You Can Trust Us (You/Fifth Harmony)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Your POV

Two Days Later

It’s now Monday, and all the girls are back home. Ally decided not to tell them about my, um, incident. If she needs to, she said, she’ll tell them, and if it comes down to it, I will.

I don’t plan on that.

While I’m in my room reading one of Camila’s books that I borrowed, the house is still half empty. Both Dinah and Camila are at work, and Ally’s at a church thing-I think. It’s just me, Lauren, and Normani at home, and they’re both in Lauren’s room. She’s still having a hard time with her grandmother and everything. Mani’s trying to comfort her right now. Out of everyone in the house, I’m the one who’s done the least for her. I’m not the best at comforting people.

I’m lost in the book right now, and it’s starting to get really good. Which means that someone and/or something is about to disturb me.

On que, Mani pops her head in my door.

“Can I talk to you for a second?”, she questions.

“Sure”, I respond, setting the book aside. She walks further into the room, stopping in front of the bed.

“I need you to do something very, very important.”

“Shoot.”

“Talk to Lauren.”

“Huh?”

“Talk to her”, Mani repeats. “She needs our help right now, and she’s not getting much better. You’ve experienced loss. You can help her a lot.”

“You’ve all experienced loss, too”, I point out. “I’m no different.”

“Yeah, but she’s heard all our stories on loss before. She’s never heard yours. Maybe she’ll react differently to yours.”

She makes a good point.

“Alright. I’ll go talk to her.”

“Thanks”, Mani smiles.

“No prob”, I say as I get off the bed. I step out the door, look around for Lauren’s room, then let my eyes settle on the only closed door in the hallway. I knock on it lightly.

“May I come in?”, I ask carefully.

“Sure”, comes her response.

I slowly turn the doorknob and step inside. Lauren is laying on her bed, facing the ceiling with a somewhat blank look on her face. I shut the door.

“Mind if I join you?”, I ask her.

“Be my guest.”

I walk to the bed and sit down facing her, but I don’t lie down just yet. I curl my right leg inwards and stretch out my left one. For a while, neither of us say anything. Then I decide to speak.

“Do you need to talk about anything?”, I ask.  

What a stupid-ass question.

“I’d rather not”, Lauren mumbles.

“Lo, you’ve been moping around ever since you got back. I know you’re having a hard time, but-”

“Like you’ve never lost a loved one”, she snaps. It’s a low blow, and a gut wrenching one.

“You know what? Fuck you!”

I shove her, get off the bed, and storm over to the door.

“Wait”, she calls just before I reach the door. When I turn around, I see her standing up.