Phantasm (Phantasm, #1) - Camila/You

Chapter 26 [📱]

"Don't get angry, okay?" she said.

"That depends."

"Camila has a collab."

I tilted my head to the side expecting Lauren to explain further but she just settled her green eyes on me. "I mean," I started, "she has one with Shawn, I know that. Are you saying she has a new one?"

Lauren nodded. "With Machine Gun Kelly."

"Uh... right," I said, trying to poke around my head, hoping the name was familiar but coming up with nothing. "Why didn't she say anything about it to me?"

"That," Lauren said, rubbing her temples, "you have to ask Camila."

I raked a hand through my hair in frustration. There should've been no reason for Camila to lie to me about a collab with someone else. I mean, they were just singing so why avoid me on the issue? Unless, of course, there was something else below the surface.

"I still don't get it, Laur," I said, leaning my back on the door. "What does this collab thing have to do with her saying we weren't dating?"

She cleared her throat and looked away. I heard her mutter something under her breath that I didn't quite hear. I was about to call her out on it when she glanced at me. "They need to promote their single."

"Uh huh," I answered, tapping my foot in impatience.

"It's a love song." I grunted in response. "They're going to be seen together everywhere. Interviews, concerts, guestings."

I pushed forward from the door and sighed. "Lauren, I still don't get—"

And that's when everything clicked into place.

"Motherfucker," I breathed out while my mind was working overtime to process my realization. I looked up and met Lauren's eyes as she bit her lip in anticipation for what I'm about to say. "They're making her have a PR relationship with him."

"W—Well not really, they—hey wait! Y/N!"

Lauren's voice became distant as I ran out of the house and towards my car. I grit my teeth and slammed the door shut as I fumbled for my seatbelt. I didn't even notice there was someone sitting on the passenger seat until I heard her voice.

"Y/N."

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, jumping from my seat and banging my elbow on the car door. "Ouch! Fuck. Don't do that, P!"

Before I could say anything else, Phantasm reached out and grabbed my arm tightly. "Let's go."

"Well if you let go of my arm then I can drive away."

A foreign intensity suddenly crossed her features. "There's no time to be driving. I'll be damned if those corporate assholes make my ship sink again."

"What're you—"

"Ever wondered how I get from place to place quickly?" she grinned.

"Uh... you telepo—"

The words died down from my mouth as a sudden burst of air slammed against me and I felt my body hurled in every direction.

-//-//-//-//-//-

"Holy shit!"

I placed my hands on my knees and tried to regulate my breathing. My chest felt like a hundred ton weight was pressed on it, making it hard for me to breath. Phantasm just rubbed my back as I wheezed.

"We... are not... doing that... again," I panted. Walking over to the sink in front of me, I turned on the faucet and splashed water on my face. As I glanced up at the mirror, I winced at the disaster my hair has become.