Like I Do - Camren

Chapter 25

Camila's POV
Two weeks. Two weeks had passed and Lauren still acted like we were just friends. Like we never kissed. Like we never said our "I love you"s. I didn't want to bring it up. Obviously she wasn't into me anymore. She's been constantly talking to the on-tour therapist, Lucy, and I'm pretty sure that she's into her and vice versa. I mean, Lucy is hot, don't get me wrong, and she's extremely nice. I would have a crush on her if it weren't for Lauren.

I was in a session with Lucy and I sat in silence, contemplating on asking her if there is something going on between her and Lauren when she broke the silence. "It's been an hour. Want to wrap up this session and talk more next time?" She asks, to which I replied with a "sure" and we both stand up.

Lauren is waiting outside the door, and for a split second I thought that it could've been for me but she shot me a smile and went straight for a hug from Lucy. I tried to hide the hurt and walked past them quickly as the started conversing.

"Hey, Walz. What's got you down?" Dinah approaches me as I sit at the table. "What? Nothing. Why would you think something is wrong?" I sit up as Dinah sits across from me.

"You look all sad and mopey. You haven't... y'know.... Have you?" She asks, to which I shake my head. "It's nothing." I say. "Well obviously it's something. You can talk to me, Mila." She puts her hand on mine, which is resting on the table. I sigh shakily, and look at her face. "It's just... I think Lauren lost interest." I shrug, and look back down.

Dinah looks at me weirdly for a second before responding. "Are you blind? That girl is head over heels for you." Dinah says, rolling her eyes. "It's just... She won't kiss me. Or even hug me for that matter. I asked her if she wanted to get dinner and she brushed it off and said she was hanging out with Lucy." I reply. "To dinner? As a date?" She questions. "Well, yeah." I say. "Did she know it was a date?" Dinah asks. "I asked her specifically if she wanted to grab dinner with me. There's no way she didn't know."

"She can be pretty oblivious, so maybe she didn't realize." Dinah finally says after a minute of thinking. "I don't know Dinah. Her and Lucy and getting close. Plus, she's the safer option." I sigh. "C'mon, Camila. Don't do that to yourself, okay? I'm sure she's just distracted. Just talk to her." Dinah reassures. "I don't think I can. What if she did change her mind? I would just rather pretend she does still like me instead of finding out that she doesn't." I say, and now Dinah sighs. "Mila, I care about you. Please just talk to her."

-

Dinah's POV

"Hey, Mani." I say, as Normani sits next to me on the lounge couch. "Hey, Dinah. Can we talk?" She asks, to which I nod curiously. "Listen, you're one of my best friends, and I love you... as a friend." She says, and I nod again, unsure of where the conversation was going. "Look, I know you have some kind of crush on me, okay?" She finally blurts. I'm taken aback by that, and I can tell it shows on my face. "What? No, I don't- uh- like you... Who said th-"

"Dinah stop." She cuts me off. "I know, okay? Don't ask me how, I just do." She sighs. "And I'm okay with it. I don't... reciprocate... but I'm sure you'll get over me. As long as this doesn't change our friendship. It's no big deal. It's not like it really matters at all." She shrugs. "Right." I reply shortly, gears slowly turning in my head. She's down playing my feelings. I get up to walk out. "Wait, Dinah. I didn't mean it like that..." She starts, but I'm already halfway out the door. "I'm sure that's exactly what you meant. I get if this makes you uncomfortable or whatever, but you don't get to just tell me that what I feel and think doesn't matter." I say, and walk out.

-

Camila's POV

"Hey, Camila. Can I talk to you? Like, off the record?" Lucy approaches me. "Sure." I say, and pat the spot next to me. "So, since you've been doing so good and I'm being re assigned in a week, I figured now is a good a time as any." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "The thing is... well, uhm... I don't know how to say this... Y'know what? Fuck it." She stops herself and leans forward, capturing my lips in hers. "Hey, Camz, have you seen-" As if on cue, Lauren walks in. "Oh my..." She says, as I quickly pull away from Lucy. She quickly finds her way back out the door, tears in her eyes.

When Lucy makes no move to go after her, I eye her suspiciously. "I thought you two were dating?" I question. "What? No. Just friends." Lucy puts her hands up in defense. "But we should talk about..." She starts, but I jump up to chase after Lauren. "Wait!" Lucy calls, but I'm already on Lauren's trail. She is almost out of the bus when I catch up to her.

"Lauren! Lauren, wait!" I call after her, finally catching up enough to grab her wrist and spin her around. "What?" She asks harshly, and I quickly let go of her wrist and look down. "I don't know if you're mad at Lucy or me." I say, and look down. She doesn't say anything, and when I look back up she has a confused expression on. "You said you have feelings for me, but then you and Lucy were hanging out so much I thought you guys had a thing or something and you didn't kiss me anymore or even cuddle and you said 'no' when I asked you out and-" I start. "What? You never asked me out..." She cuts me off, still scowling. "Yeah. I did. Two nights ago, I asked if you wanted to get dinner with me. But you already had plans with Lucy." I look down in semi-embarassment.

"I didn't know..." She says. "Oh. Sorry." I quickly reply. "I don't even like Lucy... like that. I love you!" She exclaims. "I thought you didn't anymore..." I say quietly. "But I swear, Lucy kissed me. I didn't even know she was going to." I defend. "I just... I hate the fact that I'm not the only one who has kissed you." She looks down, sadly.

"I didn't know she was going to kiss me. I'm sorry, Lauren." I say, trying to keep ahold of whatever relationship that we have. "I know. And I knew Lucy had a thing for you. She was always looking at you, and I tried to convince myself that she didn't but..." She sighs and stops herself. "You didn't tell her about us?" I question.

"There isn't an us." She replies, and I quickly look down. "Oh. Right. I'm sorry." I say, and slowly start to back away. "Wait, Camz no. That's not... I didn't mean it like that." She reaches out and grabs my wrists. "It's just, neither of us has asked each other out yet." She clarifies. "But I did..." I bite my lip. "I didn't realize that, though." She says. "Right." My gaze rests on my socked feet.

"Camz, let me take you on a date. Obviously it won't be fancy, because we can't get caught what with management and all, but it'll be a date. And you're mine, okay? I know we didn't clarify it, and we don't have to label ourselves right now, but you're mine, and I'm yours." Lauren starts walking closer. I gulp, and nod my head. Right when I think she's going to pull away, she closes the gap between us and kisses me. I realize then that I prefer her kisses over Lucy's.

Well, I'm finally back. I just kind of lost motivation, and I've been busy with work and now school. But thanks to whoever still reads this