My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose

Chapter Eleven

Camila wasn't answering her phone. She'd sent fifteen text messages, and Camila hadn't responded to any of them. She'd left four voicemails, each one more frantic than the last.

"Camila, seriously, why are you not answering your phone?! Camz please call me back I'm freaking out right now, where are you?!"

Lauren hung up the phone with shaking hands. She was finding it hard to breathe and she could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes.

She'd been round to Colour Me Cute, but it was closed because it was Sunday. She'd knocked madly on Camila's apartment door, but there was no answer. Owen didn't know where she was either.

And although every logical part of Lauren's brain was telling her that everything was fine and there was no reason to panic, all she could think was this is just like last time.

This is just like Luce.

She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, pacing back and forth in her bedroom and running her hand furiously through her hair. In a panic, she sent a few more text messages.

Laurcussion: okay seriously i'm kinda freaking out where the fuck are you????

Laurcussion: CAMZ

Laurcussion: please please please be okay

This was far too close to what had happened with Lucy. The disappearance, her not answering her phone. And if it ended the same way...

Lauren took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but it wasn't working. She was sucking in more and more air but not exhaling, and before she knew it she was hyperventilating.

This hadn't happened in months.

Quickly, she called LaFontaine. She couldn't manage anything more than some rattled gasping, but they understood perfectly. They were bursting into her apartment within ten minutes.

They found her curled up on the floor, struggling to breathe.

"Okay, Laur, it's okay, I'm here," they said, stroking her hair soothingly. Lauren found the touch comforting, but she still couldn't breathe. Her thoughts kept imagining Camila's body in some dark alleyway somewhere. Imagining the phone call telling Lauren she was dead. Imagining her life having lost someone else she cared about.

Slowly, Lauren managed to take a few deep breaths and the spots in front of her eyes disappeared. She sat up slowly, leaning against the bed.

"You okay?" LaF asked, their eyes concerned.

"C-Camz's not answering her phone. Or her texts. I just... this is just like..."

"Hey," LaF put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I'm sure she's fine. This isn't like Lucy. She'll be okay."

"I know you're right but I just," Lauren sniffed, "I'm scared."

"I know, I know."

They sat like that, Lauren catching her breath, shaking a little bit when she breathed out. LaFontaine had helped her with enough of these attacks by now to know exactly what she needed.
She didn't need space. She needed assurance.

"Do you want me to stay here for a while?" LaF asked.

"No, it's fine, I was just being stupid."

"Hey, it's not being stupid. We don't apologise for how we feel."

"Thanks, LaF."

"No problem. What are friends for?"

Camila was there. She was standing on the landing between their doors, with a backpack slung over one shoulder.