Saving You

Chapter 5

Camila's POV

I woke up with Lauren glued to me. Her head on my chest and her arms tightly around my waist like she was hanging on for her life. I slowly got up and made sure not to wake her. I grabbed a pair of Lauren's running shorts and the same sweatshirt she gave me when we first met and I slowly made my way downstairs. As I was making my coffee and remembering the events from last night, I couldn't help but feel hurt. I know she didn't mean it, but the fact that she even said those things out loud to me hurt. I sat down at the table with my coffee and started texting Dinah about our movie night tonight.

"So your place, right?"

"Yes Chancho!"

"Ok. I don't mean to cut us short but I have a shit ton to do. I can't wait to see you tonight, CheeChee. Bye!"

"Bye :)"

I got up and went over to the cupboard and got down three aspirins and then got a glass of water. It was around 11 so I figured she would be waking up soon.
I set the items on the counter and went out and started watching a little TV.

At exactly 12:39pm I heard Lauren's faint voice.

"Camz!" She yelled to me from upstairs.

I smiled at her voice and grabbed the medicine and water and walked upstairs. When I got to the spare bedroom she was on her stomach, her arm under her pillow, her other arm curled into her chest and all of the blankets off of her.

"I feel like I am in the pits of hell right now. Why is it so hot?" She whined and I smiled again.

"I brought you up some water and aspirin, please take it." I said while setting it on the table. She sat up and took the medicine, and almost drank the whole glass of water. She laid back down on her stomach and put her arms in their previous places. I sat down next to her.

"How ya feeling, champ?" I asked quietly because I was almost certain her head was going to explode.

"Like absolute shit, for multiple reasons."

I brought my hand up to her lower back and lifted her shirt and lightly massaged her lower back.

"That feels nice." She mumbled into the pillow.

"Then I'll continue." I smiled again. I don't know why it made me so happy to take care of her like this. I thought for sure she was asleep until I heard her speak up.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Umm- well"

"I'm sorry"

"I'm not mad. I'm more hurt if anything."

"I didn't mean what I said, Camz."

"It doesn't matter if you meant it, it's the fact that you said it. Does that make sense?" I asked while starting to stroke her hair.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I fucked up last night. I don't deserve for you to take care of me."

"Would you like me to be mad? I simply am not going to lose you over your drunken words. I am not going to dwell on it."

"I hurt you."

"I know you did. I also know that you're sorry."

"You're everything to me, Camz." She whispered.

"You're everything to me too, baby." I whispered and laid down and pulled her into me.

"I don't think there's anything I can think of that's more beautiful than you." I smiled deeply at that comment and kissed her forehead.

"I can. You."

She leaned up and connected our lips. I pulled back and she put her head back into my neck.

"Are you ready to talk now?" I asked while tracing up and down her spine.

"Yeah.. I guess. Just, Camz- bare with me, ok? I've never done this. I've never opened up before."

"I got you, baby."

"Well.. I guess. I- uh- I can start with- uh-"

I quickly grabbed her face and kissed her with so much passion.

"Relax, baby. It's okay. It's only me and you. I care about you and I am not going anywhere after you tell me this."

She just nodded and put her face back in my neck and squeezed me so tight. I repeated her actions.

"Well.. Honestly I got along great with my parents when I was a child. My dad was my actual best friend and my mom was too. It felt good growing up in such a nice house with parents who loved you to death. My dad and I were so close, Camz. He came to all my softball games, every single one, and would cheer me on even if I was doing terrible. I could tell him anything, absolutely anything. My mom and I were close, we liked to do girly stuff together. It sounds cliche but it's true. Every Sunday we would get our nails done and she would take me shopping. She always knew how to make me laugh."

I could feel a couple of tears on my neck and I kissed her forehead repeatedly and held her tighter.

"I can talk about my siblings later, ok? That's too much for me to handle right now. Just my parents, ok?"

"Of course baby. Take your time, I'm right here."

She took a couple of seconds to steady her breathing.

"That was until I found out how we had so much money... My parents were selling drugs, and I don't mean like weed, I mean like all of the worst kinds of drugs. And apparently they were borderline getting caught so my dad.. I guess.. I guess he- he- he um, tried a couple of them and he got extremely addictive. He wasn't even the same person anymore, Camz. I was so afraid of him. I was only 15 at the time. His eyes would be so dark, he would yell so loud at all of us. He would hit me or my mom daily, there wasn't a day that passed that his fist didn't collide with a part of my body. I have so many scars on my chest from his cigarettes, and that's why it scared me so much when I saw yours from Ray. It brought back so many memories."

At this point she was completely sobbing and I held onto her so so so tight.

"Please Camz, don't say anything. I can't talk about this anymore. I promise soon we will be able to have an actual conversation but I am not strong enough for this. Please"

"You did great, Laur. I promise. It's okay, you're okay, I got you now. I will never let something hurt you. It's okay."

She sobbed into my neck for so long I lost count of time. I knew she was fast asleep. There was no way I was leaving her so I just continued to hold her and quickly I fell asleep too.