All Night

[1] My heart beats...

"You're not going to see her so you need to chill the fuck out."

"How do you know that? I doubt that the set is going to be the size of Santa's wonderland." Lauren scoffed before crossing her arms and plopping down on the leather sofa in her apartment. "Aoki fucked me over and he knows this, I don't understand it." she huffed before setting her gaze on the double plained windows that took up a wall of her living room, letting her see the NYC landscape in all its glory.

"It's been a year Lauren." Normani sat down next to the singer and uncrossed her arms and took her hands into her own. "You guys aren't the same people you were back then." she reassured her friend, rubbing her thumb across the back of her hand.

"It's the one thing that I've been avoiding. The one fucking thing that I managed to bury and continue to live my life."

"Well speaking to her backstage at the Jingleball wasn't a very good idea of 'keeping it buried' was it." the dark skinned woman argued.

"Like I said, it's been a year. I can't help that I..." biting her lip and looking at her hands that were clasped in her friend's grasp. "I missed her Mani." she looked into her friend's eyes, her vision becoming blurred as she remembered the encounter.

-

"Camz!" the Cuban woman spun in her place, her black coat swaying with her movements.

"Lolo?" she questioned with disbelief her eyes scanning the crowd of people, hoping that her ears didn't deceive her. Surely it wasn't her. Not Lauren. But sure enough her figure emerged from the crowd and they locked eyes and Camila's heart stopped. The eyes that was home for a thousand galaxies were looking right back at her and she thought time had stopped.

"Hey." Lauren laughed and Camila knew that she was fucked. That laugh. God that laugh. The huskiness and innocence made it all that more attractive. She stood there, shocked as to how she should respond.

It's been almost a year.

They haven't spoken since she left the group, the only person being Dinah and even that was scarce and in secret.

"H-hi." she watched as the older girl walked up to her, confidence and poise being within her nature. She could notice from the short distance between them than Lauren was cold, goosebumps erupting on her skin through her checkered mesh top.

They stood there for a few moments, awkward silence filled the air. What do you say to someone whom broke your heart and nearly your career? To the person that held your heart in their hand and your secrets, ready to spill out of their mouth. Lauren broke the silence by flashing Camila that signature smile and pulled the girl in for a well needed hug.

"You look good." she murmured into her ear, enjoying the close proximity of her former bandmate.

"You too." the younger girl cooed before releasing her hold and taking a moment to really appreciate the woman standing in front of her. She had filled out and her hair had grown a bit longer, she seemed fuller within herself. Happier, Camila thought bitterly to herself.

"How's Ty?" she asked, bitterness still prevalent on her tongue. It wasn't news that the couple were going strong and that their relationship didn't look like slowing down anytime soon. Camila couldn't help the little green monster that stomped around on her heart every time she saw a headline of the couple or even saw their posts on Instagram.

Lauren replied eagerly but Camila couldn't find herself listening, instead she was appreciating the way Lauren's eyes lit up and how she licked her lips when she started speaking at a rapid rate. If she blocked out all the noise, Camila could almost imagine that she was talking about her with that. with that same loving tone and facial expression. However that was short lived when Lauren finished talking and caught her staring at her lips like a fool.