NOTE: Don't forget, this chapter and the NEXT TWO are part of a series of flashbacks of what happened during those 3 months that passed.
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*Flashback still On*
POV Lauren Jauregui
*Some time later*
* All my life I've been searching for the answers *
I sang the song with all my soul, it was the last one from my repertoire tonight, and I usually didn't sing it, but today I wanted to, and as incredible as it may seem, it was the song everyone was enjoying the most. Maybe it was the vibe I was conveying them through the song.
* How did I lose so much of the things that really matter?
Is there no paradise, cause I feel no joy or laughter *
Troy was by my side, helping in the vocals. Everything flowed perfectly well, until I saw my friend asking to leave the stage after someone I couldn't identify motioned for him to approach. I just nodded my head and continued the song.
* Seems everything I touch only turns into disaster
So I ask myself
How do you want to be remembered?
As a sinner or a saint, as a hero or a villain? *
In a short version of the song, I finished the last line. Troy was on the other side of the room, pacing back and forth. I knew something was going on. Still under applause and requests for me to sing more, I stepped off the stage, and Halsey went up.
The more than familiar introduction of "Hold me down" began as I walked over to Troy. The man, who was already white before, was pale, as if he's own life had left him. I touched his shoulder and he turned abruptly, startling me a little.
"Troy, is everything okay?" I asked calmly, I didn't want to freak out over nothing.
"Lauren, everything is not okay."
In hurried steps, I saw Ally appear from the crowd with a glass of water in her hands.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked, turning Troy to face me. The man still looked as if he had seen a ghost. Ally started crying, leaving me even more astonished. "Troy?!" I yelled in the hope he'd go back to normal and say something. Ally extended the glass of water towards me, and I refused. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I grabbed it and looked at the screen, it was Taylor. "38 missed calls..." I whispered, looking at the screen of my phone without being able to put the pieces together regarding why Taylor had called me so many times.
"Lauren, your father..." The man sobbed in a heartfelt cry. "Mike passed away!"
That was like a bomb thrown in my lap. I'd been waiting for this moment for so long and it had finally arrived. I wanted that, didn't I? I was happy it happened, wasn't I? No, I wasn't, but I wasn't sad, I was surprised. As much as I knew that death comes sooner or later, you never truly expect it to come. I was used to dealing with death, I saw so many lives slipping through my hands, but in Mike's case it was natural. As much as I knew he was sick, as much as I knew that his end was near, I think deep down I didn't want it to happen, because of Taylor.
"Hello?" I answered the phone, walking in hurried steps towards the parking lot. "Taylor?" The noise was still loud, so I went to my car. Troy and Ally were right behind me.
"Lau-Lauren." Taylor's voice was choked, and I only could only feel a lump in my throat. "Dad died, Lauren, I need you." The girl burst into tears, and I couldn't help myself, a desperate sob left my throat.
"I'm on my way!" I said and hung up the phone angrily, initiating a sequence of kicks in the tire of my Volvo. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" I could only cuss.
"Lauren, stop!" Troy grabbed me from behind, and I fought back, but the man was visibly bigger and stronger than me.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" I screamed before bursting into more tears. "Bastard! Why did you have to die right now, you son of a bitch?!"
Troy released me. My legs faltered and I fell to my knees on the dirty ground of that old parking lot. I buried my hands in my hair as I cried uncontrollably. Nothing seemed to stop the thick tears from falling. Ally sat down next to me and hugged me, I tried to push her away, but the woman kept me in a tight hug.
"I'm here." That was all she said. I turned and hugged her, letting the tears flow freely down my face.
"Why, Ally?" I asked, pulling away from her. "Why did he have to die?"
"These things happen, Lauren." She said, putting a few strands of my hair behind my ear. I sat on my heels and just stared at nothing, while Ally told me beautiful things which I didn't bother to understand. We stayed there for so long that I had lost track of time. Ally was stroking my face and blowing it, and gradually, my crying ceased. Troy was no longer near us.
