Lauren’s POV
I was seated in the back of the noble restaurant with Kristie beside me and Luis opposite of her. My two close friends were skimming through the menu while I already knew what I wanted. It wasn’t my first time in the high-end establishment. New York was a place full of memories and there were about to be new ones I was sure.
Tomorrow was the start of a four-day training camp with the USWNT. It was the longest period of time we’d have as a team in a while. But those camps were necessary to get everyone on the same page. The fact that all of my teammates were coming to New York was a blessing because I didn’t need to travel long from Boston.
Luis and Kristie had offered to come a day earlier with me. We had hung out in the city all day and wanted to end the night with a nice meal as I had suggested coming here.
“Are you excited about tomorrow?” Luis asked and took a sip from his drink that he had already ordered before the food.
“Excited and nervous”, I admitted honestly.
“How long has it been since you’ve talked to Camila?” the male voice questioned softly.
“Depends what you define as talking, I guess”, I sighed deeply and drank from my water. “We haven’t seen each other since the incident and that’s been six weeks. At first we’ve been texting and skyping a lot and she was really supportive about everything. But lately she seems distant.”
“Maybe she’s just trying to figure things out before she sees you tomorrow”, Luis offered kind words but I wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t know”, I shook my head in frustration. “I have this really bad feeling because she is avoiding me at all costs. Whenever I want to set something up, she cancels last minute. I know I shouldn’t be paranoid but the last time we skyped, she mentioned that Austin was going to come to Paris and we haven’t spoken since except for texting.”
“Do you think he has something to do with it?” Kristie now chimed in.
“Probably not”, I exhaled loudly. “I’m just looking for an excuse so I don’t have to blame myself for screwing everything up and scaring the shit out of her daughter.”
“Don’t say it like that”, the blonde squeezed my arm gently. “Like Luis said, maybe Camila is working things out with Lara and she will tell you about it in person tomorrow. You can’t tell me you’re not excited to see her after six weeks.”
“I am”, my lips formed a hesitant smile.
“Everything’s going to be fine”, Kristie added before Luis almost choked on his drink.
“Holy shit”, he gasped and his eyes were fixed on something behind us. “No, don’t look now”, his warning reached my ears a little too late.
Turning around, I saw none other than Emily approaching the dining section. My eyes widened in surprise although they probably shouldn’t. The reason I knew the restaurant was because of my ex-girlfriend. She had taken me here twice when I had come to visit. Still, I felt my pulse racing as the light-haired woman instantly saw me.
She smiled broadly and waved. I didn’t want to be rude and our split had been amicable after all. Getting up from my seat, the older one moved towards our table and I couldn’t help myself but give her the once-over for a moment. She was stunning but what else was new? The short dress was simple yet elegant and accentuated her long legs. [ http://instagram.com/p/jy25L0gQkO/ ] I sensed a lot of the customers glancing her way which wasn’t too surprising because I had seen that reaction a lot when we had been dating.
“Hey, how are you?” Emily was still smiling from ear to ear before we hugged shortly.
“I’m good, thanks. How are you?” I couldn’t resist but reciprocate her warm smile because she seemed so genuinely happy and comfortable.
“Great”, she nodded. “Except that my agent just stood me up for dinner but I’m still hungry so I decided to eat anyways.”
“Oh…I mean, you can join us”, I blurted out and saw the perfectly plugged eyebrows rising a little. “If you want”, I added more insecurely.
“I don’t want to interrupt”, the model hesitated but Kristie suddenly appeared next to me.
“Hey, it’s so nice to see you again”, Emily beamed and hugged my close friend before addressing Luis with a big smile as well. Although we had only dated for a few months, my former high school crush had always made an effort to get to know my friends and hang out with them. That obviously contributed to them helping me convince her to sit with us – with success because Emily gave in and took the seat next to Luis, greeting him properly with a kiss on the cheek, before focusing on me.
“What brings you to New York?” she asked curiously.
“I have a training camp coming up here tomorrow”, I explained and felt strangely at ease talking to her.
