"Good morning," Camila croaked.
Lauren smiled seeing her messy haired girlfriend still in bed via FaceTime. She could see Camila's favorite pillow in the back and she wished she could be there with her, but in a few hours she'd be across the country in LA.
"How'd you sleep?"
"Rather odd," Camila responded. "I kept waking up because the bed felt empty and it didn't feel right- you not being here. I guess I'm still not used of you not being around."
"Don't worry. It will only be for a few weeks. I'll fly back home after these tour dates and I can spend another month in bed with you," Lauren reassured.
Camila sighed, "I know. I guess I just got too used of us being isolated from the world. I liked it because I had you all to myself."
Lauren could admit, so had she. In the past few weeks, she had been given the pleasure of being alongside Camila. In the mornings, evenings, and nights. They even went on dates- the memories which would keep her sane along the time they'd be apart. Even though she was the happiest and she loved being shut out of the world with Camila, she knew it wasn't reality.
They both had to get back to work on their endeavors. Lauren couldn't miss those tour dates and Camila had to stop ignoring the calls from the studio and get back to recording.
"I wish it didn't have to be this hard to stay apart."
"Shh." Lauren quieted her. "We're going to take it day by day, time will fly by in no time before we see each other again."
Camila tried not to frown. She hadn't seen Lauren in 3 days and today she was flying out. Mind you, she was still in Miami, but Lauren decided to spend the last 3 days with her family since she had been with her the entire time.
"What time is the flight again?"
"My boarding is at 7:15 am."
Camila looked at the time over Lauren's face on her phone. It read 4:23. She felt her lips begin to form a smile.
"What are you up to Camila?" Lauren asked suspiciously seeing the attitude change in the brunettes face.
"I'm just thinking how fortunate I will be to be sleeping in bed while you have to go through the fuss of checking in at the airport."
Lauren laughed loudly, making Camila smile proudly. In a hurry, she lowered the volume on her phone as to not wake anyone in her household. After Lauren stopped laughing, she looked intently into the screen at Camila's reflection. Her green eyes suddenly turned a little unhappy.
"Will you miss me?" Lauren asked softly.
"Always."
Lauren bit her lip feeling saddened and nodded her head. "Me too," She replied.
After they spoke for a little while longer, Lauren suddenly gasped looking at the time. She still had her suitcase sprawled on her bed and she had to be leaving in less than 30 minutes. She said her goodbye to Camila, who looked glum at her deparcher and got to packing.
As she arrived at the airport, checked in her items, she turned to say goodbye to her family. They had done this countless times, but each time seemed harder than the time before. Her mom sniffed a few tears and her father turned red as they said goodbye. Lauren stood, watching them leave until their heads turned into little dots and disappeared.
As she was about to pass through to the gate, she felt a pull of electrify in her body pull her back. She could faintly hear her name being called out. But it started getting louder and louder.
She turned and saw the one and only Camila Cabello, running through groups of people to reach her.
"Lauren!"
Lauren's heart leaped a thousand miles as she too began running towards her favorite brunette. She couldn't believe she was here. They quickly collided in a tight embrace as Camila's body exhaled happily while hugging her girlfriend.
"What in the world are you doing here?" Lauren asked happily as they clung to one another in the middle of the airport.
"You didn't expect to leave without saying goodbye to me, did you?"
They let go of each other and Lauren laughed taking in Camila's appearance. Apparently she had risen from bed and came straight to the airport. Her hair was a hot mess and she still wore the silky pajamas she used for bed. The best part, one of her foot was covered in a bright yellow slipper, the other foot- a brown slipper.
She was the most beautiful girl Lauren had ever seen.
They both smiled at each other and Lauren could see Camila's eyes slowly travel to her lips in need. Lauren swallowed, feeling hot white flashes in her belly. She looked around where they were standing.
