The Secret - Camren

Part 21

A/N: I am so sorry for taking so long. Life has been, well life. I've been really busy and i couldn't find the time to update. I'm actually writing this at work :/ Thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoy it. -M

*Camila's POV*

Dinah was just applying the last touch to my makeup when the doorbell rang. We both looked at each other before she ran downstairs to open the door. I followed suit, trying not to show too much excitement for the night ahead. When I finally made my way to the front door I noticed it wasn't my girlfriend standing in the door frame but my newly appointed bodyguards making sure everything was alright. We told them we were fine before they went back to their cars.

I looked at the clock and saw it was thirty minutes past the time Lauren was suppose to pick me up. That's weird... Lauren's never late. I decided to brush it off, maybe I made a mistake in the time and she would be here any minute. Dinah and I went back to our room and watched some TV while we waited.

"Cheechee?"

"Yeah Chancho?"

"Lauren is over an hour and a half late... did she text you or something?" she said worried. Shit I hadn't noticed so much time had passed. I was too interested in the movie we had been watching. I pick up my cell and there were no new messages. I shake my head no. I was starting to really get worried now.

"Let's wait another half hour and if she isn't hear we can ask Clinton to go check on her?" I said questioningly. Dinah nodded and turned back to the television. I could tell she wasn't really watching it though. I didn't even try to pretend. I was constantly checking my phone, hoping that Lauren would send me a text saying she fell asleep or something. It was the longest thirty minutes of my life.

"Time!" Dinah suddenly yelled announcing that our wait had ended. We both got up and I almost ran for the front door. Clinton and Rodriguez were next to me the instant I was out the door. It was sort of weird how they knew the moment they needed to be near us.

"Are you alright Miss?" Clinton asked before I could say anything. I must have had a flustered look on my face.

"Lauren." Was all I could say before I started crying. The stress of not knowing and thinking the worst had finally gotten to me.

"Lauren's two hours late and she is never late." I heard Dinah say from behind me. Rodriguez shared a look with Clinton before he started walking towards the cars.

"What are you doing?" I said clear enough for him to hear me.

"Going to make sure Miss Jauregui is alright" Clinton said, as he continued to the car.

"I'm coming" I said and started towards him. Rodriguez put a hand on my shoulder trying to stop me. I looked at him and he shook his head no. I shrugged him off and kept walking.

"Miss Cabello, it might be dangerous, please go back inside and Clinton will call you with the details" he said placing himself in front of me, blocking my path. That's when I lost it. I started bawling and banging my fists against his chest. Dinah tried to grab onto me but I just pushed her off. I eventually fell to the floor my sobs overpowering me.

"Pllllease let meeee come with youuu! She... She'ssss myyyy everythingggg" I managed to say between sobs. I don't really remember what happened after that because the next thing I know I'm sitting in the backseat of Clinton's SUV.

"Whhhat happened?" I asked trying to make sense of my surroundings.

"You were in such hysteria that you didn't notice me telling Rodriguez that it was alright and carrying you to the car. We are on our way to Miss Jauregui's house." Clinton said, his eyes never leaving the road.

I looked out the window to recognize that we were on the familiar rout to Lauren's house. I sat in my seat and tried not to start crying again. I couldn't help but let a few tears fall down my now very red cheeks as I thought of all the horrible things that could have happened to the girl I loved. I could picture us passing a huge car wreck with her small car crushed in the middle. He house on fire, leaving Lauren inside as a prisoner to the flames, Lauren lying on the kitchen floor lifeless.  So many dark images were passing through my head. I could not handle losing her too. She was the only happy thing to happen to Sofia and I since my mother met Jack. She gave us hope, even if Sofia didn't want to admit it. We felt as if we had a family again, somewhere we could finally be safe.

My thoughts overtook me and before I knew it we were parked in front of her house. Everything looked normal. No fire, her car was in the driveway. The small bungalow seemed peaceful even. This did not bring me any peace though. I could feel that something was wrong, but nothing prepared me for what we found inside. Clinton had asked me to stay in the car but I refused. I think he knew something was off about the place, even if I couldn't quite see it.

Horrified was the only word to describe how I felt when I finally realized what was happening. When we walked into the house everything seemed to be in order, nothing was out of place; there wasn't anything different from the times I had stayed in the small family home. The problem with our assumptions is that we didn't have a clear view of the kitchen from the front door. Clinton told me to stay at the door, and I actually listened as he went into each room, making sure the place was empty and nothing suspicious was to be seen.

He came back to the front to tell me all the rooms were cleared and he headed towards the kitchen. He was immediately on the phone talking to Rodriguez.  I was terrified of what I would find but I needed to know what was in that kitchen. Thoughts of Lauren's lifeless body coming to mind.

I started towards the kitchen slowly, giving myself time to change my mind and turn around and out of the house before seeing anything. I finally got to the kitchen and I honestly didn't see much but I knew what I did see wasn't good.

The back door was wide open and had bloody hand prints on it. It looked as if someone had been dragged out the backdoor. There were also plates and cups shattered on the floor behind the island, blood smeared on top of them.

I stood there in shock. My heart was racing; I could feel my pulse pounding inside my head. My hands started shaking violently. I couldn't take it anymore. I knew immediately what had happened.  No one thought Lauren was in danger, just Sofia and I. Why would Jack have any reason to go after her right? I knew they were wrong. He wanted to hurt me, so he went after the one I loved. He wanted to punish me for being gay, he would want to punish Lauren for making me act on those feelings. Jack had taken Lauren and there was nothing I could do about it.