Cannonball

Twenty Nine

Lauren's PoV

March 26th 2013.

Tuesday 2:30pm

Miami, Florida.

"We should probably head out soon," I sigh, disappointed, glancing briefly at my watch. Camila groans tiredly and shuffles against me as she rests between my legs, her head resting against my chest as I sit up against the headboard.

"I don't want to."

"I know." I smile and nuzzle my face into her hair, kissing the back of her head quickly. "But Noah and Ashley will be home from school soon and we promised Zayn. Have you thought of a story to tell your parents yet?" I ask curiously, feeling a little nervous about the situation so I can't even imagine how Camila is feeling. I can't help but feel guilty, she went on this disappearing act because of me and now she's going to get in trouble for it.

I lean forward and tilt my head when Camila doesn't reply; instead she is staring down at her legs spread in front of her, a distant look on her face like she is thinking about something serious.

"Camz?" I pull some of her hair back so I can see her whole face. "Baby?"

Her head snaps towards mine and she blinks quickly. "Sorry..." she trails but there is something in her voice that I don't like and I need to make her feel better. This is my fault after all.

"It'll be okay. I mean sure at first they'll be mad but they'll get over it and if you're grounded then I'll just have to sneak in through your bedroom window." I wiggle my eyebrows playfully but Camila doesn't even smile.

"What if I don't want you to sneak in?"

"What?" I frown in confusion, a pit of fear growing through my stomach as I think about what might be going through her head right now. Was this too much? Have I scared her off? Now that she's had time to think things over and knows that Will is fine has she realized that I'm too much trouble? That I'm not worth her time?

I sit silently and anxious, watching as she lifts herself up from between my legs and moves onto her knees so she is facing me with a scared look on her face but there is also a look of determination in her eyes that I don't quite understand.

"What is it?" I gulp and push the words out from my throat while trying to hide my nerves.

"I don't want to hide anymore." She blurts the words out and I feel my eyes widen. "I'm so sick of having to keep you a secret, having to pretend that you mean absolutely nothing to me when you are my whole world. I'd do anything for you, Lauren, so why should we have to hide?"

I look at her stunned, certainly not expecting this today. "Camila..." I gulp slightly, trying to work past the beautiful words of me meaning the world to her and focus on the serious part of what she has just said. "You know why. I don't want to lose you and if your parents find out, they'll stop you from seeing me and I can't let that happen."

She shakes her head immediately. "They can't stop me from doing anything! So they'll ground me, I'll climb out the window and if they somehow stop me from doing that they can't stop me from going to school and seeing you there." She leans forward and cups my face between her hands. "I love you, Lo, so much and I don't want to hide anymore."

I look at her for a long moment, trying to work out if this real or if this is just an aftereffect from the emotional and tense day that we have shared. I want this as much as she does, of course I do. I want to be able to walk down the street while holding her hand, I want to kiss her goodbye after walking her to class, I want to be bored out of my mind while I begrudgingly follow her around the mall while she shops and I want to go out for cheap burgers at The Grill after school.