“So soccer is still good then, I assume”, the blonde opposite of me said before I nodded gently. “How’s school?”
“I’m done with exams for now so that’s really good”, I grinned.
“I bet”, the other Miami native answered.
“It’s exhausting at times but I think I am doing well this far”, I shrugged humbly. “What about you? Since you were supposed to meet your agent, I take it you’re still modeling full-time?”
“Yeah, things have been really crazy lately”, the model confirmed and had everyone’s attention at the table. “For some reason…things have taken off in the past few months but I can’t complain. I did this amazing jeans commercial two weeks ago-“
“The one for Diesel?” I interrupted and Emily looked stunned.
“Yeah, how do you know that?” she exchanged bewildered looks with my friends.
“You talked about it way back”, I recalled immediately. “But you had said they had chosen someone else.”
“Right but they ended up not liking the model and began the whole process again”, the NYU graduate elaborated. “I can’t believe you remember that though”, she laughed seemingly impressed.
“Well, you talked about it for weeks”, I remembered clearly and heard our waiter approaching behind me. He was ready to take our order and the four of us had made our choices by then. I was the only one sipping on my water while the other three had gone for wine.
“You can’t drink because of camp, right?” Emily asked nonchalantly. “Or is one drink okay?”
“Um…I’m trying not to drink at all”, I said firmly and noticed my friends smiling proudly.
“That’s probably for the best anyway”, my ex-girlfriend agreed. “I wished I had that will-power. But if anyone has it, it’s you.”
“What makes you say that?” I nearly scoffed.
“You’ve been always been very dedicated and if you set your mind on something you tend to do it”, the blonde replied casually.
“I just had some very bad experiences with it lately so I think it’s best for me at least. I want to avoid making any more mistakes”, I opened up a bit.
“I’m sorry to hear that”, Emily voiced sympathetic.
“It’s okay”, I smiled and didn’t want the conversation to get too serious.
Time flew by and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. It felt familiar to be surrounded by my college friends and ex-girlfriend since we had spent time like this before. Although I didn’t want to, I started noticing how easy things had been between Emily and I. Granted, I didn’t love her the way I loved Camila but we had had a good time and I began wondering whether anything should be so complicated.
Dinner was over. Luis and Kristie said goodbye because they were driving back to Boston, leaving me and Emily behind. Unsure of what to do, we began strolling around and kept up casual conversation. I didn’t realize we had ended up outside of her apartment on the Upper East Side until she stopped. Lifting my gaze, I saw the admittedly very beautiful woman smiling shyly for the first time tonight.
“Well, thanks for dinner. I had a really good time”, she said.
“Me too”, I responded with a smile as well but felt my heart pumping faster.
“Do you…want to come upstairs?” the older one offered while I noticed nervous laughter escaping the pink lips. “I mean…to talk or just hang out.”
As much as I enjoyed Emily’s company, I knew I couldn’t do that. Even if we were just talking, I felt strange doing it behind Camila’s back when things were so messy already.
“I’d love to but I have to get up really early for camp tomorrow. So I should head back to my hotel”, I didn’t lie but left out the part of me not wanting to cause more problems between Camila and I.
“Of course”, she seemed pleased with that answer. “If you want to hang out when you’re in the city, don’t be afraid to call or something. It was fun after all.”
“It really was”, I agreed with a bigger smile. “We should do it again some time.”
“Count me in”, Emily said softly and there was moment of silence before she leaned forward, kissing my cheek to say goodbye. “Goodnight”, her warm breath lingered against my flushed cheeks as she pulled away.
“Goodnight”, I reciprocated and watched her go inside the apartment building.
Sighing deeply, I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Still, I felt more confused than before after my encounter with the model. Not knowing where Camila and I stood was driving me insane. Was she my girlfriend or not? I knew that I wanted her to be but I wasn’t sure what the other brunette wanted at this point. Things had never been simple between us but meeting Emily reinforced that maybe they shouldn’t be as complicated.
