Decoy (Camren)

Chapter Six

*trigger warning for death*

September 12th

The weight of my gun is just starting to get comfortable, my eyes heavy from lack of sleep. I can't stop thinking about The Dealer and what he wants to do with me. Did I know him before the accident as well?

I take a calming breath, easing myself into slumber after fighting it for majority of the night. Thankfully I have the day off from work. I feel my body jerk from the vibration of my phone ringing beside me. I squint my eyes to look at the screen to see it is an unknown number. My palms start to sweat, thinking The Dealer has somehow gotten ahold of my phone number. Who knows what he's capable of?

I answer it with a shaky breath. "H-hello?"

"Camila? Hey, it's Lauren. I got your number from Natasha...who got it from Elise."

I release a sigh of relief upon hearing the familiar voice through the receiver, even if it has been a month since we've spoken last.

"Hey, Lauren," I say as I sit up in bed, trying to keep my voice down so I don't wake a sleeping Elise down the hall. I look over at my alarm clock to see the illuminate green numbers reading four in the morning. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Ace."

Silence.

"N-No one's called me that since before the accident." I fumble with the hem of my NYU shirt.

She clears her throat before saying, "I just called to ask you something."

"At four in the morning?"

"I couldn't wait," she says, and I could practically feel her smiling through the phone.

"Okay, go ahead."

"There's new club opening called Side-Tracked, and I was wondering if you would like to be my date."

A warm feeling comes over my chest at the kind gesture, and I find myself smiling without realizing it.

"How should I dress?"

"So, that's a yes?"

I bite my lip and say, "For now."

She laughs. "I'll pick you up at eight. And wear what's comfortable for you."

Before we hang up, she chimes in once again. "If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you sleeping?"

I take a moment to collect my thoughts, thinking of the playing card pinned to my wall in the living room and the gun underneath my pillow.

"Ever since you told me about The Dealer, I can't stop thinking about it. Why me, you know?" I take a deep breath as I look off into the distance.

"I shouldn't have told you about it, and I apologize, but he won't come anywhere near you. You'll be safe with me."

I smile into the receiver once more. "Goodnight, Lauren."

"Goodnight, Camila."

***

I'm sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal as I watch Elise pace the floor with her hands in her hair.

"This is the first real date I've been on since I was with Kyle. What if I screw it up? What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if—"

"Elise!" I yell as I set down my bowl on the coffee table, walking over to her and grabbing her face in my hands, her hazel eyes reflecting in my brown ones. "Stop worrying, you aren't going to screw it up. She likes you, that's obvious."