Karla Camila's Point Of View
I couldn't stop thinking about Lauren's words. Maybe it was the drink, or the excitement of the moment, but in that instant I felt good by knowing that she was still in love with me. I knew I shouldn't, it was a mistake to let my guard down like that, but something prevented me from making her presence totally insignificant. I could fight with her, provoke her, and even then, that would still be a way to have as much contact as possible with that woman.
"Don't be a fool, Camila!" I grumbled upon entering my room.
I closed the bedroom door, and dropped my high heels in some corner of that suite. I walked to the minibar, grabbing one of the water bottles that were positioned in the door. I drank the cold liquid, I'd need to hydrate myself if I didn't want to wake up drunk, or even hangover. I leaned against the wooden dresser beside me, letting my thoughts recreate the businesswoman's sweet kiss. Unlike the kisses we exchanged last time, that one was different, I had really surrendered myself, letting myself feel, like the old Camila. Lauren had a wonderful kiss, addictive. I touched my lower lip with my index finger, in an attempt to feel the softness of that woman's lips.
"No, no!"
I don't know for how long I stayed thinking about what had happened that night, everything seemed to revolve around her, and even when I tried not to think, I thought, and it was amid so many thoughts that I fell asleep. On the next day, I woke up without any headache, or sickness; I thanked inwardly for that, after all, facing an intense photoshoot with a migraine wasn't the best option. After a long warm shower that left my muscles totally relaxed, I got ready to go downstairs and have breakfast alongside the other models. I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I finished releasing my hair that was tied in a neat ponytail. On that sunny morning, I opted for a long white skirt with extremely light fabric, and with a huge slit in the right thigh; on the top part, I had a blouse of the same color, it had long and loose sleeves, however, it left my shoulders and stomach totally free. I straightened my hair, which had a partially wavy appearance, and then put on my flat sandals.
I descended the stairs and walked to the garden, where breakfast was being served. Not all the models were present, perhaps some were really suffering from last night. I greeted some people, until I saw Normani sitting at a table at the back, totally focused on her inseparable iPad.
"Good Morning, Mani."
"Look who finally decided to come down, I thought you were hungover and would have to order breakfast in bed." My best friend said with a smile. "Good Morning, Mila."
"Actually, nope, I feel very good. I drank a good amount of water and took some meds for migraines, and I feel good as new now." I pulled the chair and sat down, right next to Normani.
"What about you? You had so much fun with Dinah last night that I thought you'd be exhausted this morning."
"We danced a lot, she really knows how to have fun and enjoy a party."
I was silent, just staring at her with a somewhat suggestive little smile, which made the woman roll her eyes.
"Don't look at me like that, Karla. Whatever you're thinking, it didn't happen at all. You know that the only person who likes women here is you." She retorted quickly.
"I didn't say anything. You're the one talking as if I'm accusing you of something." I shrugged, pretending to be oblivious.
"I know you well enough to know things before you even open that mouth to speak."
I let out an amused laugh and nodded.
"True, you really do know me. And you know what I think about that."
I got up from the chair, being accompanied by Normani to the large breakfast buffet table. I served myself some fruit, a slice of brown bread, cream curd cheese and orange juice with plenty of ice. Normani pretty much chose the same, just added the carrot cake that had a delicious appearance.
"Camila, we've already talked about this."
"You've never even experienced anything with a woman. You should, it's wonderful."
"Speaking from experience?" She asked as soon as we got back to our table.
"Absolutely."
"Speaking of which, I saw you with Jauregui on the deck last night. What happened between you?"
I looked away from the woman's curious eyes as I unfolded the small fabric napkin, which I rested delicately over my lap. I pretended to not have heard her question, and continued to enjoy my breakfast, when I received a nudge from her, followed by an insistent look.
"Nothing happened." I huffed.
"Don't lie to me, Karla. I left you two alone all night, and you're telling me that nothing happened?!"
"You could have been more subtle. I could see your intentions from miles away." I grumbled after chewing a piece of melon.
