December 25th, 2018
9:00 P.M.
Lauren
Camila and I held hands while we made our way to the pool in her backyard. I couldn't help but think back to the year before, when Camila and I sat by my pool and I gave her her pearl ring back. Who would've known that we would actually get back together again? I wished that we could wear those rings together again, for the world to see.
We let go of each other's hands when we reached the edge of the pool so that we could sit down and stick our feet in the water. As soon as I sat, I heard a small yelp from Camila and looked up to see her flailing around in an attempt to save her present from falling into the water.
The small gift bag escaped from the brown eyed girl's hands and my reflexes kicked in. I slapped the bag with all of my might, knocking it back onto the cement next to Camila's feet. I looked up at my girlfriend and watched as she placed a hand over her heart, catching her breath.
"Oh my god. I hate myself." she said.
"Stop.", I laughed, "It's ok. It's safe."
"Only because you're weirdly good at everything you do.", she said as she started to sit, "I've been saying this for years."
"I just have good reflexes."
"Remember that time you saved me from getting my teeth knocked out again by those giant beach balls?"
"Yeah.", I laughed, "Those fuckers were still throwing them back at us. I swear, sometimes I really think some Harmonizers were trying to kill us."
"Babe, they weren't going to kill us with beach balls."
"Some people are creative."
Camila giggled, nodding her head from side to side as she stared back at me. She looked absolutely perfect under the Miami moonlight, the reflection of the gently moving water beneath us causing the lighting to dance along her features just right.
I couldn't look away. I could barely do anything but smile back at her, which caused us to fall into one of our famous stare-offs, gazes darting between eyes and lips. I was so unbelievably in love with this woman.
"Presents?" Camila asked softly.
"Yeah." I said, biting my lower lip in excitement.
Camila and I turned away from each other to get our gifts and placed them in our laps. I reached over and scooted hers further into her torso, trying my best to hold back my laughter.
"You should probably keep that as far from the water as possible." I teased.
"Shut up.", she laughed as she placed it next to her again, "Why don't you just go first?"
"No. You go first."
"Why me?"
"Well, why me?"
"Laurennn."
"I'm nervous."
"Why the heck are you nervous?"
"I don't know. I just want you to like it."
"Are you insane? I like everything you give me."
I bit down on my bottom lip again, this time in a more seductive manner, while I scanned Camila's body with my eyes.
"Oh, do you, now?" I rasped.
"I'm taking my damn present." she laughed, reaching over to grab her gift.
................................................................
Camila
I held the gift against my chest as I grabbed it, securing its safety. I had no idea what Lauren had gotten me, but I knew that if my gift had fallen in, everything would've been ruined. I grinned at the green eyed girl as I started to remove the tissue paper from the bag. The second I looked back down into the bag, I saw a folded piece of paper sticking out. I reached down and grabbed it, assuming that it was some sort of letter.
"Oh, that's--" Lauren began.
"Don't ruin it!" I complained.
"I'm not, I just--"
"Lauren." I said sternly, looking into her emerald eyes again.
She rolled her eyes and sighed, allowing me to go on and open up the folded paper. Once I did, I found an intricate drawing complete with all sorts of plants and hearts, along with a few music notes sprinkled here and there. I ran my finger along one of the large green vines as I studied the full sketch.
"I was just going to say...", Lauren spoke up again, leaning into my ear, "That this wasn't really a part of your present."
"What do you mean?" I asked, meeting her gaze.
"Well, I know you like my drawings so I just thought I'd throw one of my doodles in there. I was thinking of you when I did it, so...it just worked out, I guess."
"Lauren, this is not a doodle. This is a freakin' masterpiece!"
"It's not." she laughed.
"You're crazy."
"I...", she leaned forward and kissed my cheek, "...am out of practice. I want to get back into drawing in the new year."
"Your humility never fails to astound me."
"Yours too, baby. Now, get to the real present so I can stop sweating over here."
"Sofi's going to love this." I said as I tucked the drawing underneath my present next to me.
My girlfriend had given Sofi a sketchpad and a colored pencil set for Christmas, complete with a few of her own drawings so that Sofi could get some inspiration. The little nugget loved Lauren's drawings almost as much as I did. I loved that, out of all of the things in the world, this was the thing they had in common. It was so adorable.
"Alright, here we go." I said quietly as I dug into the bag again.
My fingers found something that felt a lot like leather and I smiled as I latched onto the object. I fished out a leather journal and turned it over in my hands, tracing the patterns on it with my index finger. I looked up at Lauren who prompted me to open it.
I flipped the book back over and opened up the cover, only to find a full page filled with Lauren's handwriting.
Hello my love.
