Wait For Me To Come Home

Chapter 15

With a groan, Lauren rolled over and switched her alarm off. She felt awful. Her throat was aching and her head was banging as she sat upright, wincing at the crack of light peeking through the curtains. Scrambling for her phone, Lauren sent a quick text to Ally, asking her to cancel all of her appointments and meetings for the day. Luckily it was a Saturday so she didn't have many meetings anyway. Rolling back over, Lauren fell back to sleep shivering, and hoping that she'd feel better when she woke up.

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            She woke up at twelve to the incessant buzzing of her phone. Blinking away the last remnants of her sleep, Lauren grabbed her phone and slid across to answer, not bothering to take the time to check who it was.

            "Yes?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

            "Hey, It's me. Are you almost here?" Camila asked.

            Lauren shot up in bed, remembering she was supposed to meet Camila at their café for lunch. "Fuck. No, I forgot. Sorry, I'll be there as soon as I can," Lauren said, before dissolving into a coughing fit.

            "You sound awful, is everything okay?" Camila's voice came through, coloured with concern.

            "I feel like shit, I think I'm getting sick," Lauren rasped, collapsing back against the pillows, and throwing an arm across her face.

            "What is it? The flu? A stomach bug?" Camila asked, panicking slightly.

            "Relax, it's just a sore throat and a slight cold. I'm fine," Lauren reassured Camila, pushing aside her concerns. "I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

            "No, no. You stay in bed, I'll be there as soon as I can," Camila told her firmly, leaving no room for Lauren to argue.

            "Um, okay," Lauren mumbled, her voice coming out scratchy.

            "Okay, see you soon. Love you, bye."

            Lauren paused at Camila's words, her mouth opening as she thought of something to reply. There was silence on the other end, and before Lauren could reply, Camila hung up. Lauren stared down at her phone with a bewildered smile on her face.

            She stumbled out of bed and had a quick shower, hoping the hot water would make her feel better. Dressed in some clean pyjamas, Lauren wandered into the kitchen to grab some painkillers and a glass of water. After she quickly downed them, she wandered back into her room and crawled back into bed. The darkness of her room helped soothe Lauren's headache, and she could feel the effects of the painkillers kicking in. She momentarily drifted off to sleep as she waited for Camila to arrive.

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            Almost an hour later there was a knock on the door. Lauren pulled herself upright and shuffled to the front door. Pulling it open, she revealed a nervous looking Camila, weighed down by numerous paper bags.

            "Hey," Lauren croaked, stepping aside to let Camila in.

            "Oh, you don't look well at all," Camila tutted, grimacing at Lauren before making her way into the kitchen. She set the bags down on the counter and turned around, gesturing for Lauren to come closer. "Come here."

            Lauren obeyed, and closed the distance between the two of them. Camila gently touched the back of her hand to Lauren's burning forehead and cheeks, checking her temperature. "I think you have a fever. Have you taken anything for it?" Camila asked, her forehead wrinkling with concern.