Do As I Say (Camren)

Chapter 4. Argument

"She's cheating on you."

Silence.

Lauren Jauregui, successful businesswoman, rolled onto her right side on her king sized bed, for what felt like the millionth time of the night.

Her eyes, barely open, yet incredibly aware, felt sore from crying and oh-so-tired of seeing all the unfortunate situations that had led her to this point.

Like domino pieces, it had all been a chain of errant events, pushing each other, until they finally landed on her.

Dread invading her every thought, she checked, not for the first and surely not the last time, the red numbers of her alarm clock on the nightstand.

5:15 a.m.

She had to get up in exactly 30 minutes, so she could get ready to be at the office at 7 o'clock.

Lauren was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and yet sleep just didn't seem to have any intentions on showing up for the night, her mind insisting on replaying over and over again that last phonecall she had had with a certain entrepreneur.

"... What?"

Liz's voice had dropped an octave, and as if on cue, the weight of Lauren's impulsive actions finally landed on her shoulders, like a ton of bricks.

"Y-yeah... Mis- erm, Camila, she's cheating on you."

Her broken heart, previously overwhelmed with the pain of a thousand shattered hopes and expectations piercing through it, seemed to have finally found its rhythm again, and it was picking up.

She remembered the cold metal of someone's car on her hand as she propped her weight on it, meekly, trying to regain some composure for whoever might be watching.

"Listen very carefully, Lauren."

Gone had been all the remaining traces of drowsiness in Liz's raspy voice, and after a long, obviously annoyed sigh from her end, Lauren somehow managed to shake the stillness from her trembling legs to get to her own car, feeling the sudden need to sit down.

"Not only did you stand me up at the coffee shop the other day, but now after no damned signs of life you call me at fucking 2 a.m. to tell me- whatever stupid shit this is?"

Lauren had been at a loss of words, her mouth maybe already knowing Liz hadn't meant for her to argue on anything she said, for it was the undeniable truth. She had even lowered her head, as if she were a child being scolded.

"She was right, you seriously are something different." She had heard Liz mumble under her breath.

Now, between a mess of covers and half adjusted pajamas, she couldn't even come to think on what she had meant with that.

"But I swear I saw-"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there." Yet another long sigh, and some muffled rustling, most likely of silk sheets. "I'll come tomorrow around three. I got a few places to go and your building is near so I'll see you there, and we'll talk."

There had been no evidence in her voice, its cadence nor its volume, that it was a question of any type.

"Liz, liste-"

"Goodnight Lauren."

And then the line had gone dead.

Ending up on her back again, facing the ceiling she now hated for it was burned in her corneas, Lauren allowed herself to let out an irritated and agonizingly stressed groan.