Bloodstream

Chapter 46

Lauren's POV
I stepped outside my new building and walked down the street to the small corner shop I'd always buy my cigarettes at. It was a bit strange walking in here since I haven't come in such a long time.
"Lauren?" Paul said, he owned the shop.
"Paul!" I walked up to the counter and he grabbed my hand.
"I haven't seen you in such a long time; I heard you were in New York." He said letting go off my hand and grabbing a pack of cigarettes. I smiled and shook my head.
"Not anymore, I'm back now." I handed him some money but he shook his head and pushed my hand away.
"No, they're on me. It's nice to have you back Lauren." He said and I hesitantly grabbed the box, I put the money on the counter.
"It's nice to be back, buy yourself a coffee or something." I said and backed away slowly, he laughed and took the money off the counter and put it in his pocket. I stepped out of the shop and took a cigarette out of the box; I shoved the box in my pocket and took out a lighter. I lit the cigarette quickly and took in a drag as I made my way back to my building.
I put the cigarette between my lips and held it there as I checked my phone; I slowly took in a drag and put my phone in my pocket as I looked up. Once I saw what was in front of me I took the cigarette out of my mouth and choked a bit on the smoke. I quickly tossed the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. I felt her eyes on me now and I sighed and looked up slowly, putting a hand through my hair. Her brown eyes met with mine; I hadn't seen them in so long. My heart started to race. She moved her gaze down to my foot and I shifted from side to side awkwardly. She pointed down to the now ruined cigarette and I chuckled nervously.
"What can I say?" I said in a husky tone and she swallowed hard.
"It helps." I looked down and she sighed.
I looked up at her once more and her mouth was agape, she looked a bit frozen in a way. Her eyes were wide and she just wouldn't budge. Her grip tightened around the bag she was holding and I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. She suddenly came back down to earth and shook her head a bit; she shifted and closed her eyes. I brought my hands in front of me and grabbed them; I then started to move from side to side not knowing what to say.
"It's a filthy habit." She said and looked down right away trying to hide a smile. I smiled and looked down as well.
"Guess you're right." I looked up at her again and found her staring at me. Again there was a silence between us. I felt like the world sort of stopped once I saw her, my heart was still racing and my hands were beginning to sweat.
"I am." She said slowly stepping closer to me.
"I uh I moved down the street from here." I said and her eyes widened.
"Yeah, I was wondering if maybe you could come by and help me unpack. We could catch up and stuff, if you don't mind." I looked down as I said this because I was afraid of what she would say, I moved my foot from side to side and closed my eyes, and I looked up only opening one while squeezing the other one shut.
"Sure, I have some time now." She blushed and I smiled and relaxed a bit.
"Alright." I pointed ahead and she nodded and turned.
"You look nice." I said, I couldn't take my eyes of her. Everything about her right now was gorgeous. Her hair fell perfectly and it looked softer than ever. She had little make up on and was wearing some black leggings and a blue sweater.
"Thanks, you do too, except for the smoking." She teased and I laughed.
"Sorry about it." I opened the door to my building for her and she stepped inside.
"When did you get back here?" She asked finally looking at me.
"Couple of days ago, I dropped things with the record label." She gasped and I got to my door opening it.
"Why?" She asked.
"I missed it here too much." I stepped inside and tossed my keys in a bowl next to the door. I took the box of cigarettes and the lighter and put them in the bowl as well.
"Well, mi casa es tu casa." I said and she smiled.
"Sorry about the mess, I haven't really gotten to the unpacking yet."
Camila's POV
I was in shock; I still couldn't believe she was actually here. Seeing her made my heart go into overdrive. And it also made me extremely nervous. I hadn't seen her in so long and I never expected to bump into her like this. It made me upset that she's smoking again yet it made me feel worse knowing that I caused it. But it's so nice to have her back here. I don't know how things will go from now but I'm just glad she's finally here.
I looked around her new apartment; there were boxes everywhere. Nothing else just boxes.
"Cozy." I joked and she walked past me.
"I'll give you a quick tour." She said in a cute tone that made my heart flutter.
"So this is the living room, invisible couch over here and the TV right there." She pointed to an empty space and I giggled, I saw her blush but she turned her face away from me. She walked down a hall into a small room that only contained a twin sized mattress on the floor there were some colorful sheets over it and a folded blanket, a laptop rested on the floor next to her guitar. There was a suitcase that was open that contained some neatly folded clothes on the other side of the room.
