Lauren's POV:
I blink my eyes open but I still see black. At first the darkness in the room had me in dismay but soon the huge weight of pressure over my bones, the pain, the excruciating pain coursing through my body is what concerned me most.
I can't move.
Where the fuck am I?
Where's my assistant?
My helicopter?
I try to lift up with no success as a sharp pain shoots through my entire right side and I know . I'm almost afraid to move another inch to see where the rest of this pain is coming from. My arms are tied behind my back but my legs are free.
I remember my helicopter. Flying low to get a closer look at the view, when we lost control.
"Anyone... in here?" My voice comes out quiet and hoarse as the pain in feeling takes over in that moment.
I remember it catching fire and having to emergency land. After that it's a complete blur.
"Miss Jauregui, is that you?" I hear the familiar voice of my assistant.
"Ros, what's happened? Are you tied up as well?"
"Yes... yes" now he sounds panicked, rushed and hopeful "Miss Jauregui they drugged you, someone was after you. The helicopter crash wasn't your fault they hacked the engines. We have to find a way out"
This all sounds absurd and my head is pulsating and spinning. This was all a set up? I could name a complete list of people who have it out for me but the list disappears when the question of who is bold enough to go up against me is asked.
My team, my security, my record and name alone keeps me safe. So who the FUCK was dauntless enough to set me up.
Trust.
I hear that word from somewhere within me.
Never trust anyone.
It was Ros' idea to fly the helicopter lower anyway.
"Were you a part of this shit?" I hiss through my teeth.
"No! Noo Miss Jauregui, I'm loyal to you. I've always been" at first his voice was loud and alarmed at the accusation but he lowers it "I'm trying to help you. To help us. I've been up and I've heard them talking they're trying to ruin you."
"What did you hear? Who did you see?"
"They all had on black masks, all black to hide their identities. I'm not sure but I believe a woman is behind all of this" his voice is strained and I know he's in pain too. "They're after Normani as well, they're trying to hurt you where you feel most. That's what I heard ma'am"
NORMANI
Oh no.
"Approximately how long have we been here Ros?"
"Hours ma'am" he groans.
For the first time since I've been awake we hear something other than our two voices and we both freeze, lying completely still with our hands tied behind our backs.
"I hear voices inside. I think Jauregui is awake" is all I can manage to make out from the hushed voices outside.
"No! We need more time before the flight arrives." The other voice sounds frustrated "go black her out again"
"Where's the stuff?"
"Just go, here use this"
I hear shuffling moments before the door opens and a line of light shines through the crack. I have no idea what they are going to do to me or Ros for that manner but in this moment I am completely helpless.
I've been in control of every aspect of my entire life for years at this point. What I say goes. What I say happens. At the snap of my fingers. And now my life is in someone else's hands. I'm tied up and momentarily I feel fear.
Not a feeling that I'm used to over these last few years.
The only thing I've feared recently is... Normani.
At the thought of my woman, the love of my life, my life line... my heart freezes. She just be worried sick, I never go more than three hours without making sure she's okay. They're after her too. They'll have to kill me first.
I feel my inner thoughts pop up. This may sound a little off putting but ever since I've met normani I've had this inner person there on the inside drawing me to her. I ought to name this person.
No, that's strange. Who does that?
Stay calm Lauren, I hear my inner thoughts say. You're going to make it back home to her. She will be safe. You'll marry this woman. Your lifestyle won't put her in danger.
The sounds of the foot steps get closer in this patch black room and my adrenaline is pulsing. "Jauregui" the loud deep voice of the mans calls me.
"Who the fuck is behind all of this?" I grunt.
"Shut your mouth!" He retaliates and suddenly I feel his hand squeezing over my rib.
"Agghhh" I shriek "Just- just let my assistant go, the problem you have is with me. Take it out on me, and don't you dare touch any one I love. Even if I'm dead you'll be seeing hell shortly after-"
Before I could say another world an excruciating pain to the back of my head sends me into blackness.
It's dark here. I feel the burning pains all over my chest and back. He had gotten angry again, drunken and angry. This is my second day without eating and I tried asking for food. So he yelled and dug his lit cigarette into my skin over and over, all over as I screamed in pain.
My mom watched as her pimp did this to me. I don't blame her there was nothing much she can do, he had already beaten her to a pulp. I tried protecting her, I always did but she did would do the same for me. I'm the one that needed protecting.
Now I'm hiding, in the pitch black closet. Holding my breath. Repeating in my head over and over again, don't breathe Lauren... don't breathe too loud. He'll hear you. He'll kill you.
"LAUREN GET OUT OF THERE NOW"
Oh no.
Normani's POV:
Wash rinse repeat.
The last two days have consisted of me waking up full of fear and in tears, going to the studio and forcing myself to dance, not being able to eat, barely breathe, sitting in the main room with Lauren's family as we all consult each other and crying myself into a restless night of no sleep.
