The Harem

Chapter 9

Lauren grumpily sifts through documents in the veterinary's office. She is supposed to study for her board exams so she can finally be like her boss. To practice veterinary medicine. But she has been organizing files all morning because the admin assistant that Ally recently hired got in trouble with the traffic police. But that is not really the reason why she is so grumpy.

"I know you hate paperwork because you find birthing an elephant more exciting than a bunch of written bureaucratic medical crap, but I can tell you're in a different kind of moody. So, what is up with you?"

Ally, the head veterinarian in their animal rescue clinic asks Lauren.

"Nothing,"

"Nothing my ass. Is it Camila?"

Lauren looks up with her green eyes wide like she was caught stealing a puppy.

Ally sits by the desk and helps Lauren with the papers. "It is Camila. Tell me about it,"

Lauren sighs defeatedly. "Her Bumblebee girlfriend has been sleeping over in our apartment over the past few days. Rent free,"

"But that's not really the issue, is it?"

Ally has been a really good mentor to Lauren. Just a few years older than her, Lauren looked up at Ally not only as a mentor but also as a friend. She had been a big sister figure for her since she doesn't have any siblings and she lost her parents on a tragic accident. They've known each other for a long time since Ally used to babysit her and Camila when they were kids. Other than Camila, Ally is a person who knows Lauren very well.

"No," Lauren sighs defeatedly.

"You didn't tell her, did you?"

Though Lauren never blatantly admitted to anything, Ally figured a long time ago that she has more than platonic feelings towards Camila. Feelings that only grew stronger as they all grew older. When Ally called her out on it, Lauren simply didn't have the fight in her to deny. But neither did she confirm anything.

It was like an open secret that Ally simply knows. Now, Lauren is just too pissed to be fully concerned about admitting any sort of feelings for her best friend.

"Camzi is dating Bumblebee the screamer and she seems happy. You know that I would always prioritize her happiness. I don't want to just rain on her parade with my nonsense, telling her I love her since we were five years old and have been planning our wedding ever since. I don't want to confuse her more than she already is,"

"You being in love with her is not nonsense. And she shouldn't be just happy in the expense of your heartbreak. How you feel, what you feel is valid. Don't just push it aside and disregard it,"

"I don't know what else to do. I feel like I'm losing her to Bumblebee,"

Ally chuckles, "Stop calling the girl Bumblebee, you petty little thing. Talk to Mila, try being honest with your true feelings for her and see how it goes,"

"And watch our friendship go down the drain? Lose what I still have with her? No thanks. I appreciate the sound advice, but no thanks. I would secretly love her for the rest of my life if that's what it takes to keep what I have with her right now,"

"You're freakin hopeless. Anyway, your Camila issues aside, try to finish up whatever you can here and meet me in the yard in twenty minutes. I need your assist in training a schnauzer for some physical therapy. I'm also quizzing you to prep you for your board exams,"

Ally leaves Lauren alone in the vet's admin office. She continues to deal with some paperwork for a little bit. She was in the middle of stuffing files on the steel file cabinet when someone knocks by the open door.

"Hi!"

Lauren turns around, surprised.

"Uh, hallo... What brings you here?"

"I just wondered if we can talk for a little bit,"

Lauren stares at Camila. Checking her out from head to toe. Looking so hot in her black dress shirt, few buttons undone at the top, folded at the sleeves, showing firm arms, tucked under a form fitting pants. Hair in a tight ponytail, sexy smirk plastered on her face as she leaned by the door. Camila looking like that never fails to elicit bodily reactions in Lauren, more specifically in her heart and pussy.

Lauren looks away, doing her best to act normal.

"That sounds serious. You give me a surprise visit at work to talk for a little bit? Can't it wait until we go to lunch at Denny's Diner?"

Camila steps closer to her. "I just need to tell you now because things are really moving fast and I don't want to blindside you,"

"What are you talking about?"

"Something happened in Normani's apartment building. The entire plumbing system broke and needed extensive repair. She has no other place to stay, she can't afford a hotel and I'm not going to let her stay in some seedy motel with questionable people living in it. She—"

"She's staying in our place??"

"Indefinitely. Although, we might have talked about moving in together in the future but that is not decided yet. For now, she can stay in my room. I just, I wanted to tell you earlier but you already left for work,"

"Unbelievable," Lauren mutters to herself. "Fine. Just stay out of my room and you both keep it down when you're fucking each other's brains out,"

Lauren storms off the office, wanting to punch something. Preferably Bumblebee the screamer aka Camila's girlfriend. She holds herself together but not for too long. Camila can see through her. But not all the way through, though. Because if she did, she would've figured out by now that Lauren feels so much more than just best friends with benefits with her.

"Hey, if you don't want her in our place, I'll figure something out," Camila holds Lauren's arm firmly before she can go run off and probably cry her eyes out.

Lauren doesn't say anything, even if Camila was looking at her with worry and alarm. She tries not to break but her eyes were starting to tear up, her throat was closing in, constricting by itself, really close to choking. It was getting difficult to hold herself together in front of Camila.

She doesn't expect it because she thought she can handle it, to keep being in love with her best friend a secret. She did it for so many years. But it seems like her breaking point is happening right now. Now that bumblebee Normani wants to move in with the person Lauren has always been in love with. She is losing her chance.

"Lo? Hey, are you okay? Come here, babe," Camila pulls Lauren in a hug. "What's wrong? Tell me, Lo, you know I'm always here for you,"

"No, you're not," Lauren sniffles, trying so hard not to sob pathetically in Camila's embrace, but miserably failing, "You're leaving me. You're leaving with bumblebee,"

"What?"

"Just go. Be happy with her. Leave me alone,"

"Lauren—"

Lauren pushes Camila off of her. "Just go, Camz. Leave me alone. I have work to do,"

Lauren leaves Camila in the hallway. She stomps away far behind the veterinary building. She went to where they keep the cat kennels are. She stays there with the bunch of tiny kittens, crying as they all meowled at her with their adorable little kitten faces and the mother cats simply look at her with their judgy eyes.

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