"I need to see Taylor." The woman just nodded. We got up and then I opened my Volvo.
"You're not driving!" Troy's voice came up behind me. I didn't object, just handed over my keys and headed towards the backseat. Ally came with me, letting me lie down on her lap as she rocked me like a baby.
"Where are we going?" I asked, not recognizing the course made by Troy.
"I spoke to Normani, we're going to Camila's house, she's there with Taylor. They took her there after the hospital. Mike's body is being prepared."
"Camila?" I thought to myself out loud.
"Yes." He answered.
I didn't want to see Camila, but I had no more strength to fight back, so I just let them guide me.
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I wore all white for Mike's funeral, his death was the release of all the anger inside me, of everything bad that dwelt in my heart, and now that all that had died, this was the burial. Everyone looked at me judgingly, but I could care less. Taylor said I was being a little rude, but it was nothing compared to how rude Mike was with me my whole life.
"My condolences." Aunt Merli said. A distant aunt I hadn't practically seen since my mother passed away.
"Thanks, aunt." I said with half a smile.
Across the grave was Taylor, and incredibly, she was in tears in Camila's arms, with Rob in tow. It was all pathetic. And why the hell was Camila so close to Taylor?
"Why the hell is Camila so close to Taylor?" Dinah asked next to me, practically speaking my own thoughts aloud.
"I have no idea." I said.
"How are you?" She asked, touching my shoulder.
"I'm fine." I looked at her and flashed her a half smile.
"No, you're not, but you'll be, Lauren." Dinah looked at me with pity, and nothing in this world made me angrier than receiving pity looks, and today I had received many.
"He was a bad person, Dinah, he doesn't deserve my tears, doesn't deserve my pain." I said without even filtering myself, and immediately regretted having said that after seeing Dinah's astonished expression. "Sorry, one day you'll know." I said coldly, and Dinah just nodded, still confused.
I felt a delicate hand touch my shoulder. Here we go again, another stupid condolence crap. As if I was really going to miss him. I turned around with my best orphan expression.
"My condolences." The voice said almost in a whisper. Camila leaned in to hug me, and I just dodged her. I looked to her side and there was Rob, I felt my stomach turn.
"I'm so sorry, Lauren." He said seriously.
"Well, shove your insignificant condolences up your ass and get the fuck out of here." Rob's eyes burned on me. "Both of you!" I looked at Camila, who seemed to suffer with everything that was happening. She seemed to want to say more than she did, but I didn't give two shits right now, I just didn't want to see her today.
I turned around and started walking towards Taylor. The girl hugged me, and that's how we stayed until Michael's funeral was over. After a little prayer, everyone started leaving. Taylor walked in front of me alongside Camila, who hadn't left like I asked. I didn't care, as long as she wouldn't address me.
"Lauren." Normani pulled me into a hug, and I reciprocated it. "It's over." She whispered in my ear.
"It's over, Mani." She pulled away and kissed my cheek.
"I'm going to your apartment with the girls, and don't worry about anything, okay? I'll handle things there. I'm going to tidy everything up and I'm also going to prepare Taylor's room, I suppose she'll want to stay with you for a while."
"She will, thank you, I'll be there in a few." Normani just nodded and started walking towards the others.
I sat down beside the tombstone. I was finally alone in that graveyard, I needed some privacy with Mike.
"I forgive you for everything you did to me and to your family." I whispered, staring at the tombstone. A few tears began to fall involuntarily. "I forgive you for having been the worst father anyone could have. I forgive you for having been a prick. I forgive you for having been the most disgusting husband a woman could have. I forgive you, Mike." I said and felt my body lighter. Tears and more tears flowed freely, I was no longer holding back, I just let it all come out of me. It was all over. Six feet under the ground was my worst nightmare, my frustrations and my anger.
"Lauren?" I heard a thick voice call me. I looked back and it was Ronald. "My condolences." The man said, holding out his hand to help me up, and so I did. I was shaking, his presence had suddenly made me nervous. "I knew Mike for a long time, long before you were born. I also knew your mother, and it's because of her that I'm here with you."
