One and Only

Part 2

One and Only - Chapter Two

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Lauren's POV
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I fumbled for my keys when I felt her press her body to my backside, her hands roaming the front of me.
"Is your little girlfriend home?" She whispered in my ear and I couldn't help but laugh. I opened the door to my loft and watched as she closed it behind her.
Her eyes darkened with lust as I tilted my head, running my finger down the center of her body. "Does she look like she's home?"
Rachel gave me no time to think before she lunged at me, her lips attacking mine. A smirk formed on my face as I thought about my life. I had never thought it would've turned out this way-rich with girls and guys throwing themselves at me-but it had, and it had all happened after I met Camila, my best friend and roommate. I had her to thank for all of this as she'd helped me in ways she didn't even know about.
My excited girlfriend led me to my room, kicking the door open as I wrapped my legs around her waist. She carefully laid me down on the bed, but I switched our positions. I was the dominant one. I had lost count of how many times I had had sex with this girl in the past week. Leading a very active life, you start to forget what other people find so important. There had been a plethora of people to call me a 'slut' or a 'whore', but I didn't care. This was the way I had always been, the way I'll always be.
I had Rachel writhing underneath me and I hadn't even touched her yet. This wasn't good for my ego, but I smiled confidently anyway, letting my lips do the work before I did anything to relieve her. I was a very confident person and it helped a tremendous amount with my affairs. Somehow, we had managed to strip down to nothing, and she was begging me for more. So, I obliged, happier than ever to meet her needs.
Her nails were digging into my back as I was between her legs, and I figured her moans were loud enough to cover the sound of the front door being opened and immediately slammed shut, because right then, Camila was in the room. I looked up from my escapade, our eyes locking immediately. Her face was red and puffy, I could see it even in the dark. She was crying.
Her face expressed disappointment when she realized Rachel was in my bed. "Sorry." She muttered quietly, and then the door was closed.
As I moved to get up, Rachel growled, grabbing my hand. "Don't leave me in your bed like this."
I took my hand back and stood up, searching for my bra and panties. As I put them on, Rachel was relentless. I imagined she was frustrated as ever after I left her like that, but I didn't care. Camila needed me. I slipped on my two articles of clothing and walked to the bathroom, brushing my teeth to get the taste of Rachel out of my mouth.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rachel screamed, and I spit into the sink. "You're going to stop having sex with me so you can have a little BFF chat with your bestie? What are you, twelve?"
I remained calm as ever, her antics were not distracting me from the fact my best friend was crying on our couch in our living room.
"Are you just going to ignore me?" She screamed. "I'm so done with this. You pick Camila over everything!"
As I walked into the living room, Camila looked so small as she was softly crying on that couch. I sat down next to her and coaxed her tear-stained face up so I could look at her. She leaned into my touch and I could see the apology on her face.
"This is fucking ridiculous!" Rachel screamed. "Either me or her, Lauren."
I got up, taking a few steps to the door, and opened it. "Get out." I spoke mildly.
"Are you serious?" She yelled and I gave an apathetic shrug. Rachel huffed in anger. "You'll regret this." She warned, and I remained waiting. She left after one long glare at Camila, and I gladly shut the door behind her.
At once, I was by Camila's side again. She was hiding her face. "I'm really sorry, Laur. I didn't mean to interrupt your night. I'm such a mess-I can't believe I did that." She rambled on.
I chuckled at her apology. "You're more important to me than Roxy-wait, Ramona-wait, it's Rachel." Camila's face lit up at my joke before it returned to its sad state.
Without a word, she climbed into my lap, her legs taking up the rest of the couch, and rested her head on my chest with a sigh. "You're such a good friend, Lauren." She played with the ends of my hair, a frown etched on her face.
"I think I can be a better one if you tell me what's bothering you." I peeked down at her, my hand instinctively brushing hair out of her face. She was pouting, and very, very quiet. "Why aren't you with Adam? Not that I don't want you here. I love having you here. I'm just wondering why you didn't go to him."
