LAUREN was tossing and turning to her bed because she couldn't sleep so she decided to get up, leaving her room. She saw that all of the lights in the mansion were already turned off, but there's one in the west wing so she approached that light. She ended up in Camila's office. The door is slightly open so she peeked inside and there she was sitting on the leather chair looking at nothing.
"Camz..." and she took a deep breath then made a light knock then she pushed open the door, looks like Camila is in deep thoughts because she never looked up, still the same when she saw her, she closed the door slowly and approach her, it took her a few seconds before she pull her out of its reverie, "hey..."
Camila looked up and saw Lauren, "Lo...what are you doing here?"
"How about you, what are you still doing here too? Look at the time, I thought we still have a meeting with the secretary of defense tomorrow."
"Sorry..." and she rubs her face, "I didn't notice it."
"I understand," and she walked towards her and handed her hand, "come with me."
Camila looked back and forth to Lauren's face and to its offered hand then she accepted it then Lauren led her, "where we going?"
"Just here," and she stop when they approach the couch then she seated and pulled Camila down to the couch, "it looks like you can't sleep, I'll help you."
"Lo..."
"You said it again."
"What?"
"Lo, if you didn't know that's your nickname you gave me."
Camila looked down, the another problem is how to tell Lauren that she now remembers, she closed her eyes gathering her strength, hoping that Lauren will not get mad for not telling the truth, "Lo I have something to tell you."
"What is it? Look at me when you say it, when we talk we always look at each other's eyes."
"It's because I can't look into your eyes."
"But why? You love that."
"Because of one thing."
"Tell me."
"When I heard you sing My Love Will Never End slowly my memories of you comes back, added when I saw the gold moon pendant in your room, it was like you're solving the puzzle for me, Lo, instead of me and when I kiss you earlier, that was the last piece, since you got here a movie was playing and now we're here," and she looked at to Lauren who is staring at her and it's hard to read what's on the raven haired mind right now, "Lo, forgive me, I didn't mean..."
Camila couldn't continue her explanation because Lauren is capturing her lips, holding her cheeks tight and because of the force that Lauren did she fell on her back on the couch, lips still touching.
"I've been wanted to do this when I saw you in the conference room," she said when she's resting her forehead on Camila's, her weight holding Camila down on the couch, "holding your hands on mine, I really want to throw myself to you and kiss you."
"Lo..."
"I want to get mad at you for leaving us but I know I'm at fault too."
"No, Lo," she said shaking her head, "no, not your fault," and she touch her cheeks.
"Not your fault too, you know, how about this, you're a businesswoman, dealing is normal to you and I have a deal with you."
"Tell me."
"If you're blaming yourself I will blame myself too, we'll both take responsibility, deal?"
And Camila smiled, tucking Lauren's hair behind its ear and give her a peck on the lips, "deal."
And Lauren smiled, "good, I know we have a lot to talk about but first thing first, okay?"
"Okay, but let me tell you this, you didn't give me a chance for telling you this."
"What is it?"
"I love you."
And Lauren nodded, tears brimming in her eyes, "I love you too."
And they shared a kiss once more.
***
CAMILA woke up because she felt something heavy in her chest, she stirred a little then slowly opened her eyes, adjusting her eyesight to the light of the room. It took her a few seconds when she realized that she fell asleep inside her office study in the west wing. Next she felt is the hot breathing against her neck so she looked down and saw Lauren's sleeping face. She now remember they somehow make-out but didn't go further instead they ended up talking about the past when they're together spending time apart from Ally and Dinah back in college, just the two of them until they fell asleep on the couch while humming together their now theme song My Love Will Never End, Lauren on her chest, nuzzling her neck. She was sure sooner or later she will feel the pain in her body because of the uncomfortable sleeping bed they lied to, the couch, but she didn't mind because having Lauren in her arms is a dream come true, despite of the problems they're now facing God is still good at her, giving Lauren to her. She kissed her forehead and nuzzled she then wrapped her arms securely around Lauren using her free arm since Lauren is using her right arm as a pillow making Lauren nuzzled closer to her neck, clutching her shirt that she wear last night.
