If I Were A Boy (camren)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lauren's POV

After the fire my insurance company had managed to pay for all my pain and suffering with ease, but had left me stranded when it came to finding a new apartment. I was given some cash to pay for all my lost items although it was definitely not enough when it came to purchasing a new home. There was really nothing I could do.

My interest in the skill of architect was slowly slipping away and it wasn't even something I enjoyed to do  anymore. Another factor that had recently popped up beside the job dilemma was the fact that my most recent, and only client at the time had almost killed Camila and I. 

Whenever I'm placed into a vulnerable situation I always try to back my way out of it, but in this case it was my best option: asking my friends for help. 

Once Normani had confessed everything about the destructive incident I knew right away that I would cross her off the list. She had too much stuff on her plate and definitely didn't need another issue, like myself, piled on top of her bills. 

Dinah on the other hand seemed way to hectic with work. She was recently promoted and probably had extra patients to attend too. Camila was not even a choice due to the awkward encounter between us the other day and the secret that was being held beneath me about her cheating husband. That left only one more person I knew I could trust. 

Ally Brooke Hernandez. 

I hadn't seen the young mother in a long time, and maybe this was a sign for us to become close again. So the first place I ended up visiting after being discharged for the weekend was her familiar apartment. Approaching the door, my entire body tensed up in a strange nervous manner as I attempted to knock against the wooden door. Why was I so nervous? She's my friend!

It took me a good five minutes to compose myself with some breathing exercises Dinah had taught me  when she was assigned to replace my therapist for a day. Before I knew it, my knuckles were bouncing lightly off the locked surface and soon the entrance swung open. 

I came face to face with an older man whose complexion resembled Trevor's perfectly; they could almost pass of as twins if it wasn't for the difference in height or extra facial hair. He yawned and ruffled his hand through his bedhead hair, signifying that he had been asleep until I had waken him up. After he smacked his lips together a few times his eyes widened in complete surprise at the sight of me. 

"Lauren? Lauren Jauregui? What are you doing here?" He started to ramble with a smile. "I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been? Are you feeling okay? Ally's been telling me about your heart issue; super-long-word... Anyways, how can I help you?"

"Is Ally home?" I questioned, my mind a little more at ease since this man I've known for a while recognized me. 

"Yeah, I think she's in Trevor's room," his sentence trailed off as he spoke up again. "You can come in!"

I hesitantly accepted the invitation and stepped into the rather large apartment, Ally's husband shutting the door behind me as I started to make conversation, "Don't tell me you h-have all been sleeping this long, Troy. It's already n-noon."

"Trevor has the flu or some weird stomach bug," the man explained gently. "We were up all night because of his crying and vomiting... do you want something to drink?"

"I'm okay," I declined his offer and positioned myself down on the living room couch. 

Troy must have noticed my uneasy body language and bouncing leg, because he immediately suggested that he would go fetch Ally. Then after a few moments later of the towering male disappearance, his presence was replaced with a smaller woman; also known as Ally Brooke.