For the most part, this is just like any old journal, but on some of the pages I've written some stuff to get you inspired when you're writing music or honestly even just when you're writing anything. They're just little prompts to get your creative juices flowing.
I've also thrown a few of my favorite love quotes in there because I know how much you love those and hopefully those can bring you inspiration, too. I want you to be excited to flip each and every page in this journal, waiting to see what will find you next.
I love you so much, baby. I love you and your art and your creativity and your mind and I just want you to be able to explore all of those to your heart's content. Inside of these pages and everywhere else.
Keep creating, keep exploring, keep loving, and just keep being you, Camila, because you truly are something special. The world wasn't ready for you and neither was I, but I'm going to spend my whole life trying to be. I love you like crazy.
-Lauren <3
................................................................
Lauren
Camila looked up at me once she had finished reading, tears now threatening to spill out of her eyes. I immediately scooted closer to her and placed an arm around her.
"Aw, babe." I said softly as I caressed her shoulder.
Camila nuzzled her head into my neck, causing me to straighten my posture a bit.
"This is amazing, baby." she mumbled into my neck.
"You like it?" I asked, feeling my heart flutter.
Camila sat up straight again so that she could look me in the eye.
"Are you kidding?", she scoffed, "I love it."
"Yeah?" I asked in my baby voice.
"I don't know why the heck you're ever nervous about anything. Like I said, you're good at everything you do."
"Well, open the rest of it."
"What? There's more?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah, babe.", I laughed, "There's actually like more than half the present left."
"Lauren, what the fuck? My present is going to be so stupid compared to yours."
"No, it won't be."
"You say that now."
"Open the rest of itttt." I sang, growing impatient.
Camila laughed while she placed the journal by her side and dug into the bag once again. I watched her pull out the most expensive part of the present: a new Bluetooth speaker.
"Stop. Is this..." she said once she laid her eyes on it.
"Yup." I grinned.
For years, Camila had been jealous of Dinah's speaker every time it would provide us music before our shows. She had recently been complaining about her current speaker and how its battery would die really fast, so I figured that getting her the latest version of Dinah's speaker was the perfect gift.
"Why are you the cutest human being on the planet?" Camila asked.
"That's an opinion." I countered.
"I tend to have good opinions."
"That's also an opinion."
................................................................
Camila
I shook my head at the green eyed girl, smiling all the while. She was so annoying, but I was so in love with her. I couldn't believe the journal and speaker were only half the gift.
"How about you open mine so your gift stops getting better?" I asked.
"Who half opens presents?" she laughed.
"Me when I feel like mine is trash in comparison."
"Baby, I'll love whatever you give me. I promise."
"I knowwwww, but still. This is too much."
"You already opened the main parts. The last ones are chill. Don't worry."
"I highly doubt that."
"Just finish, ok? Damn."
With that, Lauren snuck a hand into the bag in my lap and pulled out the next part of the gift. It was a small envelope with the AMC logo on it. I furrowed my brow as I looked up at Lauren.
"They're just movie tickets.", she said, "I know you wanted to go see Mary Poppins with your family so there are four in there."
She was right. This part of the gift was simple, but it was the thoughtfulness behind it all that made my heart melt. Everything had a purpose.
"Is it over now?" was all I could manage.
"One more thing." she giggled.
"Is it food related?"
Lauren simply smiled in response. I chuckled lightly as I picked up the final part of her insane present, which was yet another box of chocolates, just like she had given me when she asked me to be her girlfriend.
"See? Nothing insane. Just the cherry on top." she said with a wink.
"I love you so much, Lauren." I said, feeling like my heart was ready to burst.
"I love you, too, babe. Merry Christmas."
I leaned forward to press my lips against hers, a familiar dance that we would continue to perfect over the years. I let myself get lost in her kiss, feeling like I was on top of the world. We smiled at each other once we pulled away and stayed like that for a while, just soaking in each other's beauty.
"Is it my turn now?" she asked.
"Nope. You don't have a present." I answered as I placed her present by my side.
"What?" she laughed.
"I'm embarrassed now."
"What do you mean?"
"Yours was so good and mine's...mine's just dumb. I don't know."
"Camila, stop. It's not dumb."
"You don't know that."
"I do, actually. Relax."
Lauren reached over me to try and grab my present that was laying on my other side, but I immediately pushed it out of her reach.
"No!" I said, grabbing her arm.
"Camila!" she whined.
"Can't we just have sex or something instead?"
"Babe."
"You know you want to."
"We can have sex anytime."
"But how often can we have pool sex?"
I nodded my head towards the water in front of us and watched Lauren shift her gaze to the pool. I saw her wheels turning for a few seconds, as if actually contemplating my words. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle, causing her to look at me again.
................................................................
Lauren
"What?" I laughed.
"I'm sorry. I just...you were actually thinking about it." she said.
