Love Me, Please (Camren)

Chapter 14

LAUREN

Cabello isn't giving up. It's fucking annoying, and it's driving Lauren crazy.

The soulmatch makes Lauren love her but she doesn't want to love her. She hates her, too, in a way, for who she is. She doesn't like arrogant girls who aren't used to not getting what they want. Lauren can't stand people like that.

Their friend groups end up kind of morphing together. Lauren is friends with Normani who is friends with Dinah who is friends with Cabello. That's how it happens. That's how Lauren and Normani end up on the doorstep of the frat on a Friday night. Lauren can't believe she's doing this.

A pledge opens the door and lets them in once Normani says who they are. He eyes Lauren curiously like he's heard a lot about her. Lauren wouldn't be surprised if Cabello talks shit about her all the time.

To be fair, Lauren talks a lot of shit about her too. But only because... only because she has to make sure people know she isn't soft for Camila Cabello, even if they are soulmates. She can't deal with arrogant frat boys and girls who act like the world will fall at their feet if only they just ask. Lauren doesn't want to be a pushover, doesn't want to be easily swayed by something as tedious as love. Something as fucky as fate.

They go to the gathering room and find it mostly empty of people except for Dinah and Cabello. There are a few people around the edges, studying or on their phones. Everyone looks up at Lauren, though. Even Cabello. Especially Cabello.

Her gaze is piercing and unsteadying. Lauren would call her glare cold but it makes her skin burn so she doesn't think that's exactly the right phrasing.

Dinah breaks the tension by greeting them and inviting them in, telling them to have a seat and choose a movie. Lauren drags Normani over to the loveseat before she can even think about ditching her, because she's so afraid of having to sit next to the person she hates so much. Cabello won't even look at her now. She thought that would be for the best but it doesn't feel very good.

Lauren doesn't pay attention to the movie at all because she's too busy having an internal freak-out sesion. She can't even decipher which movie they decided on. It's too distracting to have her awful soulmate sitting only a few feet away, looking unfairly beautiful in a white t-shirt and a pair of adidas joggers.

There's an obvious elephant in the room but no one says anything about the fact that under Lauren's sweater is Camila's name permanently etched onto the skin of her forearm.

When Lauren thinks about it too hard, it feels like a dog collar. Like a brand on her skin telling the world she belongs to Camila. She doesn't want to belong to anyone.

The end of the movie shows the hero soulmatching with the beautiful girl he saved at the last minute. Her mark is below the curve of her breast while his is on his inner wrist. It makes Lauren feel sick watching them hold each other close and declare their love, so she quietly excuses herself and escapes to the bathroom.

Only she doesn't know where the bathroom is. She wanders around the house for a long time. Every door is closed.

There are footsteps behind her. For an awful moment she hopes it's her soulmate. Emotions rush at her like bullets and she's so confused about what she feels, she doesn't know what to do. She turns around to the sound of Dinah's voice.

"It's downstairs. Let me show you."

Lauren follows Dinah down the stairs, to the basement. To break the stilted silence, she comments, "Only one bathroom for how many people? And it’s in the basement?"

Dinah laughs a little, leading her past two ping pong tables and an L-shaped couch that looks like it's seen better days. "Nah, we have three upstairs actually. But only members of the house and their matches are allowed up there. And we have forty-two members in house right now."

"But I'm-"

"You're Camila's match, I know. I could've let you upstairs, but I wanted to talk to you in private, actually."

"About what?" She knows about what. “About Camila."

"I don't- I'm not-" Lauren stutters, making a move to leave. She doesn't even have to go to the bathroom anyways.

"No, Lauren, please. Hear me out."

Lauren shakes her head but remains still. She doesn't like Dinah very much right now but she still respects her enough to refrain from fleeing, no matter how badly she wants to.

"I'm not here to judge you or say I know anything about your situation, because I don't. I don't know your reasons for loathing Camila and frankly it doesn't matter. I just want you to give her a chance. I need you to give her a chance."

"Why?" Lauren spits. "Why do you need me to give her a chance?"

"Because she's my best friend, and this whole thing is tearing her apart, and I can't stand to see it. She's so upset, Lauren, please, you have to understand. You have to listen to me. She needs you-"

"No. No. You're not guilting me into this. You have no idea what happened.”

"You're right, I don't, but if you just- If you just tell me, or, fuck, just tell Camila, for Christ's sake, tell her what she did wrong then you'll be able to work it out and everything will be okay. I just- I mean this in the best way possible, but I think you have to grow up a little bit and realize that this is the rest of your life you're affecting right now by denying her."

Lauren is stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected something so ignorant coming from Dinah of all people. Dinah is smart and kind and usually she doesn't say shit like this. It sounds like something Cabello would say. "What the hell, Dinah? That's fucking shit and you know it."

"Lauren, please, give her a chance!"

"Why? Why should I give her a chance?"

"Because she loves you! She's your soulmate!"

"Leave me the fuck alone," Lauren hisses, turning around and storming up the stairs.