People looked like zombies. Everyone looked half awake hauling their suitcases, or on their phones. Some people speed walked in a hurry to get to their flight. Some people gave them odd looks, but they mostly ignored them. But Lauren could see a small flock of paparazzi carrying camera's, making there way into the doors.
They hadn't spotted them from afar, but she knew it would only take them a matter of seconds to see them and ambush them. She couldn't kiss Camila, not here, or else they'd be caught.
She lifted Camila's chin with her finger and turned it to the paparazzi who were looking for a victim. Camila frowned knowing what that meant.
"Can't they leave people alone, just for one day?" She sighed exhaustingly.
"How about the old fashioned way?" Lauren asked with a smile.
She saw Camila's face light up and they quickly ran together looking for the nearest restroom. They both hated the fact that it had to be that way, but better this way than none at all.
The airports bathroom was huge, but they mindlessly hung around inside by the door, not caring if the women who scurried in to use the restroom saw or overheard them. They both knew they weren't being extra careful, but they didn't care in that second.
Right as Lauren was about to kiss Camila, the brown haired girl stepped back.
"Before you kiss me, I wanted to give you this."
Lauren saw Camila extend her hand. In her palm, laid a tiny gold keychain. She grabbed it careful and studied it. It was a breathtaking rose in colors gold and red. It sparkled against the light as she turned it to study each side. Such a small little token from Camila, meant the world to her.
"I know we already wen't on a date to celebrate our one month anniversary, but I wanted to give you one rose for one month." Camila explained with a smile, "This rose won't die and it'll be with you wherever you go."
"A piece of you, to take with me wherever I go," Lauren whispered. "I love it."
She pulled Camila in, showing her the gratitude she felt in a kiss. She could taste Camila's smile between her lips. They kissed tenderly, expressing words and feelings.
As they pulled apart, Lauren safely pocketed the keychain in her pocket. She looked upon the beautiful tan face in front of her with the sleepy eyes.
"It'll just be a few days. It'll be gone in no time before i'm back home." She reassured mostly to herself than Camila.
"I know," Camila nodded. "We'll talk every day. I've waited forever for you, what's a few more weeks?"
That crushed Lauren's heart a bit, but she knew she was right. The overhead, announced Lauren's flight, reminding her that she had to get going. Camila heard it too evidently, because her face dropped.
"Promise to call when you land?" Camila asked sadly.
Lauren promised and pulled her in close. Camila's lips lingered on hers for a while longer, almost begging her to stay. Camila gave Lauren one last look and a forced smile as she left her to go to her flight.
"Farewell, sad girl with the brown eyes," Lauren whispered after her.
As Lauren hurried through the groups of people, she suddenly felt her shoulder grabbed and pulled back roughly. Thinking it was Camila again, she turned back, but she felt her heart drop to her knees when she saw who it was.
"Miss me?"
Lauren opened her mouth to respond, but no words would come out. The girl in front of her flashed her signature seductive half smiles and raised her eyebrow expectingly.
"Cat got your tongue?"
"What are you doing here?" Lauren asked nervously, finally finding her voice. The brown eyes covered heavily in dark eyeshadow seemed to laugh at her.
"I came for you, silly."
"Why? You have no right. We ended things a long time ago." Lauren rambled as the girl stepped closer to her. Once she was pressed against the wall, she brought her lips to Lauren's ear and whispered.
"Correction. You ended things a long ago. Not very nicely, might I add. Don't you recall throwing me out of your tour bus and threatening to call the cops on me? Tsk tsk, Lauren. You should know... I hold on to grudges."
Sasha laughed against her ear, sending goosebumps all over Lauren's neck. She felt sick. Lauren could remember everything.
She remembered meeting Sasha. At first she was fun and always gave her a good time when they went out to parties and clubbing. It seemed like Sasha didn't care who she was, simply because she actually didn't. Even though Lauren began doing drugs with her, she was thankful that it kept her mind away from Camila. She knew Sasha was a bad influence, but she didn't give a shit.