"Ok, so first you won't let me open your present and now you tease me?"
"You have to choose now. Present or pool sex. And I mean, like, forever. If you accept this present we'll never have pool sex."
"Somehow I find that hard to believe."
"I'm serious."
"Well, whatever. I want your present."
"You'd give up the possibility of pool sex forever for one dumb Christmas present?"
"It's not dumb."
"Dude, what if it's, like, a keychain?"
"Did you just call me dude?"
"You're acting pretty dude-y right now."
Camila started laughing and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"Dude-y." she repeated, giggling.
"Ok, first of all, I highly doubt most dudes would turn down pool sex.", I began, "So, I don't think I'm acting dude-y. Second of all, if you don't give me my damn present I'm just going to fight you for it and you'll lose. So, I'd give it up right now."
"Alright, alright. Jeez."
With that, Camila reached over and grabbed the gift bag that had been waiting for me. She placed it in my lap and I immediately realized that it was much heavier than I had expected. This was definitely not a keychain.
"So, I think I messed up." she spoke up.
"Camila."
"No, I'm serious. This is a valid concern. This is also why I think my present is trash compared to yours."
"Will you stop saying that?"
"Does your new car have a CD or cassette player?"
I furrowed my brow at my girlfriend. Those were the last words I had expected to come out of her mouth.
"Um...are you changing the subject?" I asked.
"No." she said simply.
"Well...no. It doesn't. It's a Tesla. I'm surprised it doesn't have flying capabilities, honestly."
"That's what I thought. Except, I thought it too late."
"What do you mean?"
Camila silently reached a hand into my bag and pulled out a CD in a clear case. The cover read 'New Shizzzz'. I felt the corners of my mouth rise as I looked back up at Camila.
"What the fuck's happening?" I asked.
"So, I made you a bunch of CDs and...and tapes." she said bashfully.
"What?" I grinned.
"At the time it seemed like a good idea. I know you love old stuff and so I thought this was like cute and vintage and whatever but...well, pretty much last night after I'd gone through all the trouble, I realized that you probably have no way of listening to them because your car is from like 2050."
"Babe, my car isn't the only place I can listen to music."
"So...you have a CD player?"
"And a cassette player."
"Are you serious?" she asked, now actually excited.
"Yeah, baby.", I laughed, "You really think my dad, the music lover to end all music lovers, doesn't have these things back at our place?"
"But it's not like you're home all the time."
"That's ok, babe.", I said, placing a hand on her knee, "I'll figure it out. Besides, I can probably make these into playlists on iTunes or Spotify, if anything."
"I already did. I thought of every possible medium last night because I got scared."
I smiled at Camila before moving the gift bag to the cement next to me. I grabbed one of her hands and scooted closer to her.
................................................................
Camila
"I love this gift." Lauren said sincerely.
"I still feel like I messed up." I said, chewing on my bottom lip.
"Walk me through it."
"Huh?"
"Let's say I have a CD player and a cassette player that I carry around with me and it's not an issue. How would you give this gift to me if you weren't thinking about all that?"
I studied Lauren's features for a few seconds, constantly in awe of her beauty and her kindness. She was calming me down more and more by the second and making me feel like I didn't totally screw up. She was right. I needed to get over myself and just explain the gift to her, the way she deserved.
"Ok.", I said softly, "So, the first one I just grabbed is sort of the lamest one."
"Camila, I swear, if you keep referring to any of this as lame or dumb, I'm going to kill you." she said.
"Ok, ok! Sorry. I'm just saying...it was kind of like your chocolates. The cherry on top. It's just a collection of songs that I think you'd like. Maybe you've heard some of them, but I just wanted to share some good stuff with you. Because I love you."
Lauren leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on my lips.
"I love you.", she said, "Go on."
"Ok.", I said with a goofy grin, "So, another one in there is called 'Chocolate'."
"Ok..."
"Remember when I didn't know that 'Chocolate' was about drugs?"
I was referring to The 1975 song, 'Chocolate', which Lauren and I bonded over way back in 2013. The band always held a special place in our hearts and in our relationship, so I decided to include it in her gift.
"Yeah.", she giggled, "So young and innocent."
"Well...this one is a playlist for you to get high to." I said with a smirk.
"What?" she scoffed.
"I just...drugs used to be something that got in the way of us...that I didn't fully accept about you. It still kind of got in the way as recently as the AMA's and...well, I'm sorry, baby. I never want you to feel like I'm judging you or that you're lesser than me. Plus, it probably helps that now I know what it feels like and I know it's not the end of the world. Not that I'm ever going to do it again."
"You say that now."
"Uh-uh. I say this forever. You're done corrupting me, Jauregui."
................................................................
