Narrator's POV
It was Sunday, and it was Lauren's birthday. She woke up a bit late and enjoyed swimming in the ocean. In the afternoon, she spent the day with her fans. She sang some songs, answered their questions, and played some games with them. The fans were happy to celebrate Lauren's birthday together. She got many flowers and gifts from them. After spending three hours with them, she returned home to relax and take a nap before her evening dinner at home with her close friends and team.
It was seven, and the guests were starting to arrive. Lauren was getting ready in her room. Everything was ready: the food, decoration, music, and cake. Sam was welcoming the guests. Zayn, Halsey, and four of her bandmates arrived first. They were talking and enjoying the aperitif provided. Normani arrived after Lucy and Vero. Ally arrived and was followed by Ariana fifteen minutes later. All the guests looked beautiful in their outfits.
"Everyone is here," Ariana said when she saw their group.
"Not everyone yet," Ally said, "Where's Dinah and Camila?"
"Are they coming?" Vero asked.
"Dinah said yes, not sure about Camila," Normani said.
Speaking of the devil, Dinah and Camila showed up at seven twenty-seven, three minutes before the celebration started, three minutes before Lauren showed up. Lucy did not expect Camila would show up after Lauren told her about their first encounter by the beach. Lauren had not told her about the latest encounters, as she had not talked to Lucy since then.
"We all are here..." Ariana was the most excited one.
"Ladies and Gents," Sam came out of the house with Lauren. He announced walking to the pool area where the guests were, "one and only, Lauren Jauregui..." They started singing the birthday song. Lauren smiled. She was smiling and enjoying the singing, but she was a bit shy. It could be seen from her body language. She was looking at the cake and also scanning the guests. She stopped for seconds when she saw Camila. Their eyes met. Lauren was surprised, but she was happy, "....happy birthday, Lauren..." the bandmates were helping Sam with the confetti. The guests applauded and whistled, cheering Lauren.
"Thank you..." Lauren said. She made a wish and blew out the candles at once. When she finished, Anitta, who was standing next to her, hugged her and kissed her. Dinah was turning her head to the left side, looking at Camila. Lucy, who was standing not far from Camila, glanced at her. Camila was just standing there looking cool and sipping her drink looking at the host. The guests were approaching Lauren one by one to hug and wish her birthday before they would be seated for the dinner.
It was Camila's turn, "Happy birthday!" She slightly hugged Lauren. Lauren was disappointed as she was looking forward to a warm and long hug just like how others gave her, but Camila did not give it to her. It was a brief, loose hug. Lauren pursed her lips.
"You came," Lauren smiled. Camila smiled subtly, which made Lauren lose her big smile, "Thank you for coming," Lauren said, looking at Camila, who looked like she did not know Lauren well. Just like that, Camila greeted Lauren and followed the other guests before her to the dining area next to the swimming pool. Lauren greeted her next guest, Halsey, and Zayn.
Lauren sat in the middle with Anitta sitting next to her left side. Zayn was sitting in front of Lauren. The bandmates, the studio team, and close business partners were on Lauren's right side, and the girls were on the left side, along with Halsey and Anitta. Camila took the farthest seat away from Lauren, who was in the head seat. Sam was sitting in the other head seat.
When all were seated, Lauren made a short speech to thank her guests before the dinner started, "Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming this evening, thank you for the presents, too." Lauren pointed to the table where the presents were, "I'll open them later. Don't worry if you don't bring any," the guests laughed, "your presence is far way more meaningful than the presents," they smiled, "but I still love the presents," they laughed, "as return, I hope you would enjoy the food, let's eat..." Lauren said sweetly.
"To Lauren..." Sam asked to make a toast for Lauren.
"Lauren..." they said in unison.
The staff was serving the food. They enjoyed the food and the conversation over dinner. Lauren would subtly look in Camila's way, checking on her, but their eyes never met. Camila made herself busy with the food or talked to Ally and Dinah, who sat closest to her. When Lauren talked to the girls, Camila did not say anything at all. Everyone was following and talking, but Camila would just smile subtly. It was unlike her as she always said something when they talked. She barely looked at Lauren or paid full attention to her. Lauren noticed that. She hoped Camila would say something that they would talk to each other indirectly, but Camila did not.
After the main course, some left the dining table for the pool area or stood in the open space, enjoying their cakes, drinks, or other sweets and desserts served. Lauren moved around to talk to her guests.
"Dinah," Camila called Dinah, who was talking to Halsey.
"Yes, Mila." Dinah left Halsey.
"I'm leaving," Camila said.
"Mila is not even nine," Dinah asked her to stay longer.
"Yes, but I got a baby girl who will need me tomorrow morning," Camila said.
"Mila..." Dinah pouted subtly.
"Is it okay if I leave you with Mani?" Camila said. She knew Dinah was hooking up with Normani secretly.
"Yes, sure," Dinah said.
"Okay, I am going..." Camila turned around to leave, but Dinah stopped her.
"Mila..."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you going to tell Lauren that you are leaving?" Dinah asked. Camila even did not tell the girls that she was leaving. She only told Dinah.
They looked in the direction where Lauren was standing and hugging Anitta while talking to her bandmates. They looked intimate.
"I guess no," Camila said.
"Mila," Dinah sighed. She did not know what to say. She guessed her best friend still had a feeling for Lauren.
Camila shrugged, "I'll go to the restroom and leave. Have fun with Mani," Camila winked at Dinah and left. Dinah laughed.
Lauren, who was still talking to her bandmates, did not notice Camila's departure, but Lucy did. "Lern..."
Lauren turned around, "hi, Lu..."
"It seems Camila has to leave," Lucy nodded in the direction where Camila was walking into the house.
"..." Lauren saw Camila. Lauren looked at Lucy once before she left Lucy without saying anything and went after Camila.
