A Light in the Dark

Chapter 28

Camila looked down and shuddered. The wind had gotten colder and it played with a few loose strands of hair that had escaped her messy bun. It was kind of peaceful, if one ignored the sound of car engines beneath her.

She didn't know how much time had passed since she had left the café, but it had to be late afternoon or early evening. In front of her was one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen and she chuckled at the irony. She had walked aimlessly around the city for hours until she ended up here. It was so cliché.

Camila glanced up to the skyline of New York. It had always been her dream to live in this city. When she was twelve, she had this big poster on her wall of the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset. But that picture couldn't do the reality justice.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She was alone. There was no one in the world who would really miss her. Hell, they would probably throw a party. But why wasn't she able to do it?

Something was holding her back and she knew exactly what it was. Or rather who. Camila wanted to strangle her. No, not really. It was the opposite.

Every time she tried to do it, green eyes appeared in front of her and the raspy voice echoed in her head.

'You're important to me... please, please don't do this...'

Camila looked down to the cars that were driving on the Brooklyn Bridge and glanced for the hundredth time to the spot where she was probably able to climb up. She had never been good at sports, but climbing had always been her strong suit.

'I'm here... and I won't leave. You're not alone anymore, Camz.'

She took a deep breath and tightly grabbed the railing.

"Fuck you, Lauren," she choked out, wincing slightly when the cold wind attacked her wet cheeks. "Fuck you, Lauren Michelle Jauregui. Just... screw you!"

"Camz?" the all too familiar but very insecure voice called out behind her.

Camila tensed up, not daring to turn around. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She couldn't be here. New York was so big and so full of people, Lauren couldn't have known where to look.

"Camz? I... what did I do?" She sounded so small and her voice was raspier than usual, like she had been crying...

Camila swallowed and twirled around and there she stood, mere feet away. Lauren's usual vivid green eyes had been replaced with a dull gray and they were brimming with tears.

"... Camz? A-are you okay?"

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to get control over her emotions. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel. It was too much. This whole day had been too much.

Shaking her head, Camila balled up her fists. "Why are you here?"

"I... I was..." Lauren trailed off, pausing for a moment. "I was worried. You just left and... and nobody knew where you were... I thought..."

"So I can't even go out alone anymore? You're not my fucking babysitter, Lauren!" she hissed out, finally making eye contact.

Lauren looked taken aback. "I didn't say that, I was just..."

"You don't trust me, is that it?" Camila didn't know why she was suddenly so livid, but she couldn't stop herself. In the last few hours she had spent too much time with thinking... and her thoughts hadn't exactly been in Lauren's favor. "My life is not any of your goddamn business!"

"Camz, of course I trust you," Lauren told her and Camila could tell that she was hurt by her words. Good.

"Funny way of showing it! How did you even know where to find me?"