who was crying just like she was. Allison threw her arms around her long-lost sister and screamed, "Cammy!"71

After quite a few moments of screaming and laughter, Allison pulled away from Camilla and said, "I was right. My wedding was going to be crappy. But now you're here, I don't think a damn thing can go wrong!"72

Camilla found herself choking on tears. When Allison dragged her into the house, or palace more like, Allison screamed into the empty front room, "CAMMY'S HOME! CAMMY'S HOME!"73

Within minutes, Camilla was surrounded by her two brothers, her father and her mother who looked ready to faint. After a bunch more tears, and many question being fired at her, Allison took her hand and dragged her into the living room. Slowly, one-by-one, they asked her questions. Camilla answered them all, shaking.74

Her father asked the most difficult one, "Why did you hide when that bastard broke your heart, Camilla? We called the police, they searched for you for months."75

"I just did, I needed to get away from it all," she told him, her voice shaking. "I couldn't stand walking around anywhere, and think about him. I went back to the lighthouse, the one by the house we vactioned at during the summers, and lived there. He broke something in me, and he stole three years from my life. And you didn't need to call the police, Mama knew where I was."76

"You knew?" her father, sister and both brothers asked her mother. Her mother just smiled.77

"I know my daughter best, apparently. I wrote letters, you never answered."78

Everyone looked exactly the same as three years before, Camilla mused. All with their brown hair, and big brown eyes. They all stood tall, except for her mother and herself. 79

"I didn't get them until three months ago, lost in the mail or something," she told her mother, feeling the tears coming back. "And then I didn't read them until Monday."80

She started to explain the only person she'd let into her hermit-crab life. Katch. Her family always listened. But as she spoke the name, she heard Allison curse beside her. She looked at Allison, didn't say a word, and continued to talk. Before she finished she said, "And the bastard took all my work."81

"Damon Katcherine?" Allison asked in a small, weak voice.82

"You know him?" Camilla asked, almost surprised.83

"He's the best man," Allison said, between clenched teeth. "And you're the maid of honour."84

"Oh? I am?" Camilla said, tossing aside the fact she was walking down the aisle with Katch. 85

"Of course you are, you doofus!" Allison cried out, laughing. 86

It was as if nothing had changed. Camilla floated around for the next few days, after meeting her two new sister-in-laws, and her soon-to-be brother-in-law. She got fitted for a dress, and she helped out with any last minute things for the wedding. She politely apologize to everyone that she hadn't meant to runaway, or that she hadn't meant to miss their wedding or birth of her neieces and nephews. She apologized for running away from the world because her heart was broken.87

Everyone she met was so understanding, she felt guilty. But as she told her mother late Thursday night, "I can't believe what I've done. I spent three years in that lighthouse. I missed so much. Oh, Momma, what am I going to do? How do I make up for lost time?"88

When her mother simply said, "You start from the beginning, simple as that."89

When Friday rolled around, it occured to Camilla that Katch would've been coming today. She pushed the thought out of her mind and played with her little nephew. He was only two-and-a-half years old. She couldn't help it, but giggle when he started to tickle her. She laugh and squirmed, but as Mac took little Harry away, Darcy came out to join her on the ground. He talked softly to her, telling her how much he missed her. She couldn't help but let the tears trickle out. Ever since she'd gotten here on Wednesday, all she could think was, 'Why'd I let myself miss this? Why was I so selfish?'90

She bear hugged Darcy and when Mac came back out, he tackled both of them. They laughed and she found herself strugging to be free. But Mac and Darcy had her by the arms, and they dragged her towards the house. 91

"What are you doing?" she squealed, laughing all the same. Just like old times, she thought to herself. And then burst into giggles. Maybe that's what family was all about. 92

As Mac opened the back door, she burst into more laughter. Mac and Darcy sort of tossed her into the house. She heard voices cry out, "Surprise!"93

She stared around her. It had to have been every family member, plus all the family friends. They were all circled in the huge living room. She looked around. Seeing balloons, and everything. She saw the banner hanging above the pile of presents, "Welcome home, Cammy".94

Bursting into tears, she squealed with delight. She said, smiling brightly, "Only my family would hold a 'Welcome Home' surprise party for me when it's the night before Allison's wedding."95

Many chuckled, but most just beamed. She went around, hugging and talking with everyone she could. The party moved from the living room to around most of the house. And the story her family had gone with was that Camilla was always travelling, so it was hard to track her down. The lie had been told by her father to begin with, but she didn't blame him. She joked about being pissed that her parents didn't get a private investigator to track her down so that she could go to the weddings and the births of her little neices and two nephews. People laughed, and Camilla didn't mind.96

