Cannonball

Eighteen

Camila's PoV

December 15th 2012.

Saturday 10:00am.

Miami, Florida.

I pepper small kisses onto Lauren's bare chest as we lay lazily on her bed, the covers wrapped around us tightly as I snuggle into her on this cold December morning, wishing that we could just stay like this all day and not have to move out into the real world.

"I love you." Lauren smiles slightly as she plays with my hair, her other arm wrapped tightly and protectively around my waist as I rest my head against her chest.

"And I love you." I grin widely, butterflies erupting in my stomach at the words because even though it's been over a week since our mutual confession where we both realized the extent of our true feelings, or at least I did, Lauren apparently had figured it out a little while before me, but each time she says those three words to me it still makes me giddy.

I don't think I have ever felt happier in my entire life.

"I am rather lovable." she smirks that Lauren smirk and I let out a small laugh as I run my hand slowly down her chest and sigh blissfully at her toned body underneath my fingers.

"Don't push it Jauregui." I tilt my head up to give her a pointed look and she chuckles softly and I feel her chest shake gently against me. "God I wish we could stay here all day."

"Me too." she leans down and presses a soft kiss onto my forehead. "Why aren't we again?"

"I told you, I promised I'd spend the day with Mani and Dinah."

"Oh right yes, tweedle dee and tweedle dumb." she rolls her eyes.

"Hey don't be mean, they are my best friends." I frown slightly but it doesn't offend me, I know Lauren has her own reasons for not liking Dinah, her last name simply being the main one.

The irony in that considering where we are right now!

"I know, I know." she presses another kiss to my head.

"Besides, I need to spend some more time with them, it's been a while." I frown for a moment as I think of the last time that I spent time with either of them that wasn't at school. Dinah would have been at the Winter Formal and Normani was even before then. "Dinah has been acting weird too, I feel like she's been giving me the cold shoulder a little bit at school and when she does say something I feel like there is some sort of hidden meaning behind her words."

Ever since the Winter Formal, Dinah has been distant with me. I don't really know why, well, actually no, I have an idea. I think she's pissed that I ditched her and left without saying goodbye, or more so, without saying goodbye to Niall.

She probably still has that silly idea in her head that there is some sort of spark going on there, because trust me, there really really isn't.

"I don't even know why you're friends with her, she clearly makes you miserable." Lauren shrugs casually and I sit up and look at her a little offended.

"What? No she doesn't!"

"Camz baby, I have seen you at school with her and the rest of your preppy little popular friends and you look absolutely miserable!" she says seriously with a shrug. "You can't be yourself around them and you know it."

"That's not Mani and Dinah though..." I frown slightly at her words. "And besides, these days it seems like you are the only person that I can be myself around, my real self anyway."

She smiles softly at me and presses a finger under my chin. "I feel the same." I feel my stomach explode again with those damn butterflies.

"I know." I push some of her fallen messy hair back. "This is tough, we both know that. But it's not Mani and Dinah's fault that I am lying to them and keeping the most important part of my life a secret from them." I watch as Lauren's smile widens and she raises an eyebrow at me and I look at her a little confused. "What?" I ask paranoid.