Calamity

Chapter 22

FRIDAY NIGHT - 7:12 PM

"The food here is amazing," Camila said as they looked over the menu. "Or, at least that's what the Yelp reviews say,"

Lauren giggled sweetly, clasping her hand on top of Camila's. "I really appreciate you planning all of this. I feel like we haven't spent any time together recently."

"When they told me law school would be hard, I didn't think they meant this hard."

"The hard part is getting in. We're at the easy part now."

"Wise words from Lauren Jauregui,"

"So..." Lauren leaned forward on her elbow. "Are you going to tell me the real reason why we're at one of the most expensive steakhouses in Connecticut?"

"Can't I just want to take you out?"

"You're sneakier than you are sweet. What do you have planned, Cabello?"

"Let's just enjoy our dinner first," Camila insisted. "Are you in a ribeye kind of mood? Or maybe I can entice you with some filet mignon."

"I'll have whatever you're having. I trust your taste."

"Mmm," Camila smiled cheekily. "I'll make sure to remember those words." She beckoned for the waiter to come over before blowing a quick kiss at Lauren. "This date is going down in the history books. Mark my words."

-

When their waiter came by for their third round of wine, they were halfway through dinner and preparing for what they'd have for dessert. Lauren couldn't help but notice the subtle ache between her thighs as she watched Camila fed her pieces of steak and lobster.

With her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her gold necklace peeking out through her shirt, the raven-haired woman was on the verge of jumping on her from across the table.

"And then I was telling him—" Camila paused mid-sentence as she noticed Lauren staring at her dreamily. "Earth to Lauren?"

"I'm listening, sorry. It's just... You look beautiful tonight, Camz."

"You're supposed to leave the compliments to me,"

"I can't help myself,"

Camila laughed and intertwined their hands together, pressing a kiss to the back of Lauren's hand. "Thank you. Are you having fun?"

"I always have fun when I'm with you," Lauren said earnestly. "Even if that means we're laying in bed watching reruns of Scooby-Doo,"

Before Camila could respond, the waiter approached their table again with a large slice of layered chocolate cake and two tiny forks. He set the plate down in between them and disappeared to seat another table.

"Chocolate cake," Lauren licked her lips, picking up one of the forks. "My favorite,"

"Let's—" Camila took the fork out of her hand and set it back down on the plate. "—just talk for a moment before we get to the dessert."

"Okay..." She trailed off. "Is everything alright?"

"Do you love me?" Camila asked bluntly.

Lauren's eyes widened at the unprompted question. "Oh," she said quietly. "Oh," this time was a little louder. "Camila, where is this coming from?"

"Because I think I love you. No, actually... Fuck. I know I love you. There isn't a single day where I wake up and don't think of you. I know we agreed to keep it casual but I can't do casual when it comes to you. It's never been just sex to me. And I fucking suck at trying not to worry about the future or what's going to happen if we don't stop using plastic bags now, but all I can think about these days is how perfect my life would be if you stayed in it. I lost you once before and I... I just need to know if you love me too."

"Why wouldnt I love you?" Lauren breathed out, breaking the uncomfortable tension that had accumulated between them. "You're everything I could possibly want in a person, Camz. I've loved you for so long that it's natural for me at this point."

"How much do you love me?"

"I—"

"To the point where you'd do anything for me?"

Lauren paused for a brief moment before answering, "Yes. Anything."

Camila reached into the small gift bag she had brought along, pulling out the box and placing it down in front of Lauren. "Open it then,"

Hesitantly, she lifted the lid and felt all the color drain from her face at the sight of a birth certificate that read Caitlin Jauregui.

"You'd do anything for me, right?" Camila's voice wavered.

"Camila,"

"Tell me who the hell she is,"

"Where the hell did you get this?" She looked up from the box, her eyes filled with rage and hurt. "Tell me right now,"

Glancing around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear what was going on, Camila squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again to find Lauren staring right back at her.

"It doesn't matter. Answer my question, Lauren."

"Not until you tell me where you got it from,"

"You said you loved me," Camila said. "You said you'd do anything for me. But now you suddenly have no memory of you saying that two fucking seconds ago?"

"When you love somebody," Lauren attempted to pull herself together so that she wouldn't have a breakdown in the middle of a restaurant. "You don't go behind their back and wait until a moment of weakness to attack them,"

"You lied to me. You fucking deceived me from the moment I showed up at your front door step with that box of cookies." Camila saw their waiter coming over and slapped her credit card into his hand. "You laid in the same bed as me knowing you were playing me like a fiddle,"

The second the waiter came back with her copy of the bill and her card, she grabbed her coat and quickly dashed out of the restaurant. Lauren crumbled up the birth certificate and followed behind her.

"Can you stop fucking running for one second?" Lauren shouted once she made it out onto the street.

Camila halted in her tracks, turning to look at the raven-haired woman. "Who is she, Lauren? Who the fuck is Caitlin Jauregui and why have I never heard of her a day in my goddamn life?"

"I need you to trust me," Lauren whispered. "Please, Camila. I have never asked you for nothing. But please... Just this once, trust me. I promise I will explain everything—"

"You're a liar," Camila spat. "A fucking liar and a scumbag for getting me caught up in your stupid, evil web of lies." She stepped closer to Lauren. "Did you enjoy making me look like a fool?"

"No," Lauren shook her head as her bottom lip trembled. "I'd never do anything to purposely hurt you,"

"Yet here we fucking are, Lauren! Here we fucking are!" She began walking away again, ignoring the gentle patter of rain that had started to fall. "I know you had something to do with Cowell and I know I was your scapegoat in case things went south. And just for that? Fuck you."

Camila spared one last look at her. "Fuck you and your devil clan of a family,"

"Camila!" Lauren shouted down the street only to have the dark-haired woman ignore her. "Camila, please!"

In just a matter of seconds, the rain fell harder and her feet started to ache from her shoes. Leaning against a light pole to take them off, she braced herself for the worst and headed in the direction of their apartment complex.

When she finally made it up the elevator to their floor, Camila's welcome mat was still dry—signifying that she hadn't been home since their argument on the street.

She banged on her apartment door, praying that Ally was home when her roommate appeared in front of her, gasping at how disheveled Lauren looked.

"She knows," Lauren said low enough just for Ally to hear. "I mean, she really really knows,"