Love Me, Please (Camren)

Chapter 2

They found out the hard way, in front of a crowd. Given the amount of people, there was no way for Lauren to just dip out and pretend it had never happened. Even though that's what she wanted so badly she could hardly stand it.

Lauren will never forget how stupid she felt, drawn forward by some invisible pull that took away her volition. She hadn't left her dorm that night with the intention of making a fool of herself but it happened anyway. There was something beyond reality urging her —no, forcing her—to go out that night, even when she desperately wanted to have a quiet night in. She wanted tea and blankets and Law and Order reruns. She wanted to snuggle with her labradoodle and to sink into the couch until she fell asleep. She wanted to rest after a stressful week of exams and projects due, a break from social pressures and obligations from her friends and family. She wanted to exist with no eyes on her, just for a while.

Instead, she got a crowded event room filled with people who liked Camila, people who would do a lot of embarrassing things just for her to give them the time of day. It felt as if she was a celebrity, with the way people hung onto every word she said like she was the next coming of Christ or something.

Instead, she got bright lights and soft acoustic music and an infuriatingly gorgeous girl with ridiculous tattoos singing about love. An expensive guitar in her hands, one that cost thousands. It was a college event, for God's sake, no one should be that serious about anything.

Instead, she got the humiliation of pressing herself through the crowd until she was right at the edge of the makeshift stage which was really just a bunch of table pushed together, staring up at her soulmate hoping desperately to be noticed by her. Because she knew by then. There was no denying it. She couldn't help it.

Lauren knew for sure, no more doubt, ever since she felt that sinking feeling in her stomach driving her out of her dorm that night, down the path, cutting through the quad, and to the evening's venue, to which she had never been before, just to buy cheap tickets to see a student perform solo on a Friday night. Lauren knew ever since Cabello climbed on the shaky stage in her stupid ripped jeans, loose tank top, and snapback. Lauren knew ever since she first saw her and all the breath was knocked out of her as if someone had squeezed her lungs until they deflated like popped balloons.

Lauren knew it was over when Cabello met her eyes mid-croon and she smiled. Her eyes twinkled as she stopped the song halfway through just to slip off her stool and crouch down on her knees at the edge of the stage, caressing Lauren's shocked face in her hands. Not stroking her cheeks just holding her there. Looking at her like she hung the moon and painted the stars.

There were confused mutters and disbelieving gasps in the audience of college students but Lauren didn't hear a single thing. Her ears were ringing with a high-pitched sound that was deafening enough to make her only focus on the girl in front of her. Her soulmate. It didn't help that Cabello was already lit up by the bright lights shining on her, illuminating her in a halo of luminosity, making her otherworldly. Godly.

Lauren was stunned into stillness but Cabello sure wasn't. She smiled gently and ran her fingers along Lauren's jaw, down her neck, and across her shoulders. She slipped her hands beneath her armpits and heaved Lauren up onto the tables with ease. Lauren stumbled, but Cabello steadied her, and met her lips with a kiss.

Lauren didn't want to kiss her. Not completely. Only the part of her screaming SOULMATE! wanted to kiss her. The rest of her just wanted to shrink away from the embarrassment and have the earth swallow her up without hesitation. She had spent more than a year grimacing every time someone brought up Cabello in casual conversation, gagging when she heard people talking about how beautiful she was, even though it was true, and vehemently denying her friends insistence to introduce them. She didn't want anything to do with the ultra-wealthy frat girl heartbreaker who got everything she wanted without even having to ask.

But there she was, in front of a crowded room full of her classmates watching on as Camila fucking Cabello pulled her on the unstable stage, caught her as she stumbled, and attacked her in a passionate kiss. The music had been forgotten, guitar trapped between them and digging into Lauren's tummy, and not even the crowd cared anymore to hear the songs. Soulmatching was much more fascinating.

The audience must have found it just as astounding when Lauren yanked herself back out of Cabello's fervent grasp and bolted off the stage.

Not looking back, not even just once.