Lauren
I smirked at Camila and she kinked an eyebrow at me, as if we had entered into a silent challenge. I honestly didn't give a shit if she ever smoked again. This gesture meant so much to me for the exact reason that she decided to do it: she didn't want me to feel lesser than her anymore.
My insecurities had fucked us over for so long, even in the smallest ways, like the fact that I chose to smoke and drink all the time and she didn't. Before, it just reminded me how much better she was than me, how much more pure. Now...none of that bullshit mattered; to either of us. It was so fucking liberating.
"This is really sweet, babe.", I said quietly, "It really means a lot to me."
"Good.", she grinned, "Ready for part 3?"
"Ready."
"Ok, so the third one is labeled 'Huellas en la Arena (Footprints in the Sand)'."
"Oooh, Spanish?"
"The title's in Spanish, but it's not a bunch of Spanish songs. Sorry for the confusion."
"Ok, then what is it?"
"Basically just a bunch of really happy songs. I named it 'Huellas en la Arena' because a lot of them just remind of home and happy places and familiar things...like the beach here or like our culture or just...I don't know. It's just a really feel-good kind of playlist. I want you to smile when you listen to it."
"Is Caraluna on it?"
"You know that's a sad song, right?"
"But it sounds happy."
"Yeah. That's why I had to put it on there."
Camila and I laughed together as I gave her hand a light squeeze. I loved how we were always on the same page about everything; since the day we'd met, we had this connection that just couldn't be matched. I couldn't believe it had taken us so long to finally get together for good.
"Is that the last one?" I asked.
"Nope. One more. Oh, and I also got you a record, but it wouldn't fit in the bag so it's inside." she said.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I figured I should spend some money on you."
"The CDs and cassettes were free?"
"My mom knows a guy."
I bit my bottom lip as I stared back at Camila, falling more in love with her by the second. I let go of her hand and instead grabbed her legs so that I could move them to rest on top of mine. Once her legs were in my lap, I placed my hands on her soft thighs and rubbed them gently.
"Lay the last one on me." I said.
"It's called...'Better Together'." she giggled.
"Shut the fuck up." I laughed.
"I knew you'd hate it."
"Please explain."
"It's...well, it's about us, Lauren. I just...I know you kind of hate all of our early stuff in the group, but...it's what brought us together, baby. I mean, I don't know what would've happened if we hadn't been placed in Fifth Harmony together. The group really does hold a special place in my heart...and I know it does for you and for the rest of the girls, too. But, for me, it especially does because...well, that's how I met the love of my life. That's how I met you, Lauren. I had to acknowledge it. I just had to."
................................................................
Camila
This time, it was Lauren's turn to tear up. Her watery, emerald eyes shone in the Miami moonlight, captivating me with their beauty. I didn't care how cheesy I was being or how lame our early stuff in the group may have seemed to Lauren and to a lot of people...I was so unbelievably grateful for each and every second of it all.
"So, yeah.", I went on, "That last one's just...us. Songs that make me think about you or songs that mean a lot to us both or...you know, just us."
Lauren squeezed my legs and pulled me a bit closer to her. She poked the tip of her nose against mine, causing us both to giggle softly.
"I love us." she whispered.
"I love us, too." I returned.
With that, Lauren and I met in the middle for a sweet kiss. My hands found the back of her neck immediately and started to play with her luscious locks of hair. This truly felt like a dream. That was, until we heard a soft gasp coming from the back door.
Lauren and I both turned to see my sister, Sofi, with her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. Her other hand was clutching a piece of paper at her side. The two of us laughed lightly at the sight and shifted away from each other a bit.
"I finally saw it!" Sofi yelled.
Lauren and I exchanged loving glances before returning our attention to Sofi.
"Are you happy now?" I called back to her.
Sofi started running over towards us while she started babbling quickly.
"Ok, so, I was just coming to give this to Lauren. I didn't mean to interrupt or spy, I swear. But, like, now I saw you guys kiss and I'm like kind of freaking out from cuteness overload and I'm just going to run back inside and freak out on my own."
Lauren and I laughed while Sofi placed the piece of paper behind us and started to scurry back towards the house.
"You don't have to leave, munchkin!" Lauren called out.
"No, no! Carry on!" Sofi answered just before disappearing inside again.
"Looks like she put my gift to use already."
I turned to face Lauren who was now holding the piece of paper that Sofi had dropped for us. It contained a drawing of a little girl holding a giant sunflower. I smiled at the sight, suddenly overwhelmed by how much potential my sister had. She was still so young. I couldn't wait to watch her grow and develop her talents.
................................................................
Lauren
"Cute." Camila said with a smile.