But through time, Sasha began to get demanding. The drugs became too much, and she began to steal money from Lauren to buy. At that time Lauren didn't care. She'd always bring Sasha to the tour bus too. They never went as far to do anything, but one specific night, Sasha almost forced herself on her. Lauren told her to never come back or she'd get the police on her.
Lauren should've known better than to threaten a girl like her, but she wasn't in her right mind either that night. The threatening messages Sasha had sent her suddenly stopped after Camila met Sasha. Lauren didn't know what caused that change of heart, but apparently she hadn't gotten over it.
"How's your girlfriend Camila?" Sasha rasped, bringing Lauren's attention back.
"She's fine."
"I know she is," Sasha winked. "Little attitude on that one. I liked her. I wonder what she'll be up to now that you're leaving. Maybe... I'll accidentally run into her."
"Leave her alone, Sasha!" Lauren fought back. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, okay? I'm sorry. I should've been kinder to you, but you also shouldn't have acted the way you did. I shouldn't have threatened you, I take that back now. But i'm not the same person I was at that time. Can't we just leave it behind?"
Sasha ignored her and rubbed her hand against her hair. Lauren could smell the cigarette smoke and cinnamon that clung on the girls body. People had begun to give them strange looks, seeing two girls pressed against the wall. Lauren tried to plead with them to help her by narrowing her eyes, but nobody helped.
"You want me to leave things behind?" Sasha finally asked nicely.
Lauren sighed thankfully. Maybe things would be okay after all...
"I have a fee. $25,000. In cash. I'll drop everything. And i'll especially leave that fine piece of ass Camila alone too."
Lauren gasped loudly, "Twenty- five thousand dollars?" She whispered harshly. "What the hell do you need that type of money for, Sasha? Are you in some type of trouble?"
"Mind your fucking business."
"If you're asking me for my money then it is my damn fucking business." Lauren snapped back.
She regretted her tone instantly when she saw Sasha's eyes darken.
Sasha pulled out her phone and flashed a picture right in front of her eyes. Lauren felt the blood rush to her head in an instant second. It was just a picture of a house. But it was a picture of a house she knew far too well.
Camila's house.
"What the fuck?" Lauren tried to reach for the phone, but Sasha pulled it away before her hand could grab it.
"You could try to delete the picture, but her address is engraved in my mind," She smiled, "She also has a very cute little sister, doesn't she? What a shame if something happened to that family."
Lauren's lips trembled, "How dare you? Are you really that inhumane to hurt a family whose done absolutely nothing to you?"
"You make me laugh, babe. I won't lay a fingernail on them. My cousin's though... Let's just say they owe me a favor. They'll be there at the snap of a finger. Remember that."
"You're fucking insane..."
"And also in a hurry," Sasha scrolled through the phone again and showed Lauren another picture. "If you don't get me that money in three weeks, not only will I hurt your little girlfriend and her family, but I will sell this picture. Do you have an idea how many news channels would be willing to buy this picture? You will not only be buying your girlfriends safety, but you'll be buying my silence."
Lauren looked in fear at the picture on her phone. It was her and Camila just a little while ago in the bathroom, kissing. She'd be in so much trouble if that picture got out, and the Cabello's would be in danger if she didn't get her the money she wanted.
The overhead called Lauren's flight for the last time and Sasha stepped back, giving Lauren room to breathe. Lauren was pale as a ghost and looked immediately sick. She couldn't even feel her fingers.
"Go. I'll see you in three weeks."
Lauren blinked back tears and ran towards her gate. She almost missed the door by a few seconds, but luckily she made it in time before it closed. She made the mistake of turning back, and saw Sasha still watching her. Sasha waved at her with one hand and a raised eyebrow.
Once she was finally in her seat, Lauren grabbed the keychain from her pocket and held it tightly to her lips. Shutting her eyes, she imagined Camila's smile.
She was going to do whatever it took to protect Camila, even if she died trying.