Linger (Camren)

Chapter 17: Partial Disclosure

{Lauren's POV}

A good 15 minutes had passed since Camila had gone downstairs and I was definitely beginning to worry. Surely it doesn't take that long to get mail, right? I didn't want to go looking for her though, so I just waited patiently on the couch. I occupied myself with Tumblr in the meantime, but my eyes kept drifting to the door every minute or so.

After another 5 minutes, the sound of the door unlocking made me breathe a sigh of relief. I immediately felt myself cheer up when I saw the back of the brunette's head. However, I had a feeling that something was off. My suspensions were correct when instead of joining me on the couch again, she ran up the stairs and to her room, I assumed. I stopped keeping track of time after 15 more minutes had passed by.

I found myself feeling extremely awkward cuddled up on a couch that wasn't mine, by myself, so I removed the blankets from my body and sat upright. I began biting off my nails one by one, and I wasn't even aware I was doing so until I reached the last finger.

Camila still hadn't come downstairs.

I felt myself growing more uncomfortable by the second. The familiar feeling of abandonment had invoked an onslaught of memories within me that I so desperately tried to evade every day. I was doing a good job of keeping them away, since I met Camila.

I balled my fists, closing my eyes tightly, as I willed myself to shake the feeling away, but it was no use.

Before I knew it, I was on my feet, ready to make a hasty escape out the door.

Right as my hand makes contact with the knob, I hear the pitter patter of footsteps rushing down the stairs. There was a faint, mumbling noise in my ears that I couldn't quite make out in my heated state. The feeling of a hand grabbing my arm makes me flinch in surprise, and causes the smaller girl in front of me to take a step back in alarm. It's then that I noticed Camila had been talking to me the whole time.

"What?" I ask flatly.

Pleading brown orbs look up at me, "I said please, wait, Lauren. I'm sorry."

I scoff at her request as if I hadn't been waiting for the past 45 minutes alone. "You seem like you've got other things to do, so I'm gonna go-"

The olive skinned girl grasps my wrist gently, taking a step forward and placing herself directly in front of me. "Don't go, please. I'm so sorry, I just... I got something in the mail that... I'd rather not talk about right now. What I do want to do is spend time with you, though. I promise I won't go anywhere for the rest of the day, you have my undivided attention."

I look at her unimpressed by her words, but feel the need to allow her to prove herself for some reason.

"Please, just stay." She begs once more as she rubs circles on the back of my hand soothingly.

"Ok." I relent. She wastes no time in pulling back into the living room, sitting us down as she covers the two of us with one of the over-sized blankets, not once letting go of my hand. I watch her guardedly the entire time, trying to understand what her motives were. Why would she invite me over, leave for nearly an hour and then ask me to stay? I mean, who does that?

The idea that this entire thing is some kind of a sick joke reemerges in the back of my mind.

This is exactly why I don't trust people.

---

{Camila POV}

Lauren had been distant with me for next couple of hours and I couldn't blame her.

After seeing the letter from Travis, my mind completely blanked from everything else around me. I sat on the staircase for a while just staring at the yellow envelope, as if looking at for long enough would make it magically disappear, but at the same time, I didn't want it to.