It's been a month and yet the two best friends still hasn't decided to head back to California. With bookings, shows and the other things that Camila and Dinah had to attend to, the last thing in their mind was to head back home. Dinah being the one to ask for updates from Normani about the raven-haired girl and her recovery, while Camila continued to play her little stunt with Shawn. It has gotten to a point where the two would just meet up in Shawn's apartment to have sex, which now seemed to be a casual occurrence between the two. Dinah wasn't necessarily happy about what her best friend has been doing recently either, but felt a little apprehensive to overstep her boundaries so she kept her mouth shut instead.
As for Lauren, she was still the same mess that she was a month ago. Same closed off person that she was, except now she gathered the strength to head back to the Corporation resuming all her business endeavors.
"Hey Laur, what are these?" Normani asks as she entered Lauren's penthouse office, holding documents that seemed to have peaked her interest.
"Oh, those." Lauren acknowledged what Normani was pertaining to, but was hesitant to respond to the dark skinned girl's query.
"Since when did you own such a large lot? And these car dealings, I didn't know you owned these too!" Normani shockingly replied upon looking at what the content of the folder was.
"I didn't." Lauren sheepishly replied, hoping Normani would just let it go.
"Then why do you have these, Laur?"
"It's nothing. It isn't mine. I'll tell you when I own it." Lauren dismissed.
Little did Lauren know that Normani took a photo of the document with the lot's address. She wanted to understand the secret Lauren was keeping. Or at least was trying to keep.
"Manibear I kinda have to go. I'm starting to feel upset over reasons again and I just thought maybe I should get out while I still can." Lauren sadly replied. The other girl was definitely bothered by the quick shift in the other's mood, but decided to let it pass anyway. Ever since her break-up with Camila, moody Lauren was nothing new anymore.
The dark skinned girl brushed off Lauren's moody exterior and started to head out too. Entering her car she remembered the address she found in one of Lauren's documents, quickly plugging it into her GPS. If Lauren didn't want to tell her, then she had to find out for herself.
Arriving in a very luxurious street, Normani was nonetheless confused as to where the GPS had led her. Maybe it was a mistake. Or that this wasn't it. But her gut feel told her otherwise. What she saw totally spoke Lauren from a hundred miles away. She couldn't be wrong this time.
Leaving the vehicle and ringing the doorbell on the huge home she saw, Normani's curiosity was building up as each second passed. She found two sports cars parked right outside it, which made it even more intriguing for the girl. To her surprise, a blonde woman came out. She was short, but dressed in such a formal manner. Along with the girl was a man dressed in a somewhat similar outfit as that of Lauren's butlers back at the mansion.
"May I help you, ma'am?" The girl asked.
"Ms. Kordei?" The man in the suit said.
"Wait, do I know you?" Normani asked the man in the suit, confused as to why he knew his name.
"I'm sorry ma'am. I have already seen you before back when I was still one of Ms. Jauregui's butlers. I used to be assigned to the mansion, but was moved here. That's how I knew of you." The man explained cautiously.
"Wait, so this property is Lauren's?!" Normani confirmed questioningly.
"Uh, Ms. Hernandez, allow Ms. Kordei to enter. She is one of Lauren's friends." The butler said, directing what he just uttered to the blonde standing right next to her. The other girl immediately followed the man's instructions, walking Normani into the estate and into the house.
"Wait, you have to explain this to me. What is this place?" Normani asked, obviously one to be caught up in her confusion.
"I'm Ally, ma'am. Ally Brooke Hernandez, the caretaker and Ms. Jauregui's asset assistant."
Sitting on one of what looked like to be a lounge, Normani was more than motivated to have the answers to her questions. That way, she would still be in the loop despite Lauren's attempt to keep things from her. "I'm Lauren's best friend, Normani. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm creeping, but I've really been concerned for Lauren ever since-"
The dark-skinned girl was cut off by Ally. "I'm assuming you want answers to your questions, ma'am. I see them written all over your face." The girl chuckled in response.
"Mind explaining before I honestly go crazy?" Normani laughed, hoping that this was finally the opportunity she has been wanting to have.
"Let me begin, ma'am. Ms. Jauregui bought this lot a long time ago. It was supposedly where she wanted to build her pad. Plans changed when she met this person named Camila. She held off all plans for the bachelor-like pad she's always wanted to have, and asked us to work around it so that she may turn it into a family home." Ally explained patiently.
"Go on, you're slowing giving me answers."
"This house has been finished 6 months ago. Right when Ms. Jauregui came back from one of her trips with Camila. She specifically instructed us that she wanted the house finished before their second anniversary, that she may propose to the woman."