Right now I'm staring at the flames, mesmerized. They look different from the first two nights we were in here. They look so lifeless, never would I have imagined a fire place to look so cold. They dance and weave orange with tips of cobalt blue, it's almost moving in slow motion. Much fitting to what these two days have felt like. And despite the heat pumping out of the fire and the blanket draped around my shoulders, I'm cold. Bone chillingly cold.
I'm aware of hushed voices, many hushed voices. But they're in the background, a distant buzz. I don't hear the words. All I can hear, all I can focus on, is the soft hiss of the gas from the fire.
My thoughts turn to the house we saw a few days ago and the huge fireplaces - real fireplaces for burning wood. I'd like to make love with Lauren in front of a real fire. I'd like to make love with Lauren in front of this fire. And be held until we drift off into a warm cozy sleep. Yes, love, warm, sleep. All of those things sound amazing right now since I've been missing them for two days.
So let me close my eyes and imagine the love of my life back here. No doubt, she'd think of some way to make it memorable like all the times we've made love. I snort wryly to myself, even the times when we were just fucking. Yes, those were pretty memorable, too.
Where is she?
The flames shimmy and flicker, holding me captive, keeping me numb. I focus solely on their flaring, scorching beauty. They are majestic like they can easily cast some type of spell.
Normani, it's like you've put a spell on me.
She said that the first time she slept with me in my bed. Oh no...
I feel my throat hitch as I shut my eyes tighter. Shutting out the pain. Shutting out reality.
It's been three days.
No trace of her. No trace of her helicopter.
Dat bihh gone. I hear my inner mani say as she sits by the fire place shaking.
I wrap my arms around myself, and the world falls away from me and reality bleeds into my consciousness. The creeping emptiness inside expands some more. The green machine is missing.
She's gone.
"Mani. Here," Mrs. Hernandez gently coaxes me, her voice bringing me back into the room, into the now, into the anguish. She hands me a cup of tea. I take the cup and saucer gratefully, the rattle betraying my shaking hands.
"Thank you," I whisper, my voice hoarse from unshed tears and the large lump in my throat.
Henry sits across from me on the larger-than-large U-shaped couch, holding hands with Clara. They gaze at me, pain and anxiety etched on their lovely faces. Clara looks older a mother worried for her daughter. Henry and Mike, being the men of the family have been trying to remain calm and be the shoulder for the women to cry on. I commend them. I've cried so much over these few days
I blink dispassionately at them. I can't offer a reassuring smile, a tear even - there's nothing, just blankness and the growing emptiness. I gaze at Camila and Keith, who stand around the breakfast bar, all serious faces, talking quietly. Discussing something in soft subdued voices. Behind them, Mrs. Hernandez busies herself in the kitchen.
Dinah in the TV room, monitoring the local news. I hear the faint squawk from the big plasma TV. I can't bear to see the news item again - Lauren Jauregui missing - her beautiful face on TV.
Idly, it occurs to me that I've never seen so many people here as there has been over these two days. Little islands of lost, anxious people in my Fifty's home. What would she think about them being here?
They are all here, as support to us. Clara being the doctor she is, says that in times of grieve we shouldn't be alone. Find someone, find some hope, find some reason.
Somewhere, Tony and Mike are talking to the authorities who are drip-feeding us information, but it's all meaningless. The fact is she's missing. She's been missing for two days. Search has went out and now has been called off and still no sign, no word from her. And we don't know where she is. She could be hurt, hungry, or worse. No!
I offer another silent prayer to God.
Please let Lauren be okay. Please let Lauren be okay. I repeat it over and over in my head - my mantra, my lifeline, something concrete to cling to in my desperation. I refuse to think the worst. No, don't go there. There is hope.
You're my lifeline.
Lauren's words come back to haunt me. Yes, there is always hope. I must not despair.
Her words echo through my mind.
I'm now a firm advocate of instant gratification
Why didn't I take advantage of all the time I spent with her?
Why did I cause her so much pain the day I left her?
Why did I laugh in her face when she asked me to marry her?
I'm doing this because I've finally met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.
I close my eyes in silent prayer, rocking gently. Please, let the rest of her life not be this short.
Please, please. We haven't had enough time... we need more time. We've done so much in the last few weeks, come so far. It can't end. All our tender moments: the lipstick, when she made love to me for the first time at the hotel, on her knees in front of me offering herself to me, finally touching her.
I am just the same, Mani. I love you and I need you. Touch me. Please.
Oh, I love her so fucking much. I will be nothing without her, nothing but a shadow. No, no, no... my poor Lauren.
This is me, Mani. All of me... and I'm all yours. What do I have to do to make you realize that? To make you see that I want you any way I can get you. That I love you.
And I you, my Fifty Shades.