"This is my room." She said softly, I nodded and she pointed down the hall.
"Bathroom is over there." She said and walked past me again slightly brushing her arm against mine sending shivers up and down my arm.
I followed her back into the living room. She pointed to the kitchen and I nodded.
"That's pretty much it." She rubbed her neck and I bit down on my lip.
"I missed you." I said breaking the silence and she let out a breath and looked up at me.
"I missed you too." She walked up to me taking the bag out of my hand, she set it on the table were the bowl was and turned to the boxes.
"We should start." She took a box and opened it taking out some stuff that would go in the living room. I looked at the boxes and saw one that had a heart drawn on it; I took that box and sat on the floor Indian style. I placed it in front of me and opened it.
"Oh I." She said as I looked through the box taking out a small picture frame. I felt my eyes get glassy and I covered my mouth with my free hand. Inside the picture frame was the stupid little doodle I made on a napkin a while back. I looked up at her and her face was red.
"You actually framed it?" I asked now holding the frame with both hands.
"I said I would frame and I did. It's always been with me since that day." She looked down and grabbed another box, taking stuff out of it and trying hard not to look at me. I gently put the picture frame aside and kept looking through the box.
"Oh my Gosh." I took out my fishing hat. She looked up and laughed while covering her face.
Flashbacks to the fishing trip came back along with memories of how much she teased me about having this hat. I put it on and she grinned.
"I've been looking for this." I said fixing the hat on my head so that it wouldn't move.
"I stole it, it made me happy." She looked down again and I felt the butterflies in my stomach start to act up. I kept looking through the box and found a sweater of mine, there were pictures and one of my aprons that went missing from the shop.
"You little thief!" I said taking out the apron and she giggled.
"I'm not even sorry about it." She shrugged and I scrunched my nose up making her look down.
I emptied out the box and moved to another one I opened it and giggled.
"This is so cute." I said taking out a cute stuffed frog that had a gold chain around its neck. She looked up and ran over by me taking the frog out of my hands.
"Don't touch him." She said hugging him close to her.
"Aw." I poked her cheek and she backed away hiding her face behind the frog.
"Don't." She said childishly and kept backing away from him.
"What's his name?" I asked.
"Ribbit Raff, I mean no." She groaned and I burst out laughing. She hid her face with the frog again and I held my stomach.
"You're so adorable oh my god Ribbit Raff." I teased her and walked up to her; she slowly put the frog down and pouted.
"Aww." I walked up to her and pinched her cheeks.
"Don't make fun of him." She said in a small voice, almost like a little kid.
"Okay I won't, but why Ribbit Raff?" I asked and she sighed and sat down putting the frog between her legs, I sat next to her and she looked at me.
"Well you know riff raff?" She asked playing with the gold chain on the frog.
"The rapper?" She nodded and bit down on her bottom lip. I brought my hand up to her face and moved a strand of hair behind her ear, she tensed up a bit and then sat up straight hugging the frog closer to her.
"That's it, I was with Taylor one day and we were talking about Riff Raff and we walked by this store and I saw the frog and Ribbit Raff came into my mind for some reason. So I bought the frog and a gold chain and that is how Ribbit Raff was born." She looked up and winked at me. I giggled and looked at her. My eyes went to her lips she slowly licked them and my breath hitched, I then quickly looked up and stood up.
"Laur, I have to go down to the shop." I lied and she got up and nodded.
"It was nice seeing you." She said inching closer to me. She slowly wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me into an embrace, my head found the crook of her neck and she tightened her grip on me. I melted into her. Feeling her holding me again was the best thing I could ever ask for. I felt like I was home. She's my home and I finally feel in place again. I could hear her heartbeat and almost feel it against my chest. She kissed the top of my head and I started to pull away but she gave me a light squeeze before hesitantly pulling away. Her cheeks were blushed and I looked down stepping away from her.
"I'll see you around." I said and she nodded and opened the door for me.
"Yeah, I'll see you around." I grabbed my bag and stepped out of her apartment and made my way down the hall, I could feel her eyes burning into me only making my heart beat faster than it already was.
I turned and she looked to the side and started to whistle.
"You still have the same number, right?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yes I do." I smiled and turned towards the stairs again. I'm so happy she's back.