Faking It | Wattys 2022

Chapter 12

Lauren's eyes widened in surprise. "How'd you..."

"I saw you make it the past few days," she cut her off. "But if you want something else, I can call her back for you,"

"No," Lauren shook her head. "French toast is perfect. Your mom is nice."

"She's always been the better parent," Camila tried to play it off, but the professor could easily detect the sadness in her eyes as she said it.

"I see which parent you take after more now,"

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Good. Because you're not a bad person or a narcissistic asshole. No matter what the blogs or I say. She did a good job raising you."

The corner of Camila's mouth curled up into a half-smile. "Thanks, princess, but she was too busy trying to win my father's love over to even raise me. Mrs. Wilson's ashes are somewhere in the pacific ocean if you're looking for someone to thank."

'And we're back in the cold,' Lauren thought to herself. "What time are you going into the office later?"

"I'm not going in today. I figured we could spend some time together looking for a dress once you finish your lectures. Gwen is a bit busy handling all of my calls and faxing papers over, so I told her I'd help you instead."

"You didn't have to do that, I'm capable of dressing myself,"

Camila shrugged. "You've lived with me for a few days now and we're still strangers,"

"Well," Lauren lowered her voice. "I'm not sure what the hell you want me to do. One second you're being nice and the next you're acting like I just stabbed you with a steak knife."

Out of the corner of her eye, Camila spotted her mother coming back to the table. She clasped her hand on top of Lauren's and gave her a sweet smile. "I want you to act like you're going up against Leonardo DiCaprio for a fucking Oscar right now,"

"Can't keep your hands to yourself now, Karla?" Sinu sat back down, laying the napkin over her lap again with a teasing smile on her face.

"She never can," Lauren joined the playful banter. "I swear I've been late to work so many times because of her."

"Camila has mentioned you're a professor at Northeastern. What do you teach?"

Lauren straightened her posture, the comfort of Camila rubbing circles on her hand calmed her down more than she expected. "I'm a psychology professor. Mainly in the upper division, though, I teach one entry-level class."

"A psychology professor," Sinu raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Wow, your parents must be very proud of you,"

Camila felt Lauren tense up and immediately jumped in to save her. "What did you teach back then, mom?"

"Oh, I was a little ol' chemistry teacher for high schoolers—nothing crazy. I only worked for a few years before your father forced me to quit and let me retire a little too early for my liking." Sinu answered, tapping her finger against her chin as she looked over the options.

"Still, a teacher is a teacher, Sinu. I'm sure you were a great one." The raven-haired woman turned to give Camila a thankful smile for stopping the conversation about her parents.

"I'll have to stop by and watch one of your lectures these days," Sinu looked around for the waitress. "I've always found psychology to be so interesting,"

"She's amazing when she's in her element," Camila piped up. "I learn a few things myself sometimes when I go,"

Her mother gave Lauren a curious look. "You have her going and sitting through lectures? What love potion have you used on my daughter?"

Lauren held her hands up in surrender. "She always comes and bothers me on her own accord,"

"Come on, I almost graduated top of my class in college! Stop acting like I hate school, you're making me look bad." Camila huffed as the waitress returned with their hot chocolate and to take Sinu's order.

"Darling, Mrs. Wilson used to drag you out of bed when you were in high school. I don't even want to imagine how many classes you skipped when nobody was there to look over you." Her mother directed her gaze back to Lauren. "So... Tell me, how did you two meet? Your father mentioned that you two crossed paths again at the reunion, but I'm sure there's more to that." 

"Well—" Camila began to speak only to have Lauren interrupt her.

"—I used to have the biggest crush on her in high school," the raven-haired woman lied so easily it made Camila believe her for a split second. "She was the popular girl, y'know? Everybody wanted to be with her, but she was too stubborn to give anyone the chance. But back in the day, I would've never gotten the balls to go up and talk to her. I was too comfortable in my own shell to think about stepping out."

"And then," Lauren squeezed the dark-haired woman's hand gently. "I saw her again at the reunion and was lost for words. I just got lucky because she came up to me first. We bonded over whiskey before I confessed that I didn't even like it—I'm a gin and tonic girl. Then Cabello Industries did an event for the professors at Northeastern and she refused to leave me alone until I accepted her date invitation."

"It worked, didn't it?" Camila swallowed the lump in her throat at how ecstatic her mother looked. How the hell is she going to react when the contract ends and they break up?

"It did," Lauren leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Camila's cheek.

"You know," Sinu's eyes glossed over with such gentleness and love it made her daughter almost throw up. "I always said that Camila has poor taste in women. But you, Lauren Jauregui, have just proven me wrong."

"Good," Lauren said ever-so quietly. "I'm glad,"

The look of sadness on Camila's face after hearing her mother's words said more than enough.

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