FORGET YOU LAUREN

CHAPTER 18

Track 13: Dancing With Our Hands Tied (4:49)
Camila POV

THE "SENIOR LODGE TRIP" might as well have been code for "sex filled weekend with unlimited alcohol." Add in the fact that it was Halloween, and that made things even crazier.

From the very moment we boarded the bus, flasks and red cups flowed up and down the aisle, couples made out like no one else was watching, and those who were beyond drunk led a large group in singing off-key nineties songs. As for the "crazier" part, a masked Spiderman passed out weed-infused gummies, Cinderella gorged on whipped cream, and Queen Elsa (Well, all five of them) chugged a fresh beer every other hour.

Since this was a loosely sanctioned event, there were no officials from our college onboard. There was only a group of organizers who demanded that we abide by three simple rules.

Don't get into any fights.

Don't overdrink.

Wear condoms.

I stared ahead as the bus coasted down a winding lane, hoping like hell we would make it to the "amazing lodge" soon. My heart was beating an aching rhythm I'd never felt before, and I needed to get the hell off the bus as soon as possible.

From the moment I saw Teresa sitting next to Lauren—resting her head on Lauren's shoulder and whispering into her ear, I felt some type of way.

What are they up there talking about?

"You okay, Camilita?" Ryan tapped my shoulder, making me look at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" He smiled and handed me a bagel. "You've been pretty quiet for these first few hours. Don't tell me I'll have to spend this entire weekend talking to myself."

"Not at all," I said, returning his smile. "Sorry about that. Did you bring any small canvases we could work on while we're here?"

"Of course not."

"What do you mean? I thought you said you wanted to spend time painting together."

"Camila, whenever we're on campus, we spend time painting together. And whenever we're not doing that, we're getting coffee together."

"So?"

"So..." he said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss against my lips. "I think we can find other ways to spend our time while we're at the lodge this weekend." He kissed me a bit harder, gently parting my lips with his tongue before pulling away.

"Okay." I smiled and looked toward the front of the bus, catching sight of Lauren staring at me.

Her jaw was clenched and I knew she'd seen the entire kiss. I also knew that I didn't feel a goddamn thing in my chest until just now when her eyes locked on mine.

"Okay everyone, I need you to listen up." She spoke into the mic as the bus made its way through a gate. Her eyes remained on mine, and she narrowed them as Ryan draped his arm around my shoulders.

"When the bus stops, you need to go inside the lodge and get in line at one of the three check-in tables," she said. "Some of the seniors who helped organize this are already there, and they should have a packet with your room information and the catering schedule on it." She paused and gripped a headrest as the bus drove against a bumpy road.

"Every person has his or her own room, and each room has a panoramic view of the mountains. There'll be unlimited hot chocolate, S'mores, and coffee at all five of the lodge's fireplaces, unlimited access to the row of hot tubs at the bottom level, and—" She stopped talking when Ryan began threading his fingers through my hair. "And the rest of the information will be in your packet." She glared at me and tossed the mic to Greg before returning to her seat.