after this night (camren)

32. Camila

"We weren't supposed to meet until eleven"

......

"I was out for a stroll since this is such a lovely neighbourhood, and look who I ran into" Austin said, gesturing to me, "Lucky me. I got to spend a few minutes with her. She even tried to pay me. But I had to tell her the matter was already settled"

It was as if a truck had slammed into me, smashing everything in my body.

Lauren looked at me, and I saw it in her eyes. Guilt. She was cloaked in it. She reeked of it.

"Lauren" I began slowly, but my brain was quickly lining up the pieces, and I had a sickening feeling that I knew what she'd done, "Austin says -"

She cut me off, "I can explain" she said, sitting next to me, reaching for both my hands and clasping them in hers.

"What do you have to explain? The fact that you paid him already?" I asked heavily, the words like tar in my mouth. I hoped I'd heard wrong. I prayed that Austin was lying. He was a liar, right? That was a more likely explanation than that my woman had lied to me.

She closed her eyes briefly, and the shame washed over her features. It was evident in her mouth, in her eyes, in her jaw, "It was all fake? The game was rigged?"

Lauren shook her head adamantly, "No, the game wasn't rigged. It was all real. I swear"

"Then why doesn't he need the money I won? Is it true you payed him already?" My heart, so full of hope and joy, was turning black, like it had been painted over with a brush, becoming dark and cold in seconds.

"I paid him yesterday" she said, grasping my hand tighter. But I shook her off, tears threatening to spill down my face as that word - yesterday - rang in my ears. The only thing that stopped the waterworks was the presence of Austin. I bit my tongue so I wouldn't cry in front of that man, "I did it because I love you. Because I needed you safe"

"When? When yesterday did you pay him?"

Her jaw tensed, "Last night"

"But when last night?"

"During the game"

"When?" I asked one more time. Biting out the word, "It. Matters. When?"

"He called earlier in the day, and said he needed it by midnight" Lauren said. I was sued to Austin's capriciousness, to the way he changed up times and dates and deadlines to suit himself. This was Austin's M.O. "And you were losing, and I didn't know if you were going to pull it off" she said, and her words cut me to the quick, "So I wired him the money"

"Answer the question, Lauren. When exactly did you wire him the money?"

Lauren looked at me as if stones were in her mouth, "Around eleven-thirty"

"After I told you I loved you?"

She nodded.

"After our conversation about Lucy?"

Another nod, followed by a heavy sigh.

"After you told me you were texting Zayn about the Bainbridge's?"

"Yes"

"Were you texting Zayn or Austin?"

She looked down, and in her silence I knew her answer, and it ripped through my body like a painful tear, like invisible hands were shredding me to pieces.

A loud scraping sound met my ears. Austin had pushed back his chair, "As fascinating as it is to witness a lover's quarrel, I have business matters to attend to. Miss. Jauregui, I thank you very kindly for securing the transaction last night so that I could get on my flight to Miami. I have business to attend to there. I believe the final term of our deal was a handshake" he said, offering his hand to Lauren. The two shook and I wanted to bite both of their fingers, leaving teeth marks, and making them both yelp. Austin patted me on the shoulder, "And that means, Brown, you are free and clear. It has been a pleasure working with you. You made it entertaining for me, and I will miss my top ringer. But I will surely fine someone else who owes me soon. Enjoy Cubic Z. I will not be drinking there again" he said. That was what I wanted, what I'd been fighting for, and I somehow knew Austin meant every word. There was honour among thieves. His word was good on this matter.