-
Nervously pacing my room, I knew all the other players had probably arrived by now. I heard all the commotion outside caused by the women getting into their hotel rooms. All things considered, I had the gut feeling I wouldn’t be rooming with Camila. I had already spent the night here after dropping off Emily. Now I was curious to see who would join me.
Hearing the door open, I saw Normani walking through with her suitcases. I was happy to see her but also disappointed it wasn’t Camila. However, I was more than grateful for a great friend like Normani and helped the slightly older one to settle in. We chatted away because we had some time until our first practice. I hadn’t seen Camila. If I didn’t know she was avoiding me by then, I did now.
Unsure of whether I should look for Camila at this point, I decided to go outside and see who else had arrived by now. The hallway was filled with a lot people when I spotted three familiar faces. Camila, Dinah and Lara had apparently just come in. Dinah was opening the hotel door while Camila was holding the four year-old in her arms, who was apparently asleep. They were down the hall and I seemed to be frozen.
But then Camila looked to her side and met my gaze. I gulped heavily before I saw a faint smile on the younger one’s lips. Lifting my hand for a little wave, she nodded then disappeared in her room. The uncertainty of the situation was killing me. It upset me to a point where I decided to go back to my own room while Normani was gone.
Some time passed until I heard a knock on the door. Quickly getting up, I rushed towards it to find my hopes not being crushed this time. Camila was standing in the hallway with what seemed like a nervous smile on her lips.
“Hey, come in”, I offered instantly and she followed suit.
The awkwardness was horrible because neither of us had an idea how to behave in the situation. We hugged for a moment before Camila sat down on the bed with me standing a few feet away.
“How are you?” I asked quietly.
“I’m a little tired after the long flight”, the other soccer player admitted and I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “But it’s okay. How are you?”
“Good”, I answered swiftly and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “I wasn’t sure if I should come to your room or…what was appropriate.”
“You can come by”, Camila said but something seemed off. She was barely meeting my eyes and kept chewing on her lower lip, which was a clear sign of tension. On the one hand, I hated the weirdness between us but on the other hand, I was afraid of speaking up this early.
“I missed you”, I confessed sincerely and the brown orbs met my gaze now. The struggle within the young mother was obvious and I began fearing the worst. She wasn’t answering and I felt like my heart was about to be shattered again. “I take it then you didn’t miss me”, I added just above a whisper.
“Of course I did”, she surprisingly responded but sighed loudly.
“Okay then…what’s going on?” I couldn’t ignore the issue after all. “Because I feel like you have been avoiding me for the past one or two weeks. Am I being too pushy?”
“There’s just some stuff that I need to figure out”, the answer was so vague that it didn’t offer any consolation because she had given me that answer many times before.
“I know that”, I prompted softly but approached her slowly. “But it’s been six weeks, Camila. And I want to give you time and space, I really do. Just tell me what to do. What can I do to help you figure this out?” I asked in a gentle voice because I didn’t want to force anything. “Do you want me to talk to Lara? I could at least try and maybe get some of our trust back.”
“Lauren”, Camila exhaled clearly desperate and put her face in her hands. “You’re just making it harder.”
“I’m making what harder?” I was confused now but she looked up and locked eyes before it dawned on me. My heart sank. “I’m making it harder for you to break up with me.”
Silence.
“Wow”, I breathed and tried holding back tears instantly filling my eyes. “I really fucked up…but I thought I could maybe fix it. Don’t you think I could…I can make this right somehow?” More silence on Camila’s end. She was determined not to face me anymore and my desperation was growing. “I know I made a mistake. But I’m trying to better myself and I can be patient if that’s what you want-“
“Please stop”, Camila suddenly stood up and her voice was shaking. She had kept her head down so I hadn’t noticed the glassy look in her eyes as well. “I don’t want this any more than you do.”
“Then don’t do it”, I practically begged before I uttered something that wasn’t intended to be said.
“You said you would catch me”, my own voice was thick with emotion. The brown eyes shot up and I saw the guilt in them. “You said you wouldn’t leave me if I let myself fall”, the tears were now burning in my eyes.
“I know”, she whispered. “And I’m so sorry.”
