Photograph (camren)

Chapter Fifteen

"Lauren, please."

The look on the smaller woman's face put Lauren in a difficult dilemma. She knew Camila wouldn't be angry with her should she refuse, but she would however be frustrated. The dark-haired marine wasn't sure if the build up would be worth the wait, but she wanted to stick to her guns nonetheless. Then Camila pouted. Lauren swallowed hard and took a moment to look back into the chocolate brown eyes she had come to adore. Just as the lieutenant's composure was about to crumble at the sight, the landline sounded and Camila pulled her closer.

"Ignore it." She pleaded in Lauren's ear, the warm breath sending a shiver down the marine's spine. The smaller woman's lips moved to the green-eyed woman's earlobe before she whispered as seductively as humanly possible. "If you pick up that phone I swear," She felt Camila's teeth tug on the skin there and that nearly set her off completely, but when she moved down to the marine's soft spot, that sure as hell did it.

Finally, Lauren thought, 'fuck it' and crashed their lips together in pure lust and desire. She almost didn't hear the voice mail cut in as she lifted Camila from the counter on the way to her room. But quickly set her down the moment she heard her CO's voice come through the speaker.

"Seriously?" Camila asked annoyed but scanned Lauren's eyes straight after. They were no longer the emerald green she adored, they had turned the stone cold grey that she hadn't seen since the night they were reunited at the bar. Lauren's head was turned towards the kitchen as she listened closely to the message.

"Hello Lieutenant Jauregui, this is your Commanding Officer Cooper. I am calling to inform you that your date for deployment has been moved up to February 16th, instead of the 28th as we discussed upon your previous departure. We look forward to having you back Lieutenant."

Camila's heart sank as his voice cut off and Lauren chest tightened at the knowledge she would soon be back in the seventh circle of hell while she had been spending the last few weeks in heaven. Tears formed in the brown eyes and Lauren simply pulled her close. Not in an attempt for continuing what that had started but just to simply calm herself and the younger girl. She heard the brunette sob into her neck and felt the dampness on her skin from the tears. Both of them knew this was coming, they just hadn't thought it would be so soon. The marine still had so much she had planed for the twelve days they had just been robbed of. The smaller woman swallowed hard before looking up into the lieutenant's eyes.

"They can't do that to you, can they?" She asked hopefully, knowing fully well the military didn't care who you were, if they needed you, they needed you. "Just like that?"

"Unfortunately baby," Lauren sighed and rested her chin on top of her head. "they can. Just like that." Camila felt herself sinking to her knees as the weight of the information finally set in. She felt her heart break and her body grow heavy as she imagined each possible scenario the lieutenant would be put through back in Afghanistan. The initial shock made her tears fall without her noticing as Lauren came to her knees with her. When she spoke again it was quiet and the marine almost didn't hear it. "I thought we had more time."

"So did I. I'm sorry." Lauren brushed her fingers through Camila's hair soothingly, this was going to be a hard pill to swallow, for both of them. She watched the doctor close her eyes at the touch and hoped that the most violent scenes weren't occupying her mind. However, despite how hard she silently prayed, the marine felt dampness on her neck and knew the younger woman was imagining those exact scenarios. It broke her, to say the least. Over the past three weeks, Camila had become her entire world. One in which she hadn't been sure about until she met the brown eyes that night in the bar. But now that girl was crying in her arms and there was no way to fix it. Not this time.