One and Only

Part 35

One and Only - Chapter Thirty-Five
Lauren's POV
-
"Camz?" I whispered into her neck, waiting for a response. She had her arms wrapped tightly around me, as well as her legs, and, normally, I would've stayed here all day, but I had an early meeting ahead of me. I tried to crane my head again to make sure it was actually six in the morning and when I caught a glimpse of the clock, I realized I needed to be ready an hour ago. "Camila," I huffed when she didn't move. How was I supposed to get out of her embrace without waking her? She was always so clingy in the morning.
Despite my current predicament, a smile was present on my lips. I missed waking up to this; I missed waking up in her arms.
The steady rise and fall of her chest made my heart flutter. She was mine again... and I wasn't ever going to let her go. My eyes fell on a particular dark spot on the side of her neck and I bit my lip, suppressing a giggle. I could only imagine how bad my neck looked. I'd lost count of how long we spent in each other's arms last night before we fell asleep. Last night was simple-innocent. Slow kisses and a few love bites were there only thing that came out of it.
I had missed that side of our relationship: the affection, the sincerity of it all. It was all the assurance I needed to know that we could work through our problems.
Camila loved me and I never really accepted it until last night. She looked at me like she couldn't believe her luck-like I was the single most captivating thing on this earth. Her fingers and palms danced across my skin as if they were afraid to break me, as if I was too fragile and precious to taint, and the tender words she had murmured against my lips were filled with so much warmth.
It felt good knowing someone loved me. And, for once, it felt good to love back.
I placed a small kiss on her collarbone before I attempted to extract myself from her grip, holding in my breath to stay as quiet as possible. I was almost successful before I heard her sleepily groan and I dropped my head in defeat.
"Noooo," She whined, her eyes still closed. "Don't. Move."
"I have to," I spoke softly. "I need to get ready for work. I have a meeting-"
"Shh," Her arms were still secured around me. "I'm... s-sleeping." I made another move to get up, but was pulled back down. Camila's eyes opened and they gleamed even in the darkness. "Call in sick."
"I can't." I explained, "I have a meeting-" My breath hitched when I felt her lips on my neck.
"I guess you'll be late," She mumbled, nipping at the skin lightly before soothing it with her tongue. Her hand lazily moved to tangle in my hair.
"Camila," I breathed heavily, my thoughts wandering to dangerous places, "don't do this to me now-"
She cut me off by connecting our lips, the heat from last night rekindling between us. My resistance was cracking and when I felt her bite my bottom lip, I knew there was no going back. I felt her smirk when I pulled her closer to me, making sure to show her how much I wanted this.
Her free hand slid in between us and she began to trace patterns on the inside of my thighs. Despite my tardiness, there was no rush with the way she was kissing me-it was slow and sensual and each kiss felt like it lasted forever.
The hand on my thigh smoothly pushed past the waistband of my shorts and her delicate digits started to explore the throbbing area.
My breathing became more labored but she didn't let that stop her from continuing the merciless attack on my lips. Her skilled thumb began to massage my bundle of nerves, the hand tangled in my hair pulling my mouth closer to her. A small groan escaped into the air and I felt her tongue graze mine the moment two fingers slipped inside of my fluttering channel.
The sounds being muffled by her consistent contact were coming out of me in spurts. My legs were already shaking when she hit a particular spot and I loudly moaned her name against her lips. She barely gave me time to recover before capturing me in another kiss.
Camila worked me to my peak and, when my body slumped against hers, she pecked me on the lips one last time. "Have fun at work," She chirped, rolling out of bed.
I gaped as I watched her prance into the living room before I rested my head against the pillow, trying to regulate my breathing.
However, I didn't have much time before my cell phone rang beside me. My eyes widened when I realized that it was Richard Clarke. "Hello?" I answered nervously.
"Hey, I'm running a bit behind schedule. I'll be there in half an hour." He sounded irritated. "Sorry about that. I hate to keep you waiting."
I shot out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, stripping myself quickly. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind waiting... since I'm here, at the office."
"Great." He hung up.
I jumped into the shower, wincing at the scalding water, and tried to take one as quickly as possible. I had half an hour to get dressed and get to the office before Richard did. I could do that... Right?
After five minutes of furiously scrubbing at my skin and washing my hair, I skidded out of the shower, trying to dry myself as fast as possible. Blow drying my hair took the longest and halfway through, I called Camila in to help me get ready.
She waltzed in the steamy room with a bowl of cereal, her eyebrows raising at my nakedness. "What a nice view."
I shoved a pile of cosmetics to her side of the counter, one hand holding the hairdryer and the other brushing out my knots. "Can you just put this on my face?"
She nodded, setting her cereal down, and propped herself up on the bathroom counter, pulling me toward her and placing me to stand in between her legs. I tried to stand on the tip of my toes to see my reflection over her head, but I couldn't seem to get in the right spot. I leaned to my left and then to my right, ignoring Camila's looks of annoyance, and then finally, tried to duck underneath her arm to see the state of my hair. "Oh, my God, stop moving."
"I can't see!"