“You’re not willing to give me a chance to prove myself? Why are you always so quick to leave me?” I grew angry for some reason when I saw her not really saying anything. “I don’t understand what happened that made you change your mind in the past two weeks?”
“I can’t tell you, ok?!” Camila suddenly snapped and took me by surprise.
“Why not?” I asked louder than before in complete frustration.
“Because I don’t want to push you over the edge! It’s better that I just stay out of your life and you can work on yourself without any more complications”, the younger one seemed frustrated herself.
“The only reason it is complicated is because we’re making it complicated”, I said more sternly. “What could be worse in pushing me over the edge than you breaking up with me? That’s the absolute worst thing imaginable. Just tell me what happened.”
“I really can’t”, she shook her head and made me furious with her stubbornness.
“Did you hook up with Austin or something?” I suddenly burst out and was shocked at my own words that were said in anger, not thinking she would actually do something like that.
“What? No! Why…why would you even say that?” the Parisian player sounded…nervous. Hold on; was I on the right track here?
“Because something changed after you said he was coming to visit”, I explained my unexpected question. “So if you didn’t cheat on me then what is possibly so horrible that you can’t tell me? You’re driving me absolutely fucking nuts, you know that?”
“Which is why you should just let me go”, Camila breathed.
“I can’t”, I replied with no hesitation and stepped closer now. “For fuck’s sake, Camila! Don’t you get it by now? I love you more than anything else on this freaking planet. I wished I could let you go so my heart wouldn’t feel like it is being ripped to shreds again. But I can’t. Not after everything we’ve been through. Trust me, I’ve tried letting you go several times but here I am, coming back every time. No matter how pathetic it seems. But I’m at my limit here”, I was beyond reason at this point and just spoke from the heart.
I saw the first tear rolling down the younger one’s cheek and swiftly wiped it with my thumb. Taking her hand in mine, I placed the other one on her chin and lifted it slightly so she had to look me in the eyes.
“I love you”, I reiterated genuinely to see her swallowing. “However, I can’t force you to be with me. But the only way you’re going to end this is by looking me in the eye and telling me the truth.” Camila seemed petrified and unsure how to handle my approach. I placed her hand above my heart and let her feel it thud violently against her palm. “You’re going to break that fragile thing in there”, I whispered desperately in reference to the blood-pumping organ and kept my eyes locked with hers. “But I’ll deal with it if you just tell me the truth…please.”
Seconds passed that felt like hours.
“Austin is suing me for sole custody of Lara”, the younger one finally spoke up and did what I asked by holding by gaze. “He is saying that I’m neglecting here and having a relationship with someone who is emotionally unstable with an alcohol abuse problem that endangers Lara’s safety.”
And with that my hands dropped from my chest and her face. Out of all the reason that I had come up with in my head, this was beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I felt as if someone had just punched me in the stomach. And compared to all the painful things I had experienced up until now, this was one of the worst feelings I had ever come in touch with. I didn’t even feel my heart breaking; that required me actually feeling my heart beat at this moment. I felt almost numb due to the shock.
“That’s the truth”, Camila nearly gasped to swallow a sob. “Are you happy now? Because I sure as hell am not.”
Her voice sounded angry and I tried to take a step away from her when she surprisingly held on to my sweater, grasping the sides of the fabric to keep me close.
“I love you”, she said struggling to keep her composure. “And I never wanted this to happen. I want to help you and be there for you because I know you need me. But Lara needs me too…and I need you both. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Camila, I don’t…” I tried to say anything but was left speechless, unable to fully comprehend what she had just told me.
“I hate him”, the other brunette shook her head before pulling at my sweater more firmly. “I hate him for making me choose”, her voice trembled in a mixture of fury, grief and pure exasperation.
In distress, I had no control over what to do or what to say. It felt surreal. The moment was so charged with emotion and suddenly erupted when I felt a pair of shaky lips kissing mine. Squeezing my eyes shut, I battled so many different feelings while the tension built. I wasn’t able to stop myself from reciprocating her kiss. It had been such a long time since I had felt the familiar sensation of the person I loved showing me that affection. Not knowing whether it was right or wrong, I gave in and folded my arms around her waist.
