Restart

Chapter 8

Lauren's knuckles were throbbing in pain, but she didn't care.

She hadn't planned to do that, but she didn't care.

She felt herself being pulled inside. She finally looked up and her mind began to clear as she was met with a pair of warm, brown eyes.

Camila.

In that moment she knew she had done what she had needed to.

She would do anything to protect Camila, and as far as she was concerned, that bastard got what he deserved.

--

The spinning in Lauren's head began to subside and she found herself sat down on the couch of Dinah's apartment. She looked down to see Camila tending to her sore hand, cleaning off the blood that didn't belong to her. Dinah was on the other side of the room, standing near the door she had slammed close after dragging Lauren inside and she was handing Austin paper towels as he attempted to stop the flow of blood escaping from his nose.

"You fucking bitch," Austin yelled once he saw Lauren looking at him. "What the hell is your problem? You're lucky I don't call the cops."

"You're lucky all you have right now is a bloody nose," Lauren said, jumping up from the couch. Camila rose up behind her, reaching for her arm to try to hold her back.

"Who even is this?" Austin asked, moving his eyes to Camila. She tensed as his gaze fell on her, her grip tightening on Lauren's forearm.

"Don't even fucking look at her," Lauren said through gritted teeth.

"Lauren?" Austin laughed as he finally recognized the woman he hadn't seen since high school. "After all these years, are you still mad that Camila chose me? That she's not a fucking dyke?" He laughed in amusement. "That's why you came in here like a maniac and punched me in the face?"

"What, you can dish it but you can't take it?" Lauren asked coldly, her voice matching the look in her eyes.

Lauren felt Camila release her arm from her grasp and watched from the corner of her eye as the younger woman sank slowly back down to the couch. Her eyes were wide and her face had gone white.

"Camila, what is she talking about?" Austin asked nervously.

Lauren turned to look down at Camila who was staring off into space.

"Tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about," Austin demanded loudly, although the sound was slightly muffled by the paper towels he held to his bleeding face.

Camila still didn't answer, and there were now tears forming in the corners of her eyes as her body began to tremble.

Austin swallowed hard and his eyes were frantically moving around the room that was now filled with a tense silence.

"I'm taking her home," Austin said as he tried to gather himself, gesturing to where a few packed bags sat by the door. "Baby, tell her you're coming home with me," He directed to Camila, his voice dripping of manipulation.

"You're not taking her anywhere you piece of shit," Lauren said as she lunged in his direction.

Dinah sprung from where she had been standing silently, wrapping her arms around the dark-haired girl and pushing her backwards.

"I'm not leaving without her. Or without my daughter," Austin said stubbornly, leaning back against the wall behind where he stood.

Avery.

Lauren's eyes widened and moved around the room desperately. She was relieved when she realized the little girl was nowhere to be seen and therefore hadn't witnessed any of what had just happened.