How Are You True?

Chapter 26: Should It Really Stay In Vegas?

TW: Mention of sexual assault.

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11:40pm - MGM Grand Hotel

"You can explain, right? So explain."

Lauren pressed her back against the wall beside María, her hands too, and stole five seconds to compose herself. The room was spinning like a Gravitron, only not as fast. Gravity wasn't her best friend right now. María wasn't any better. She was still high off the Molly but the confrontation in this moment spiked her anxiety. The come down was creeping up on her. Camila tapped her foot and raised both eyebrows, her hand still on her hips.

"Are you two coming up with a lie or what? Because trust me, you don't want to do that."

"Okay, look..." Lauren slurred, reopening her eyes. "Let me start from the beginning. Remember the fight Madison and María had about getting married? And how María kept saying no and wished Madison were like me?"

"I said it because it was true in a way, but not because I have feelings for Lauren or want to be with her. I just sometimes wish Madison could love me the way Lauren loves you, that's what I" —María hiccuped— "meant but Mads didn't see it that way."

"And María pretended she didn't want to get married and made her believe she didn't care so much about the relationship because she was setting up a proposal. She wanted to shock Madison and I was literally helping her with how she was going to do it. We put soo much work...into it and," Lauren took a deep breath and winced, cutting herself off. She desperately needed some water. "Sorry, I'm dehydrated. Anyway. Mmria and I came up with and organised a scavenger hunt starting in L.A. then finishing in Miami. And she needed my help a lot with the details but she also needed my advice to keep the charade going or just to vent—"

"Then when Mads broke up with me and said there was someone else. I was devastated and Lauren was the only one who could help me because she knew everything that was going on—"

"Hold up, how come Lauren was the only one? You couldn't confide in Nate or Kehlani or anyone else? It's not like you didn't have options, María. And second, Lauren you told me when you went off with María to the hotel you owned that you were planning a surprise for me—"

"Yes, María was helping me with that too. It's not the same thing though, it's something else and I'd really rather not fucking tell you because it's supposed to be a surprise!" Lauren raised her voice. Why couldn't Camila just mind her own business, trust Lauren and let shit happen? Now the proposal wouldn't even surprise her or hit as hard. "We weren't fucking, weren't doing anything other than trying to help each other make our significant others happy. Yes, I can admit I made the whole thing look suspicious. I didn't intend for it to. Yes, I can admit that telling you what I've done and the way I thought about María didn't help either, but I was being honest just like I am now and you KNOW that little moment in the bathroom was out of my control. I hate it—"

"Okay, but—"

"I'm not done talking, Camila," Lauren spoke over her. "Simon told me what you thought and that everyone was making bets that Ría and I were hooking up. That you thought I was lying to you and betraying you. And I know damn well you set Madison up to lie to María and say there was someone else just to hurt her feelings, make her jealous and somehow expose herself with me to hurt Madison back. That was the dumbest shit you've ever done, you played them both just to get the truth out of me when I have been telling you the truth from the start. And the ONLY reasons," Lauren's voice grew louder when Camila opened her mouth to speak again, "the only reasons we hooked up just now was because we were curious, high on MDMA, and knew we wouldn't be breaking any rules because Ría is single and YOU gave me permission to do whatever I wanted with whomever I wanted. It was only physical, not emotional."