"I was subtle."
"Like a bazooka."
"Don't complain so much. I knew that she really wanted that, and deep down, so did you."
"I don't want anything."
"You're really not going to tell me what happened?"
I put the cutlery down slowly, and wiped the corner of my lips with the napkin. Normani looked impatient, curious, which almost made me laugh.
"We kissed."
"What?!" She exclaimed louder than she should have.
"Shhhh!" I slapped her in the arm. "Are you going to yell for everyone to hear?"
"What do you mean you kissed? Are you two that good with each other?" This time she whispered as if she was telling me a secret.
I leaned my body forward, whispering in the same way.
"I don't know how we are, it's all so confusing. We were drunk, we started talking about the past, about us and we ended up going too far." I said as I placed my hands over my face. "I feel like I'm doing everything wrong, Normani."
"No." She pushed my hands away, making me look at her. "I think you're doing it right. Camila, this is a cycle in your life that never had an ending, it hurts you and it troubles you till today. Now you have a new opportunity. A new opportunity to either fix everything alongside her, or to close this chapter once and for all."
"The kiss wasn't the tensest part."
"What else happened? Did you have sex? Because you did that last time, but killed all her hopes on the next day."
"No, Mani. We didn't have sex. But Lauren confessed that she's still in love with me."
"Wow! Damn! She's a brave woman."
"Why?"
"Seriously?! She knows your strong personality, knew that there was a huge ass chance of you turning her down, and yet she told you how she feels."
"I don't know..."
How was it possible? Even after long years, Lauren still turned my world upside down. My hatred, my anger and my rancor seemed to blend in with all the feelings I had for her in my teenage years, getting lost, mingling and forming this huge explosion of indecipherable feelings inside me. It was like losing yourself in the middle of a maze, with countless paths, and they'd all lead somewhere, but only one would set me free; the big problem was to identify which one would offer me a way out.
"You still like her, don't you?"
I honestly didn't know what I felt for Lauren, it was something totally confusing. There was a tangle of feelings that I couldn't decipher yet. I knew that I felt something for her, but I couldn't tell if it was still love, or just remnants of feelings that we created in the past. Sometimes we cling to memories, moments, and feelings that have made us feel good, but that today no longer exist. Their absence makes us think that we still miss that person, but in fact, what we really miss is the feeling, regardless of who it is, as long as it is reciprocal.
"Mani, I don't know. I swear! I don't know if I miss her or if I miss what we once were."
"You need to give yourself a chance, and give her one as well to find out. If in the end you feel that you don't really feel anything special, then this cycle really came to an end."
"Are you saying I should give her a chance?"
"I'm not saying to become a couple again. But let her into your life, let her reach you. If you feel that something is still alive, it's because you still love her."
It wasn't as easy as it looked, but I could try, right? Living with that hatred in my heart was turning me into someone I'm not. I shook my head, trying to push away all those thoughts from my head.
"I'll think about it."
"Do that, really, and do it fast. Lauren just showed up." Normani whispered with a smirk as she looked over my shoulders.
I didn't turn to look at her, but could notice her presence by the tone of her voice that quickly spread through the environment we were in. Lauren was always very communicative, always took care of talking to everyone in the most kind way she could. Normani was looking at her, since she was facing her, while I had my back turned to her.
"She's with Dinah."
"Hmmm, your newest friend."
"Stop it." She scolded.
I let out a chuckle, which was quickly interrupted when I heard Lauren's voice really close to me.
"Good Morning, girls." She said as she stopped by our table.
Dammit, she looked beautiful. Lauren was wearing a long dress with light and printed fabric, very beach like. Her hair was tied in a bun, leaving some thin strands of hair loose. She had rounded sunglasses on her face, which looked really good on her.
"Good Morning." I flashed a weak smile.
"Good Morning, care to join us?" Normani asked.
I stared at Normani who didn't even bother to look at me, she knew I was glaring at her.
"Do you mind?"
"Oh, no." I said. "Have a seat."