Lauren got inside the house. She saw Camila go to the bathroom. She was waiting for Camila in the room near the exit door. Camila came out of the bathroom and went straight to the door. She did not see Lauren as she was in hurry. When she was about to open the door, Lauren called her.
"Camila..."
"..." Camila stopped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she turned around and looked at Lauren, "Thank you for the nice dinner. I'm leaving."
"...don't you want to stay a bit longer? It's still early," Lauren said. It was ten to nine. She wanted Camila to stay longer as she had not got a chance to talk to her.
"It's late for me. I need to wake up early tomorrow," Camila said.
"Oh..."
"Good evening!" Camila turned around to leave, and Lauren stopped her again.
"Camila..."
Camila sighed and turned around, "Yes?"
"Why?" Lauren asked.
"Why what?" She sounded annoyed. Camila knew what Lauren meant. She just did not want to talk about it.
"..." Lauren was speechless by Camila's reaction. She had too many why's. Why did she never reply to her text? Why did she stop answering her call? Why was she so cold and hostile when they met at the beach? And many others why. Lauren lost her words and Camila lost her patience. She turned around but stopped as Lauren called her again, "Camz..." Camila did not turn around, "I missed you..." Lauren finally said it. She missed Camila. She missed their good friendship.
Camila closed her eyes again, "Oh, I didn't..." It was a deja vu for Lauren. Camila turned around. She looked at Lauren and saw Anitta was a few steps behind Lauren. Lauren saw Camila's eyes were not on her. She turned around and saw Anita was standing a few meters behind her. They were looking at Anitta.
"... It's picture time. They want to have a picture with you," Anitta said. She was aware that she was interrupting something.
Lauren turned back to Camila, "have a picture with us?" She asked Camila.
"Sorry, I have to leave now. Good evening!" Camila said and left.
"Good evening!" Anitta replied to her. Lauren sighed. "Is everything okay?" Anitta asked Lauren when Camila was out of the house.
"Yeah... probably she...just, did not like the food."
"Eh... What?" Anitta was confused. The food was appetizing.
Lauren shrugged, "Let's take some pictures..." Lauren turned around, and they got back to the poolside.
.
The dinner went well despite Camila's early departure. The guests enjoyed their evening and Lauren was entertained by her friends. They talked, they drink, they laughed, and they jammed songs together. It ended at ten as Lauren did not want to stay too late. Everybody had left except Sam, Lucy, Vero, and Anitta. Lucy talked to Lauren while Anita was with Vero. Sam was managing the staff to clean the place.
"It's late... we better get going," Lucy said.
"Yeah... thank you, Lu," Lauren said.
"Nah... I'm happy that we can celebrate your birthday. It's fun right?"
"Yeah... it's a nice evening." Lauren said, sipping her drink. "happy to have all of you here," Lauren said.
"I didn't expect Camila would show up," Lucy said.
"Yeah..." she lost in thought for a few seconds.
"Did she leave early for the baby girl?" Lucy was curious as there was a hint of sadness.
"She... she said she has to wake up early tomorrow," Lauren said and told Lucy their second and their last encounter two days ago.
"I did not get it," Lucy said.
"Me, too," Lauren said the same.
"Do you think she is in denial?"
"In denial of what?" Lauren asked
"That she still has a feeling for you," Lucy said casually. She was not sure. It was just a guess.
Lauren laughed and shook her head, "I don't think so. I see how she looked at me."
"Lern, we know, and you know well how she could easily act as if nothing happened. Dinah is the drama queen, but Camila... just knows how to act well. She might be a great actress if she is not a businesswoman."
They laughed, shaking their heads.
"Do you think so?" Lauren asked Lucy.
"It could be... I could not think of any other reason for her behaving like that, avoiding you, blowing hot and cold like that..."
"..." Lauren did not say anything, but she was thinking.
"Next time, if you see her with her baby girl, you could go and greet her. Otherwise, stay away..." They laughed. It was Lucy's way. She would insert a joke between serious conversations to make the conversation easier.
"She is a nice person," Lucy said, nodding in the direction, where Vero and Anitta were talking.
"Yeah, she is," Lauren said.
"Is it serious?" Lucy asked.
Lauren sipped her drink, "...It's a bit complicated." Lauren said, pursing her lips.
"Is it?" Lauren raised her eyebrow, but said nothing, "should be less complicated than Camila."
Lauren chuckled, "...she's not complicated at all, simple and nice."
"So... is it just a fling?" Lucy asked further.
"We will see..." Lauren said, looking at Anitta.
"Okay... don't get married tomorrow," Lucy joked again. Lauren that she knew hardly thought about getting married. She was that free soul who was in love with freedom. She might be thinking of getting married one day, but not so fast unless she met someone who could ground her effortlessly.
"Said someone who is going to get married soon..." they laughed.
"Okay, should leave you alone with your nice lady." Lucy teased Lauren.
They walked to Vero and Anitta.
"Shall we?" Lucy asked Vero.
"Yes..." Vero said. Lauren and Anitta saw them out. Lauren thanked Vero and Lucy. They hugged each other saying good night. Anitta stayed over at Lauren's place. They spent the rest of the night together.
Lauren could not be happier when she saw Camila among the guests when she came out to welcome her guests, and they sang the birthday song for her. Her little happiness did not last long. Camila did not hug her as other guests did. It was brief and foreign. Lauren tried to brush it off.
However, it made Lauren anxious and sad when Camila was sort of ignoring her, did not want to talk to her, did not pay attention to her when everyone did, and left early without telling her. It could not get any worse when she told Camila that she missed her, but Camila said she did not miss her at all. Blowing hot and cold, Camila made Lauren confused. Everything seemed like back to square one again.