Although there was an element of familiarity to kissing her, this was anything but ordinary. Her lips were desperate as the tender fingers hooked themselves into my sides. All the pent-up tension was now beginning to burst. I felt her hands tugging at my sweater and it was instinctual to lift my arms so she could take it off.
Both of us were panting, obviously desperate for some sort of connection after the heart-wrenching conversation. We were essentially ripping the clothes off each other until only our underwear was left. Camila walked backwards, holding me in a tight grip as we reached my bed and I took off her panties in one swift move. Placing my hands on her shoulder, I pushed her down to sit on the edge of the bed while she took off her bra.
Bending at the knees, I began kissing her neck passionately. The left-midfielder gasped and threaded her fingers in my hair as I sucked on the spots that I knew she loved. Even though I was a big supporter of foreplay usually, things were so heated that I was aware neither of us was in the mood for much anticipation. Traveling further down, I left a trail of wet kisses down her upper body before retracing it upwards with my tongue.
“Oh God”, Camila nearly growled in a husky tone.
Palming both of her breasts with my hands, I pushed her legs apart with my own until I found myself kneeling in front of her. Looking up, her pupils were blown and filled with lust, the image of me on my knees apparently appealing to her. I didn’t waste any more time and lowered my head into her lap. Hooking my arms under her legs, I pulled her closer to the edge of the bed so I had better access.
And with that and I began kissing the most intimate part of her body. Her breathing was erratic and I could feel her entire body shaking before I had really started. Letting my hands stroke her stomach and sides, I parted my lips and used steady strokes of my tongue to explore the damp area further. I hadn’t expected her to be that aroused already but enjoyed her heavy reactions.
To my surprise, her hand grasped my hair assertively to show off a rather dominant side of her. It was exciting to see her fully unrestrained. The heavy breathing morphed into a series of gasps when I dipped the tip of my tongue into the damp warmth.
“Fuck”, she moaned shakily and I gently pushed further in before establishing a steady pace of invading the inviting heat with my tongue. I opened my eyes to look up and almost lost it at the mere sight. The younger one’s head was thrown back, one hand in my hair, the other grabbing the sheets so that her knuckles had whitened. Her chest was moving uncontrollably and it turned me on to see her in such a state of lust.
I decided not to draw things out and focused on what I was doing. Removing my tongue, I moved further up and enclosed the sensitive bundle of nerves with my lips. The slender fingers grasped the back of my head desperately and I felt her legs twitching. Camila panted heavily and the muscles tensed so I knew she was extremely close. Sucking hard on the strained nub, she moaned loudly and surprised me by moving her hips, pushing me into her core. Of course I kept going until the other brunette was done riding out her seemingly intense orgasm.
Before I had any time to recuperate, I felt the hand on my head pulling me up and on the bed. Camila pushed me down and settled on top of me with the covers draped over us. She was so quick that I wasn’t sure what was going on but my underwear was gone. It took me a few seconds to realize she was kissing me with unknown devotion. Her lips were relentless before I felt her hand traveling down my body.
I was beyond desperate for some release at this point as well, the withdrawal part of the reason for the sudden outburst of lust. And the other soccer player didn’t hesitate either. Two slender fingers entered me easily, using a steady rhythm to build up the tension I felt in my entire body. I used my own hands to stroke her back, shoulders and sides. There was nothing more satisfying than feeling the smooth skin beneath my fingertips and occasionally gripping her behind.
“Camila”, I breathed against her lips that were devouring mine nonstop. I couldn’t hold out much longer and wasn’t able to reciprocate her kisses due to my erratic breathing. She seemed to understand and buried her face in the crook of my neck, unexpectedly biting down on the sensitive skin. “Fucking hell”, I cursed in a blend of arousal and surprise. Her fingers sped up and I was done. Relief washed over me after a series of spasms had gotten the better of my body.