I looked up at her and watched her observe the work of art, marveling in the way her eyes lit up as she stared at the paper. She was looking at it with such admiration, similar to the way I would catch her looking at her little sister. Almost involuntarily, I leaned closer to her and planted a light kiss on her tender cheek. Her eyes found mine immediately after.
"I'm glad I could come over for a little bit." I said.
"Me too." she agreed just before resting her head on my shoulder.
Camila and I stared out at the glowing water in front of us and fell into a comfortable silence. The brown eyed girl had just gotten back from the UK on the 23rd and we had spent Christmas Eve and most of the Christmas Day with our families, so this was the first chance we had gotten to see each other in weeks. She would be leaving again in the morning to go skiing with her family and freaking Matthew.
I tried my best not to have any negative feelings towards him, especially since Camila had told me that he was actually a nice guy, but I just couldn't help feeling a bit jealous that he would get to spend most of the holidays with her and I wouldn't. It just seemed like time was never on our side...then again, it was more about our management teams than time itself.
As I stared out at the water, mindlessly stroking Camila's legs, I started to think about what a rollercoaster 2018 had been. I went from being friends with the brown eyed girl, to not talking to her at all, to almost despising her, to, finally...getting right back to where I should've been all along: irreversibly and hopelessly in love with her.
Aside from Camila, this was the year that I finally started to create my own music, away from all of the noise and all of the hectic responsibilities of Fifth Harmony. A part of me missed being in the group, and I think that part of me always would...but I was so excited for what 2019 would bring for me. Everything seemed like it was finally falling into place.
"Lauren?" Camila spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah?" I asked as she took her head off of my shoulder and looked at me.
"I have to ask you something."
"Anything, babe."
"It's just...it's going to bring up...the past."
I studied Camila's features intently, noting a slight hint of fear in her eyes. We were so used to breaking when our history was brought up. I needed to know that that was all behind us now. I placed a hand on her knee and squeezed it gently.
"It's ok. Ask." I said softly.
"You're sure?" she asked.
"Yeah, baby. This is the new us."
Camila opened her mouth to say something, but I placed a finger on her lips to stop her.
"The real us." I corrected myself.
I felt her lips shifting into a soft smile underneath my fingertip. I smiled back at her before returning my hand to my girlfriend's leg and caressing it with my thumb.
................................................................
Camila
"Ok." I sighed.
I took a deep breath as I stared into those deep green eyes that I adored so much. She was right. We were better than we'd ever been, and we needed to be able to talk about everything; Even the painful things. This was my chance to finally get some answers to questions that had never fully escaped the back of my mind over the years.
"So...the night I left..." I began.
"You mean in 2016?" she asked, furrowing her brow.
"Yeah."
"Oh. Yeah. W-what about it?"
I didn't know if I could do it. I felt like I was staring at an entirely new person. The Lauren that had been so cold to me two years ago was so different from the one sitting in front of me now. I wasn't even sure that her answers would even matter anymore...yet, I still felt the need to understand more.
"Well, um...", I cleared my throat, "I just...I want to understand, Lauren."
"Understand what?" she asked, pulling me closer to her.
"Understand...why you acted the way you did. Or, like...I don't know. Not even just that night. The past two years. I mean...did you...what were you thinking the whole time?"
I watched her swallow the lump in her throat, looking down at the ground momentarily. Once her eyes met mine again, I knew that I was already causing something in her; causing her to relive things that she hated about herself, that tore us apart for years. Suddenly, I just wanted to take my question back; but she opened her mouth again.
"Camila...", she started, her voice a bit weak, "Remember how I told you that I feel like I've spent my life missing you?"
I nodded my head.
"Well...I've also spent my life trying to convince myself that I wasn't in love with you." she finished.
I simply stared back at her, waiting, wanting more.
"It really fucked me up, babe.", she added, "Being in that group with you for so many years and having Camren shoved into my face all of the time and having to figure out my sexuality with all of that going on and...and...and you leaving. I know you know all of this. I know we've talked about it and I know I told you that, in a twisted way, I am grateful for the Camren bullshit. But...it really fucked me up."
I reached forward and grabbed one of her hands, attempting to silently remind her that all of that was behind her, willing her to push past the pain.
"I kept on telling myself that if I could just let you go, that I would finally be happy...as if you were the one holding me back...but that wasn't the case at all. I know that now. I know that I just needed to find myself and be secure in myself...and I had no idea that all of it would lead me back to you."
................................................................
Lauren
I paused, staring into those deep brown eyes like it was the last thing I'd ever do.