"Holy shit!" Normani exclaimed in surprise. She knew that the girl was in love with Camila. But the whole part of the proposal surprised her more than she ever thought Lauren could. For one, the green-eyed girl's vibe spelled business all over, the last thing Normani thought Lauren wanted was to settle down at the age of 24.
"But they broke up. What's going to happen to this house now?" Normani asked.
"Let me take you to one of the rooms at the back ma'am. I hope that answers your question." Ally offered politely.
Accepting the offer, Normani trailed behind Ally that already started walking towards the guest room on the first floor. Upon opening the door, the dark skinned girl began sobbing at the sight of it all.
"Ms. Jauregui asks us to replace those every single day in the hopes of Camila's return. Not a day has missed that this room isn't set up like this." Ally explains sadly.
"Wait, so you do this every day?" Normani asked in shock.
"Ms. Jauregui's orders, ma'am. She fears that the next time she has with Camila might be the last, so we always have to be prepared in case she comes with her here." Ally continued.
"I'm sorry I'm asking for too much, but who knows about this home?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Cabello have been here a few times. According to them Lauren already had asked their permission to start building the house during Camila's graduation. As for Lauren, the last time she was here was when she came back from New York about a month ago. She went straight to the master's bedroom and trashed it. Since then we haven't had access to the room, nor have we seen Lauren."
Silence filled the room as Normani was still in shock with all that she found out. No wonder Lauren felt upset once she held out the documents earlier. No wonder the raven-haired girl became uneasy like she always does when the brunette gets brought up in conversations.
Heading out of the guest room, Normani and Ally headed towards the front door. "That gray car over there is her graduation gift to Camila. That time she had to go to the business trip and left for Brazil it had already arrived, but Lauren thought that it was safer if Arthur was the one that drove for Camila instead of having her drive on her own." Ally explained still with the same amount of sadness in her tone as she pointed at the sports car parked in the garage.
"I think it's time for me to head out, Ally. I need time to process all these. But here's my number. Call me if there's anything that changes with this home." Normani said as she made her way towards her car, leaving the nice estate Lauren had secretly bought.
--
Arriving back at the hotel from their video shoot that day, an exhausted Dinah and Camila laid down on their beds tiredly. They both just wanted to get some rest after a long stretch of guesting and performances.
"Do you think we can finally go back to LA?" Dinah asked sleepily. "I'm starting to miss home."
"I have nothing to come back home to anymore, Cheech." Camila replied hastily.
"What do you mean? Sinu and Alejandro are back home Camila! Not because you broke up with Lauren you get a free pass to forgetting home." Dinah replied in a serious-scolding tone.
"This is exactly why I hate talking about home with you Dinah! You always just have to bring up Lauren in every conversation you can. Unbelievable." Camila angrily shot at Dinah.
Just when Dinah was about to begin arguing with Camila, the brunette's phone rang. It was her mother calling.
"Mija! What are these things I have been reading? I am not liking this whole Shawn thing, Karla." Sinu said in a tone of concern.
"Not even you, mom." Camila shrugged at the amount of people prying over her social life.
"What happened to you, Karla? I barely know you anymore. I let you follow your dreams at the expense of losing my daughter." Sinu replied apprehensively.
"Forget it mami. You're never one to understand. Forget about me, it's okay. You have another daughter anyway." Camila angrily replied, cutting the call.
Feeling upset with the fact that everyone else has seemed to be overstepping, Camila did what she knew was best. Run back to Shawn. The same casual routine occurred that night, except for the part when Shawn cut off her trance and suddenly became serious.
"There's something we have to talk about." Shawn said with a tone of seriousness.
"Hmm?"
"I can't do this anymore, Camila." Shawn sheepishly uttered. "This whole thing is just bad PR written all over it, I can't continue risking more than I already have. My parents are already threatening me." Shawn replied shyly.
"Never saw you as a coward." Camila angrily stood from Shawn's bed, gathering her clothes and putting them back on.
"I'm out of here. Find someone willing to fuck you like I can." Camila angrily uttered at Shawn.
With her mind running on full speed, Camila angrily ran back to her hotel. Knowing that she already pissed off more people than she ever could in one night. Knocking at their hotel room as she forgot her keys, she immediately cried on her best friend as she opened the door. Feeling defeated as ever, Camila got herself into the worst kind of wake-up call. A huge and painful slap of reality.
A/n: Hey guys! How are ya'll feeling the story so far? I hope I'm giving justice to this whole thing. Vote, comment, do whatever you want. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Love only,
Andee