To You, Graceless (CAMREN)

9 - The Pawn Of An Elaborate Scheme

***I decided to write a fight scene between Camila and Irina/Kayla up there in Chapter 8. I figured it was necessary. It's ugly though. My first time. Whoops. AND Professor C just hit 100k reads and I just got 1.43k or something followers!!! Holy shizzz balls, man! Thank you! I am floored. 

Camila groaned for the umpteenth time since returning to her suite an hour prior.

The corner of her mouth had been scalding against the damp fabric of a t-shirt she used as a make-shift ice pouch. Tucked underneath her chin was a rolled up pristine white towel to catch cold droplets from the melting crystals that Dinah had graciously and carefully positioned to outline her face, the ends meeting atop her head.

All she needed was a thermometer in her mouth and she'd be a real-life representation of children with fevers in those story books – only less beaten, and less bruised.

Camila relived every one of Irina's attacks; from the cut on the inside of her lip, the red bump on her forehead, down to the oddly shaped, vertical bruises on her right wrist. Every edge and corner of her body were sore and even laying on her back was causing her pain.

The thing she'd been dreading earlier while greatly preoccupied and inebriated by adrenaline had arrived.

Getting into an oversized sweatshirt proved to be a hurdle, prompting Camila to slip on a pair of cotton shorts to save her from the burden of having to keep her balance while each foot navigated through the longer tunnels of her pants.

"I could get you something for the pain. I really don't mind." Dinah offered yet again as her response to Camila's grunts, briefly looking up from her phone. This time, she appeared to have been irritated, an emotion that was not there when Camila glanced at her moments prior. "There are tons of over-the-counter drugs around here. Actually, I should have brought some Tylenol knowing just how reckless and clumsy you are."

"I'm fine." Camila insisted, squirming in the cocoon Dinah had situated her in.

"You did take a pretty bad blow to the head. Twice!"

"You should've seen the other girl." Camila jested, bearing the audacity to even smirk despite the ice pack over one corner of her lips.

She was in pain, not sick but she didn't quite have it in her to argue, even after she heard an unimpressed scoff from her friend. Then again, all the matters was the fact that she was warm and comfortable.

Ideally, she would have been buried in her work, not too at peace about having some idle time even if her pursuits wouldn't yield even the most trifling pieces to the puzzle. She'd tried searching for more clues and answers regarding her case through her phone but her annoying headache would only be exacerbated by the glow of her phone, no matter how dim it was.

Vega had feared that if his agents were to step closer to the fire, they would risk being exposed by its flickering glow. If not, burned by it.

For now, Camila entertained herself by observing the woman who was next to her, leaning against the comfortable headboard with her phone between her hands and tension upon her brows. Her eyes were ablaze, apparently irked and Camila had a feeling it had nothing to do with her avoidable ailment.

"Who are you texting?"

"Mani." Dinah answered evasively, eliciting a mischievous smirk to flourish upon the young detective's lips.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you two are having a secret love affair." Camila remarked, an air of false disappointment clouding her tone. "Don't be cruel, Dinah. She has a baby. You don't want to take it from its father."