The man looked at me with admiration, and I was no different, he was my father, my real father, the man my mother loved all her life, the man she wanted to share her life with, the man she admired and loved. The tears that had ceased before, began falling down my face again. I couldn't help the emotion I was feeling and cussed myself a thousand times for it. Without thinking twice, I hugged the man, I hugged him so tight that I could hear his heavy breathing. I gripped his denim jacket and inhaled the woody scent he exuded. Tears and more tears washed my face, but I didn't care, I just wanted to enjoy that moment, with my father.
"You know, don't you?" I asked, hugging him tighter, and being reciprocated.
"Not that someone told me about it." He laughed awkwardly. "But I had my suspicions, you always had a personality similar to mine." I pulled away from Ronald and looked him in the eye. There was so much of me in that sea of green. "Particularly, the part that always clashed with Mike."
"I never suspected, I just saw my mother's journal and found out everything." I said, wiping some tears away.
Ronald held my face with his hands, and with his thumbs, he wiped away the tears that still insisted on falling.
"Your mother was and always will be the woman of my life, and knowing that she left me you, Lauren, makes me the happiest man in the world." Ronald said, kissing my cheek to then pull me into another hug.
"We have so many things to talk about."
"We have all the time in the world now, sweetheart."
POV Camila Cabello
*A week later – Flashback still On*
The tires of my car squeaked on the asphalt, and the abrupt braking made the smell of burned tires present, and made my car sway a little. Without even waiting another minute, I got out and walked hurriedly towards Rob's apartment building.
"Camila, you need to be fast! He just stopped by a coffee shop near the company. I don't know how long he'll be."
"I know, I know, Halsey! Just do your part, keep an eye on him, and let me know when he's coming." I waited for the doorman to get distracted, and then sneaked past the narrow door that was there.
The ways of entering without authorization were infinitely more exciting, and less bureaucratic, after all, a permit to enter Rob's apartment could take forever and it would draw too much attention. Already inside the elevator, with Halsey still on the line, I could clearly hear her heavy breathing, she was nervous. I crouched in front of the rug that read 'Welcome', and with shaky hands, grabbed the spare key that he always had there.
"Fine! Do you part too." Halsey grumbled. I rolled my eyes, and miraculously managed to open the door with efficiency, even while shaking.
"I'm already inside, what should I look for?" I asked, going to the small dresser by the door. I opened the first drawer, it was a mess.
"Try to find something that will help us with the link situation, since my friend still hasn't discovered anything."
"Alright."
My hands rummaged through the drawer that was more than messy, in search of some password, or paper with something written down. I had some doubts in my head regarding if that would work, after all, Rob was a lot smarter than he looked. After rummaging through the three drawers, I walked away, and that was when I noticed how much Rob's lifestyle had changed after taking over Mike's position at the company. I shook my head at the thought of Lauren.
"Focus, Camila, now is not the time for that." I whispered to myself, heading for Rob's bedroom.
"Really do focus, because he was about to leave the coffee shop, but was stopped by a couple, probably his friends."
"Okay."
Upon entering Rob's room, the scent of his perfume exuded everywhere, and I must say that male perfume was one of my biggest weaknesses.
"Probably the only good thing about him." I mumbled as I opened the closet, rummaging through every piece of clothing.
"What?"
"Nothing, I was talking to myself. Keep an eye on him, Halsey."
I turned my attention back to the clothes, rummaging through every pocket, be it from his pants or jackets. I even rummaged through his collection of briefcases.
"Camila! Camila! Did you find something?"
"Fucking giant closet! I'm not going to find anything here, Halsey!"
"He's leaving! You won't find shit in his bedroom! Doesn't he have some place that he usually uses for work?"
"The office, Halsey! It was under renovation, but since his things aren't here anymore, I presume it's already ready."
"What are you waiting for then?"
