Lazaretto (Camren)

T W E N T Y - N I N E

"The future is no more uncertain than the present." –Walt Whitman

AUSTIN

I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs being cooked. The aroma seeped through the cracked door of the bedroom. I opened my eyes and lied awake staring at the ceiling. The thin sheet covered my waist and legs, exposing my bare chest. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, moving my head to the right to look out the window at a bird chirping on a branch. I listened as it sang its melodies, and I closed my eyes once more.

It had been two months since I had last seen Camila. Two months since she had told me she wasn't in love with me. Two months since had I ran away from the warehouse and found myself where I was now, my home away from home. I opened my eyes again and took in the once familiar surroundings. The light blue paint that was splashed on all the walls, the pictures that hung from them, and my collection of knives that rested in a glass case. I heard the sizzling of the food and decided to get out of bed. I pushed the covers aside and placed my feet on the beige carpet below. I rubbed the remaining sleep from my eyes and stood up, pulling the door open and stepping into the hallway.

I walked down the dark hallway in my boxers, picking my head up to see her standing over the stove in nothing but my button down and her underwear. She hadn't noticed my presence, so I sneaked up behind her and placed my arms around her waist.

"Good morning," I said, kissing her neck. She hummed and leaned her head back against my shoulder. Her free hand resting on top of mine as the other one held a spatula. I could smell her coconut shampoo and her vanilla scented skin. I placed one last chaste kiss against her neck before letting her go. She turned around in my arms and snaked her arms around my neck, bringing me in for a proper kiss. She lingered there for a second before pulling away, resting her forehead against mine.

"Good morning," she smiled. She leaned away and opened her eyes, her arms still around my neck, mine on her waist. She and I had this unspoken language with each other. All I had to do was look into her eyes, and I could find the answers to even the toughest of life's questions there. She could see into my soul, and I could see her darkest fears. She placed another kiss on my lips before turning back towards the stove. I walked around the counter and sat at the bar on top of a stool.

"Did you sleep alright?" she asked as she placed the eggs and bacon onto two plates.

"Yeah, I slept fine," I half lied. Just then the toaster popped up two pieces of toast. She grabbed them and put them on the plates before she opened the drawer to pull out two forks. She walked around the counter and placed one of the plates in front of me, the steam rising and filling my lungs. She handed me a fork as she sat down on the stool beside me and began to eat her food.

"It's good to have you back, I've missed you," she confessed as she bit off a piece of her toast. I looked over at her and smiled.

"It's good to be home. I've missed you, too." She smiled back and continued to eat. We sat in comfortable silence as we ate our food.

Once we were done, she took the empty plates and washed them before placing them on the drying rack. I walked over to the leather couch and lied down. She followed not too far behind and snuggled up against me, her back against the couch. Her head was on my chest, her arm was draped around my torso, and her legs were tangled with mine. I pulled a blanket off of the top of the couch and laid it on top of our bodies. My arm was around her shoulder, pulling her close to me.

"What's wrong?" she asked after a few moments.

"Nothing's wrong," I said. She sat up a little to look at me, knowing that something clearly wasn't right. She gave me a pointed look.

"Austin, I know when you're lying to me. Just tell me." Her eyes softened, and she began to draw circles against my chest with her fingertips.

I sighed. "I'm just tired of it, you know?" I turned my head slightly to look at her. "I'm ready to take that place down. Too many of my friends have been hurt, and I can't stand to watch it anymore. All of the training that we've done, all of the effort and work we've put into this...it's time. I don't want to wait any longer," I explained and she nodded in understanding, bringing her hand up to cup my cheek. She kissed me with so much emotion and passion that I found myself getting caught up in her. She made it easy to forget about Camila. She broke the heated kiss much too quickly and leaned down to whisper into my ear. Her voice sent chills down my spine.

"I love you," she whispered. I turned my head to look at her with a smile on my face.

"I love you, too," I returned. I reached around and placed my hand on the back of her neck, keeping her in place. I looked into her eyes momentarily before leaning in and kissing her again. She was quick to deepen it, and I didn't attest. She moved her body to straddle mine, and I moved my hands to her waist. Our breathing was becoming heavy, and I decided the couch was no place to continue what we were doing. I sat up slowly, keeping our lips intact. I turned our bodies so I could place my feet on the carpeted floor. I leaned back a little so I could propel us upward and onto my feet. She let out a little laugh and then wrapped her legs around my waist. I gripped onto the back of her thighs and walked us to the bedroom, careful not to bump her into anything.

"I love you so much," she declared as I closed the door with my foot.

"I love you more."