"We have a long day of work today, but we'll have the rest of the night and next day off." Dinah commented smiling.
"That's wonderful, I need some time to take a walk around town. It's been a good few months since I've last been here in Miami." Mani started to talk.
I remained silent, which wasn't like me, but I felt more comfortable that way.
"It's been a long while since I've last been here as well, but the place hasn't stopped being familiar." It was Lauren's turn to speak.
"What about you, Camila?"
"Oh, I come here often, my parents live here."
"Can we go visit them?" Normani asked.
"Sure, we can do that today."
We continued breakfast with a casual conversation, except for Normani's witticisms that always included Lauren and me in the same subject. I'd have to have a serious conversation with my best friend about being subtle. Lauren wasn't a fool, she was aware of what Normani was doing, but didn't dare say anything, on the contrary, she encouraged her to continue.
"Well, girls, enough lazing around!" Patrick exclaimed as he approached us all. "I want everyone looking beautiful and perfect in an hour!"
"You better hurry." Normani whispered.
"You're right."
As soon as I lifted my body to get up, I felt Lauren's hand land on mine.
"Wait, can I talk to you for a second?"
I pulled my hand subtly, breaking our contact. Dinah and Normani looked at each other, but remained silent.
"Of course."
Lauren got up and led me to the garden. We walked side by side in full silence. She looked a little nervous, she wouldn't stop fidgeting with her phone, moving it from one hand to the other. I took care of averting my gaze, avoiding looking at her. My eyes remained focused on the sea, and on a family who seemed to be having fun in the sand.
"So... I..." She sighed. "I wanted to talk about yesterday."
"Lauren... We don't need to talk about it."
My steps went still, making the woman stop as well. Lauren turned her body, facing me. I could see my expression on the mirrored lenses of her sunglasses. I quickly took care of changing it, I didn't want to show nervousness, and that was evident every time I bit the tip of my lower lip.
"Camila, please. Let me talk."
I nodded as I put a strand of my hair behind my ear. Lauren took a deep breath, and removed her sunglasses, letting me stare into her green eyes.
"I couldn't sleep last night. I stayed up for hours thinking about what happened. And I know that I was hasty in saying that, but I was sincere, I assure you. I know I can't fix overnight all the damage I caused, but..." She sighed, as if trying to gather the best set of words to make me understand her. "Let me be near you. We made a truce, and so far it's working. I don't want to seem rushed, but I'd like to at least try to be your-"
"Friend?"
"Yes." She started fiddling with the damn phone again while she tried to speak. "For now..."
"I'll be lying if I say that I didn't think about your words, and about your damned kiss. They affected me more than I thought they would. But I don't know if I want you in my life again. To tell you the truth, I no longer know what I feel for you, Lauren. I know it's not the kind of stuff you want to hear, but..."
Lauren nodded, and took a step forward, closing the distance between us.
"You're mistaken. Maybe that is the best answer I can have now. I'd be very sad if you told me that you no longer feel anything, and that my words don't have the slightest effect on you."
"It's not safe to think like that." I stared at her. "I don't know what I feel. Maybe it's just some remnants of good memories that make me feel like this, and thinking too much. Doesn't mean it's still love." She nodded in silence. "I'm being honest with you. Don't put your expectations on me, Lauren. I'm not the same Camila from high school. She stayed there." I said seriously. "Maybe you'll realize that with time, and you'll see that you're not in love. That all this is nothing more than longing, longing for moments that can't exist anymore."
"There are a lot of maybes in this story, Camila. I need to be sure, and you need it too. We'll only know if you let it. Whether it is to let me into your life, or to kick me out again." Lauren lifted her hand to mine, holding it gently. I stood for a few seconds looking at our contact, until I allowed her gaze to meet mine again. "One chance. I promise to not enter your space too much, and I promise to do things at the pace you want. I just want you to let me try to find out if there's still something real between us."