"And I'm so fucking glad that it did, baby.", I went on, squeezing her hand, "I look at you now and I want to go back in time and fucking strangle myself for being such a dumbass...for letting all of my insecurities blind me the way that they did. I wasn't sad because of you. I was a sad, angsty little fucker because I didn't know who the hell I was or what I was doing. But, back then, I practically blamed it all on you. I pushed you away because I thought that it was the solution to fixing me. But I'm my own god damn solution. And it took me long enough to figure that shit out and, hell, I'm still figuring it out...but, I'm never going to look at you or at myself the way that I used to. I...everything's clear now."
Camila bit down on her bottom lip as she stared into my eyes, both of ours now threatening to burst out into tears. I wasn't even sure if I had answered her question, but I was just pouring my heart out at this point. I hadn't ever really said it all out loud to anyone, I realized. I had shared bits and pieces with the people I cared about, but this felt different. It was different because I was telling her.
"So maybe everything happened the way it was supposed to." Camila finally said.
"You know I believe that with all of my heart." I answered.
"B-but..."
Camila gasped, letting out a light sob as a tear fell from her eye. I immediately wiped it away and scooted closer to her.
"But what, baby?" I asked.
"But you hated yourself for so long." she sobbed.
"Hey. Stop."
I pulled Camila's head into my neck while she started to cry uncontrollably. I rubbed at her back as she sobbed into my skin, wetting my shirt with her tears.
"I'm here now. You're here now. Look at us." I said.
With that, I grabbed Camila's head and forced her to look into my eyes again.
"We went to hell and back, babe.", I said sternly, "We came back. We're here and we're happy and we're doing what we love and...and we love each other, which is the best goddamn bonus I've ever seen. The best fucking cherry on top, alright? The only reason any of that stuff in the past matters is because it made us as strong as we are today."
"Lauren--" she started.
"Don't cry. If you're crying over me hating myself in the past, if you're feeling bad about any of that right now, stop crying. We both suffered. It wasn't anyone's fault. We just needed to grow and figure our shit out, ok? We're ok, baby. We're better than ok."
................................................................
Camila
Suddenly, I was overcome with so much love for the green eyed girl. I jumped forward and cupped Lauren's face, placing my lips on hers. I pushed her entire body back with the force of my kiss, causing her to place her palms behind her so that she wouldn't fall backwards. The second I saw one of her hands start to move again, I swung my legs off of hers and kneeled on the cement, not releasing her lips for a second.
"Baby." Lauren rasped, finally pulling away from me.
"I love you so much.", I said before kissing her again, "I literally want you more than I've ever wanted you right now. I need you, babe."
"Camila, wh-"
I cut her off again with my lips before moving them down to suck on her neck.
"Jesus, Camila, your family's right inside." she said.
"Let's get in the pool." I breathed.
Just before I dove in for another kiss, I watched Lauren's eyes widen as she she pushed me off of her. I was forced to sit back on my heels as I stared at her. Lauren finally swung her feet out of the pool so that she could kneel, too, turning to face me.
"Are you insane?" she asked in a whisper-shout.
"Babe, please." I said, my voice dripping with desperation.
"Please, what? You wanna sit here and have sex with your family right there?"
I reached forward and grabbed her thighs, squeezing them harshly.
"Lauren, I'm going to leave again and I'm going to miss you like crazy and I really just want to fucking jump your bones right now." I said.
"What in the world has gotten into you?" she asked, placing her hands on top of mine.
"You know how I get around the holidays. Thinking about everything with you and hearing you say all that I just...I want you, baby. I always want you around this time every year and now I can actually do something about it. Please."
I slid my hands further up her thighs, causing her breathing to pick up. I literally watched her pupils grow eight sizes as my hands moved up her legs. I knew she wanted this, too. She was just nervous about my family being there.
"Ok, ok, b-but...let's just tone it down a little, alright?", she began, stopping my moving hands, "Why don't we go inside and get some bathing suits and we can go for a little...night swim?"
"You gave up pool sex, remember?" I teased.
"Shut up."
"I'm serious." I giggled.
Lauren leaned closer to me and placed her lips against my ear.
"I'll make you want it." she whispered.
................................................................
Lauren
Camila hummed softly in response to my words as I stuck my tongue in her ear. Suddenly, she moved a hand from my thigh and grasped my breast firmly.
"Challenge accepted." she rasped.
My girlfriend gave me a light kiss on the cheek before finally taking her hands off of me. I bit my bottom lip as I watched her finally stand up, my hormones now driving me insane.
I stood up after Camila and we both picked up our gifts to take them inside, away from the dangers of the pool water. We shared one last quick peck before finally walking inside. The two of us laid our gifts down on the kitchen counter and Camila told me she would go find a bathing suit for me, leaving me only after giving me a nice, hard slap on the ass.
"Does she abuse you too?"
I turned to see Camila's mom approaching me with a small smirk on her face. I was hoping that she hadn't seen any of our shenanigans out by the pool, but she had definitely seen that spank that her daughter had given me. I giggled and opened up my arms as Sinu moved towards me.
