Dark Paradise (Camren)

You have to stop (17)

POV Lauren Jauregui

I knelt in front of Veronica and put a lock of hair that fell on her face behind her ear.

-Vero. – I whispered, she probably passed out, her pressure must have dropped – Vero, wake up.

I shook her face a little bit and she slowly regained her consciousness.

-Lauren... It was a dream, right? – her eyes roamed around the place and they instantly started to water – It wasn't a bad dream? – I shook my head.

-No, Vero. – I glued my forehead on hers – I also wanted it to be.

-You are going to kill me, aren't you? – I got up and threw the blood soaked dagger on the floor.

I approached the sideboard that was nearby, opening the drawer and grabbing a cigarette from the pack of cigarettes, promptly I lit it. My hands were shaking. THINK, LAUREN.

Vero began to cry uncontrollably and I started to walk again from one side to the other, dragging as much smoke as I could from the cigarette. Veronica's crying flooded the warehouse. With the cigarette still between my fingers, I massaged my right temple, trying to silence the pain. Veronica murmured something, I couldn't hear what, I assumed she was praying.

-SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, VERONICA, LET ME THINK. – the woman got scared and swallowed her crying – I'm sorry. – I approached her quickly and knelt in front of her – I'm sorry.

I caressed her face and she burst into tears again.

-You weren't supposed to be here. – she nodded her head frantically – Why, Vero? Why did you come here? – Vero squirmed, trying to free her hands – Shhh, you won't be able to free yourself, just tell me what you came here to do.

-I've been feeling like crap these last few days. – thick tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face – Normani... N... Nor... – she couldn't finish the sentence and cried even more.

-I know, you two broke up. – she nodded – You were jealous of me, weren't you? – she nodded again, I hugged her and stroked her hair – Shhh, it's okay, it's okay. – I said trying to calm her down, but the truth was that I didn't know if everything would be okay.

-Yes, I was jealous. – she said and I backed away.

-B... But after I realized how stupid I was being. – I got up but continued to listen attentively – I went to your house to apologize, I know it was late, Lauren.

It was indeed quite late.

-But I haven't been able to sleep anyways, I thought it would do no harm, I wanted to apologize to you first, then I would talk to Mani. – she laughed sadly – I wanted to patch things up, it was when...

She swallowed hard and I impatiently walked from one side to the other.

-It was when you saw me put Steve in the trunk. – I laughed humorlessly and she nodded.

-As a police officer I decided to follow you and... – she began to cry compulsively – And here we are. I can't believe you are the Maniac Polaroid. – I laughed.

-Okay, Veronica, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, it's not your fault.

I went to the sideboard where I had grabbed the cigarette and picked up the revolver I had stored there.

I approached the brunette who was looking at me crying incessantly. I took her phone from her pocket and put it in the pocket of my pants. Come on, Lauren, you need courage for this. I went behind the chair and began to untie her arms and legs.