Camila buried her face further into my chest. "I'm having doubts." She barely whispered.
"Doubts? About the wedding?" My eyes widened. "Camz..."
"I know!" She huffed. "I just-sometimes he can be..."
"Uptight? Controlling? Rude? A dic-" She stopped me.
"Okay, Lauren. Yes, sometimes he's all of those things. He's so different from you and I'm not used to that, even with us being in a relationship for so long." Her frown was becoming more serious. "I know I preach about passion and romance and true love, but I don't know if I have that." I started rubbing her arm, urging her to continue. "I know everyone expects Adam and I to be together and I know everyone expects me to live a perfectly fine life like in the movies, but what if I don't want that?" She looked up at me. "Am I being selfish?"
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Of course not, Camz. People will set expectations for you your entire life, they have already. Those don't matter. What matters are the expectations you have for yourself, how you want your life to go." My hand subconsciously wiped a tear from her face. "At the end of the day, it's you who needs to be happy with your surroundings-not Adam, your family, or even me."
She nodded and I felt her exhale heavily, almost as if she had been holding her breath this whole time. "Why can't I just stay with you, like this, forever?"
A smile crept onto my face. "Forever is a long time." I paused before speaking again. "But I think that if I had to spend forever with someone, it'd be you." She beamed up at me.
"I love you, Lauren Jauregui." She nudged my shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do without you-my best friend."
"You'd be alone on this couch without a girl in her bra and panties to hang onto." She laughed and I was glad to hear it again. I decided it was my favorite sound.
"You didn't say it back."
"Say what back?" But I knew.
"Say that you love me, too."
"I don't love back." I tried to remain serious, but the look on Camila's face made me crack. "Only for you." I grinned, clearing my throat. "Love you, too, Camila Cabello."
She sat up a little, her head leaving my chest to look at me. "Why don't you love back?" I groaned and Camila's forehead creased. "Come on," she pleaded, "tell me."
I shrugged. "I just-I don't-" I fumbled for the right words to say, coming to a deep sigh. "I don't think you should have to stay with one person your whole life. There's so many people out there with different likes, dislikes, personalities, looks... Why pick just one when the world is yours to choose from?" Camila was silent for a bit, studying my face. It made me a little nervous when she did that, when her brown eyes were burning holes into my skin, but not in a bad way.
Finally, she spoke. "Do you remember the day we met?"
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His hands grabbed anywhere he could reach, desperate to touch me. I knew he wanted me and I was expected to oblige. Being Lauren Jauregui, the "school slut", I always knew what I was doing. This time was different, though. I couldn't seem to focus as I saw a girl sitting up against the side of the bleachers. Her face was covered by her hands and the shaking of her body signaled to me that she was crying. I moved back from the boy, but he continued to kiss down my neck.
"Stop." I said, moving my hands to his chest. I pushed on it slightly and he tumbled back a bit.
"What the fuck?" He was seething, his eyes filled with anger.
My eyes flitted from the girl, to him, and then back to the girl. She had stopped shaking. "I have to go." As I began to walk out of the empty, shaded concession stand, he grabbed my arm, moving in front of me.
"Lauren, you can't just leave me like this."
I scoffed. "I don't owe you anything." He let go of my arm. "Move." I spoke softly, and at my command, he stepped out of my way. As I approached the girl, I didn't recognize her. "Are you okay?" My voice startled her, her eyes meeting mine. They were a warm brown.
I knew she recognized me from the shock on her face. "I'm fine." She managed to spill out, the back of her hand wiping at her eyes.
Frowning, I took at seat down next to her, my back hitting the cool metal of the bleachers. I decided not to ask about why she was crying just yet, figuring from my past experience she would tell me on her own first. "What grade are you in?" My question took her by surprise and I smiled at her. She relaxed at that.
"I'm a sophomore." She replied.
"Oh! Just a year younger than me."
"I know." She blushed as I raised my eyebrows at her.