I fought her proposal inwardly for a few instants. But Lauren's words, along with Normani's from a few minutes ago, made me question my decision. My pride prevented me from clearly seeing the solution to that problem. Perhaps it was the necessary key to make me see what still held me to that woman. I wasn't getting back together with Lauren, much less putting her back in my life. That was just an opening to decipher what was going on between the crooked lines of our lives.
"Alright, Lauren. I think that's the only way for us to find out." I said as I pulled my hand from hers. "We can try it your way."
"You won't regret it."
*Flashback On*
After the long night, Lauren and I went back to Ethan's house. It was almost dawn when we stepped into the garden through the small wooden gate. The music was still loud, but the amount of people was much smaller. At this hour, there were less than ten people drinking and dancing by the pool, others were lying on the sunloungers and others on the ground.
"Camila, I'm tired!" Lauren exclaimed extremely drunk.
"Shhh, I know! We're going to the bedroom now, stay quiet." I whispered as I tried to guide her into the house.
Lauren was staggering, shifting her legs with every step she took towards the house. I was trying not to laugh, the last time, I dropped her on the sand and heard her complaining for thirty minutes about the fact that I had laughed at her fall.
"You still have tequila?"
"Jesus! No, Lauren. You finished the whole bottle."
I stopped by the door, and put her left arm over my shoulders as I circled my arm around her waist to walk faster. In the living room, I saw Ethan lying on the couch beside a girl I didn't recognize. His friends were passed out on the carpet and on the other couch.
"That bastard is sleeping with another? Son of a bi-"
"Lauren!" I exclaimed as I covered her mouth with the palm of my hand. "Be quiet, we don't want to wake up anyone." I whispered, making her sit on the stairs.
"You're crabby." She grumbled.
I smiled at her, and helped her again. We went up the stairs with certain difficulty, since Lauren made no effort to land her feet firmly on the floor, forcing me to practically carry her. Once we stood in front of our bedroom door, Lauren leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, falling into a sitting position.
"Don't laugh!" She shouted as soon as a laugh left my mouth.
"I'm sorry!" I murmured as I looked for the keys in one of my pockets.
It didn't take long, and then I dragged her into the room. We were sharing it, while Ally and Vero shared the suite next door. Lauren walked in the most sloppy way towards the double size bed, lying down at once.
"You're gonna turn that clean bed into a sand bed! Lauren!"
"Don't yell, Camila!" She yelled back.
In that instant I wondered what I was thinking when I decided to give that girl a drink. She was a real disaster when she was drunk, and who would have to take care of her? That's right, me.
"Come, get up. I'm gonna give you a quick shower."
"Are you going to grab me?" She asked as if that was a totally normal thing to ask, making me blush.
Lauren let out a laugh, now surely because of the face I made, which probably screamed 'desperation'. I shook my head and approached her.
"Don't speak nonsense!"
"It wasn't me, it was Ethan!"
"What did he say?" I asked as I took off the girl's shirt.
"That he thinks you like girls. He said some rude things, and I hit him."
I frowned, but didn't say anything. When Lauren returned to the room after the fight with her almost boyfriend, she didn't mention that he had commented on my sexuality. I contemplated that maybe she was bothered by that, but I didn't want to think about it now.
"Come on, get up. Keep your bikini on, I'll put you in the shower and you can wash yourself."
She just nodded and did as I asked. After two falls, and a lot of screaming, I managed to get the girl out of the shower as she grumbled about the temperature of the water, and how cold she was feeling. She walked awkwardly towards the bed as she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel.
"Lauren, I'm exhausted. Can you just stay still?"
"You only fight with me, I don't want to be your best friend anymore!"
I turned my body to face the girl, crossing my arms under my breasts. Lauren fell silent as soon as she noticed my serious and reproachful look towards her. Then, she averted her gaze from mine as she chewed on her lips in an ineffective attempt to appear distracted. I held in the laugh that at all costs insisted on wanting to leave my lips, and turned my attention to her bag placed on the floor. I felt like laughing, and at the same time I felt stressed by her bad behavior.
