From Outer Space

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Lauren sighs as she looks at the astronauts around her. It's been hours after the men who are replacing them docked onto the space station, but her thoughts have only been focused on Brody's email.

Everything he said is running through her head. It feels like he chose his words carefully, his intention being to make Lauren realize that she has always been in love with him. And that he did the right thing by... 'teaching Camila a lesson' as he so sickeningly called it.

She feels herself getting nauseous again from just the thought of it all. It has made her beyond furious to read about what he did to her girlfriend. All those years that she blamed Camila for cheating on her were unfair. Of course, Camila shouldn't have gone out and get herself so drunk that she couldn't tell left from right anymore. But that doesn't make it okay for anybody to lay their hands on her. Being too drunk to give consent is not a free pass.

Yes, they should have talked out their argument that night like adults. And based on the information she had back then, it was pretty logical to come to the conclusions she had come to. But after all these years it turns out Camila didn't cheat on her then, and Lauren feels beyond guilty for accusing her of just that all this time.

Had she known what truly happened that time, everything could have gone differently. Or maybe not. Because Lauren also remembers that Camila drunkenly kissed a girl a few years later and destroyed Lauren once again. But maybe Lauren could have taken that blow, and they could have worked it out together if she didn't think that Camila had cheated on her a second time.

''Babe?''

Lauren blinks rapidly and looks up to Camila, who is floating in front of her with her worried eyes focused on her green ones.

''Yeah?'' Lauren mutters out. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't follow anything that was going on around her.

''You okay?'' Camila asks her, reaching out to gently grab her hand and press a kiss against the back of it.

Lauren takes in a deep breath and nods, letting her eyes roam over her girlfriend's face to study her features. While Brody's message was the only thing Lauren could focus on, it seemed like it was the furthest thing from Camila's mind. The astronaut had quickly started busying herself with preparations for the new crew to dock safely and get ready to go back home after they read Brody's email.

''I think I should ask you that.'' Lauren says, watching the sadness appear from its hidden spot in Camila's dark brown eyes, but it disappears almost as quickly as it turned visible. The astronaut plasters on a smile and nods at her.

''We're going home Laur, let's just focus on that okay?'' Camila asks while Lauren stares at her for a little longer. It's obvious that Camila is shutting out everything they've learned the last hours and Lauren can admire that ability to a certain extent. She would love it if she were able to just switch off her emotions for a while, but she also knows that everything you suppress comes back to you eventually.

''Yeah, you're right.'' Lauren barely answers before an older, bald-headed man floats towards them.

''Are you ready ladies? We're almost done.'' The man tells them and Lauren thinks his name is Jean. His French accent is very present and for a moment Lauren let's herself get lost in the memories of her vacation with Camila to Paris years ago.

But a squeeze of Camila's hand on hers pulls her back to the present.

''Yeah, we're ready. Got everything you need, Laur?'' Camila answers him, turning back to her girlfriend to be sure nothing of importance is left behind.