I open my eyes and gaze unseeing into the fire once more, memories of our time together flitting through my mind: her girlish joy when we were sailing and gliding; her suave, sophisticated, hot-as-hell look at the masked ball; dancing, oh yes, dancing here in the apartment, whirling round the room; her quiet, anxious hope a few days ago at the house - that stunning view.
I will lay my world at your feet, Normani. I want you, body and soul, forever.
Oh, please, let her be okay. She cannot be gone. She is the center of my universe.
An involuntary loud sob escapes my throat, and I clutch my hand to my mouth as the tears drip. No. I must be strong.
Keith is suddenly at my side, or has he been there a while? I have no idea.
"Do you want to call your mom or dad? I know this had been a rough few days for you. Maybe your mom can calm you" he asks gently.
No! I shake my head and clutch Keith's hand. I cannot speak, I know I will dissolve if I do, but the warmth and gentle squeeze of his hand offers me no solace.
Oh, Mom. My lip trembles at the thought of my mother. Should I call her? No. I couldn't deal with her reaction. Maybe Mark, he wouldn't get emotional - he never gets emotional, not even when the Mariners lose.
Clara rises to join the boys, distracting me. That must be the longest she's sat still. Camila comes to sit beside me too and grabs my other hand.
"She will come back," she says, her voice initially determined but cracking on the last word. Her eyes are wide and red-rimmed, her face pale and pinched from lack of sleep. "It's Lauren, she like... has to" after the last word she blinks and a tears travels down her cheek.
I gaze up at Dinah, who is watching all of us but consoling Clara right now.. I glance at the clock. It's after twelve am. Damn time! With each passing hour, the clawing emptiness expands, consuming me, choking me.
Imagine going today four still without her? What would that mean besides the worst.
I know deep down inside I am preparing myself, preparing myself for the worst. I close my eyes and offer up another silent prayer, clasping both Keith's and Camila's hands.
Opening them again, I stare into the flames once more. I can see her shy smile - my favorite of all her expressions, a glimpse of the real Lauren, my real Lauren. She is so many people: control freak, CEO, stalker, sex god, Dom - and at the same time - such a young girl with her toys. I smile. Her car, her boat, her plane... The green machine... no... no... my woman, he lost soul that was coming back together piece by piece is truly lost right now.
What if she feels the type of pain that she did when she was younger? What if whatever is happening to her scars her all over?
My smile fades and pain lances through me. I remember her in the shower, wiping away the lipstick marks.
I'm nothing, Normani. I'm a husk of a woman. I don't have a heart.
The lump in my throat expands. Oh, Lauren, you do, you do have a heart, and it's mine. I want to cherish it forever. Even though she's so complex and difficult, I love her. I will always love her. There will never be anyone else. Ever.
I remember sitting in Starbucks weighing up my Lauren's pros and cons. All those cons, even those photographs I found this morning, melt into insignificance now. There's just her and whether she'll come back. Oh please, Lord, bring her back, please let her be okay.
I'll go to church... I'll do anything.
I gaze deeper into the fire, the flames still licking and curling around each other, blazing. Then Clara shrieks, and everything goes into slow motion.
I swear time freezes.
"Lauren!"
I turn my head in time to see Clara barreling across the main room from where she had been pacing somewhere behind me, and there in the entrance stands a dismayed Lauren.
She's dressed in the same outfit she left in. Her hair is messy, her shoes are in her hand. She looks... different. She looks tired, dirty, and utterly beautiful.
My heart is beating out of my chest. But... I can't move. I can only feel, the swarm of hot blood coursing through my body.
Holy fuck... Lauren. She's alive. I gaze numbly at her, trying to work out if I'm hallucinating or if she's really here.
Her expression is one of utter bewilderment. She drops her jacket and shoes on the floor in time to catch Clara, who throws her arms around her neck and kisses her hard on the cheek.
"Mom?"
Lauren gazes at her, completely at a loss.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Clara whispers, voicing our collective fear.
"Mom, I'm here." I hear the consternation in her voice.
"I died a thousand deaths Lauren, I thought-" she cuts her crying whisper off probably too hard to say what she'd actually thought. Her voice barely audible, echoing my thoughts. She gasps and sobs, no longer able to hold back her tears. Lauren frowns, horrified or mortified - I don't know which - then after a beat, envelops her in a huge hug, holding her close.
"Oh, Lauren," she chokes, wrapping her arms around her, weeping into her shoulder all self-restraint forgotten - and Lauren doesn't flinch or tense.
She just holds her, rocking to and fro, comforting her. Scalding tears pool in my eyes. Mike hollers from the hallway.
"She's alive! Shit - you're here!" He appears from Tony's office, clutching his cell phone, and embraces both of them, his eyes closed in sweet relief.
"Dad?"