Something had switched on when she read her mother's letters. Something had flipped. She wasn't scared or nervous in a big group. It was a little overwhelming, but she'd be okay. She learned that it wasn't scarey. Talking to people didn't mean they were going to get close and disappoint her. But as she found herself talking to good ol' Mrs. Kleming, she scanned the room. As they gossiped about people, Camilla's eyes stopped dead on a certain person. Katch. Her heart thudded against her chest, and as she tore her eyes off him, she excused herself from Mrs. Kelming, who didn't seem to mind. She caught his eyes and then walked over to him. 97

Politely she put her hand on his arm and said to Mr. and Mrs. Halvorie, "May I please have Katch for a moment?"98

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Halvorie said, with a smile, "It was a pleasure to meet you."99

And before Katch could reply that that 'pleasure's all mine', Camilla dragged him across the room. Aware that she was probably going to be making a scene, she shrugged off the thought. She pulled him up the stairs and whipped around to face him in the hall. It was pretty much empty, but she kept her voice low anyways. "What do you think you're doing here? First you're cheating on me, then you steal everything that means something to me--besides my family. And now you're at my 'Welcome Home' party? What do you think you're doing?"100

"Well," he said in a voice so casual, that only Camilla could catch the tone that he was caught off-guard. He smiled politely, but she knew it was fake, "I actually didn't know there was a party for you. To be fully honest, I only came to show you this."101

He held up a piece of paper. She snatched it from his hand and quickly skimmed through the first sentence. Then she stopped and re-read it. It was a contract. She looked up at Katch and demanded, "What's this?"102

"That," he said, in a tone that clearly stated he was proud of something, "is a contract for you to publish your books."103

"Whatever, you still--what?" she stopped talking. She let his words sink in. "Wait, what?"104

"I brought all of your stuff to a publisher in New York, and they've offered you a contract. You publish one out of your seventeen books, and they're going to see how fast it sells. If people like it, and it sells more than fifty copies, they're going to offer you a chance to publish all seventeen. Just not right away. One by one."105

His voice was so serious, she had to wait a moment. Was he being honest? It wasn't a joke? She looked into his eyes. Honest Katch, she thought to herself. She could tell by looking at his eyes, that he was being honest. She was publishing one of her books. She'd written them all in that lighthouse. She had always wanted to be a famous author. A published author, at the least. But right in that moment, Katch was telling her he was making her dreams come true. 106

Without thinking, she threw her arms around him. She couldn't believe it. She squeezed him tightly, letting him squeeze her tightly too. As they pulled away, Camilla remembered he'd still cheated on her. She looked away and then said, "Thank you, Katch. Thank you so much. It's like a dream come true."107

"Like?" he quesitoned, with an ease to his tone. 108

"Is," she corrected herself, "It is a dream come true. Thank you."109

"Seems like all you needed was a push forward," she heard him mutter. She looked down at the party, leaning closer to the banister. It was like Cinderella's castle, she mused. Always had felt like that. But she didn't mind, she didn't mind at all. She waved to people who looked up at her. She turned back to Katch.110

"Do you still have the rest of my stuff?" she asked in a soft, forgiving voice. He'd given her a gift. He'd given her a dream. She at least could be civil to him.111

"Yeah, yeah, it's all in my car," Katch said, nodding, "Do you want them?"112

"Nah, I'll get 'em later. Shall I sign these contracts?" Camilla asked, smiling brightly at him. She wouldn't cry. Not now. She was too happy to do so. Cloud number nine? she wondered. Nope, she thought to herself, cloud number seventeen.113

"Do it tomorrow, after the wedding. Once everything's all calmed down," Katch told her, with a smile. She handed him the contract. A simple thing, but his fingers brushed hers. She felt it, and looking at his face, she knew he felt it to. It was like a tingle, something that started off small, but by the time it went through her entire body, it was on fire. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she knew he was thinking the same thing.114

She leaned up, pressing her lips lightly to his and whispered, "Hold on to it for me, Katch."115

He nodded and she made her back down the stairs. Mingling with the rest of the party, she stayed out of Katch's way, just as he did hers. She was pleased with herself, telling her mother in confidence what had happened. Her mother just asked a simple question, "Do you believe he cheatedon you, honesy?"116

"No, I don't," she replied, with a smile, she walked away. She hadn't known though, that Katch was only a few feet away, and had heard the response. There was still hope, he thought happily, still hope...117

When the alarm woke Camilla up, she groaned but sat up anyways. Six o'clock. The wedding was to be at noon, and Camilla could already hear people rushing around out side of her room. She laughed the second Allison burst into her room shouting, "I'm getting married! I'm getting married!"118

"Yeah, you are!" Camilla shouted back, laughing. She hugged her sister tightly.119

