I'm Here For You

When will we learn to love ourselves?

After days of scouting the campus, Lauren finally managed to track down Vero just as she was leaving a class and she had every intention of taking full advantage of the opportunity. She didn't hesitate to pull the girl to the side, into a corridor deserted by the other student and slam her into a wall with a little more force than necessary.

"Why the fuck would you think it's a good idea for you to make out with me?" Lauren stepped back, giving the girl some space after catching the glare Vero pointed directly at her.

After patting down her shirt and shrugging her small backpack higher onto her shoulder, Vero sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I wanted to see what all the fuss was about." She ran a hand through her hair. "She was so hung up on you for a reason and I wanted to know why. What kind of magic kiss does Lauren Jauregui have that I don't?"

"We dated for two and a half years, you idiot! It wasn't about physicality, it was about...the quality of the time spent." Lauren scoffed. "God, why am I even justifying my past relationship to you? Do you even care about her?"

"Probably more than you do." Vero sneered, crossing her arms. "Look, I had a bit to drink, you were there wallowing in your own self-pity...I fucked up. We both did. Difference is...I want to work things out with her and you're walking away."

"Why would I trust you to do right by her?" Lauren rolled her eyes, crossing her own arms as she arched a brow. "All I've seen from you since I met you is hostility towards me and indifference towards her, she deserves better than that."

"You know, before you showed up...I made her happy," Vero narrowed her eyes at Lauren. "She was fine before you reappeared in her life and fucked it up."

"We fucked it up." Lauren gestured between them. "If you cared about her, you never would've spared me a second glance. God, I kinda wanna kick your ass."

"Why do you care so much? Aren't you head-over-heels for your tourist lesbian best friend?"

"I love Lucy," Lauren stopped Vero before she could carry on with whatever line of thought she had going. "I will always love Lucy, that's never gonna change. That's why I care so much."

"Not enough to choose her."

"Enough to know that she deserves better than to just have half of my heart." Lauren explained. "Vero, I am in love with my best friend, I can't just expect Lucy to ignore that now. So I'm walking away so she can find something better than that and I kind of hoped that would be with you because as crazy as you seem...I also saw the hurt in your eyes when you met me because you thought you were losing her." The green-eyed girl sighed heavily. "I was wrong about you. You don't deserve her and neither do I. We should both be doing her the favour of just...letting her live her life."

And it was a sudden change. Vero's defensive facade dropped and her eyes filled with concern, her body slumped and she released all the anger pent up in her shoulders.

"What if I want to work things out with her? What if I think there's still something there to work out?" The brunette ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I get it, I was a total fuck up kissing you and truthfully, I didn't even like it all that much. I wanted her to be mad at you mostly and, I mean, she is...but she hasn't talked to me at all. I'm not this vindictive piece of shit, I'm just-"

"Scared." Lauren nodded, understanding where the other girl was coming from because she knew Lucy was a lot to lose. "You owe it to her to give her the choice of what she wants to do from here on out. Don't force her to hear your apologies if she doesn't want to. If she can find it in her to forgive you, which, trust me, she will, then you wait for her to come to you with that forgiveness. Tell her you're sorry...and then leave her be. Lucy is single-handedly the most understanding person I know."