Camila squeals something unintelligible from beside me, then she's up, running, joining her parents, hugging all of them, too.
I hear Lauren shriek in pain. The sound was unbearable.
Clara quickly let's go with a gasp. "You're hurt?!"
"I'm fine" she groans.
Finally the tears start to cascade down my cheeks. She's here, she's fine. But I still cannot move.
Mike pulls away, wiping his eyes and squeezing Lauren on the shoulder earning another wince that she tried to hide but I saw.
Camila releases them and Clara steps back.
"Sorry," she mumbles.
"Hey, Mom - it's okay," Lauren says, consternation still evident on her face.
"Where were you? What happened? What happened to you" Clara cries and puts her head in her hands.
"Mom," Lauren mutters. She hugs her again and kisses her cheek. "I'm here. I'm good. It's just taken me a hell of a long time to get back from Miami. What's with the welcoming committee?" She saying jokingly to lighten the mood and looks up, scanning the room until her eyes lock with mine.
She blinks and glances briefly at Keith, who lets go of my hand. Lauren's mouth tightens. I drink in the sight of her and relief courses through me, leaving me spent, exhausted, and completely elated. Yet my tears don't stop. Lauren turns her attention back to her mother.
"Lauren, you've been missing for three days idiota. What do you mean welcoming committee, we were worried SICK" Clara snaps "Your flight plan - you never made it to Miami. Why didn't you contact us?"
Lauren's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I didn't think it would take this long."
Something isn't right. Something happened. She's taking being gone for three days too lightly.
"Why didn't you call?"
"No power in my cell."
"You didn't stop... call collect? Use someone else's phone?"
"Mom - it's a long story."
"Oh, mierda Lauren! Don't you ever do that to me again! Do you understand?" she half shouts at her.
"Yes, Mom." She wipes claras tears away with her thumb and hugs her once more. When she composes herself, Lauren releases her to hug Camila, who slaps her hard on the arm.
"You had us so worried!" she blurts out, and she, too, is in tears.
"I'm here now, for heaven's sake," Lauren mutters.
As Henry comes forward, Lauren relinquishes Camila to Mike, who already has one arm around his wife. He curls the other around his daughter. Henry hugs Lauren briefly, much to Lauren's surprise, and slaps her hard on the back. Earning yet another pained face.
Can no one see that she's hurting?
"Great to see you little sis" Henry says loudly, if a little gruffly, trying to hide his emotion.
As the tears stream down my face, I can see it all. The great room is bathed in it unconditional love. She has it in spades; she's just never accepted it before, and even now she's at a total loss.
Look, Lauren, all these people love you! Perhaps now you'll start believing it.
Dinah is standing behind me - she must have left the TV room - and she gently strokes my hair.
"She's really here, Mani" she murmurs comfortingly.
And suddenly I hear something that makes my whole body combust.
"I'm going to say hi to my girl now," Lauren tells her parents. Both nod, smile, and step aside.
She moves toward me, green eyes bright though weary and still bemused. From somewhere deep inside, I find the strength in my weak knees to stagger to my feet and bolt into her open arms.
"Lauren!" I sob.
"Hush baby," she says and holds me, burying her face in my neck and inhaling deeply. I raise my tear-stained face to hers, and she kisses me far too briefly.
Im shaking as my hands clinch on onto her shirt, my lips are quivering my eyes and full of tears.
"Hi," she murmurs, gently.
"Hi," I whisper back, the lump in the back of my throat burning.
"Miss me?"
"A little."
She grins. "I can tell." And with a gentle touch of her hand, she wipes away the tears that refuse to stop running down my cheeks. "Stop crying. I missed you more. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"
"I thought... I thought - " I choke as my bottom lip quivers.
"I can see. Hush... I'm here. I'm sorry. Later," she murmurs and kisses me softly again.
"Are you okay?" I ask, releasing her and touching her chest, her arms, her waist as my eyes roam her whole body - oh, the feel of this warm, vital, sensual woman beneath my fingers - reassures me that she's here, standing in front of me. She's back. She doesn't so much as flinch. She just regards me intently. "Are you hurting?"
"I'm okay. I'm fine, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh, thank God," I clasp her round her waist again, and she hugs me once more. "Are you hungry? Do you need something to drink?"
"Yes."
I step back to fetch her something, but she doesn't let me go. She tucks me under her arm and extends a hand to Keith.
"Miss Jauregui," says Keith.
Lauren snorts. "Lauren, please," she says.
"Lauren, welcome back. Glad you're okay... and um - thanks for letting me stay."
"No problem." Lauren narrows her eyes, but she's distracted by Mrs. Hernandez, who is suddenly at her side.
It only occurs to me now that she's not her usual smart self. I hadn't noticed it before. Her hair is loose, and she's in soft gray leggings and a large gray sweat-shirt that dwarfs her with USTA on the front. She looks years younger.