"Yeah. We should fight back." I responded.
"We'll get Sofi on our side, too." she said as she pulled me into her for a tight side hug.
I rested my head on Sinu's shoulder and wrapped my arms around her torso. She scratched my head as we stood there in the kitchen talking.
"She loves your gift, by the way.", Camila's mom went on, "She's been using it nonstop since you got here."
"I'm sure she'll get bored of it by tomorrow. She's still has a 10 year old attention span." I chuckled.
"Maybe. Or maybe you just gave her something that would inspire her future. Like when we gave Camila her first karaoke machine."
"Please tell me you have videos of that."
"We have a few secret ones. She didn't know we were filming."
"Of course she didn't." I laughed.
I relaxed into Sinu as my eyes focused on the present Camila had given me, which was now placed safely on the kitchen counter. I smiled, thinking of the brown eyed girl and her love for music. It was a huge part of why I'd fallen in love with her, why we'd fallen for each other. I didn't give a shit what she said; her gift was absolutely perfect.
"You know...I always hoped you two would get back together." Sinu spoke up again.
I took my head off of her shoulder so that I could look her in the eyes. As much as I knew she loved me and as good as things were now, I never thought that a relationship with a woman was something that she had wished for her daughter.
"Really?" I asked quietly.
"I know what you're thinking.", she laughed, "This wasn't what I pictured for Camila growing up. It wasn't what she pictured either. But...well, I missed it the first time around. You always made her so happy and I always had it in the back of my mind but...I was still blind to it. I missed my daughter being in love. This time...I get to really see it and be a part of it and I'm so grateful for that."
I stared back at the kind older woman, feeling my heart in my throat. After all of these years, I was finally getting that acceptance from Camila's mother that I didn't even know I wanted or needed. It felt incredible.
"That means a lot, mama. Seriously." I said softly.
"It really does."
................................................................
Camila
Lauren and my mom both turned to look at me, sweet smiles present on their faces. I hadn't heard their whole conversation, but I was pretty sure that I walked up right when I needed to. Hearing my mom talk about me being in love and about Lauren like that...it was something that I knew she felt now, but I had never heard her voice it.
I thought back to the first time I had told my mom about Lauren, back when I was still confused and when she was still having trouble accepting it all. She had basically written Lauren off as a phase, as a product of circumstances, which was a possibility I had been so afraid of for so long. I had always questioned why Lauren and I were really together, if we were really in love. Now, I knew without a shadow of a doubt.
I knew all of the answers now.
I walked up to them and hugged my mom from the other side. I placed the spare bathing suit on the counter and reached out to grab Lauren's hand. She took it with a wide grin stretched across her face. This was absolute perfection: wrapped up in my mother's arms and holding Lauren's hand, staring into those perfect emerald eyes of hers. I felt so unbelievably safe.
"Feliz navidad, mis niñas queridas (Merry Christmas, my lovely girls)." my mom said just before placing quick kisses on both of our heads.
"Feliz navidad." Lauren and I said at the same time.
We both giggled and squeezed each other's hands simultaneously. My mom released us from her embrace and started to say goodbye to Lauren, but I wasn't having it.
"Sleep over." I said to the green eyed girl.
"Camila." she said as she pulled away from my mom's hug.
"Come on. I don't know when we'll see you again."
"You're leaving in the morning, anyway."
"Exactly. So you can go right back to your family in the morning."
I watched Lauren and my mom exchange a look, as if the green eyed girl was asking for permission.
"If you two can be quiet, then I don't see any problem with it. Just remember we have to be up early." my mom said.
"Yay!" I squealed.
I ran over to the pair and wrapped my arms around both of them, pulling them in for one last group hug before my mom finally retreated to her bedroom. The second she was gone, Lauren turned her attention to me and wrapped her pinky around mine.
"Hi. I missed you." she said in her baby voice.
"I missed you, babe.", I returned, giving her a short kiss on the lips, "Go get changed so we can get in the pool."
"Did you find a bathing suit that'll fit me?"
"I hope so. That one was too big for my boobs, so it should fit you."
................................................................
Lauren
I watched Camila shamelessly observe my chest, biting on her bottom lip as she did so. I giggled softly, causing her to lock her eyes on mine again.
"Sorry." she laughed, her cheeks turning a nice shade of pink.
"You're such a perv." I teased.
"Only for you, baby."
Camila wiggled her eyebrows up and down, causing me to burst out into laughter. I let go of her hand and reached forward to grab the bathing suit from the counter instead. However, Camila's arm suddenly shot out and she grabbed the top piece of the bikini, running away from me with a mischievous giggle while her thin bathing suit cover-up flowed behind her.
