If I Were A Boy (camren)

Chapter Thirty

"Karla!" A familiar low voice burst through the hospital room entrance, making both of our sleeping bodies lurch forward. I immediately slithered my arm off of Camila's stomach and placed it at my side at the sight of her husband in the doorway. 

His hair was a tangled mess and strands were sticking up all of the place. A few sweat beads had trickled down just over his eyebrows to stick there, and white v-neck was hung loosely around his torso. 

"Austin, hey," Camila's throat produced a raspy tone that instantly made my gut drop lower than it should be. She rubbed at her eyelids sleepily before speaking again, "I see you finally decided to visit."

"I'm so sorry," he practically begged for forgiveness as he approached her bedside with the palms of his hands smacked together in prayer. "I've been just so busy with work, baby. I also had to talk with our insurance company and the apartment complex in order to sort things all out."

"I get it," the woman's response lowered to a whisper. She was obviously furious, but didn't want to start a fight. "Why do you look like you were mauled by a bear," she furrowed her brows, "without the scratches and bruises and broken bones."

"I, uh," Austin was lost for an explanation, apparently searching through his screwed up mind for a believable lie. "What is Lauren doing here? Shouldn't she be in her own room?"

"She was just keeping me some company," Camila opened her mouth before I could try to defend myself. "Unlike you did."

"Oh come on, honey," the cheating man pleaded again as he reached forward to link his fingers with his clueless wife's. "You know you love me."

"Whatever," she shrugged with an added sigh. "Could you actually go get the doctor or someone with painkillers? I have a killer headache."

"Of course," Austin nodded his head vigorously. "And maybe later tonight we could out together? You know, if you're feeling up to it."

"I'll think about it, okay?" Camila softened her tone and flashed a tiny smile at her husband who then leaned forward to press his chapped lips against her crackled cheek before exiting at a fast pace. Camila shifted her entire body on its side in order to face me, "How are you feeling? Can you talk?"

"Same," I took a deep breath and removed myself from under the sheets. "Last night."

She frowned, "That's a shame. I thought maybe it would improve and that we could talk about," her voice dropped to a whisper, "certain things."

"Camz," I noticed the pearly grin improve and become even larger at the familiar nickname that I haven't used in years. "You know."

"There are no three words that can be as powerful as those," Camila admitted sheepishly, looking down at her fingernails so she could begin picking at them nervously. "But-"

"No buts," I shook my head with a wag of a finger. "Don't respond. Sink in."

"You want me to let them soak in?" She snorted. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and she sighed, continuing, "Do you know how long I have waited for you to tell me that, Lauren? Too long. Five years actually. You think those times I kissed you that I didn't mean it? I meant ever touch, every feel, Lauren Jauregui."

"Can't," I groaned to myself and covered my already closed eyes with the palms of my hands, rubbing at them in annoyance. "Respond now."

"When you can," Camila shuffled into a sitting position on the edge of her covers. "Please come to me. I'd really like to sit down with you Lauren, and talk about this. Professionally- like the adults we are."