Reunion (Camren)

Chapter 12

"Hey guys, we're home!" Lauren called through the house as she lugged in eight bags.

"You could've made a second trip you know," Ally laughed behind the woman, holding four bags with the knowledge that she still had another four back in the car to grab.

"That's weakness, and I am not weak," Lauren said groaning as she pulled the eight bags up and plopped them all on the center island. "Damn I need to workout more."

"Sure you do, honey," Ally said, patting her friend's arm before turning to go back outside.

"Where is everyone?" Lauren moved to the living room and found Reagan knocked out with her iPad flat on her stomach and a movie playing on its screen. The brunette furrowed her eyebrows as to why Dinah or Camila would let her watch a movie when she could be playing instead, but shook it off as to Reagan probably being in a mood.

Just as she was about to take the device from her sleeping girl, Dinah came down the stairs, a pale look to her face as everyone came in.

"Lo, can you leave her for a sec?" The woman spoke up, stopping everyone at the entrance with her nervous words.

"Is everything alright?" Lauren inquired, moving from the living area to the entrance.

"Um, not exactly," Dinah said, noticing the way both Ally and Normani came closer as well. The sound of a trunk shutting outside signaled Devon coming in soon. Dinah shot a look to Ally and Normani that she would explain later and both moved away quickly.

"Seriously Dinah, what's wrong?" Lauren asked, her worry increasing exponentially.

"Eric and Camila were fighting."

"And?" Lauren prompted.

"He hit her."

"He what!?"

"He hit her and then when Camila tried to stop him from leaving he grabbed her wrist. I punched him but she was so scared and she won't stop crying."

Lauren didn't need to hear anymore, she was already running up the stairs, taking them by two until she reached Camila's shut door. Tentatively she knocked, waiting for a response.

Some sniffling was heard before a voice spoke up, "Come in."

Just as she entered, Camila was sitting up in bed, her hands working to fix her hair and wipe her tear stained cheeks. All movement stopped when emerald eyes locked onto deep brown ones.

It was as if Camila was contemplating all courses of action. Either deny everything or come clean 100%.

She chose the latter over the former.

"Lo," The Latina began to cry harder as her arms reached out for the requested woman. Lauren was quick to get to the bed and pull Camila into her arms, holding the woman close as she sobbed.

"I've got you. He won't hurt you anymore."

It took twenty minutes of tears before Camila composed herself enough to explain. She started by apologizing for Reagan getting hurt because of Eric and then went on to inform Lauren how he wasn't violent before and that he only hit her once when they got into a really heated fight a long while back.

"He apologized and was really nice to mean after that but then today happened and he snapped and hit me. I just thought that it was my fault so I chased after him. I tried to stop him and then he got angrier. I didn't mean to upset him, Lo."

"No, Camz, stop it. You're not allowed to feel bad for any of this. He hit you. He decided that you were an easy target to take out his frustrations on. You can't stay with him, Camz. He'll only get more comfortable with hitting you and then you'll never get free of his abuse."