Linger (Camren)

Chapter 12: Camila's Truth

{Camila's POV}

"You're a child" I say to Phoenix in annoyance, after he decided that red is a good color for me, then proceeding to smear my cheek with pasta sauce.

"Aww, is my little Milly Willy upset with me? Here, I'll make it better." He says as he puckers his lips.

I love him, but gross!

I turn my head to try and avoid the attack, when suddenly the sight of a black haired girl at the window makes me freeze up.

Lauren?

Before I have time to decipher who the girl might have been, she quickly turns around and vanishes down the street.

I scramble for my phone and send her a text as fast as possible.

My triangle 🍕(10:01 PM): I could have sworn I just saw you right now. Were you at Gios?

Without thinking I press send.

My eyes are still glued to the window, but the only thing I could see was the dark pavement.

"Camila?... Yo!" A whistle and the sound of snapping breaks me from my thought.

I turn to look at Phoenix, who appears almost as confused as I am.

"What the hell just happened ? The mother ship was calling you home or something? Cause you completely left me for a moment there."

I take a moment to collect myself before I come back into reality. "No... No, sorry. I just.... I thought I saw Lauren right now."

"Here?" He asks surprised.

"Yeah. Just standing outside the window. But then she ran off."

"And you're sure it was her?" I could tell he was a bit skeptical of my claim.

"Kinda. It was quick but... It was her. She was wearing the same leather jacket she had on when we first met. And the same black boots." I start remembering out loud.

It was her.

Confusion courses through my brain.

Why was she just standing there? If I saw her, then she definitely saw me.

I look down at my phone, hoping to have a text back already, but of course, there was nothing.

I feel Phoenix growing worried over my panicked state. He reaches over and grabs my hand, taking the phone away me and shushing my protests to give it back. He's looking at me sternly, which makes me shut up immediately.

I hate when he does that.

"OK, let's just relax for a second. Maybe it was her. Maybe is wasn't. You sent her a text, yes?"

I simply nod my head, like a child who's being scolded and is too afraid to talk.

"Alright then, she will let you know when she gets back to you. If it wasn't her, it wasn't her. If it was... well then maybe she had somewhere to be in a hurry. Ask her about it, but don't be pushy. If she doesn't want to talk to you about where she was today, then that's fine. Let her have her space and privacy."

There he goes making it seem like I'm making her be my friend, again.

"Stop talking to me like I'm holding a gun up to the girl's head and forcing her to talk to me" I say angrily as I snatch my phone back from him, and walk out the restaurant.

I hear him rush to catch up to me.

"Camila! Wait!"

I continue walking until I feel a hand grab my arm lightly and spin me around.