The younger one withdrew her fingers and collapsed on top of me. Her hot breath crashed against the skin of my neck, causing goose bumps everywhere. I maintained stroking her back tenderly for several minutes while neither of us spoke. Both of us needed some time to digest what had just happened. Calming down, her fingertips drew random patterns on my shoulder.
As much as I enjoyed the intimacy and tenderness between us, I couldn’t ignore what the young mother had told me before. The wheels were starting to turn again in my head. Camila shifted in my arms and settled beside me, her weight now evenly distributed between the mattress and myself. Slowly turning my head, I found the brown eyes looking up to meet my gaze. A few seconds went by and we simply looked at each other in uncertainty what the other was thinking.
“I guess…” my voice was slightly hoarse and I cleared my throat gently. “I guess, I don’t understand how Austin would have all this knowledge to use against you”, I said and Camila gulped. “You told him?” I asked softly and she nodded obviously guilt-ridden. “Everything?” Another nod that was followed by a loud sigh on my end.
“It was a mistake”, she spoke up carefully.
“Why did you tell him all these personal things about me?” I genuinely wondered.
“He seemed to be so supportive and I thought he was being genuine. I didn’t want to keep anything from him concerning Lara and I ended up telling him way too much. I’m really sorry, believe me”, Camila pressed and I did believe her. “I never meant to break your trust and I know you’re probably really mad at me.”
“As mad as I am about you telling him, I’m more angry at myself for even putting you in that situation”, I admitted.
“It’s not your fault”, she said and I remained silent this time.
Although I wanted to be upset that Camila had talked about my personal issues with her ex-husband, I couldn’t. There was so much more on my mind. I stared at the ceiling and tried making sense of everything, coming down from the high of being with the person I loved so intensely. She upheld the silence for a while but couldn’t stand it much longer.
“What are you thinking?” the husky voiced asked quietly before I refocused on her eyes.
“I’m thinking that…I’ll have to let you go”, I revealed slowly even though it broke my own heart to say it. “It’s not what I want but I did this. And now I have to deal with the consequences of my actions. If Lara’s still not talking to you about it, then there’s obviously something wrong. As much as I want to blame Austin, I have to accept my own part in this. I’d never forgive myself if I’m the reason you’re going to lose Lara. And I know you’re not taking that chance.”
Silence ensued once again. I saw Camila fighting her instincts and wanting to save our relationship but she held back. The fear of losing her daughter outweighed everything else and I understood her reasoning. Instead of answering, she cuddled up to me and I held on tight knowing it would probably be the last time.
-
After a very emotional reunion with Camila, it was hard to focus on the actual purpose of being New York. Practice was hard on everyone but especially difficult when you had the love of your life there with you; the love of your life that had broken up with you but you still had sex with a few hours ago. It was all such a mess.
My efforts to concentrate paid off after a while though. I was back in game-mode and wanted to deliver a good performance in front of the coaches. The last thing I needed was to be cut from the team because I was slacking. Camila and I wouldn’t even look at each other but that was for the best for now.
The long hours of practice came to an end and everyone was heading to the showers when I noticed something alarming: Lara was standing near the fence surrounding the field. But she wasn’t alone. It was instinctual but the man with her was completely unknown to me. He was on the other side of the fence but they were standing right by entrance which was open.
Looking around, I didn’t see Camila. Before practice, I had only exchanged a little wave with the child. I definitely missed the days of her running up to me but things had changed. As my eyes darted back to Lara, my pulse went through the roof. The man in the black jacket stuck out his hand and it looked as if he wanted Lara to come with him. He was standing by the entrance by now and I felt my body reacting instantly, walking up to them in a hurry.
“Hey! What’s going on?” I wanted to yell but was also afraid of scaring Lara even more. Up close, the stranger seemed perfectly groomed and not-threatening. He must have been in his thirties but his facial expression showed off some fear although he was smiling politely.
“Oh nothing”, he said casually. “We were just talking.”
“Just talking”, I repeated and stood beside Lara protectively. “Do you always talk to four year-olds you don’t know?” the anger in my voice surfaced.
“No reason to get upset”, he was trying to appear unfazed but I noticed his nerves. “I saw her being by herself and wanted to help in case she was lost or something.”