"God, Camila, you're such a sucker." I whispered to myself as I looked for some comfortable clothes for Lauren to sleep in.
I searched Lauren's bag, but I didn't find anything cozy enough to give to her. So I grabbed a large black sweatshirt that was perfectly folded inside my bag.
"Take this, put it on." I placed the sweatshirt and a pair of panties right next to her on the bed. Lauren looked at the clothes and nodded.
"Yes, ma'am." She exclaimed saluting, to then burst out laughing.
"Lauren, I'm serious."
A sigh, followed by a few groans, left her mouth, and then the girl put on the blue panties under the towel that covered her.
"Done." She lay down.
"You haven't finished yet. Put on the sweatshirt."
"Ugh! I'm tired!"
"And you think I'm not?!" I rolled my eyes impatiently as I grabbed the sweatshirt from the bed. Carefully, I climbed onto the mattress, kneeling right next to Lauren. She stared at me serenely with her intoxicated gaze. I lifted the piece of clothing and helped her put it on over the towel that was around her body. Lauren removed the towel as soon as the sweatshirt settled on her body.
"I'm seeing two of you." She whispered as she stared at me. "Karla and Camila."
"You're very drunk." I said with a chuckle as I bent my knees to sit on my legs.
"I swear! Do you have an alter ego or a twin sister?"
"I do! Sometimes I'm Karla and at other times I'm Camila." I joked.
"That would make a very good story."
I was silent for a few instants, when I spoke again:
"You think?"
"Of course! Karla could be a stripper."
I let out a laugh and lightly slapped her right shoulder, while Lauren seemed to really think about it.
"You're reading too many books. Come on, enough of that. Go to sleep." I pushed her slowly, making her lie down on the mattress.
"And you could be a secretary."
"I want to be a model, Lauren."
"I don't think there's a third personality for model." She murmured thoughtfully, and completely drunk.
"Remind me to never let you drink again." I grumbled as I climbed out of bed.
"Stay here with me!"
Lauren grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stay. I stared at her sloppy smile and at her lost gaze. Lauren could be incredibly beautiful even in that state.
"I have to shower, I still have my hair full of sand."
"No, tomorrow you can do that, now lie down." She cried out as she pulled me to bed. "Camila..."
"No, Lauren. Go to sleep." I tried to free myself, but she held me tighter. "Let go of me!"
I heard her laughter flooding the room, it was a childlike laugh. I tried at all costs to free myself from her arms, but now she had pulled me with both hands, making my body fall on the bed. I sighed heavily when I felt her turn to the side, facing me. I promptly did the same, so that we were facing each other. I confess that that didn't seem like a good idea to me now, being too close made me somewhat nervous. I could feel her minty breath against my face; it was a little hard, but I managed to brush Lauren's teeth after the shower. She was tranquil, just staring at me, as if she was unraveling me with her eyes. I felt my heart falter just as she lifted one of her hands to my face, sliding the tip of her fingers on my skin, slowly.
"You're very beautiful, Camila." She whispered almost inaudibly.
I averted my gaze from hers, as if I could hide everything I was feeling at that moment.
"No, you're the beautiful one, Lauren."
She smirked, and rested her hand on the side of my face. I felt my skin tingle under her so subtle touch. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, letting an intense sigh leave my mouth.
"Kiss me again."
"Lauren..."
"Please, you did it minutes ago."
"You're drunk."
"Camila, kiss me." She asked as she inched her face closer to mine.
I felt her warm breath leave her parted mouth, the girl's soft lips brushed against mine delicately. I see the exact instant she closed her eyes in an attempt to seize that moment. My heart was beating faster than normal, as if at any moment it was going to jump out of my mouth. I took a deep breath, and moved my hand to her waist, slowly stroking that area covered by my sweatshirt. Lauren did the same, she scratched my nape with the tip of her nails, making my whole body shiver. I closed my eyes just like she had, and kissed her.
