"Austin, when did you arrive from London?
"Today, very early." Austin responded putting his bag down. "Good morning, Mr. Cabello. How are you?" Austin asked while giving a firm handshake to the Admiral.
"Fine son, though I'm a little surprised to see you. We weren't expecting you back for another two weeks or so, am I correct?" Alejandro asked curiously.
Austin smile and chuckled in response. "The thing is I finished my Masters early, so I came back as soon as possible." He answered proudly.
"Your parents must be very proud of you, and of course, my daughter and I are too." He said patting his back.
Austin's cheeks reddened at the mention of the admiral's daughter. "So where is Camila?" Austin very curiously asked. "I'm just dying to see her!"
"I imagine, it's been three years. I believe she went for a walk to the beach." Alejandro knew his daughter was always out taking walks at the beach. It was something she frequently did and very much enjoyed doing.
" I think I know where she is, I'll go find her." The young man quickly jogged his way towards the front door, in hopes with reuniting with the girl he hasn't seen in years due to being away for college and getting an education for himself.
"Welcome back Austin." The admiral said before Austin could turn the doorknob and step out. "I'm glad to see you again."
Austin snapped his fingers and recollected the news he wanted to share for coming by. "By the way, my parents are throwing a party on our yacht, you know to celebrate my coming back to Miami, and we want to take the opportunity for Camila and I to announce our wedding date."
Alejandro glanced down at the floor and cleared his throat. He just remembered why Austin truly came back and the agreement that he and Camila had made before Austin left for college.
"Uh yeah, well of course."
"Alright well excuse me. I'll go find her. See ya later, Papa C!" Austin smiled one last time before rushing out the door to find his old love.
The admiral sighed and plopped down onto the couch in the living room. He looked to his left and took a hold of the picture frame that had a picture of Camila and himself when she was just a little girl. She was his little girl. The thought of handing his daughter to Austin at their wedding was something he could just not imagine. He simply wasn't pleased with the prospect. All he wanted was for Camila to be happy. And the question was, if not Austin, then who?
___
The sun was not shining so bright on the other side of town in Miami. An ailing man lies on his bed breathing heavily, eyes wide open, and skin so pale; he barely had a pulse. He knew he only had a few moments before he takes his last breath and be presence to this bothersome world.
A soft knock is heard through the room, curtains covering the sunlight coming from the window, leaving only darkness to accompany the sick man.
The young woman creakily opens the door and sees the critical condition the man is in. She clears her throat and makes her way to the walk in closet where she grabs a pillow from the top shelf. She makes her way towards the bed and positions it under her boss's head in order to be level headed and and steady his breathing.
"Rob.. I n-need to see him." He says before taking a loud cough.
"Your old security guard is on his way right now sir. We called him a while ago and he'll be here at any moment." The young woman responded.
"Why don't you let one of the maids take care of you." The girl suggested. "You need someone to be with you at all times."
"NO." Mike quickly replied, making himself take another loud cough. He cleared his throat. "I only t-trust you, Lauren."
"If it was up to all the miserable people in this ranch, I'd be dead by now and they'd be stealing everything they could so they wouldn't go with their hands empty."
Mike Jauregui is a rich, powerful man, a ranch owner, who has a terrible past, which is now catching up to him on the day of his deathbed. Lauren felt bad for her boss. She knew his words were true. Mostly every employee on the ranch hated the old man. It wouldn't be a surprise that they might celebrate when the time comes when they no longer have to work under his authority.
"Rob told me.. you managed to finish school." He said, changing the subject. He knew talking about his situation made her uncomfortable.
Lauren grinned. "That's right, Mr. Jauregui. It took me a couple years, and lots of work, but I finally got my degree in fine arts."
Lauren had spent the last couple of years in college pursuing her dream in photography. She had an appreciation for it. The idea that she can capture a moment, that could be forgotten and gone forever, but caught on her camera, was simply amazing to her.
"If y-your parents were here.. they would be very p-proud of you Lauren."
She felt uncomfortable talking about her parents in any circumstance. She never spent one moment with them. Her grandfather raised her in a very small living space, it was barely manageable. To Lauren's dis fortune, He passed when she was just 10 years old. That's where Mr. Jauregui took her in and made her his employee and she stayed at the home where the employees slept until having to go to work the next morning. Lauren never really had a family.
"Can I come in?" The door opened and came in the old security guard.
"Of course Big Rob, I'm glad you're here. Mr. Jauregui kept asking for you." Lauren responded, getting her away from her own thoughts. She was thankful to get out of the awkward situation. Why was her boss taking a sudden interest in her?
