Come Back, Be Here (Camren)

Chapter 11

Camila wakes up to the ringing of her phone and she blindly reaches for it on her nightstand, a low groan escaping her lips.

"Hello?" She answers groggily, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Lauren chuckles into the receiver. Her wife never was a morning person.

"Lo, it's so early." The younger brunette whines after glancing at the clock on her bedside table.

"Camz, it's noon." Lauren informs the girl.

"Exactly my point. That's early." The girl protests while burying her head further into her pillow.

"Well if you don't want to get up, I guess me and Cam will just go to the park and get frozen yogurt by oursel-"

"I'm up!" Camila announces as she shoots up from the bed. Lauren lets out a hearty laugh, having known that Camila wouldn't choose sleep over yogurt and a cute puppy.
"I'll be ready in 15. And Lo?"

"Hmm?" The older brunette answers.

"I'm at Austin's, so I'll text you the address." Camila informs her before pressing the end button.

It's been almost a week since Camila last saw any of the four girls. She told them that she was with Austin visiting his parents, but truth be told, Austin was visiting his parents while Camila was hiding out in his apartment all week. When Camila went home with Austin after the fight, they got into an argument, which led to him giving her a shiner on her right eye and a few other bruises.

He's just drunk. He can't help it. He doesn't mean it, She told herself over and over again as she quietly cried herself to sleep.

When she woke up the morning after, the bruises looked so bad and she knew she couldn't face any of the girls. Especially Lauren. She knew if they saw her like that, it would be the last straw and they would confront the boy, which would only make him 10x madder and make the situation 10x worse. So she lied and stayed away. 

As she stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she brings her right hand up to her face to trace the black bruise around her eye that is still visible after three coats of concealer. The brunette huffs and goes to grab her black RayBans. Luckily, they are going to the park today so she won't have to take them off and when they go get frozen yogurt, she will just offer to stay outside with Cam while Lauren goes in.

A few minutes later, there is a knock at her door and she quickly slides her sunglasses on before grabbing her purse off the counter and opening the wooden door. She finds the brunette standing on the other side of it and she can't help the smile that tugs at her lips when she is once again reminded of just how chivalrous the green-eyed girl is.

"Good afternoon." Lauren smiles when the younger brunette opens the door. "Or should I say good morning to you."

"Funny." The brown-eyed girl scoffs playfully before exiting the apartment and walking alongside Lauren to the car. The older girl opens the car door for Camila and the latter offers her a grateful smile. When Camila sees her sleeping puppy curled up on the seat of the car she lets out a squeal.

"Hi baby." She cooes as she carefully picks up the puppy and sits down, placing him on her legs. A smile tugs at her lips when she sees the new yellow collar that is wrapped around his neck and it only gets bigger when she traces her fingers over the stitching on it that spells out 'Cam.'

After she is done oohing and aahing over the sleeping puppy, she remembers her good news and turns to Lauren. "So guess what."

"What?" The green-eyed girl asks, momentarily taking her eyes off the road to steal a glance at the girl in her passenger's seat.