Riptide (a camren fic)

CHAPTER 16: DTF, DTR? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE REALLY?

At the first sign of Dinah's signature smirk, Camila flushes angrily.

"Normani and Ally will be there too," she adds. "We're meeting at Lauren's for driving."

"Right, meeting." Dinah's grin turns impish.

Camila frowns, returning back to her perusing. "Whatever. Shut up."

She ends up settling for Lauren's flannel.

Though, Dinah's assumption isn't too far off. As much as she hates to admit it, she does feel a little surge of anticipation at the thought of seeing Lauren.

Even though they had kept up the constant communication it was an entirely different experience seeing one another in person.

The frequent text messages and late night calls hadn't been enough. The conversations had been easy and pleasant, but always underlined with enough sexual tension. As if any moment the tone could turn into something suggestive. It left her in a never ending loop of wanting more.

It's like she's in some kind of roller coaster. The loopy ones Dinah would've forced her to get on.

The tension between them rises unbearably slowly, only for it to fall abruptly with the shattering moment.

She might go crazy. She really just might.

To make matters worse it seems as if Lauren is completely unaffected by the surge of hormones. She keeps her distance. A platonic distance, that makes the heat simmer low in her belly at the potential of an encounter.

The fact that both their parents suddenly required their assistance around the house seemed more than just a little suspicious.

So later, as she's approaching Lauren's house, the thrill of reunion sparks another round of excitement and apprehension. It's silly. Stupid, really, how worked up she's getting, the nerves in her behaving as if she hasn't seen Lauren in years when really it's only been about a week.

A really long week.

She finds Lauren sitting out on the porch. Unaware of her staring.

Camila takes the opportunity to watch her for a moment. The sight is a familiar one. Then again Camila thinks everything regarding Lauren is so distantly familiar.

Lauren looks up, as if sensing her presence.

Camila inhales sharply, hesitating near the driveway. She hears Dinah groan exasperatedly behind her.

It's been a stupidly long week.

When Camila nears, Lauren stands up with a smile, posture visibly brightening that Camila can't help but feel herself slowly warming up to the feeling.

"Hi," Lauren greets, almost shyly.

"Hey."

She waits expectantly, both of them standing before each other awkwardly. Camila almost has half a mind to pull her into a hug, but before she can do anything stupid; she promptly takes a seat on the porch step.

Lauren follows suit.

"Normani says she'll be here soon," Camila murmurs.

An outing that was exclusively a driving day had inevitably turned into an impromptu group hang when Lauren invited herself after Camila mentioned it. Then Normani promptly invited Ally, claiming that they might as well include the older girl. Though according to Dinah, it was really because Normani refused to be the third wheel.

And despite reconnecting with her friends, Camila can't help but feel a little disappointed. That they won't be alone. That their time together has been so sparse. That she inevitably has to share her Lauren time with others.