"Are you in any sports?" I asked and she laughed at my question. It was a beautiful laugh, not one of those fake ones people do to come off as controlled-a real laugh, no holding back. I grinned at her once again. "Am I funny to you?"
She shook her head, fanning air at her eyes to dry the tears. I wasn't sure if they were still sad tears or new tears from laughter. "No, I'm sorry." She chuckled a bit again. "It's just funny you would even think to ask me that."
"Why is that?"
"Well, because look at me. Does it look like I play sports here? If I was some jock, I'd have some friends, right? I wouldn't be crying by some empty bleachers." She sighed, and I was almost sure the sad tears were coming back.
"Do you want to be a jock?" I asked.
She studied me and, for the first time in a long time, I felt uneasy. "It doesn't matter what I want."
It was almost like she wasn't speaking to me anymore. "I think you can be anything you want." She looked at me again, her forehead creased. "What's your name?"
"Camila. Well, I mean, it's Karla." I looked at her, confused, and she huffed at trying to speak to me. A smirk broke out onto my face. "My first name is Karla and my middle name is Camila. I go by my middle name."
"I'm Lauren."
She nodded. "I know who you are." It was quiet for a moment or two before she spoke again. "Why are you being so nice to me?" I frowned at her. "I mean, aren't you, like, popular, or whatever?"
Her face lightened when she heard me begin to laugh. "I'm more 'or whatever'. People don't like me here."
"The guys seem to like you." Her tone was nonjudgmental, but the look of worry on her face that she had offended me was obvious.
I smiled at her. "They don't like me. They like what I do for them."
"Why do you do it?"
I shrugged. "Because I like them."
"All of them?" Camila gaped.
I nodded at her, admiring her once again shocked expression. "Most of them. I like people." She looked at me for further explanation so I continued. "There are a lot of people here that have stories about their lives that you wouldn't believe. I would never speak specifically of them, of course, but basically, a lot of them have put up a front-whether it's bitchy or apathetic or aggressive-it's all a front. There are no fronts when they're with me; I see all wounds." She was gazing at me and I had to consciously tell myself to refocus. "People aren't stupid, no matter how much you believe they are. They're very smart and have a lot of thoughts and things that make them unique. They like being paid attention to; I like paying attention to them. It works out well." I grinned, but I noticed how she was studying me again.
"Don't you want to be paid attention to, too?" She asked, her voice quiet.
She had caught me off-guard: Lauren Jauregui-completely dumbfounded. I decided it best to change the subject with my smile still on my face. "Why don't you tell me why you were crying?"
Camila seemed to get the hint, going along with the change in our conversation. "It's stupid." She whispered, and I shook my head.
"I can assure you that it is not."
She huffed again. "Some girls were messing with me." A look of insecurity flashed across her face. "I'm sensitive; ignore me." I asked who. "Amber and her little disciples."
I smirked, the name was absolutely familiar. "Don't you worry about them. They've got their own problems. That's why they're messing with you."
Camila nodded. "How do you know?"
"I just know." It was silent again, but comfortable. I had met this intriguing girl just moments ago but I was already interested in what she had to say. Oh, she was different. I spoke again. "Thanks for talking with me. I mean, actually having a conversation with me."
For the first time, Camila smirked at me. "You don't have conversations?"
"If you call talking about when the next party is going to happen a conversation, then I guess I do... but other than that, no." I watched as she rested her chin on the top of her knees drawn up to her chest.
"Well, at least you have people that want to talk with you. Nobody likes me." She gave a sad smile.
I had a hard time believing Camila didn't have any friends. She was pretty, funny, and nice. "I like you, Camila."
Her eyes widened at me in disbelief. "You-you do?"
A small chuckle fell out of my lips for what felt like the millionth time. "Of course I do." Her mouth was open and her eyebrows furrowed. She jumped a little when the class bell ring. "I have to get to class." I told her.
She nodded and I got up to leave, walking a little before I heard her voice again.