-----
The next day was busier than I thought it would be. I woke up totally exhausted, so sleepy that I could sleep for the rest of the year. Lauren seemed more awake, since she wasn't in the bedroom, she probably had already left to meet the girls for breakfast. Thank God that would be our last day at Ethan's house. I stretched out on the bed as a lazy sigh escaped my mouth. I looked at the window, noticing that outside was a beautiful and sunny day, and if I wasn't in such a hurry to go back home, I'd stay to enjoy a day at the beach.
"Who would say..."
That morning I was in an incredible good mood, an out of the ordinary good mood. It wasn't for less, my thoughts repeated themselves several times over what had happened the previous night. The image of Lauren was so vivid in my mind that I could recreate all the sensations, even knowing that they were only flashes of my memory. An involuntary smile graced my lips in the exact moment I remembered her kiss, followed by a small peck and a smile at the end.
"Ugh, Camila. You better get up and get ready." I groaned to myself as I lifted my body to get out of that bed.
After a long shower, I put on light clothes and started packing my bag, which didn't go as smoothly as I thought, but luckily everything fit and the damn thing closed. After having everything organized, I put on my sandals and went down to find my friends. Vero and Ally were sitting on the living room couch, laughing about something, which I could have sworn was the boy sleeping in a sitting position on the floor.
"Good Morning, girls!"
"Hey, good morning, love." Vero said with a smile.
"Good Morning, Mila."
I approached both girls and sat between them.
"Everyone's kind of a wreck this morning, look." I pointed to the boy sitting on the living room floor.
"We've been laughing at him ever since we sat here." Ally whispered.
"Where's Lauren?" I asked as I looked around the living room.
"She's in the garden talking to Ethan."
"With whom?" I asked, not believing what I had just heard.
"Ethan."
That name seemed to weigh more than normal in my thoughts. What the hell was she doing talking to that boy? After everything?
"Are you alright?" Vero asked with a curious look.
I nodded slowly, flashing a forced smile. I wasn't fine, not anymore. Thinking about Lauren getting back with that asshole after what happened made my stomach turn.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Vero stared at me as if she didn't believe a single word that came out of my mouth, but didn't dare challenge me.
"Speaking of her..." Ally whispered.
My eyes followed the smaller girl's, landing on Lauren who stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the way, between the porch and the living room. She stood there for a few seconds, then smiled naturally and walked over to us.
"Did it go well?" Ally asked.
"Oh, not so much. He came to apologize, but I'm still upset and told him we'd talk when I was more calm."
"But what happened?" It was Vero's turn to ask.
"Long story, girls. When we get back home, I'll tell you."
I didn't say anything. We stayed there for a few more minutes, when Vero and Ally decided to leave us alone so that they could go pack their bags; soon our car would be ready to take us home. Lauren was sitting on the couch, paying attention to the news broadcasted on the TV. She looked calm, composed, unlike me, who had the feeling that I'd die at any moment. I felt nervous, after what happened between Lauren and me, I was afraid that in the morning the atmosphere would be awkward, but she didn't seem to be bothered, she treated me naturally, like she did every day.
"Lauren..." I whispered.
"Yes?"
I took a deep breath as I slid the palm of my hands over the fabric of my shorts. They were sweating cold.
"Are you okay? I mean, don't you have a hangover or anything?"
"I woke up sick this morning. I threw up a little and got some medicine from Ally." She murmured, still focused on the TV.
"Why didn't you wake me up? I'd have helped you."
She turned her body to face me, resting her arm on the back of the couch.
"You looked tired, Camz. I wanted to let you sleep, I know I gave you a lot of work yesterday."
"You really did."
My head was swarming with my thoughts, and with Lauren's casualness about last night. Was she really that cool regarding my feelings for her?
"I still feel my head aching. It wasn't an easy night." She grumbled as she massaged her temples.
"I know, and I wanted to talk to you about yesterday..."
Lauren sighed and stared at me. For a few instants I felt a hesitation in her expression, but soon softened.
"About what, Camz?"
