Time Bomb~ LMJ

PART 12

That's where Lucy comes in.

"How are you going to get back into apartment?" Lucy asked as she watched Lauren get into the back seat.

"She leaves an extra key in the kitchen" Lauren explained.

"Here" Lucy said as she handed Lauren a small flip phone. "Luna wants to talk to you"

"That was fast. What did she say?"

"She didn't want to speak to me" Lucy said before she began driving.

"Thank you" Lauren said. "For all of this"

"Anything for you amor" Lucy said.

Lauren quickly called her cousin, who answered on the first ring.

"Hi Luna"

"Lauren! Lauren oh my gosh i was so worried about you. You're coming to Mexico right?"

"No I can't. Not yet at least. Do you think you could come here?"

"I can...if you tell me what you need"

"I need the money" Lauren whispered.

"All of it?"

"Yeah. It's okay if you've been using some we did tell you to help yourself"

"It's okay. My modeling career is actually going well. Where can I meet you?"

"I don't quite know yet. I didn't expect to be talking to you so soon. Camila always planned ahead"

"Oh Lauren I'll always be here to help. Just keep me updated okay?"

"Okay" Lauren said trying not to get choked up.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

"I assume it went well?" Lucy asked

"It did" Lauren said.

Lauren didn't speak again until Lucy slowly drove past the house Ismael is staying in.

Lauren squinted her eyes and watched as a older white woman began to walk down the steps of the house with four other young children behind her and Ismael in her arms.

"I see him" Lauren said. "She still hasn't noticed us don't leave yet"

"And I thought Ocean had it bad" Lauren said as she looked at her son's lack of clothes. "He doesn't even have shoes on"

"He looks a lot more like you" Lucy said.

"We should go" Lauren said when she felt tears starting to develop in her eyes.

"Okay amor" Lucy said. "You'll get him soon don't worry"

NORMANI

Work was absolutely awful. Normani now has too much responsibility.

Everything is overwhelming her and if Normani could afford it she's probably quit her job. But she can't do that.

And she has to babysit a criminal when she gets home.

Normani wasn't surprised when Lauren wasn't locked in her room like she should be and sitting on the couch. But it made Normani angry. She's doing Lauren a huge favor by letting her stay here and she won't even listen to her rules.

"Hi" Lauren said not looking away from the notebook in her hands where she appeared to be drawing something.

"Why aren't you in your room?" Normani said as she angrily dropped her purse on the ground.