"Wait! Lauren!" Camila yelled, and I turned around. She blushed at me. "I would... uh," I saw her gulp. I was a little relieved that I was making her nervous, too. "I would pay attention to you." She said, referring to my earlier comment.
I had to physically restrain myself from showing any signs of surprise. I was Lauren Jauregui-I wasn't shocked by anyone. Who was this girl? She's throwing me off my game. I knew then that she would be someone important in my life. Whether that was going to be a good thing or a bad thing, I didn't know. But then again, I was Lauren Jauregui-I didn't care. I smiled at her once again before turning back around and walking off.
-
"Of course I remember the day we met." I looked at her, confused. "Why?"
"This is kind of like it, right? Our conversation now? Sensitive, crying Camila being comforted by the mysterious and gorgeous Lauren Jauregui." She giggled. "Except you didn't just get done making out with a guy."
"Oh, no. I'm so over those slutty high school days." I joked and she giggled again.
"I remember when I found out you liked girls." She said, her expression changing.
"I don't remember necessarily ever coming out to you. It was just kind of swept under the rug."
She nodded. "I was mad at you."
I smirked at her. She had never told me this. "Mad?" She nodded again. "Can I ask why it made the Camila Cabello mad at me?"
She began telling me the story. "Well, it was just another day at Hell-I mean high school. I remember I was turning the corner and I heard your voice. I almost started sprinting to see you, we had been friends for a couple of months now-but then I heard Amber's voice as well." She saw me shift uncomfortably as she delved more deep into the memory.
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Camila's POV
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Wait, is she talking to Amber? I leaned up against a locker so they couldn't see me, but I was hearing everything they were talking about.
"Why do you talk to Camila? She's pathetic. You're really wasting your image on her." Amber spoke, her voice disapproving.
I could hear the shrug in Lauren's voice. "I like her." She said simply.
Amber scoffed. "You like her? Excuse me?"
"She's my friend."
"Oh, God. We all know what that means." She groaned. Lauren attempted to explain, she was calm. Amber interrupted. "No, Lauren. You can't just fuck me at night, pretend to listen to my life story, and then come to school the next day to be with another person-especially Camila." I peeked around the corner and saw Amber running a finger down Lauren's chest. "I thought I was the only girl for you."
Lauren smirked at her. "I am not sleeping with her. We're friends-and Amber, you and I aren't dating. You know that."
Amber huffed, redirecting her gaze to her hands that were absentmindedly playing with the ends of Lauren's hair. "You own everyone's hearts, Lauren. I wish you would pick mine."
"Then we wouldn't be able to sneak around." Lauren spoke and Amber giggled. "You're cute. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Okay." Amber kissed her for a second, walking off.
I was livid. I walked around the corner, my eyebrows furrowed in anger. "You're with her?" She looked at me like she had been caught. Nevertheless, she recovered rather quickly.
"I'm not with anyone."
"You're sleeping with her, then?" I questioned, and she nodded. I couldn't believe it. "Even after what she's done to me-what she still continues to do?"
Lauren frowned. "There's a lot more to the story than you think, Camila."
I scoffed. "I don't care what the story is! That's just who you are, yeah? What'd she say again? Fuck her and listen to her life story?"
She remained calm and I didn't know how she was doing it. "Camila, I'm not going to stand here and listen to you judge me. You're mad because I from time to time enjoy Amber's company?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "I'm mad because she's made my life hell. She's a shit person."
"Camila," she said again, like she didn't know what she was supposed to do. "you're more important to me than some late night fuck, okay?"
"Prove it." My voice was sharp, and I saw anger flash onto Lauren's face. She walked away without another word.
The next day, I froze as I saw Amber walking down the hallway in my direction. Her eyes were puffy and for the first time in all of high school, she walked past me without a word. She gave me a glance before walking faster. Lauren walked right past me, too, and I called her name. She ignored me. I called her name again, and no response. Eventually, I had to run to catch up to her, and even then she was walking fast. "Why are you avoiding me?"
