If I Were A Boy (camren)

Chapter Thirty-Two

"I-Is there something wrong?" 

"You don't love him," she abruptly spoke up which had taken me back quite a bit.

"What do you-.. How could you say that?" I rephrased my question with a soft tone and furrowed eyebrows in determination. "He's my husband!"

"Camila, I'm turning forty in a couple of months. Do you know how many times Lance has actually decided to romantically touch me or spill about how much he loves me in our fifteen years of marriage?" She pushed on, her hands unfolding and sticking like magnets to her sides. "Twice. Three times if I end up getting a lucky birthday gift this year. How many times has your husband done that for you?"

Her question really faltered on my decision in defending my husband. He did say something about love in the hospital the past day, but that memory breezed through my mind carelessly.

"Oh come on, honey," Austin had linked his fingers with mine quickly in an unreadable tone. "You know you love me."

He hadn't technically said anything about him loving me, but only about my passionate feelings towards him. Grace must've noticed how unexpectedly my facial expression had changed because in an instant I had felt her warm hand caressing my right palm that was placed by my eating utensils. 

"You're young. You have a choice," she explained more thoroughly with a tiny grin. "Choose your own life and don't let anyone, especially this random man, tell you how things are suppose to be done. I can see it in there," Grace patted the top of my hand gently. "You love someone very deeply. Maybe it's the guy sitting next you right now or maybe it's not. Whomever it is, just go for them."

Before I could thank the wise woman, Austin's booming voice had made both of us jump from our comforting actions.

"Our server is bringing back our check, Karla, so we're going to head back home now. Although, Lance here has offered to pay for our meal tonight," Austin slowly told me as if I couldn't understand anything properly. 

"Thank you," I thanked the older man kindly as I rose up from my seat and patted down the somewhat fancy black dress that I had dressed in for the night. The outfit dropped below my knees and stayed pin-straight. Along with the simple black heels, I looked like I was heading out for a night at the office. 

My suited husband started to exit the restaurant in a triumphal manner with myself trailing behind him. Turning back around enough to get a small glimpse at the blonde woman who was rising from her seating, I instantly knew that this was going to be the last time I would ever see her. 

*

Austin's act seemed to fade right as we had left the community area. He posture seemed a lot more tense and his appearance no longer carried a welcoming smile. I didn't have any intention to ask what was bothering him as we pulled into the parking lot of our new apartment complex that held many familiar faces. 

After the fire incident, the company that had owned the building had managed to slip a few of their top paying residents into a partnering complex where a couple of apartments were available. Of course it was a bit unfair, but that wasn't really all I had cared about. What really bothered me for some reason was that a certain someone that I used to see all the time had vanished. Who knew where she was?

Once I had endured Austin mumbling and cursing all the way through the parking lot, and also through the lobby and up the square conveyor, I knew I had to say something. 

"Okay, what's up?" I asked the brunette while we departed the elevator. "Did Lance say something you didn't like? Or was it your food? We could always put in an anonymous complaint on their website-"

"You know what it fucking was!" Austin surprised me by shouting his reply directly in my face with the assistance of a pointing finger. "Besides, you were the one who did it!"

"Me? What the hell did I do?" I narrowed my darkened pupils at the ballistic man who seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. 

"You just had to get Grace worked up about something!" Austin complained while his fists curled up and turned his knuckles pure white right by his complexion. 

"What are you talking about, Austin?! Grace and I were getting along completely well the entire night!"

"Well whatever you said got her all excited then!" He corrected himself before going on with his complaint that had caused this absurd outburst. "Lance decided to end the night earlier then he had planned, all because of you! I could've worked out one of the biggest deals of all time, Karla, but you fucking destroyed it!"

"This makes no sense-"

"We could have been in a better home if I had made this deal, Karla! But of course you have to ruin everything so it can go your way, like always."

"Excuse me?" My jaw basically dropped at his last sentence. "Okay, first of all, my name is not fucking Karla! You've known from the very beginning that I've had hated that name, but yet you still call me it! Second, this is fucking ridiculous reason on why you're so angry! You have gotten so many business agreements before and I don't see how this one can be so much more important than all the—"

Austin lunged forward and had tightened his grip on the fabric that was laid out on my chest. He had suddenly bashed me against the divider that was between two separate elevator, just barley missing the control panel. The rough impact had affected my healing back in a painful manner; sending a shock throughout my spine. A small sob escaped off my tongue and that only lead to the abusive man to slam me against the wall once again. 

"We're going to go inside our apartment," he hissed in a whisper, twisting the dress fiber carelessly which  allowed the outfit to ride up slowly. "And you're going to shut the fuck up. No one talks back to me with such disrespect, especially my own wife. You have nothing without me, you're fucking worthless without me."

"You listen good and you listen closely. If you tell anyone about what just happened in the past minutes, I'll make sure to harm every single person that you care for. We're married and our bond cannot be broken. You're Karla Mahone, not fucking Camilla Cabello."

I took a deep breath as I felt my knees buckling beneath my own body weight, "It's Camila you fucking dip shit."

Closing my eyes in preparation for Austin to officially shut off the lights in my mind, a sudden feminine voice spoke up on my behalf.

"Hurt her again. I dare you."

[A/N]  hello, yes, it's been a while. 

I apologize about the wait guys, and I'm sorry to say that if I want to continue this story (which I do) there may some waiting periods. Patience is the key to a happy life so please keep your cool and I'll have the next part updated within the next two weeks or so (maybe one). hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that no one is loosing interest in this story- because shit is about to get real. 

questions are always welcomed in my pm or in the comments, but there's no promising that i'll answer them. xoxo - lil