"Leave me alone with him sweetheart."
Lauren nodded. She headed out and let the two talk on their own.
"Rob, you're the only true friend I-I have, and the only one I trust. I need you to h-help me with something v-very important."
___
After Lauren left the bedroom for her boss and Rob to be alone, Lauren put her hair onto a ponytail, pulled her sleeves up, and headed outside towards the stables where she groomed one of the horses. She had many duties around the ranch. The ranch was next to the mansion where only one man lived in, her boss. It was a lot of space for just himself, that is when he's not receiving someone in particular every once in a while.
A town car stopped outside of the mansion. Heels came out the door and stepped onto the pavement. A woman, dressed all in black, wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, and a dress you knew was very expensive, came and made her way towards the house.
Lauren wiped the sweat off her forehead and jogged her ways towards the woman. She's
the one who came in every month to see Mike Jauregui and delivered herself, if you know what I mean. His lover.
The lady took of her sunglasses and gave Lauren a smile that she knew was insincere. She did the same in return.
"Tell me one thing, did Mike Jauregui die yet?"
Lauren was taken aback by how straightforward the woman was. She has been seeing Mike Jauregui for years and he is at the point of taking his last breathe and that is what comes out of her mouth? Old hag.
"Um no not yet, Ms.. But according to his doctor, it's just a matter of hours." She replied uncomfortably.
"Then I got here early, tell him I'm here to talk to him." She waved her hand signaling to tell her boss about her arrival and went towards the steps of the mansion.
"He can't see you right now."
The woman turned around. If looks could kill..
"Mike has never refused to see ME." She stated forcefully.
"I understand that, the thing is he's talking with his old friend, I think it's important." She assured the woman. The woman tapped her foot and rolled her eyes in acceptance. She went inside the mansion and waited, wondering what was so important that Mike couldn't be able to see her right now.
___
Alejandro was still sitting on the couch, hands on his forehead, just thinking about the conversation he had with Austin before he left to find his daughter.
"Hola Tío Alejandro, what's with the long face?" His niece Ally asked. Other then his wife Sinu, and his daughter and son, Alejandro took in Ally into his house after his sister, Ally's mom, passed away.
"Don't tell me you're feeling bad, do you want me to call your doctor?" Ally asked worriedly.
"Austin just came back to Miami."
"Oh my god really?! Camila's going to be so happy!" She clapped her hands in excitement and say next to her uncle. "But wait why are you giving me those news with that sad face Tío?" She didn't understand his mood towards the situation.
"Tonight, he and my daughter are going to announce their wedding date." He replies angrily.
"So? That's good! I don't understand why you're acting like this Tío. Everyone knew this moment would come. Before Austin left, he gave my cousin a promise ring and they agreed they would get married when he came back." Ally was the one who actually set the two up. The two knew eachother for only a short time but Austin really cared about Camila so he proposed to her before he left for school.
"Well, yes I know but, I just thought Camila was too young to get married yet. She's only about to turn 20. They should wait a couple more years, don't you think?"
"Tío, pray to Jesus that your wife doesn't hear what you're saying right now, because then best believe you'll get in trouble with her." Sinu was someone hard to get along with, and the thing she wanted the most was for Camila to get married. For many reasons.
"You think Camila is still in love with that guy?"
"Tío you insult me!" Ally dramatically put her hands over her chest. "I was the one who set them up, and believe me I never make mistakes with these things. Your daughter is more in love than ever."
___
Brown eyes step onto the warm sand of the beach. It was empty. A place away from all the noise where she can be at peace with herself, hear the ocean waves splash, and be alone with her thoughts. It was beautiful and someplace very special to her.
She walks towards the cold water and opened her arms to take in the sun and the ocean breeze that would flow her hair back from her shoulders. She takes a deep breath and closed her eyes to take it all in.
Strong hands cover her eyes and Camila knew exactly who it was. She brought the hands to her lips and kissed them softly. She turned her head slowly to look into the eyes of her love.
"Shawn." She smiled softly and had her hand intertwined with his.
"My love."
A/N: Yay finally! Hey guys this chapter took me forever to write but I hoped you guys liked it! If things don't make that much sense it'll be much clearer in the next chapter. Let me just remind you the fic is mainly about Lauren and Camila so don't worry. Stay with me. Just expect many povs from different characters. It combines it all together and makes the story. Thanks for reading! Fav or comment if you enjoyed it 👌