"Can I get you something, Miss Jauregui?" She wipes her eyes with a tissue.
Lauren smiles fondly at her. "A drink, please, Ally and a bite to eat."
"I'll get it," I murmur, wanting to do something for my woman.
"No. Don't go baby," she says softly, tightening her arm around me.
The rest of her family close in, and Camila and Dinah join us. She gives Dinah a hug and a quick peck on the cheek who had finally teared up as well.
"Don't be- don't be scaring us like that I could fight you. SHIT" she cry laughs, and suddenly the mood is lighten and we all chuckle slightly.
That's my bestfriend for you.
Mrs. Hernandez enters with a bottle of wine and a glass.
She takes the bottle but shakes her head at the glass. Mrs. Hernandez smiles and returns to the kitchen.
"Surprised you don't want something stronger," mutters Henry. "So what the fuck happened to you? First I knew was when Dad called me to say the chopper was missing."
"Henry!" Clara scolds.
"Helicopter," Lauren growls, correcting Henry, who grins, and I suspect this is a family joke.
"Let's sit and I'll tell you." Lauren pulls me over to the couch, and everyone sits down, all eyes on her. She takes a long sip from her glass. She spots Tony hovering at the entrance and nods. Tony nods back.
"Your daughter?"
"She's fine now. False alarm, ma'am"
"Good." Lauren smiles.
Daughter? What happened to Tony's daughter?
"Glad you're back, ma'am. Will that be all?"
"We have a helicopter to collect. And some other business to attend to"
Tony nods. "Now? Or will the morning do?"
"Morning, I think, Tony."
"Very good, Miss Jauregui. Anything else, ma'am?"
Lauren shakes her head and raises her bottle to him. Tony gives her a rare smile -rarer than Lauren's, I think - and heads out presumably to his office or up to his room.
"Lauren, what happened?" Mike demands.
Lauren launches into her story. She was flying with her assistant, Ros, her number two in the green machine to deal with a funding issue at WSU in Vancouver. I can barely keep up I'm so dazed. I just hold Lauren's hand and stare at her manicured fingernails, her fingers, the creases on her knuckles. I gaze up at her beautiful profile as she continues her tale.
"Ros had never seen parts of Miami from above, so on the way back as a celebration, we took a quick detour. I heard the TFR was lifted a while back and I wanted to take a look. Well, it's fortunate that we did. We were flying low, about two hundred feet AGL, when the instrument panel lit up. We had a fire in the tail - I had no choice but to cut all the electronics and land." She shakes her head. "I set her down by Silver Lake, got Ros out, and managed to put the fire out."
"A fire? Both engines?" Mike is horrified.
"Yep."
"Shit! But I thought."
"I know," Lauren interrupts him. "It was sheer luck I was flying so low," she murmurs. I shudder. She releases my hand and puts het arm around me.
"Cold?" She asks me. I shake my head.
"How did you put out the fire?" asks Dinah, her journalism instincts kicking in.
Jeez, she sounds terse sometimes.
"Extinguisher. We have to carry them - by law." Lauren answers levelly.
It's like she has these questions rehearsed.
Her words from long ago circle my mind. "I thank divine providence every day that it was you that came to interview me and not Dinah Jane."
"This doesn't explain why you were away so long. Why didn't you call or use the radio?" Clara asks.
Lauren shakes her head. "With the electronics out, we had no radio. And I wasn't going to risk turning them on because of the fire. GPS wasn't working in my phone, so we weren't able to navigate to the nearest road or anything. Took us hours and hours to find anything we had to walk until we saw something " Lauren's mouth presses into a disapproving flat line.
"We had no cell reception. There's no coverage. Ros's battery died first. Mine dried up on the way. Couldn't contact anyone"
Holy hell. I tense and Lauren pulls me closer.
"So how did you get back here?" Clara asks, blinking slightly at the sight of the two of us, no doubt. I flush.
"We hitched and pooled our resources. Between us, Ros and I had six hundred dollars, and we thought we'd have to bribe someone to drive us back, but a truck driver stopped and agreed to bring us home for a price. Stopping to rest omg he side of the road and the thousands of miles we had to drive is what took so long" Lauren shakes her head in dismay at the memory. "Took forever. He didn't have a cell - weird, but true. I didn't realize." She stops, gazing at her family.
"That we'd worry?" Clara scoffs. "Oh, Lauren!" she scolds her. "We've been going out of our minds!"
"You've made the news, sis."
Lauren rolls her eyes. "Yeah. I figured that much when I arrived to this reception and the handful of photographers outside. I'm sorry, Mom - I should have asked the driver to stop so I could phone. But I was anxious to be back." She glances at Keith.
Oh, that's why, because Keith is staying here. I frown at the thought. Jeez - all that worry.
