"You're a hard woman to find,"
Camila immediately froze upon realizing where the voice came from. "Have you ever considered it's because I don't want to be found?"
"Don't be stupid, Camila," Clara lit another cigarette and looked around to make sure nobody was nearby. "You have my daughter in shambles back home while you're trotting around England as if nothing happened."
"Is that why you're here?"
Clara pushed herself off the brick wall she was leaning against and strode over to the dark-haired woman. "I could never get her to stay away from you. No matter how hard I tried or what I threatened to do—she stuck by your side through thick and thin. I still don't understand why."
"I figured you'd be ecstatic to know I left then,"
"If my daughter isn't happy, why would I be?" Clara pointed at the restaurant that had a steady stream of people flowing in and out. "How about I treat you to some food?"
Camila contemplated her decision for a few moments before saying, "Sure,"
-
"Goodness, there's no air conditioning over here," Clara continued fanning herself as the restaurant began to empty out, leaving the two women alone as per Clara's request. "What do you recommend from here?"
"Uh," Camila looked down at the small menu, shrugging. "My friends usually get the fish and chips,"
"Fish, it is then,"
"So—"
"It's not easy getting into Oxford. It's even more interesting to see they don't accept transfers at all."
Camila was slightly taken aback by how brash Clara had been. "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing," Clara said. "I'm just wondering how much Mrs. Marie-Mahone paid for you to get in,"
"I forget how nosey the Jauregui women are,"
"Not nosey... More like, mmm, curious. I'm sure you like it over here at least?"
"None of my professors have ended up dead yet, so I guess it's going pretty well."
"What can I get you ladies?" A man dressed in a white T-Shirt and jeans came over with a small notepad in his hands.
"Two orders of fish and chips along with your finest beer," Clara handed him the menus back and gestured for him to leave them alone. "Well?" She waited for Camila to speak up.
"Well, what?"
"Aren't you going to ask me?"
Camila narrowed her eyes at Clara and scowled. "Lauren told me enough already,"
"At least you're reading her letters," Clara thanked the waiter as he placed down two pints of beer in between them. "That's all she can talk about these days. 'Mom, do you think she's even opening them?' or 'am I wasting my time writing her?'. I swear I was going to rip my hair out at some point."
"She used to have the worst handwriting," Camila said, chuckling quietly. "Nice to see it's gotten better over the years,"
"You laugh just like her," Clara traced the rim of the glass with her pointer finger. "Always so soft yet contagious. It was a sound I loved waking up to every morning."
Unsure of where the conversation was heading, Camila sat there silently and enjoyed her beer.
"I wish I had done more as her mother. As her protector. Maybe I wouldn't be sitting here across from you if I did."
"It was him, wasn't it? The man Lauren talked about in her letter was Simon?"
Clara nodded solemnly. "Michael and I always thought we did the right thing; sending her to live with her grandmother. She was focused on school and indulging in all of her hobbies again—I would've never expected her to sneak off to college and embark on some crazy love story with a man twenty years older than her."
"He ruined her. In ways that she had never been ruined before. He broke the last piece of her soul that held her entire being together with his perverted ways. Oh, Camila, you don't understand. I would do anything to bring my baby back. Even if that meant trading places with her."
"Was it always your plan to use me as a scapegoat?"
"No," Clara said. "You weren't even apart of the equation until Lauren called me in the middle of the night panicking about your ring. All of the evidence was laid out and pointed perfectly right at you. And she still refused to let you take the blame for any of it."
Camila felt her heart beginning to beat erractically. "Did she do it?"
"Oh, please," Clara tossed her head back and let out the most boisterous laugh Camila had ever heard. "Lauren couldn't kill a spider even if she was being paid a million dollars. Do you seriously think she's capable of something that atrocious?"
"I don't know," Camila muttered. "I thought I knew everything about her and it turns out I didn't."
"Camila," Clara clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval. "Look at me,"
Going against her gut, Camila looked up from her beer and swallowed thickly.
"Lauren didn't do it because I did. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant getting revenge for the daughter I let down too many times."
-
TWO WEEKS LATER
"I'm a hot mess,"
"Emphasis on the hot, at least," Normani zipped up her dress. "One night of fun won't hurt anyone,"
"Mani," Lauren whined. "I hate my birthday,"
"No, you don't. You're just too busy sulking over your ex-girlfriend to think about anything else but her."
"I'm allowed to sulk,"
"You are,"
"Anybody is allowed to sulk,"
"Right,"
Lauren scowled. "Fuck you,"
"What?" Normani threw her hands up in surrender. "I was agreeing with you!"
"You're making fun of me for being strung up over Camila,"
"I'd never make fun of you for something like that, Laur. It just sucks seeing you all broody and angry at the world twenty-four-seven. I want you to enjoy yourself."
"It's been a week since I sent my last letter if that makes you feel better,"
Normani smiled and patted Lauren on her shoulder. "It does, actually. Tonight is all about tequila, hot eye candy, and forgetting about Camila Cabello. Got it?"
Sucking in a shaky breath, Lauren nodded. "Got it,"
By the time their apartment was flooded with classmates and other random people that came as a plus one, Lauren could feel her feet starting to ache from her heels.
She leaned against the kitchen counter for support, chugging the rest of her drink when somebody spoke up behind her.
"Looks like somebody's having fun celebrating their birthday,"
Lauren snorted in amusement. "If having fun means watching a ton of horny law students dry hump each other in my living room then sure,"
"It's nice to meet you," Luis stuck his hand out. "I'm Luis,"
"Right back at ya," Lauren politely shook his hand. "Are you a friend of Normani's?"
"Yeah, we're in torts together. She said it would be a night to remember so I had to check it out myself."
"Definitely a night to remember for some people," Lauren rolled her eyes, laughing. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Lauren!" Ally shouted from the corridor. "There's somebody for you at the door!"
Lauren let a disappointed sigh. "Sorry. Rain check on that drink?"
"Sure," Luis smiled. "I'll be here waiting,"
Lauren slipped out of the kitchen and almost fell to her knees once she made it to the front door. Ally awkwardly glanced at the both of them before giving them their space.
"Hey, birthday girl,"
"Camz," her name barely made it out of Lauren's mouth.
Camila held up her motorcycle helmet for the raven-haired woman to see. "Can I take you for a ride?"