Behind Closed doors

Chapter 28

A few days later, Kamala was nestled in bed with Lauren, one arm wrapped around her, fingers absentmindedly running through Lauren's hair. Lauren lay sprawled out, her head resting on Kamala's stomach, eyes glued to the cartoon playing on the large screen across from their bed. Kamala had her reading glasses on, a book she disposed above Lauren's head, though she kept glancing down at Lauren with a soft smile.

"You know, you're such a child," Kamala teased, looking over the edge of her book. "How are you entertained by cartoons at your age?"

Lauren snickered, shifting a bit to meet Kamala's gaze. "Hey don't you dare! I love cartoons. Plus technically, I am a child... well, at least compared to you." She smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Kamala gasped in mock offense, playfully shoving Lauren's shoulder. "I hate you," she said, trying to sound serious but failing miserably as a smile broke through.

Lauren burst out laughing, snuggling closer into Kamala's side. "It's a joke babe, you're perfect and you don't hate me, because I'll die if you did ."

Kamala rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically, but she couldn't hold back a grin. "No... no, I really don't." She softened, reaching down to cup Lauren's cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Lauren smiled, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to Kamala's nose, making her giggle.

They lay like that for a moment, a comfortable silence wrapping around them, broken only by the sounds of the cartoon in the background. Kamala set her book down and wrapped both arms around Lauren, who relaxed even more, curling up on top of her, feeling Kamala's warmth surround her completely.

"Laurie..." Kamala's voice was soft, almost hesitant. She brushed a stray lock of hair from Lauren's face. "Do you ever think about... you know, having kids?"

Lauren blinked, a bit surprised, then took a deep breath, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on Kamala's arm as she considered. "It's... complicated," she finally said, her voice quiet. "But yeah, I have. I actually did think about it with my ex."

Kamala looked at her, her expression gentle but curious. "What happened?"

Lauren shifted slightly, resting her chin on Kamala's chest and meeting her eyes. "My ex... well, her name was Kathryn. She was actually my high school teacher."

Kamala's brows shot up in surprise. "Wait—your teacher?"

Lauren chuckled softly, her cheeks flushing. "Yeah, I know how it sounds. But I was 19, a senior. She was 30. It wasn't anything weird. We started dating after I graduated, and it was... good. For a while."

Kamala tilted her head, intrigued. "That's... unexpected. What happened?"

Lauren let out a small sigh, playing with the edge of Kamala's shirt. "We were together for a few years. When I was finishing college, we even started talking about getting married, starting a family. I'd already given my eggs to start the process." She paused, a bittersweet smile crossing her face. "We had this whole plan. But then I got this job as a bodyguard."

Kamala arched a brow. "Bodyguard for who?"

"Beyoncé," Lauren admitted with a small laugh.

Kamala's jaw dropped, and she gaped at Lauren. "You were Beyoncé's bodyguard? That Beyoncé?"

Lauren grinned. "Yeah, for a couple of years. But Kathryn hated it. She thought the job was too dangerous. Said she couldn't handle knowing I was out there risking my life to protect someone else." She sighed. "Eventually, she distanced herself. We broke up because... well, she couldn't bear the thought of me not coming home one day."