“That’s not true”, the high-pitched voice suddenly chimed in and I looked to see her stepping closer to my leg, gently touching my shorts. “He called me over and asked if I saw a dog. He lost it.”
My blood was boiling at this point. Was this guy fucking serious? I wanted to punch right there.
“A lost dog…really?” I almost snapped at the man who grew more uncomfortable.
“Who are you even? For all I know you’re also stranger”, the older man was defensive now but started walking backwards. “I am out of here because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops”, I said furiously but didn’t want to cause a big scene in front of the little child. Or should I?
I was totally confused on how to react because of my strained relationship with Lara. Usually I would have picked her up and carried her away but I was afraid of her reaction. As the stranger walked off, I knelt down to be on the child’s level and looked at her full of her concern.
“Are you okay? Did that man do something bad?” I asked immediately.
“No”, she answered and shook her head. “He lost his dog and I felt bad. But I didn’t want to go with him to look for it. Mommy says not to do that.”
“Right but she probably also says not to talk to strangers”, I assumed and the four year-old and looked down.
“Yes”, she nodded clearly feeling guilty and aware she had done something wrong. “Don’t tell mommy, please. She will be mad at me.”
“She won’t be angry but very worried”, I tried reasoning and forgot that this was the first time in weeks we were talking. “It’s dangerous to talk to people you don’t know and I think that was a bad man. Your mommy is right about these things.”
“But mommy also says you should be nice to everybody”, the hazel eyes argued coyly.
“That’s true but you don’t have to talk to strangers. It’s more important to be safe. If your mommy is around you can be nice to everybody but you shouldn’t be alone with strangers. Where is your mommy anyways?” I wondered.
“She said I should go inside to the locker room but then the man told me to come over”, she explained cautiously.
“So you didn’t go inside and went over to him”, I concluded and she nodded lightly again.
“I’m sorry”, the child uttered meekly.
“I know, little one”, I accidently used her nickname but saw her lips forming a soft smile. “But you have to tell your mommy-“ I was interrupted by Dinah running up to us.
“Lara! Where are you? Your mom is going crazy in there”, the Polynesian was out of breath and looked at me in relief that I was with the child. “You better get your little butt in the locker room right now”, Dinah addressed Lara with a little smirk.
“Okay”, Lara agreed and started walking towards the locker rooms nearby. My eyes were fixed on her although I knew it was stupid since there were only a few feet between us and the door. But the experience just now had me alarmed still and I was adamant about watching her get in safely. Midway she suddenly turned around to look at me though.
“I’ll tell mommy”, she said to me and I couldn’t help but feel my heart filling with pride that she was listening to me after everything. That way I didn’t need to tell Camila. “Bye, Pancakes”, Lara added and made my heart speed up again as she turned away and ran towards the door now.
The smile on my face was evident but Dinah’s voice shifted my attention.
“I’m on your side by the way”, the other soccer player confused me with her words. “Austin would be dead if Camila hadn’t stopped me”, Dinah snickered. “I would have sent a few of my cousins to beat him up at least.”
“That wouldn’t be suspicious at all that he was getting beat up by a group of Polynesians after suing Camila”, I teased even though I knew she was joking. Or wasn’t she? All I knew was that I felt a little better knowing she supported my relationship with her best friend although it was over now.
“Yeah well, I want to beat him up for that kiss alone”, Dinah snorted but my heart dropped.
“What kiss?” I asked with no hesitation but the younger one’s eyes widened. That reaction said it all. As if the day hadn’t been emotionally devastating enough, this was the deathblow.
“It’s not like that-”, the defender tried to do damage control but it was obvious she had just accidently told me something Camila hadn’t.
“I don’t even want to hear it”, I interrupted and turned around but Dinah grabbed my arm desperately.
“No, listen-“
“Let go”, I hissed and strongly yanked my arm from her grasp. I heard her yelling after me a few times but I was determined not to listen or go back.
This was it.
In my head there was solely one thought: Where was the nearest bar?
----------