Checkmate (Camren)

Caught red-handed (31)

Lauren Jauregui's Point Of View

*Flashback On*

[...]

"You shouldn't be so upset about it, Camila. You two don't have a serious relationship. You can't want her to be faithful when you're married."

"I just thought that..." She made a brief pause. "That she liked me. Yesterday I was sure that she was going to say something important about her feelings, but I stopped her."

I knew what moment she was referring to, and truly, in that instant I'd make the biggest mistake of my life. Camila and I had just had sex near the creek, we were enjoying a tranquil day in each other's presence, and for some reason, I felt like I should expose my feelings to her, feelings that I nurtured in the course of our so tumultuous relationship. Luckily, or thanks to fate, she stopped me. Maybe out of guilt? Guilt for lying, for using me.

"You wanted her to be in love? Just like you are?"

I sighed heavily as I listened to the private conversation between both women. The listening devices were working perfectly well, giving me free access to find out about any and all subjects discussed between them.

"Dinah..."

"Camila, please. This is madness! You're a felon, do you get that? You've let this go too far. I know that it was just sex at first, but you know that that's not the case anymore."

"I know..." She whispered.

"Then take advantage of this and put an end to it. I know that you didn't plan to fall in love with that woman, but you can try to revert that."

"I'm in love with her, Dinah."

I removed my headphones quickly, throwing them roughly on the car's dashboard. I was in a parking lot a block away from the gallery, I didn't want to be far, when soon I'd have to meet her.

"You're lying even to Dinah, who's your accomplice." I said in disbelief. "You've never been in love with me, Camila. Don't be such a liar!" I yelled, as if she could hear me.

A part of me, as much as I didn't want to believe, regretted such situation. Deep down I wanted Camila to not be a criminal, I wanted her to really be in love with me and, for her to never have used me to carry out her greedy plan against Christopher Collins. But people are never as we imagine them to be, or how we want them to be. Of course, not everyone's part of a multimillionaire theft, but they also end up hurting us somehow.

Too many expectations frustrate us.

I looked at the headphones lying on the dashboard, hearing low murmurs coming from them. I grabbed them again as I struggled to get on with it. It wouldn't be so simple, but I'd have to have strength to get to the end.

"We have to get together." Dinah said.

"Did something happen?"

"Yes, I received Heitor's package. I paid the last part of the payment, and as we had agreed, only after what he had to give us."

"Do you have it?"

"Yes, a pendrive that has everything we need."

"Did you see what was in it?" Camila whispered.

Dinah fell silent for a few instants, but then answered. "A video. The video that will put an end to this story."

"What video?"