"I don't like people telling me what to do with my life, Camila, and I don't like people judging me." She looked at me for a split second, moving her eyes right back to the front. "Amber shouldn't be bothering you anymore, alright? That's what you wanted."
I frowned. "Well, yeah but-"
She stopped, and so did I. "But nothing, Camila. You got what you wanted."
"If I knew it meant losing you, I wouldn't have said anything."
Lauren looked surprised and her expression softened. "You didn't lose me."
"I hear you telling that shit to people all of the time, Lauren. I'm not stupid."
She nodded, annoyed. "Right. I forgot you know what I mean better than I do." Her sarcasm was evident.
"I'm not trying to say that." Why was talking to her so hard for me? I could barely speak without throwing up. I didn't look at her when I spoke again. "I just don't want to lose you."
She ducked her head down a little so she could meet my eyes. "You're not going to." She must've sensed my uneasiness because she sighed. "I care about you, Camz."
My mouth dropped open. With anyone else, those were just words-but with Lauren, they meant a whole different thing. That was the first time I had ever heard her say that to anyone, including her own father. Her forehead was creased as she took my hand. We walked to class in silence, but there was a resounding smile on my face after a while.
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Lauren's POV
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Camila grinned at me. "And ever since then we've been the best of friends! Because you care about me!" She kissed me everywhere on my face and I laughed, pushing her away.
"You're such a dork."
"I'm your dork." She interlaced her right hand with my left and rested them on her stomach. My legs were beginning to feel numb, but I didn't care.
"So, what are you going to do about Adam?"
Camila grimaced. "I don't know." She looked like she was trying to find the right words. "I see you with those girls, Lauren, and there's so much passion there. They can't keep their hands off of you. It's infuriating." I raised my eyebrows at her and she explained further. "It's infuriating because I want that. Me. I want that with someone. I want someone who wants me."
"You don't think Adam wants you?"
"I know he wants to have sex with me, but sometimes I feel like he's just tolerating me so he can have a 'perfect' family. He doesn't look at me the way those girls look at you. He looked at me in this dress for one second before he just brushed it off, like I'm nothing-like he just got used to me." She covered her face with her hands, breaking out into a cry.
"Aw, Camz." I grabbed her hands with mine and removed them from her face. "Adam's a dick, but he loves you." She nodded. "And for the record, you look hella hot in this dress." I smiled hearing her laugh again.
"You think so?"
"Definitely." I couldn't get it out of my mind that she was having doubts about marrying Adam. I was no expert on long-term relationships, but I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea that she wasn't sure about the guy she was engaged to. "Camz?" She looked at me. "Do you love him?"
I could see the shock on her face. She stood up, getting off of me, and held out her hand. "Can we just talk about this tomorrow? I'm tired. Will you come sleep with me?"
Reluctantly, I got up and took her hand. It wasn't normal that she didn't answer one of my questions and I knew this was serious. I was laying on my side in her bed when I thought of how it was possible that Adam could just get "used" to her. Camila zipped out of her dress, walking into the bathroom to take her makeup off and brush her teeth. She was wearing a matching black lace bra and panties and I caught myself checking her out. What? Get a grip, Lauren. She's your best friend. My best friend. Friend. Knowing myself, I had to have limits with what Camila and I were going to be. She was straight, after all, but even if she weren't, I would never-I could never-I should never take anything further than friendship. I was toxic-plus, I thought it was really cute she believed in all of that true love stuff. I knew I would only ruin that.
She crawled into bed with me, smiling as we faced each other. "I love you." She scooted closer, burying her face into my neck. I felt her legs entangle with mine, her arms around my waist. "Thanks for listening to me."
I kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "No problem. Love you, too, Camz."
I was almost asleep when she said my name. "Laur?"
"Yeah?"
She paused before speaking and I felt her hands rubbing my back like they were searching for comfort. "I think you're going to fall in love someday."
"I sure hope not." I replied and she giggled.
"You'll thank me when you do."
"Oh, Camila. Go to sleep and we can talk about your plans for my life tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Promise."