Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 53

A/N: I've literally had the shittiest week so I'm sorry this has taken so long to reach you all. Thanks for your patience and I can only hope that you enjoy it x

"We have to talk?" Lauren asked, a sense of dread coming over her at the seriousness of Camila's tone. "It's just..." Camila started hesitantly, her gaze fixed firmly on the tub of Nutella in her right hand, her left fiddling with the teaspoon distractedly. "It's just what Camz?" Lauren asked anxiously when she didn't continue. "Are you breaking up with me?" "What?" Camila responded, her head snapping up and her attention returning to the brunette sat beside her. "No of course I'm not. Why would you even ask me that?" "Nothing ever good comes from a conversation that starts with 'we have to talk,'" Lauren told her, recalling the bouquet of flowers and the picnic Camila had set up for her. "Is that what all this is about?" she asked interestedly, gesturing to the blanket they were sat on and the

picnic basket beside them. "Did you set this all up to soften the blow of what you're going to say?" "No," Camila answered truthfully. "I mean, maybe a little bit but, I wanted to do all this for you," she disclosed. "Ithought that it would be nice, you know, to spend today doing something special together. Especially with the concert later on..."She trailed off and Lauren waited patiently thinking that she would continue. "Ok..." Lauren said with a puzzled expression on her face when Camila didn't go on. "That still doesn't explain what we have to talk about though." She noted. "Are you ok?" she asked. "I mean, you're not like, dying or anything are you?" she questioned worriedly. The corner of Camila's mouth turned up in a halfsmile and she deposited the teaspoon she held in her left hand in to the tub of Nutella in her right. "We're all dying Lauren," she commented simply and Lauren felt her stomach lurch at the somewhat evasive answer. "What does that mean?" Lauren said, her voice coming out panicked, her pitch increasing slightly as a result of her concern. "Are you sick?" "No," Camila said, reaching out her free hand to place it on Lauren's forearm reassuringly, her fingertips grazing the skin there as they stroked it gently. "I'm fine. I promise. I'm not dying any more than you are." She assured her. "Ok, well you're kind of freaking me out a little bit here Camz," Lauren informed her girlfriend, placing her free hand on top of Camila's and picking it up to lace their fingers together, "So, whatever is it that you've got to say, can you just say it? I'm picturing all kinds of horrible

scenarios in my head and I think I'd rather you just put me out of my misery if it's something bad." "It's not bad," Camila responded, squeezing Lauren's hand. "At least, I don't think it is but, Ijust...I don't want you to take what I say the wrong way, that's all." Lauren remembered back to the conversation that she'd had with her mom this morning regarding Camila and thought that she finally understood the direction that the conversation was headed in. "Oh," Lauren said, realisation dawning on her. "Is this about you being able to do more for yourself?" she asked Camila, a sense of relief washing over her that it might be nothing more serious than that. "Who told you?" Camila asked surprised and Lauren bit her bottom lip for a moment feeling slightly embarrassed. "My mom might have mentioned something to me," she admitted tentatively. "She told me that your mom had talked to her about you wanting to be able to have more independence now that you're home." "Alright, so I guess we don't need to talk too much then," Camila laughed light- heartedly at Lauren's revelation. "I mean, what do you think about it?" she asked hesitantly. "About you having more independence?" Lauren questioned and Camila nodded her head in response. "Camz I'd do anything to help you," Lauren said supportively, placing her own teaspoon in to the tub of Nutella and her now free hand against the side of Camila's face lovingly.

"You know that right?" "Yes," Camila answered, chuckling to herself and pressing the side of her cheek in to Lauren's palm more firmly. "That's kind of the problem though." "What do you mean?" Lauren responded confused. "You're amazing," Camila stated conclusively tilting her head back into a more neutral position. "You are Lauren," she reaffirmed. "Even when we weren't dating, right back at the start of our friendship, you were always there to help and support me in everything." She continued. "I don't want you to think that I'm ungrateful because I'm not. I really appreciate everything that you've done for me and everything that you still do for me..." "You don't want me to do them any more though," Lauren finished for Camila when her girlfriend failed to complete her sentence, her voice instead fading out doubtfully. "I know it's ridiculous," Camila said, rolling her eyes slightly. "I'm being ridiculous. I know." "You're not ridiculous," Lauren countered. "I am," Camila disagreed. "I mean, the things you do for me, they're small, you know? It's like, you'll open the door for me or carry my bag." She informed her. "Or you'll help me in and out of the car and its sweet..." She noted. "Chivalrous even..." "But?" Lauren pressed knowingly. "I think they're normal things to do when you're in a relationship," Camila continued, ignoring Lauren's prompt for the negative part of the conversation to begin. "I think that if you were in a relationship with anyone else, it wouldn't matter..." "I'm in a relationship with you," Lauren reminded her. "So it does matter Camz, especially if