Too Close To Home (Camren)

Chapter 12

"I know it's not ideal going here again. You know, considering our last encounter here. And it's okay if you don't want to. We can just go back to the hotel or something-"

"Lo."

"-It's your birthday so it's your choice. I don't mind. I don't want to do anything against your will. So it's fine if-"

"Lo."

"-you wanna go back. Really.. It's not like I thought this through or-"

"Lauren," I said firmly, finally catching her attention from her ramblings. "Breathe," I advised, cackling a bit at how nervous she was. Through all of the time we've hung out today, she was never uncertain of things. I didn't get why she was nervous now.

As she caught her breath, I decided to speak up, "I don't mind going here... Really. I just don't understand why."

"Oh, um.. it's cause I don't like leaving things on a bad note here. I want to make amends, I guess. You know? Replacing the bad memories with the good ones," she answered, chuckling nervously.

She was so nervous to the point of amusement; on my part at least. I decided to tease her since she's rarely like this. "Who says we're gonna have a good time now?" I questioned while smirking.

"Well, umm.. for one, I have sandwiches in the trunk and you never get angry when there's food."

True.

"Secondly, we're better now, considering we spent our day without trying to kill each other."

"Hey!" I argued. "How would you know I didn't want to kill you? I held your hand for a reason, Lauren. I wanted to crush your bones that you'd die. It was the perfect plan, I would have some sort of reason to 'accidentally' kill you. But I was too nice and decided to spare your life.. For now. You think I would hold your hand willingly? Such accusations, Lauren."

She laughed loudly at my deficient attempted joke, her head falling in an exaggerated manner against the steering wheel. Even if it was probably the lamest joke I've ever said, she never failed to make me feel like I was the funniest person alive.

As she finally caught her breath, she smiled and said, "Since it's your birthday, I'll believe your logic on how crushing a single hand could kill a person. But are you sure you wanna go? It's really okay if you don't want to."

"It's fine.. I kinda understand. I love this place, it's a shame that the argument we had seems to overshadow it."

"Alrighty then."

She climbed out, opening the door for me yet again. And although she had done it a lot of times today, it never failed to make me giddy.

Before we walked to the path we know so well, she opened the trunk and took a basket and a picnic blanket out.

Damn, this doesn't look like she's 'not thinking it through.' But I decided not to tease her with that.

We walked to our spot, side by side, kicking the small pebbles softly as we past them.

When we were finally reached our spot, she began to place the basket down and spread the blanket across the sand bed. She took the basket and placed it in the middle of the huge blanket, sitting down soon after.

A wave of nausea hit me then. Even if it was in the afternoon instead of any other time, spring instead of any other season, sun instead of the moon, clothed with a blanket instead of just the sand bed, Lauren would sit on the same damn spot she always sits on.