"This feels amazing..."
Camila smiled when she hears her girlfriend said, last night after her confession and a lots of kisses they finally make it official, they're together now, "yeah, love, it is."
"Love?" and Lauren looked up making the tip of her nose bumped at Camila's lips and she got smiled and she leaned and kissed those lips.
Camila returned the smile, "yes, love, because I love you."
"I love you, too," and she kissed her again, "love it is," and she smiled lovingly at her girlfriend, "good morning, love," she greeted her.
Camila's smiled was wide when Lauren, her girlfriend returned the endearment she chose, "good morning, love."
Then they heard Dinah and Normani's voice outside the room.
"Did you see Walz in her room?"
"No, but I will try here."
"Okay, babe, I'll try her room again."
"Babe?" Lauren asked to Camila making sure if she heard it right, "do you think they're together now?"
"Think so, but anyways we need to get up before Normani thinks badly of the situation we are in, she'll give me a lecture for sure."
"Oh sure," and she quickly get up, followed by Camila.
"Oh shit, lock."
"You lock the door?"
"I didn't notice actually, maybe?"
And they both chuckled.
"Give us time to plan first."
"You're right, how will we tell them about us?"
"Hmm how about this, I'll tell Normani first then together we'll tell the rest, how's that sounds?"
"Perfect." And they shared a kiss. "I need to go too," and she kissed her, "see you later, love."
Camila smiled, still can't believe that Lauren is her girlfriend now so she nodded, "see you later, love," and she stood.
Lauren glanced back and smiled at Camila, the brunette even winked at her that makes her giggle before she approached the door to open it.
Just in the nick of time when Lauren pull open the door Normani did the same pushing the door to open, spare key in the knob. Normani widened her eyes when she saw Lauren.
"Lauren?"
"Good morning, Normani," Lauren greeted.
"Good morning," Normani just said, still confused then Lauren left she then turned back and looked at to Camila, leaning on its table then marched inside, "spill and don't leave even a single detail, what is Lauren doing here with you inside? The door was LOCK! Did you—"
"Nope," Camila cut her halfway on Normani's speech then she turned to her, "we didn't, don't worry."
"Then what happened? What is Lauren doing here inside your office with the door LOCKED?"
"Why I felt that the word lock is in capital letters, Mani, Lauren didn't notice that she locked it, that's all, it was an accident."
"Fine, what happened last night?"
"Nothing."
"Mila?" Normani asked with threat.
"I'm sure, nothing's happened but I need to tell you something, but we didn't have sex and even if we do that, we'll do that in my room, not here."
"Oh my God!"
"Let me, okay?"
"Okay," and she cleared her throat, "spill, now."
"Okay, here's what actually happened last night, Lauren told me that she can't sleep last night so she went out to wait for the sleep to come but when she stepped outside of her room she notice that there's still light so she followed it and found my office still in lights, because of my deep thoughts I didn't notice that I didn't shut it completely so it slightly ajar for the light to peek out then she found me, she stepped inside then shut the door, didn't notice that she locked it."
"Pshh as if she didn't notice, she wants to be locked here with you."
"Mani!"
"Fine, fine, what's next?"
"She approached me and told me that I must be sleeping, I didn't notice the time that it was already 00:26 nearly 1am so she pulled me to the couch, helping me to sleep," and she sighed when she saw Normani raising its eyebrows, "fine, we make-out."
"I knew it!"
"Just only that because the rest we talked and Normani? I remember everything now, including Lauren."
Normani widened her eyes, "really?" and she saw her nod, "oh my god!!" and she pull her from embrace, "I'm glad, really, really glad," and she pulled back, "you told her that you remembered everything?"
"Yes."
"Just when?"
"Since the first night of catching you sneaking out of Cheechee's room."