"Well..." I began, while my stomach turned. "About what happened on the beach." She remained silent, just looking at me with a confused expression. "After we drank..." I tried to continue, hoping she would understand.
"What are you talking about, Camila?"
For a split-second my heart sank. I stared into her pair of green eyes as I tapped the tip of my fingers on my thighs.
"You don't remember?"
She let out a chuckle and shook her head.
"Remember what? Look, I drank a lot yesterday. And tequila is literally not my forte. If I did something stupid, or embarrassed myself, please, don't tell me. There are things we need to not remember so that we can move on."
She didn't remember. She didn't remember my words, didn't remember our first kiss, nor the others we exchanged later in our bedroom. I didn't know how to explain what I was feeling in that moment, but by far, it wasn't the best feeling. To think that your feelings are so insignificant to someone, to the point of being forgotten, was at least heartbreaking. I knew that she was drunk, but I held onto the hope that she would remember, but things didn't go that way. And I'd have to accept it.
"Alright."
Lauren was silent, and then approached.
"Did something happen? Did I do something bad?"
"No, everything's fine, Laur." I whispered with a weak smile.
"Perfect! I'm gonna help the girls pack, we're leaving shortly." She said as she got up from the couch, leaving me alone.
*Flashback Off*
"You're really not coming, Mani?" I asked my best friend, who paced back and forth as she talked on the phone.
"Give me a second." She whispered and gestured with her index finger for me to wait.
I rolled my eyes impatiently, and went back to packing my suitcase, with some of my clothes and personal belongings. After the intense photoshoot on the yacht, all the models were given the rest of the afternoon and the next day off. And with that free time, I opted to stay a little while with my family. I missed them so much, since with my busy schedule I couldn't see them often. Normani, in turn, would spend the night with me at my parents' house, however, at the last minute she received an invitation to a party, and Dinah would be present as well. I knew that recently the two of them became very good friends, but I questioned the real reason for that approach. I never saw Normani showing interest in women, let alone Dinah, nor could I know something like that, we had just recently met. But I could swear that that recent closeness wasn't what it seemed, it was more than friendship.
"We can talk now." She said, stopping in front of my bed.
"You're really not coming?"
"No, Mila. This party is going to be incredible, and I really need to have fun."
"And to french kiss, or even have sex." I commented with a chuckle.
"Maybe if I find a worthy man, who knows?"
I stared at the woman who had smug expression, and approached quickly.
"I was actually thinking about a woman. Tall, with a gorgeous body, blonde hair, and extremely hot."
"Don't start with that again!" She huffed. "You're such a pain in the ass. I'm not a lesbian."
"Not even curious? You can be bi, like me. We enjoy everything."
"Yeah, right! You only date women. You hardly go out with men."
"It's not my fault if a female body is more attractive." I walked around the woman as I talked about it. "Imagine a more delicate mouth, a good waistline to grab. The beautiful breasts, and let's not forget the pu-"
"Enough!" She exclaimed as she covered my mouth with the palm of her hand.
I let out an amused laugh, which was muffled by Normani's hand. We stood staring at each other as I laughed at her nervous expression.
"What? Are you afraid to taste it and like it?" I asked as soon as she walked away.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Hurry up, I called a cab for you, let's see if he already arrived." She exclaimed as she walked to the hallway.
I loved to push that woman's buttons. Normani was my daily fun, and making her nervous about certain matters was simply wonderful. We waited for the cab that never arrived for more than an hour. Maybe the storm that poured over Miami was somehow to blame. I sat in the living room as I searched for a new taxi agency on the phone, while Normani was in the bedroom getting ready for her party with Dinah. Not having rented or requested a car in advance was a tremendous mistake, now here I was, alone with my bags packed, while my family was waiting for me so that we could dine together.
"Dammit!" I grunted as I dropped the phone on the couch.
I arched my head back, resting it on the back of the couch. I needed to get back to my yoga classes, my nerves were on the edge. I closed my eyes, and allowed myself to listen to the sound of the rain, which at that moment was the only sound that filled the room. I stayed there for a few seconds, in an attempt to relax, until I felt someone approaching.