"What are you doing?" I laughed.
"You can just wear the bottom. The top might not fit anyway." she winked.
"Didn't you just say it would?"
"I said it should. But why take the risk?"
I started walking slowly towards Camila, who was backing into the living room, giggling all the while. Without warning, I started running towards her, causing her to let out a high pitched squeal and turn around to run away. The second she did, she ran straight into the couch and flipped over it.
"Shit!" she let out.
My eyes widened as I ran over to check on her. She had just rolled over onto the couch and was lying flat on her back, the bikini top now laid out across the carpet next to her. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"You're mean!" she yelled, propping herself up on her elbows.
I made my way over to Camila and practically tackled her, resting my body on top of hers.
"Did you learn your lesson?" I rasped, ghosting my lips over hers.
"What lesson was that?" she whispered, staring at my mouth.
"That you don't run around like a crazy person when you're clumsy as fuck."
"Mean."
"I'm just looking out for you, babe."
"Well, I was looking out for you, too. I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable in a bathing suit that's too small for you."
"Mmm, how thoughtful."
Camila smirked at me before finally connecting our lips. I eagerly reciprocated, slipping my tongue into her mouth to dance with hers.
................................................................
Camila
Lauren and I shared a few more passionate kisses before she started to kiss a trail down to the front of my neck. The green eyed girl bit lightly and soothed the spot with her skilled tongue, causing me to sigh with pleasure. I threaded my fingers through her hair and moved my free hand down to give her butt a firm squeeze.
"We should probably be literally anywhere else but in your living room." she rasped.
"I'm still up for the pool sex challenge if you are." I grinned.
"The fact that you're suggesting it means I'm totally going to win."
"That's what I want you to think."
Lauren smiled and placed one last kiss on my lips before finally getting off of me. She grabbed the bikini top from the floor, winking at me as she did so, and left to go get changed. I sighed as I laid my head down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
All was right with the world. Sure, Lauren and I still had Ty and Matthew to worry about, but we were already getting better at navigating that with each passing day. It really felt like we were finally getting our happily ever after.
After a minute or so of basking in my happiness, I stood up from the couch and turned to see Lauren walking out, now in the bikini I'd given to her. I was right. The top did look a little too small for her, but she looked stunning nonetheless.
We smiled like idiots as we approached each other, staring into each other's eyes in absolute silence. I could feel her love for me through her gaze alone, and I hoped that she could sense mine, too.
Once we met in the middle, Lauren held her hand out and I took it without hesitation. I looked down at our joined hands momentarily before returning my attention to those perfect green eyes of hers. They were practically glowing; she was glowing.
I immediately knew that this would be another snapshot with Lauren, one that I would remember for years and years. There was nothing particularly special about the moment, but that was what made it so memorable, in my opinion. She had the ability to make my ordinary life extraordinary; love had the ability to do that, always.
"Ready?" she asked, her eyes glimmering.
"Ready." I confirmed, giving her hand a squeeze.
Lauren smiled and started leading us back out to the pool area. I couldn't help but look down at our hands again, marveling in the way they fit together perfectly. They always had and always would.
Once we reached the pool, I looked up at the moon which had been providing us with most perfect lighting all night. It was almost full, but not quite. I smiled at the sight and squeezed Lauren's hand tighter, causing her to look up at the moon with me.
"She looks gorgeous tonight." Lauren said.
"She has to. She's the keeper of all the lovers around the world." I said absentmindedly.
"What?"
I looked over at Lauren, realizing that I had never told her my theory about the dark side of the moon. I had never gotten the chance to.
"Everyone says that people are written in the stars.", I began, grabbing Lauren's other hand, "But I think they're written on the dark side of the moon."
I watched Lauren's lips curve up into a smile. She tugged on my hands, pulling me closer to her, and then planted a soft kiss on my forehead.
"I love that mind of yours, you know that, right?" she said.
I rested my forehead on Lauren's, with Lucy of all people popping into my mind. I remembered the night I told her about my moon theory, the night she confessed that she thought Lauren and I were perfect together.
"And this is one of the reasons you're perfect for her." she said softly.
"What?" I asked.
"You're so...innocent. So romantic and starry-eyed. Lauren needs that. She loves that. She's spent way too much time taking herself too seriously."
I smiled and pulled away from Lauren so that I could see her eyes.
"I love you." I said simply.
"I love you, too, baby." she returned.
Lauren and I leaned forward and connected our lips once again. I relaxed into her, feeling so safe and loved, feeling incredibly ready for 2019 with her by my side. I knew that the universe was finally on our side for once. I knew that, without a doubt, our names were written on the other side of that brilliant, three-quarter moon and they were smiling down at us; because we had finally done it.
We had finally found our way home.
END OF BOOK TWO