"What?"
"Yes, Lauren and I just went inside, we talked outside until the light slowly slip in and when you caught me, when I give you an alibi that I didn't really went inside of Lauren's room, I did went inside because she didn't answer, that's when I saw the necklace I gave before I left, the golden moon necklace."
"I see, I get it now why moon, it's because it's a necklace."
"Yes and on the moon Lauren's name was carve on it."
"That's nice."
"I know."
"What else?"
"The last one, the last piece of the puzzle on the mini library, when you found me on the mini library with Lauren last night, I kissed her there."
"You little fucker, you didn't tell me."
"How can I, it's really a spur of the moment thing and that's the truth, we talked and until we confessed to each other and she's my girlfriend now, Mani."
Normani shrieked and embrace Camila tight, "congratulations!"
"Congratulations to you too."
"Oh, you heard that," and she smiled, "yes, since you caught me sneaking out of Dinah's room, that's the beginning."
"And you're trying to hide it from me, see?"
"I know, I know, it's just that there are so many problems and we didn't know when we can tell you guys."
"That's what I'm thinking too, actually, but Lauren said that together we'll solve it."
"Aww, you're still romantic, but we need to get out and be ready for your meeting with the secretary of defense together with Lauren, I arrange some securities to escort you both."
"Thank you, Mani."
"We can do this."
"Yeah."
***
LAUREN was all ready when she stepped out of her assigned room in the mansion and halfway to the stairs to go down she saw Camila who is also ready and it looks like her girlfriend is waiting for her so she approached her.
"Are you waiting for me?"
Camila smiled and nodded, "I already tell Normani, when are we gonna tell the others?"
"I'm ready anytime, what about you?"
"You sure about that, because I planned of telling them right now, I owe them a lot."
And Lauren smiled, "you're right, you owe them, like me they were like cry baby when we found out that you left."
"I know, Cheechee will not punch me if she didn't."
Lauren widened her eyes when she heard it, "DJ punched you?"
"Yeah and it's okay love, I understand."
"Still, DJ will have a word from me," and she receive a kiss from her forehead.
"You're so sweet."
"Are you two still loving-loving there it's time for breakfast you know?"
And they saw Normani taking the stairs.
"Congrats, Mani," Lauren said.
"Thanks, it's time for you both to tell them because Ally and Justin already knew about me and Dinah."
"We will, later, during breakfast," Camila said.
"Yes," Lauren agreed, "please let us tell them."
"I promise, come on now, lovebirds," and she went ahead.
"It's time."
Lauren nodded and she followed Camila.
-----
It's not new from the others that Camila and Lauren walked to the kitchen together but what can't escape from their eyes is the hand of Camila rested on Lauren's back which the raven haired didn't mind at all. Also, Normani as her usual place in the dining table switch places with Justin so she was beside Dinah so Lauren will take her place in Camila's right. This is the position right now in the dining table, on Camila's left were Ally and Justin, on right were Lauren, Normani and Dinah. That makes confused Ally, Justin and Dinah.
Dinah on the other hand couldn't take it anymore, it was there waiting to unfold so before Ally started the blessing for the food she spoke, "okay, what's going on, I noticed something that I can't just let go right now, spill," and she looked at to Lauren, "Ralph?"
And there it was the first clue, Camila touching and squeezing Lauren's hand and then smiled at Lauren without pulling her hand off to Lauren.
"I know you would say it, Cheechee and—" and she smiled at Lauren, "we're not planning to hide it from you guys so after I brought up the news despite of the problems we are facing right now for this, for what happened to me and to us would need to separate, after saying this, one question at the time," and looked at to Dinah, "okay Cheechee?"
Dinah sighed, "fine."
"Okay uhm—first things first, I know you already knew that I do suffer a selective memory lost making me forget who Lauren is in my life, who she is to me, the first night you stayed here in my mansion with Normani, I heard Lauren singing to the song that I usually sang before for her..."