"Is everything alright?"
I opened my eyes and stared at Lauren right in front of me. She was looking at me with a curious expression, somewhat confused. I straightened my posture as I fixed my hair quickly.
"Yes, I'm just waiting for my damn cab to arrive."
"Did something happen? I saw Normani calling for one earlier today."
"He didn't show up, and that's why I'm still here."
Lauren nodded slowly as she played with the car keys in her hand.
"I'm on my way out, I can take you to your parents' house if you want."
"Oh, you don't have to, Lauren. Thank you though." I said as I got up from the couch.
"Are you sure? I'm meeting a friend, and it's really close to the neighborhood where your family lives in."
I frowned at her, letting out a subtle sigh.
"Well, if it's on the way, then I'm in."
"Perfect." She said with a smile.
After saying goodbye to Normani, I got into Lauren's car, and we drove to the other side of town, where my parents' house was. It was located in the same neighborhood of years ago, they never wanted to get out of there, they said they had created important bonds and didn't want to break them. Even reluctantly, I let them stay there, but I practically built a new house, much bigger and more comfortable than the previous one.
"Do you want me to turn on the heater? It's a little cold."
"No, don't worry. I'm fine like this."
"As you wish."
The whole drive was spent with simple conversations and a lot of silence. It wasn't awkward, to my surprise, I could even say that it was comfortable. Being in Lauren's presence in that moment was tranquil. The drive was relatively long, but we had finally arrived. Lauren stopped the car right in front of the garden, which had a long extension to the entrance of the house. I'd arrive at the door completely soaked.
"Well, thank you so much for the ride. You helped me a lot."
"At least this time was better than the last." She commented with a smile, which made me smile too.
"Can't argue with that."
"I just think you're going to have a bit of trouble to get to the door." She frowned, grimacing as she pointed to the rain.
"Yeah, but it's necessary."
"I'll take you to the door, I have an umbrella." She said as she reached for the object in the backseat.
"You are solving all my problems tonight." I said with a laugh.
"I just don't want my model to get sick."
We stared at each other for a few seconds, until I looked away from her gaze. Lauren cleared her throat and turned her attention back to what she was doing.
"Let's go."
She got out of the car with the black umbrella, and walked over to my side, politely opening the door so that I could come out. I joined her, snuggling my body as close as possible as to not get wet. Lauren smiled and shook her head before we walked quickly towards the porch of my parents' house. As soon as we reached the door, she lowered the umbrella and shook off her arms, showing that her black overcoat was partially damp in the sleeves.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" I murmured.
"Don't worry, it's okay. It's just the overcoat."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Camila."
"Right, well, thank you so much for helping me."
I inched closer and hugged her slowly. Until the door next to us opened, making us pull away abruptly.
"Mija! You finally arrived, I thought you wouldn't come." Sinuhe exclaimed excitedly.
"I missed you so much, mom." I whispered as soon as she enveloped me in her tight hug.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing! Lauren!"
I closed my eyes and pulled away, seeing my mother envelop Lauren in a hug that seemed laden with motherly affection.
"How are you?" Lauren asked my mother.
"I'm great. What a surprise to see you here, I didn't know you two..."
"We're working at the same company." I hurried to speak, receiving both women's gaze on me.
"That's wonderful. Let's go in, come on."
"Oh no. Thank you so much, Mrs. Cabello. But I just came to drop your daughter."
"Yeah, mom, Lauren has to be somewhere else."
"Oh no, don't do me this slight. It's been years since the last time I saw you, please accept to at least have dinner with our family."
"Mom..."
The woman didn't even look at me, she was determined to make Lauren join us for dinner.
"Please, sweetie. It's raining horribly. Call and rain check. I'll put one more place at the table." She said as she pulled Lauren and me into the house.
"Alright, I'll stay to have dinner with you."
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NOTE: Hehehe :P When Evelin updates again, I'll translate and post it.