"Shut up." I grumbled, leaving the bedroom, but first I checked if everything was as I found. I ran down the huge corridor until reaching his current office. I opened it, coming across a well-organized, modern place. I ran to the desk, where there was an open laptop, and I turned it on in order to dig for something.
"Fuck! It's protected."
"What's protected? Camila, come on, hurry up, he just left the coffee shop, you have precisely ten minutes, fifteen if the traffic helps."
"The computer, it's password protected!"
"Of course it is... We don't have time for it now, search the whole office, and if you don't find anything, we'll just have to try to access the computer another time."
"Alright." I let out a heavy breath and turned off the computer.
I went through everything as fast as possible, always putting things in the same place again. I didn't want my cover to go down the drain. Rob, besides being extremely observant, had a certain OCD when it came to his things. I came across a locked drawer, and the only key that would access it was probably along the other keys that Rob always carried with him. I needed to open that drawer at all costs, there was clearly something very important in it.
"Fuck!" Halsey's voice sounded. "You need to find a way to get out of there right now, Camila!"
"Why?" I asked as I grabbed a few paperclips and tried at all costs to open the drawer. I wished Dinah was here, she was really needed in these situations, if there was something the blonde knew how to do besides drinking and flirting with several guys in one night, that was to easily break into any place without any damage.
"I lost sight of him, Camila! I don't know where he is! But he must be arriving at any minute!"
"Halsey, you only had one job! You only had to keep an eye on him!" I raged as I tried at all costs to open that damn drawer.
The sound of the door opening drew my attention, making me stand up in a jolt. I looked around, looking for something that would explain why I was there alone, in his office.
"Halsey! Halsey! He's here, I have to go, I'll make some excuse. Don't worry."
I didn't wait for her answer. Rob's footsteps sounded more and more close, which made me quickly remove the electronic device from my ear, turning it off. I quickly put it inside the micro-pocket there was in my panties, a place I was sure he wouldn't touch. Not now.
I quickly sat down on the desk and unbuttoned the first four buttons of my white blouse, showing my white lingerie. The noise of the doorknob turning told me that it was time to positon myself, I tried to look as sexy as possible. Rob opened the door and came across me. His gaze conveyed anger and indignation, until he analyzed my body. Automatically, the man dropped his briefcase, which fell to the floor, and I bit my lower lip at the sight of how lost in me he already was without even touching me. I barely noticed him walking, his soft, strong hands were on me in less than a second, his lips attacking mine, and I reciprocated unwillingly.
"What are you doing here, Camila?" Rob asked after pulling his lips away from mine. His voice came out breathless, his hands were still working on the buttons of my blouse.
"I came to surprise you, did you like it?"
Rob didn't answer, just attacked my neck with his mouth. His beard rubbed against my skin as his mouth sucked the so sensitive area, but I no longer felt affected by his touches.
"Rob." I moved my hands to his shoulders, trying to push him away, but it was in vain, he was overcome by arousal, I could feel his extremely hard shaft rubbing against me. "ROB!" I shouted, pushing him away.
"What is it?" He asked, startled.
"You're too hasty today, honey." I got off the desk and walked as close as possible to his body. "I presume you're hungry, how about I make some lunch?"
"Camila, I just want you." He grunted, moving towards me again, but I dodged him.
"Easy, take it easy." I smiled sarcastically. "Everything in good time." I sealed my lips on his before grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the office towards the kitchen. My phone vibrated, and I took it out of my pocket, it was a text from Halsey.
"Who is it?" He asked as soon as he saw me distracted by the phone.
"It's from work, honey, nothing to worry about."
I clicked on the screen and opened Halsey's text message:
'We're in luck, my friend was able to decipher the link... I need to see you urgently!'
"What do we have for lunch?" Rob asked, looking around. I hadn't prepared anything to fool him.
"Looks like we have a big fish." I said ironically.
"Well, I'm not seeing any."
"I'm sorry, honey, but I have to go."
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NOTE: Ooohhhh! What do you think that link shows? Hmm... I guess we'll see in the next chapter. I'll try to update again tomorrow.