Chocolate

Twenty Two

"Hi."

"Um, Hey." Lauren unsurely greeted back, not knowing who this guy was or what he was doing here in the first place. He turned his head back to her direction from Camila who just seemed to be frozen on her spot and was crushing her hand to the fact that Lauren slightly whimpered in pain.

Oops.

Camila immediately loosened her hold and drew circles on the back of Lauren's palm with her thumb to make up for it. Somehow, holding Lauren's hand made her calm down a bit from all the emotions she was feeling right now all at once.

Camila barely even recognized the boy seeing that a lot had really changed in his physical appearance. She used to be as tall as him when they were younger but now he was skyrocketing her and he looked more built now. Though He still held that charming smile. Camila had to admit she used to have this crush on him or that's what she thought anyway, it was probably just some phase - she wasn't so sure because the feeling of having a crush on Lauren was just way more different than she had a crush on him.

She was well aware that she liked Lauren more than a crush though.

"Oh, r-right, um... I'm Evan, new neighbor." He quickly introduced himself, stretching out his hand to Lauren who smiled politely and shook it.

Whoever this guy was seemed to know Camila and based on the girl's demeanor, Lauren sensed that she knew him too.

"My names Lauren, Nice meeting you." The green eyed girl says and nodded towards Camila, "This is Camila."

"Yeah, I know." He blurted out confirming Lauren's assumptions, turning back to Camila who looked down at her shoes avoiding his gaze. He didn't even try putting any filters on what he had said, not caring for what Lauren thought of him. But Camila's reaction made him slightly frown. He had noticed when he first saw her was that she looked so tired and drained, she didn't even look so happy when she saw him which was the complete opposite when he had arrived here. Not even a small smile was offered to him or a wave, just an unreadable expression on her face.

He missed her so much and he didn't know if Camila had received his text because she hadn't replied even until now. Did she even miss him? Well, she was the one who left after all without any kind of connection... but still.

An awkward tension filled up the air, none of them knowing what else to say as Camila just continued to draw circles on the back of Lauren's palm without looking up. Evan bit the inside of his cheeks seeing their interlaced hand but decided to just ignore it.

The tension suffocated them and this never usually happens with Camila around so he wasn't so used to it. Being with Camila means a lot of endless conversations; jokes, laughters, teasings and stories but now... It felt so different around her but he can't point it out. She was quiet, yes but there was something deeper than that which he didn't know of. Her parents never really told him anything else except for Sofi's death and he couldn't imagine what Camila had been through.

Evan cleared his throat and shuffled on his feet saying, "I-is it okay if... you know, we can talk? Privately?"

"Oh," Lauren breathes out, turning to Camila who finally looked back up and turned to Evan. Lauren knew by 'we' he meant Camila and him. She was still quite nervous and worried for Camila, did he even know she can't talk? What if he suddenly snaps at her for not replying? Sure, Lauren had done that exactly but it was a mistake. A horrible mistake.

She wasn't sure if Camila forgiven her yet and the guilt was eating her alive but it didn't mean she would stop trying to look out for Camila.

Suddenly, Camila releases Lauren's hand and ran back upstairs as fast as she could without another glance behind her. Evan was about to speak up to call her, thinking that he had done something when Lauren quickly cuts him off.

"I'm really sorry Evan but maybe not now." Lauren apologetically says while throwing worried glances behind her shoulder, holding the doorknob with one hand ready to close it.

"Okay." He whispered, nodding softly in understanding. "I guess I'll just see you guys around the neighborhood."

"Bye Evan." With that, Lauren quickly closed the door and ran upstairs to Camila's room while the boy returned back to his home. She noticed based on her previous actions that Camila would usually run away from her problems or when she did a mistake without any second thought. She wondered who Evan was in Camila's life, what if he was her ex?

"Camz?" Lauren called, slowly pushing the door to the girl's room and poked her head inside to see the brown eyed beauty sitting up on her bed, looking out the window with a far look on her eyes. Lauren was about to head to the girl's bed when her phone rang loudly.

Lauren glanced up at Camila then back at her phone before answering it hesitantly. "Hello?"

Camila looked away from the window to look at Lauren, a small frown on her face as she watch Lauren turn around and leave her room to have some privacy for herself.

Not long enough, Lauren reentered the room with an apologetic look plastered on her face.

"I'm really sorry Camz, but I have to go." She says, pursing her lips as she tried to study the latter's expressions. "Luis called and I just... I need to go."

Camila just shook her head and looked down at her fingers, playing with the hem of her shirt. She didn't want Lauren to leave, not yet maybe, especially knowing that Lauren was heading to luis' house. A pang of Pain and jealousy in her heart was what she felt when she heard his name come out of the girl's mouth. She still couldn't accept the fact that they were dating and Lauren liking Luis. It was wrong of her to say no when Lauren wasn't even asking but she just really need her by her side.

So, Camila looked up again with a pleading look in her eyes, her lips slightly pouting as if she was ready to cry and Lauren didn't want that. She hated seeing her cry.

She tried resisting the look by saying, "Camz.. Please, this is really important. I'm sorry, I'll make it up for you next time."

It wasn't some emergency or something but Lauren just couldn't wait any longer to do something she should have done sooner. She finally had made up her mind.

"No, please... Stay."

Lauren's heart almost leaped out of her chest just by finally hearing the girl's beautiful voice come out of her lips again. She missed the soft raspy tone of it and she could never say no to that. She didn't want to acknowledge it tho, risking that Camila might not speak again  — not that she expected her to.

So, Lauren softly nodded and walked towards the girl's bed despite the fast heartbeat of her heart, situating herself beside her and gently kissed the crown of the girl's head making Camila's eyes slowly flutter close. They both didn't speak, the thick tension in the air has vanished and was instead replaced with a comfortable silence. Lauren assumed Camila fell asleep, watching her as soft snores escaped her parted lips and her arms had managed to swing itself rather tightly around Lauren's waist while she was asleep, pulling her body close to her.

Lauren felt that they were slowly going back to the way they used to be — it was a far walk but she sensed they were going somewhere in this and she didn't want to ruin it just by leaving.

The two girls had been standing on the same exact dreading and horrible place, not knowing which way to go but now they were going somewhere — they still didn't know where they were but at least now, they had finally decided to move themselves and tried to find the right where to go. Maybe it was just the first step but it was progress nonetheless.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be long enough before Camila starts speaking to her too.

Luis can wait.

Lauren herself can wait.

Camila was more important to her.