Come Back, Be Here (Camren)

Chapter 23

Trigger Warning for mentions of violence

"Jesus, Lauren. Breathe." Dinah places a comforting hand on the older Latina's leg.

"I'm trying, but it's easier said than done." Lauren bounces her leg nervously.

Currently, Dinah, Lauren, Ally, and Normani are sitting on a wooden bench in the local courthouse awaiting the trial of Camila's attacker. The night after all the girl's celebrated Ally's restaurant success, Camila received a call from the Miami Police Department that said that the trial for her attacker would be the following weekend.

Currently, Lauren is a nervous wreck and it doesn't help that she hasn't gotten to see Camila the past couple of days. The girl has been at the courthouse in a room somewhere with her lawyer prepping for the trial. The green-eyed girl cannot shake the sick feeling in her stomach because she knows she is going to have to see and hear things today that won't be pleasant. One of those being the man that caused her wife to forget every bit of time that they spent together. Camila also warned her that they would be showing images of her after the attack. Just the thought of seeing her wife in that state absolutely petrifies Lauren.

The green-eyed girl has effectively tuned out everything around her, but when she sees the judge enter, she immediately rises to her feet. Soon after, Camila enters with her lawyer and Lauren's heart skips a beat. She looks absolutely adorable in her little pencil skirt and blouse, but there is fear laced in those beautiful brown eyes of hers and Lauren just wants to hold her and promise that it will all be okay.

Unfortunately, she doesn't get long to enjoy her wife's beautiful presence because seconds after Camila walks in, the back door swings open and a scruffy man in an orange jumpsuit enters. As he passes by, Lauren catches a glimpse of the spiderweb tattoo on his neck. He is wearing a smirk as he gazes forward and Lauren follows his eyes to see that he is smirking at her wife. Camila, however, has her head down, her sight is on her hands that are folded neatly in her lap. The younger Cuban cannot bring herself to look up and Lauren cannot bring herself to stop drilling holes in the side of his head. She's been told all her life that her eyes are piercing and today she wishes that that was a literal thing so she could pierce actual holes right through that asshole's head.

The brunette is broken from her thoughts and her staring when she feels a hand cover her right hand, the one currently gripping the edge of the wooden bench. She averts her eyes from Camila's attacker and locks eyes with Ally's sympathetic ones.

"We'll get through this." Ally assures the nervous girl and her tone is so convincing that Lauren finds herself believing the shorter girl.

The trial begins shortly after the attacker enters the courthouse and Lauren finds herself tuning out most of it, up until Camila is called to the stand.

"Ms. Cabello, can you please describe what you remember the night of the attack?" The defense attorney questions.

"I uh had brain damage so I can't remember much, but I do remember being pushed up against a brick wall and having a knife pressed to my throat. I remember the guy had a spiderweb tattoo on his neck." Camila shudders at the memory. "I remember my head being shoved against the wall and then when I fell to the ground, I was kicked in the head until I blacked out.

"So you don't remember anything else?" He asks.

"No." Camila shakes her head.

"The girl has brain damage and memory loss. How can she adequately accuse my client of attacking her?" He questions the jury.

"If I may, your Honor." Camila's lawyer stands up. When the judge nods, he speaks. "The police found that your client's DNA matched the DNA on Ms. Cabello's body after the attack."