Love Me (Normani)

Chapter 36

You can't like Lauren. You're with Dinah. You make her happy. But Lauren treats me so well..she cares about me more than Dinah ever could, and I care about her. Imagine if.. There was a knock on the bedroom door and Dinah came in with a wide grin on her face. "Hi babe." Normani smiled softly and mumbled a greeting. "I brought Cheetos, chocolate, cakes," if she keeps talking I'm gonna throw up. "just a bunch of random shit." Lauren came in with a small smile. "Hey D.." "Lauser!" She pulled the Cuban girl into a tight hug making Lauren grimace. "Okay stop now, that hurts." Lauren's voice strained. "Yeah D let her go." Normani said, trying to help Lauren. "Oops, my bad." Dinah let the girl go quickly. "Thanks." Lauren brushed herself off and sat down on her bed, resting her head on Normani's shoulder. "Babe can I pick the movie?" Dinah asked with a pout on her face. "I don't know, ask Lauren, today was her idea." "Lauren?" "Yeah sure whatever." The girl mumbled distractedly, looking at her best friend. "What?" Normani blushed. "You're just really pretty." "Hey! Stop flirting with my girl!" Dinah huffed, pulling Normani into her lap. "She's not flirting!" Normani laughed. "She totally was." "No she was just being nice, don't be so jealous." Normani chuckled. Lauren gave a shy smile. She was flirting lowkey. "What're we watching anyway?" Lauren asked Dinah, changing the subject. "Lion King." "Aww come on that's like the hundredth time now!" Normani complained. "Can't we watch something else?" "No!" Dinah stuck her tongue out at her. "Laur tell her." Lauren looked up from her songbook at Dinah. "What am I telling her?" "Ugh. Never mind." Dinah groaned. "Sorry Dinah." Lauren chuckled. "You still writing?" Normani asked, curling into Lauren's side. "You trying to sneak a peek again?" "No, just cuddle." Normani said, snuggling into her shoulder. "Why not Dinah?" Normani pointed over to the girl who was hugging Lauren's stuffed Nala. "Hey!" Lauren shouted seriously, making Dinah jump. "Put down my Nala." "But it matches." "I don't care put her down." Lauren said with gritted teeth. "I'd do it babe, she's very possessive of Nala." Dinah took one look at Lauren's stern face and put the stuffed toy down. "Yes ma'am." Lauren smiled satisfied Dinah put her down. "Thank you." Normani couldn't help but laugh at the girl's possessiveness over a toy. "Lauren, quit it she's my baby." Dinah whined when she saw their position. "She's cuddling me, don't come at me boo, you're the one neglecting your girlfriend." Dinah looked at Normani's puppy dog eyes and realised she was probably right in a way. "Sorry, come here babe." "No." Normani refused. "Why not?" "Lauren loves me more." "No she doesn't!" "Kinda do." Lauren giggled, wrapping an arm around Normani's back. "And she's comfier than you too." Dinah growled and crossed her arms. "Hmph. Remind me again who you're dating." Normani shrugged. Lauren raised her eyebrows. "Kiss me and I might just remember." Dinah rolled her eyes, leaned in, and kissed Normani quickly. "Who rolls her eyes kissing that beauty?" Lauren scoffed. "Me when she's pissed me off." Dinah huffed. "Says the girl that preferred to cuddle a stuffed toy as opposed to her girlfriend." "Nala's not just a stuffed t-" "Well maybe if my girlfriend hadn't been so off with me lately and actually stopped killing herself-" "Woah Dinah-" Lauren's eyes widened. "Well maybe if mine was actually there for me-" "I am there for you!" "No you're not! Lauren is!" "Well why don't you date her then!" Dinah seethed. "Guys-" Lauren tried to mediate them. "Shut up!" Dinah shouted at the Cuban, incredible close to her. "Don't yell at her! She didn't do anything wrong!" Normani pushed Dinah back. "She's been flirting with you since I got here!" "No she hasn't!" Yes I have. "You really think I don't pay attention to you?" "You do in terms of affection, sometimes but if it's someone I need to hold me and be there for me you can bet your ass it's Lauren." "Is this you leaving me for her?" Dinah scoffed. Normani lowered her eyes. "I just want you to care Dinah." "I do!" "No about the important stuff! You care about kissing and hugging and trying to fuck me. But we don't talk about my eating disorder-" Oh my god she admitted it. "you avoid it and you ignore the fact I'm getting worse." Dinah lowered her eyes. "See you can't even deny it!" "I thought I could handle it but I can't." "You should be fighting for her Dinah, you need to try!" Lauren said. "I do try! I try and have a normal conversation, but you're not talking to me you're talking to that stupid voice in your head. Mani you think about fucking food more than me!" Normani swallowed. "It's not her fault." Lauren defended the girl. "Why can't you just stop?" Dinah huffed at Normani. "I can't just stop Dinah, believe me I'm trying." Normani whimpered. "It's not enough though, I wanted you. Not this." Dinah sighed. "I think you should go now." Lauren said, getting up and opening the door for Dinah to leave her house. "Is this..what I think it is?" Normani asked miserably. "Yeah." Dinah muttered. "I'm sorry." Lauren scoffed. "I can't do it anymore. It's over." Normani felt her eyes brimming with tears and looked away from her. "Just go." Lauren said bitterly. Dinah looked sadly at her now ex girlfriend. "Now! Before you do any more damage." Lauren hissed. Dinah left then and Lauren shut the door, pulling Normani into a hug. "Why didn't she fight for me?" She sobbed. "Because she's not the right person for you." Lauren said gently, smoothing her hair out of her face. "So who is?.." Me.