To me the story doesn't make since. And she told me later... later. Will she explain the truth later or am I supposed to believe this mess of an issue.
Clara shakes her head. "I'm just glad you're back in one piece, darling."
I start to relax, resting my head against her shoulder. She smells outdoorsy, slightly sweaty, but still like Lauren, the most welcome scent in the world. Tears start to trickle down my face again, tears of gratitude.
"Both engines?" Mike says again, frowning in disbelief.
Maybe he's sensing that this doesn't sound right either.
"Go figure." Lauren shrugs and runs her hand down my back.
"Hey," she whispers. She puts her fingers under my chin and tilts my head back. "Stop with the crying."
I wipe my nose with the back of my hand in a most unladylike way. "Stop with the disappearing." I sniff and her lips quirk up.
"Electrical failure... that's odd, surely?" Mike says again.
"Yes, crossed my mind, too, Dad. But right now, I'd just like to go to bed and think about all that shit tomorrow."
"So the media know that the Lauren Jauregui has been found safe and well?" Dinah says.
"Yes. One of my assistants and my PR people will deal with the media. Ros called her after we dropped him home."
"Yes, she had called me like a minute before you walked in to let me know you were still alive." Mike grins.
"I must give that woman a raise. Sure is late," says Lauren.
"I think that's a hint, ladies and gentlemen, that my dear sis needs her beauty sleep," Henry scoffs suggestively. Lauren grimaces at him.
"Mikey, my daughter is safe. You can take me home now."
Mikey? Clara looks adoringly at her husband.
"Yes. I think we could use the sleep," Mike replies smiling down at her.
"Stay," Lauren offers, but we all know it's only out of politeness.
"No, sweetheart, I want to get home. Now that I know you're safe."
Lauren reluctantly lets her grip of me go and stands. Clara hugs her once more, presses her head against her shoulder and closes her eyes, content. Lauren wraps her arms around her. "I was so worried, darling," she whispers.
"I'm okay, Mom."
She leans back and studies her intently while lauren holds her. "Yes. I think you are, well from what I can see" she says slowly glances at me, and smiles. "Now make sure you give your woman some good loving tonight, she deserves it"
Oh my god. I flush, dipping my head.
My inner mani springs up, unwrapping her cherry lollipop from the packet.
We follow Mike and Clara as they make their way out. Behind me, I'm aware that Camila and Dinah are having a heated whispered conversation, but I can't hear it.
"Mom, Dad - wait for me," Henry calls sullenly. Perhaps he's as mercurial as his sister.
Dinah hugs me hard. "I can tell some serious shit's been going down while I've been blissfully ignorant in a whole other world. It's kind of obvious you two are nuts about each other. I'm glad she's safe. Not just for her, Mani - for you, too."
"Thank you, Dinah," I whisper.
"Yeah. Who knew we'd find love at the same time?" She grins. Wow. She's admitted it.
"With sisters!" I giggle.
"We could end up sisters-in-law," she quips.
I tense, then mentally kick myself as Dinah stands back to gaze at me with her what-aren't-you-telling-me-Hamilton look. I flush. Damn, should I tell her she's asked me?
"Come on, baby," Camila summons her from the elevator.
"Let's talk tomorrow, Mani. I know you're tired as hell."
I am relieved. "Sure. You, too, Dinah - I love you"
"I love you more Man Manz"
We hug once more, then she and Camila follow the jauregui's into the elevator.
Keith is hovering in the hallway as we come out of the foyer.
"Look. I'll turn in... leave you guys," he says.
I blush. Jeez, why is this awkward?
"Do you know where to go?" Lauren asks.
Keith nods.
The only reason Keith had stayed here for a few days is because Dinah and Camila begged for their privacy in our little apartment. Well my old apartment. They figured keith could get lost in here so he wouldn't be a bother so us. I don't mind but I'm beyond surprised Lauren said yes.
"Yeah, the housekeeper - "
"Mrs. Hernandez," I prompt.
"Yeah, Mrs. Hernandez, she showed me earlier. Quite a place you have here, Lauren."
"Thank you," Lauren says politely as she comes to stand beside me, placing her arm around my shoulders. Leaning in, she kisses my hair.
"I'm going to eat whatever Mrs. Hernandez has put out for me. Goodnight." Lauren wanders back into the great room, leaving Keith and me at the entrance.
"Well, goodnight." Keith looks uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"Goodnight, Keith, and thank you for staying."
"Sure, Mani. Any time your rich, hotshot girlfriend goes missing - I'll be there."
"Keith!" I admonish him.
"Only kidding. Don't get mad. I'll be leaving early in the morning - I'll see you sometime, yeah? I've missed you."
"Sure, Keith. Soon I hope. Sorry tonight was so... shitty." I smirk apologetically.