And as expected Dinah interrupt, "wait, wait..."
"Babe! You forgot what Mila said, after saying what she needed to say, the question will follow," Normani scolded her girlfriend.
Dinah huffed, "okay, fine."
And Camila smiled, "okay, back to the explanation, "I heard Lauren sing to the song, the song I usually sang just for her and because of that, some of the remaining piece of the puzzle, slowly completed some of the puzzle, not wholly though, but some of it, remember Ally and Cheechee that there's vague memory, some of it became clear, from 5% to 30% after hearing Lauren sing that song then on the day you Ally and Justin went back to the apartment you shared with Lauren and Cheechee, the same day I caught Normani sneaking out of Cheechee's room, I lent some of my clothes to Lauren, I knocked at the door of her room where she stayed but she didn't answer so I sneak in, that was the time she was in the shower, after placing the clothes I want her to wear, in the side table I saw the necklace I gave her on the day I left, it was the gold moon necklace with Lauren's name carve on the moon, from 30% to 70%, making me remember that I once fell in love with her then last night when Lauren and I talk about the problem, after hearing how big the problem is, a spur of the moment thing, I kissed her that's when I remember it all..."
"Making you her girlfriend," Ally answered.
"Hmm that happened later in the middle of the night," Camila answered.
"Who sneak out, you or Ralph?"
"Babe..." Normani warned.
"No, DJ, we didn't if that's what you're trying to say," Lauren said, halting Dinah, "what happened all night, believe me or not, was all talking after the confession and how Camz courted me, that's all."
"Psshh..."
"As expected from you Cheechee," Camila said.
"Mila, let biggy, all she thinks is sex, she even suspected that Justin and I did it but we're not."
"No, I'm not," Dinah denied.
"Yes, you are babe."
"Babe, I thought you're in my side!"
"Babe, accept it."
"Pshh."
"So, bro, you and Lauren are lovers now."
"Yes, bro," Camila replied to Justin, "since midnight, I told her the truth that I do remember her now and how I still love her, no, scratch that, my love didn't fade."
"That your love never ends," Lauren commented with a smile.
"Yes, love, my love for you will never end."
And Lauren smiled back.
"Okay, enough of this sappy shit, I'm hungry," Dinah whined.
And they all laugh.
"Congratulations, Mila and Laur, finally," Ally said.
"Yeah, finally," Justin agreed.
"Smallz we kind of expect this to happen, just the right time."
"Yeah," Ally agreed.
"But we need to eat, my stomach is grumbling now," Dinah whined.
"Okay."
Lauren and Camila shared a look and started the breakfast.
***
"There," Lauren said while arranging Camila's necktie, because Camila insisted to wear one.
Normani just receive a mail from the secretary of defense that the President insisted on joining the meeting with them and want the meeting to happen in the White House instead of the office of the secretary of defense. To make things clearer Camila decided to take Ally, Justin and Dinah along with them.
Camila on the other hand kept staring at her girlfriend's face then finally asked, "aren't you nervous?"
"You didn't notice?" and her girlfriend shook its head, "I actually am if you don't know that, love, we're meeting the secretary of defense of the US soil and not just that, also the President, how can I not be nervous?"
"And some of the military officials," Camila added.
"See, wait, love, is the suspicious General joins the meeting too?"
"I think so, he needs to be present, if he's not he'll be more suspicious than we really are imagined."
"Another thing though."
"What is it?"
"If he's not there, he might escape to the other country and hide."
Camila nodded, "that's possible but the law will chase him no matter where he hides."
"Same as to Mendes Corp and GChems," Lauren added.
"You're right, probable bankruptcy to their respective companies."
"Yeah..."
And they heard a knock.
"Lauren, Mila, it's time."
It was Normani who called.
"We'll follow," Camila answered.
"Okay."
"This is it."
And Lauren nodded and accepted Camila's offered hands then she rested her forehead to Camila's, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
And they both smiled.