BLACK CRESCENT

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

LAUREN

I wasn't sure how to have this conversation, but I needed to tell her the truth. She looked like her entire world had just crumbled all around her... how could I add to her pain.

But if I said nothing...

"I need to tell you something," I began.

When she looked up at me, her face was full of trust, of hope, and I wanted to stop speaking. I didn't want to say it, but I had to.

"Savannah Van Allen was my mother's friend, and she was also my ex-wife's mother."

There it was, the trust disappeared right in front of my eyes, and all I could see instead was rage.

"Camz..." I reached for her, but she smacked my hand away and stood up.

"Why... why didn't you say anything Lauren? I told you months ago! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure what to say—"

"How about 'Camila for years I thought your father murdered my wife's mother'!" she screamed at me. "Why am I using past tense? You probably never believed in me from the beginning."

"That's not true!"

"Why else wouldn't you speak up? Why else would you never bring it up, when I talked about him all the time? You never really believed that I could get him out. He was just going to die in prison, and I never would have needed to know."

"I didn't tell you because it doesn't matter to me! I love you, I want you to stay, and I didn't want you to use this as an excuse to run away."

"oh You love me Lauren and didn't want me to run? Or is it that you weren't sure what to say? Which is the truth? Or do you just say pretty things without thinking about what they actually mean?!"

"I'm telling you because I will help you. I want to help you."

"Don't bother. Anyone who hides the truth from me in order to keep me at their side isn't someone I want to be with."

She moved to the door but I grabbed on to her.

"Camila—"

"Let go of me!" she screamed, and wriggled out of my grasp.

I couldn't.

"Don't do this, please. I was wrong not to tell you, I know that. But we aren't running away from each other anyone—"

"There is no us Lauren Never was and Never will be. Getting involved with you was a bad idea, I knew it then and I should have trusted myself. I can't trust you, so let go of me Lauren, or I will scream until someone calls the police."

She ripped her arm from my grip, not even bothering to grab her coat before slamming the door on her way out. A moment later Bellamy's screams echoed through the house, mirroring my own internal grief and frustrations.

"Hello Taylor you need to come home immediately"

One hour later

"I hate you," Zayn said, dressed in sweatpants and Red Sox hoodie.

I ignored him and handed Bellamy back to Taylor.

"Where's Mila?" she asked, looking around.

"She left me."

Her eyes widened as she rubbed Bellamy's back. "I'll put her down in the guest room."

Nodding, I let her go, before leading Zayn into my living room, stepping over all of the boxes.