"Yeah." He grins. "Shitty." He hugs me. "Seriously, Mani, I'm glad you're happy, but I'm here if you need me. Just stop by me and Dinah's, you know? Don't be so much of a stranger"
I gaze up at him. "Thank you."
He flashes me a sad, bittersweet smile, and then he goes upstairs.
I turn back to the great room. Lauren stands beside the couch, watching me with an unreadable expression on her face. We're finally alone and we gaze at each other.
"He's crushing on you hard, you know," he murmurs.
"And how would you know that, Miss Jauregui?"
"I recognize the symptoms, Miss Hamilton. The way you cast a spell on people and make them look at you like you're the most precious thing in the world, I believe I have the same afflictions."
"I thought I'd never see you again," I whisper. There - the words are out. All my worst fears packaged neatly in one short sentence now exorcised.
"It wasn't as bad as it sounds."
I pick up her jacket and shoes from where they lie on the floor and move toward her."I'll take that," she whispers, reaching for her jacket.
Lauren gazes at me as if I'm her reason for living and mirrors my look, I'm sure. She is here, really here. She pulls me into her arms and wraps herself around me.
"Lauren," I gasp, and my tears start anew.
"Hush," she soothes, kissing my forehead down a line to my cheeks and then my lips. "You know... in the few seconds of sheer terror before I landed, all my thoughts were of you. You're my purpose mani."
"I thought I'd lost you," I breathe. We stand, holding each other, reconnecting and reassuring each other. As I tighten my arms around her, I realize I'm still holding her shoes. I drop them noisily to the floor. I hear her wince and tighten up.
"You're hurting Lauren." I speak reaching for the hem of her shirt.
"Normani I'm fine"
"Let me see you," I demand.
"Well, take me to dinner first jeez" she smirks.
"Lauren.." I remain serious.
"Come and shower with me," she murmurs.
"Okay." I glance at her, well I'll most definitely see the issue if she's completely naked.
I don't want to let go. She tilts my chin with her fingers.
"You know even tear-stained, you are beautiful, Mani." She leans in and kisses me gently. "And your lips are so fucking soft." She kisses me again, deepening it. I moan into her mouth, oh she's so good at this distracting thing. "Two days with out getting to kiss these lips.." she murmurs quietly before slurping my bottom lip into her mouth.
Oh my... and to think, I could have lost... no... I stop thinking and surrender myself.
"I promise that I'll tell you everything later baby, but right now.. can we just enjoy this. I've missed you so... much" she murmurs.
"Your promise to tell me what's really been going on?" I whisper reading my brow.
"I promise" she responds.
"Well then kiss me again woman" I smile launching my lips into hers again, kissing her ever so passionately.
"I need to put my jacket down," she murmurs after letting my lip go with a pop.
"Drop it," I murmur against her lips.
"I can't"
I lean back to gaze at her puzzled.
She smirks at me. "This is why." From the inside breast pocket she pulls out the small box I gave her, containing my present. She slings the jacket over the back of the couch and places the box on top.
Seize the day mani. Live in the moment. Nothing is promised. Well, it's after midnight, so technically it's her birthday.
Do it bitchhh. My inner mani scolds me.
"Open it," I whisper, and my heart starts pounding.
"I was hoping you'd say that," she murmurs. "This has been driving me crazy."
I grin shyly at her. Jeez, I feel giddy. She gives me her shy smile right back and I melt despite my thumping heart, delighting in her amused yet intrigued expression. With her fingers, she unwraps and opens the box. Her brow creases as she fishes out a small, rectangular, plastic keychain bearing a picture made up of tiny pixels that flash on and off like an LED screen. It depicts the Orlando skyline.
She stares at it for a moment and then gazes at me bemused, a frown frowning her lovely brow."Turn it over," I whisper, holding my breath.
She does, and her eyes shoot to mine, wide and green, alive with wonder and joy. Her lips part in disbelief.
The word yes flashes on and off on the key ring.
"Happy birthday," I whisper.
"You'll marry me?" She whispers, still in shock.
I nod nervously, flushing and anxious and not quite believing her reaction - this woman whom I thought I'd lost. How could she not understand how much I love her?
"Say it," she orders softly, her green gaze intense and hot.
"Yes, I'll marry you."
"Say it again" she grins.
"I'll marry you" I giggle.
"Again..." she cheeses, her cheeks turning red.
"I'll...marry...you... miss... jauregui" she say and gently peck her lips between each word.
"You're going to be my wife" she gushes, her eyes roaming her whole face.
"Yes... yes" I giggle.
She inhales sharply and moves suddenly, grabbing me and swinging me round in a most un-Fifty like manner. She's laughing, young and carefree, radiating joyful elation. She isnt wincing, maybe the temporary joy is numbing her pain. I grab her arms to hold on, and her infectious laughter sweeps me up - dizzy, addled, a girl totally and utterly smitten with her beautiful woman. She puts me down and kisses me. Hard. Her hands are on either side of my face, her tongue insistent, persuasive... arousing.