They got ready together, and Camilla made her way around where the wedding was to be held--the backyard. Everything looked gorgeous. She couldn't help but laugh as she walked up the aisle alone. It was perfect, dreamy perfect. She found herself standing at the alter, looking around. Her sister was going to have the most perfect wedding ever. And Camilla was glad she could share the day with her too. 120

Making her way back into the house, she knew it'd be her turn to get all perfecto and ready. But she didn't really care. Her sister was getting married, to a really great guy, and that's all that mattered. 121

As she slipped the gold dress over her, she realized there was a big stain on it. She made a confused face, as she tried to figure out what it was. Cranberry juice, she realized. Groaning, she went to find the bride and her mother.122

"What do you mean there's a stain?" Allison cried out when Camilla told her.123

"I don't know, I think one of the kids from last night's party got at it," Camilla said, with a shrug.124

"What am I going to do? I can't have you go down with a stain on your dress!" Allison said, falling onto the couch. She was already in her white wedding dress.125

"I can go down in a shirt and jeans," Camilla said, even though Allison scoffed. "It doesn't matter what I look like, you're the one everyone will be looking at."126

Allison laughed, "You'd look out of place, just for me?"127

"Just for you," Camilla said, laughing herself. She sat down beside her sister, and then said, "What if I wear the dress?"128

"Nah, I rather see you in something that's clean and comfortable," Allison told her, with a laugh.129

So, Camilla made her way down the aisle arm-in-arm with Katch, in a t-shirt that said, "I'm with stupid-->" and a pair of jeans. Katch simply laughed, once he realized the arrow was pointing at him. Allison thought it was perfect. She had told Camilla that it was revenge on Katch. But as Camilla made her way down, she realized she was still 100 percent still in love with Katch. 130

They stopped, ready to part, and he kissed her left cheek. Before he could kiss her right cheek, she planted her lips to his. He may have been surprised, but he didn't show it. Not at all. She saw his eyes spark in happiness. She smirked and made her way to stand in her spot.131

After the wedding, Camilla and Allsion stood on the alter jumping up and down screaming. 132

"I got married!" Allsion squealed, laughing.133

"I know! I can't believe my baby sister's married!" Camilla said back, laughing. She wrapped her arms around Allison and said, "I'm so proud of you! So very proud!"134

"Honey," Camilla's new brother-in-law said, with amusement, "we have to go to the party now."135

Allison just laughed and dragged Camilla behind her as the newly-weds ran down through the crowds of people. 136

Once at the party, Camilla was so pleased that her sister was married, she just sat watching them dreamily.137

"Alright, I have to ask you. Would you like to dance?" a voice softly came from beside Camilla.138

She looked up to see Katch. Resisting the urge to jump up and kiss him again, she nodded. "Sure. But look at them first. Aren't they so...perfect? In love, happy."139

"Yeah, yeah, you dancing with me?" Katch asked, and Camilla realized he was nervous. She laughed, feeling so much better when she laughed. She nodded and stood up. Katch said, with a nervous laugh, "Good, because I was scared you'd turn me away."140

"You never cheated on me, did you?" Camilla asked him, once they were on the dance floor.141

"No, never," Katch told her, with his eyes sparkling. Honest Katch, she thought as she had thought the night before. 142

Sure had been one crazy week, she mused. She stood up on her tippy toes and placed her lips against his. As she eased back into the slow dance, she said, "Good, because I'd jumped off that cliff if you had."143

"I meant what I said, when I told you she may have been my ex, but that's just how we greet each other," Katch told her nodding.144

The song came to an end quickly, and Katch still had ahold of her. She didn't mind. Maybe it was the fact that she felt like they were the only two people in the world, or maybe because another slow song had come on quickly after. The continued to dance, when Camilla asked, her voice soft, "You really did get a contract from the publisher's didn't you?"145

"Yes, I did," Katch told her, closing his eyes. "I want what's best for you."146

"Of course you do," Camilla said, smiling. "Of course, if you really want what's best for me...well, you know, you would accept my purposal to marry me."147

His eyes shot open, and he smiled. 'Did I just say that?!?!' she screamed at herself. But then the calmer, in-love part of her said, 'Of course you did, you idiot.'148

He laughed, picking her up at the waist. He twirled her around and said, "Yes, yes, I accept."149

As she found her feet on the ground once more, she said, "Good, because I'm so in love with you, it's probably sickening."150

"I'm so in love with you, it is sickening to other people," Katch whispered. 151

"Kiss me, Katch, kiss me," she whispered. As he accepted her demand to kiss her, she wondered if this is what heaven was like. So full of love, so full of forgiveness and promises. She couldn't know, but she knew that she would never, ever, ever tell Katch to burn in hell again. Ever. Even if he did end up breaking her heart, she knew she'd never be able to say those words as long as she knew his lips, his touch, his love, him, was the closest thing she'd ever get to heaven on earth.