Never Say Never

Chapter 10

She's going to kill her sister.

As if she's not already bad enough, obsessed with getting Lauren and Camila in a room together, but to suggest that the only thing Camila would want out of it was a famous notch on her bedpost?

That made her sick.

"'Some fun '?" Camila's eyes flash with anger, and she has to force herself to keep her voice down, all too aware that Lauren is only one door away. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, you know I didn't mean it like that," Sofi quickly backtracks when she realizes that she's crossed a line, holding her hands palm up in-front of her. "I just think you should stop worrying so much. Live a little."

"And I think you should stop meddling in my love life." Camila folds her arms across her chest. "You tell me to start dating so that I can get over her, so I do, and now you've all of a sudden changed your mind?"

"Because she's interested in you, too."

"You don't know that," Camila shakes her head, refuses to believe it.

"Honestly, Camila, she looked pretty upset when you mentioned Veronica," Maggie, who's been quiet so far, pitches in. "I don't know what other reason there would be for that."

"Can you both just stop, please?" It's too much to think about, makes her head spin.

"Alright, but we're still going to go."

"Yeah. I think that would be for the best." Sofi winces at her tone, harsher than she'd usually use, but Camila's annoyed and she wants Sofi to know it.

She walks them to the door, says goodbye and after she closes it behind them she pauses to take a deep breath, trying to let go of any residual anger, doesn't want Lauren to ask her what's wrong.

She doesn't allow herself to think of the possibility that Lauren might be jealous of Veronica, like Maggie had suggested (although unbidden, an image of Lauren's face, twisted with something unrecognisable when she'd seen Veronica emerge from Camila's room earlier that morning, comes into her head, and she quickly shakes it away).

It won't do her any good to dwell on what ifs.

When she pushes open her bedroom door she finds Lauren looking at her photographs, and she's relieved when she doesn't show any signs that she'd overheard any of Camila and Sofi's heated exchange, and doesn't question the fact that aside from a sleeping Leo, she and Camila are alone.

"I don't actually know what I have to drink," Camila realizes after she's made the offer, padding towards her kitchen. "My liquor cabinet consists of only whatever housewarming gifts people got me."

"Water will be fine." Lauren follows in her footsteps, leans a hip up against her kitchen counter.

"I think I can conjure up something slightly less boring than that." Camila opens up one of her cupboards and crouches. "Uh, I have..." She reaches inside it, pulls out a couple of unopened bottles. "Vodka, gin or scotch."

"You drink scotch?" Lauren sounds surprised.

"I do not, but this is what the neighbor across the hall gave me when I moved in. I think he was trying to impress me." Camila makes a face. "Needless to say, it did not work." Lauren smiles. "On the rocks?"

"Please." Camila can feel the weight of Lauren's gaze on her back as she drops some ice in a glass and fills it with the amber liquid, and tries not to blush. "Not bad," Lauren says after she takes a sip, and she hands the glass out for Camila to try.

She does, and almost immediately sputters.

"God, that's disgusting." Lauren laughs, a sound that Camila doesn't think she'll ever tire of hearing. "I'll stick with a gin and tonic." She makes one, and then leads Lauren back to the couch.