"Mani," she breathes against my lips, and it's an exultation that leaves me reeling.
She loves me, of that I have no doubt, and I savor the taste of this delicious woman, this woman I thought I might never see again. Her joy is evident - her eyes shining, her youthful smile and her relief is almost unmistakable.
"Lauren I thought I'd lost you," I murmur, still dazzled and breathless from her kiss.
"Baby, nothing will keep me from you. I'll go through hell and back. I had to make sure you were safe"
"Safe?" I question "make sure I was safe? You were the one missing Lauren" I chuckle dryly.
Some unnamed but dark emotion crosses her face briefly, distracting me. What isn't she saying? Before I can ask her, she stills and looking at me, frowning, and for a moment I think she's going to tell me. I blink into her speculative green eyes and she takes a long blink.
"I'm just glad you're okay I'm glad, I'm here with you, I'm glad you're mine" she leans in kisses me and then pair as if she had a realization "Wait a minute. You gave this to me before we saw Gomez" she says, holding up the keychain. She looks almost baffled.
Oh lord, where's she going with this? I nod, keeping a straight face.
Her mouth drops open.
I shrug apologetically. "I wanted you to know that whatever Gomez said, it wouldn't make a difference to me."
Lauren blinks at me in disbelief. "So all the other day, when I was begging you for an answer, I had it already?" She's dismayed. I nod again, trying desperately to gauge her reaction. She gazes at me in stupefied wonder, but then narrows her eyes and her mouth twists with amusement.
"All that worry," she whispers ominously. I grin at her and shrug once more. "Oh, don't try and get cute with me, Miss Hamilton. Right now, I want..." She runs her hand through her hair, then shakes her head and changes tack.
"I can't believe you left me hanging." Her whisper is laced with disbelief. Her expression alters subtly, her eyes gleaming wickedly, her mouth twitching into a carnal smile.
Holy hell. A thrill runs through me.
My inner mani's horny self crawls through from the deepest of caves that this two days without Lauren had her buried it.
What's she thinking?
"I believe some retribution is in order, Miss Hamilton" she says softly.
Retribution? Oh shit! I know she's playing - but I take a cautious step back from her anyway.
She grins. "Is that the game?" She whispers. "Because I may be hurting but I will catch you." And her eyes burn with a bright playful intensity. "And you're biting your lip," she says threateningly. "That's my lip to bite"
All of my insides tighten at once. Oh my. My future wife wants to play. I take another step back, then turn to run but in vain. Lauren grabs me, and in one easy swoop she pulls my backside into her. My bottom lined up with her waist. He hands flatten on my waist and I feel her warm breath against my neck.
"Mmmm" I moan involuntarily as I feel her lips nipping at the tingling skin. Her tongue escapes drawing circles around my skin before her teeth sinks it biting hard.
"Lauren!" I moan, mindful that Keith is upstairs, though whether he could hear us is doubtful. She turns me around facing her and I reach my hand around I swatting her behind. She swats me right back, but twice as hard.
"Ow!" I yelp.
"Shower time," she declares triumphantly.
Pausing by the vanity, she empties her pockets dead phone, keys, wallet, the keychain. When she's finished, she marches directly into her overlarge shower dragging me with her.
"Lauren!" I scold loudly, we both are still fully dressed. "MY HAIR"
"We'll get it done, shhh"
She switches the water on at max. Jeez!
"Ahhh shit it's cold" Arctic water spurts over my backside, and I squeal - then stop, mindful once more that Keith is above us. It's cold and I'm fully clothed.
The chilling water soaks into my dress, my panties, and my bra. I'm drenched and I cannot stop giggling.
"You look so... sexy" her eyes fall on my wet breasts.
I am soaked, too, flushed, giddy and breathless, and she's grinning at me, looking so... so unbelievably hot.
She sobers, her eyes shining, and cups my face again, drawing my lips to her. Her kiss is gentle, cherishing, and totally distracting. I no longer care that I am fully clothed and soaking wet in Lauren's shower. It's just the two of us beneath the cascading water. She's back, she's safe, she's mine.
My hands move involuntarily to her shirt as it clings to every line and of her breasts, revealing her bra. I yank the shirt at the hem, and she groans and hisses against my mouth, but her lips do not leave mine.
"Am I hurting you?"
She shakes her head no.
I lean back a little and timidly lift her shirt up and gasp at the sight.
Her whole right side is bruised purple, green and red. Theres a smaller bruise on her left side.
"Lauren..." I murmur, before slowly taking the shirt all the way off and there's a bruise on her shoulder.
Looking at this paired with the scars and bruises she's already had makes me want to tear up. "What the hell happened?"
A/N:
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