"I can't put makeup on you if you're in fifty different places at once," She shot back.
"Well maybe if you didn't decide to get me off this morning, I wouldn't have to rush like this." I moved to a different part of my hair, the pressure of being late getting to me.
Camila smirked, amused by the situation, and soon we both began to laugh. "Okay, okay." She grinned, her eyes shimmering. "We can do this." The brunette dropped her head lower to help me see myself in the mirror as she carefully went back to applying my makeup.
After a few pokes in the eye with my mascara, she managed to finish my look. I beamed at her, ready to thank her, but she hopped off the counter and walked back into our room. I decided my hair was dry enough and followed her, noticing how she had laid a blouse down on the bed.
I caught a bra that was flying toward my face, holding back a chuckle as I put it on. "Any reason you chose this particular bra?"
Camila tossed matching panties toward me. "Nope." She hid her grin, looking for bottoms to pass me.
"Oh, really?" I asked, changing into them. "So, the matching red lace was handed to me out of coincidence?"
"Absolutely," Camila said, "and they're burgundy. Not red."
My laugh bounced off the walls. "Oh, excuse me." I caught a black skirt being flung my way, immediately tugging it up my legs. Camila walked toward me, grabbing the white blouse, and I held my arms out as she put it on me. "Thanks, Mom." I joked as her hands fumbled to button the shirt up.
The smaller girl looked up at me, her eyes filled with endearment. "I missed spending my mornings with you." Her hands slid down to wrap around my waist when my blouse was securely fastened.
"I missed it, too." I murmured, quickly kissing her nose.
Camila smiled and stepped back, folding her arms over her chest. "All right, get outta here. Don't you have a job to get to?"
"You're right." I picked up my phone and bag, heading toward the door. "See you tonight, Cabello." I playfully threw over my shoulder, reaching the exit.
"Wait," I turned around to see her holding a black blazer. "I don't want you looking unprofessional."
"More unprofessional than being late to a meeting with my boss?" She chuckled and I shrugged on the jacket, reaching for the doorknob.
"Hey, try not to work too late tonight. I would like to see you before twelve in the morning."
I nodded, opening the door behind me. "I'll try to be home by eleven." Camila grimaced. "Ten?" She shook her head no. "Nine?" I asked, my voice unsure. I was lucky if I could swing that. She must have noticed the apprehension in my voice because she reluctantly agreed.
With a pout, she said, "I love you."
I beamed. "I love you, too." We exchanged a chaste kiss before I was out of the loft. I checked the time on my watch, realizing I only had ten minutes to get to the office.
I waited in the excruciatingly slow elevator and bolted out of it as soon as the doors opened to the lobby, making my way to my car. It was more of a staggered run than a normal walk and I got a few strange looks before I got in. I didn't waste any more time, speeding out of the enclosed area and onto the street.
It wasn't long before I was in the parking garage at work, my car jerking forward as I pressed harshly on the brake. As rapidly as possible, I grabbed my keys and slammed the door shut, ready to sprint upstairs when I noticed Richard's car rounding the corner. Fuck.
I hid behind my car, peeking out from the side to see him park in his usual spot. I crouched down low to the concrete and waddled slowly toward the exit of the parking garage, cursing Camila for picking out a skirt instead of pants. The fabric was so tight around my bent legs that I was convinced my circulation was being cut off, but I kept going, keeping my eyes on his sports car.
When I was out of his sight, I stood back up and darted for the front entrance, using my security card to get inside of the building. I needed to hurry-what if he was right behind me?
My legs felt like jello as I hurtled toward the elevator and I saw a glimpse of the older man just before the doors shut. I let out a relieved breath, relaxing against the wall, and hurried to my desk when I was let out of the small compartment. I sat down in my chair, rushing to get all of my things out of my bag to look as if I'd been here for over half an hour, and managed to get a few things ready for my meeting before I heard the ding of the elevator doors opening.
"Lauren," he greeted, "good morning."
"Good morning," I croaked out, trying to clear my throat. That was close.
"Sorry I was so late." Richard huffed. "I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much."
"No," I breathed out, "of course not."
"All right." He met my eyes for the first time since he walked in. "Let's take this to my office."
I followed him and shut the door behind us, taking a seat in front of his desk. "What's the progress on the issue we're having from Portland?"
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. "I'm having a bit of trouble with it."
He nodded as if he expected this answer. "We might be able to make some progress today. I still haven't made a decision on who your new co-coordinator is going to be." My boss leaned back in his chair. "How long did you and Adriana end up staying?"
"We stayed until midnight before she ordered me home." I chuckled. "Guess she thought I was working too hard."
"She was probably right." Richard gave a rare smile. "Was the rest of your night nice?"
I thought of everything that had happened. "It was... eventful, to say the least. But it turned out well."
We exchanged small talk for a bit longer before we jumped into what we actually met for-the crisis in Portland. I racked my brain for any possible solution, but came up short, leaving the problem unsolved again, which I wasn't used to. Richard assured me that it was okay-that we would figure it out-but I wasn't used to not being good at my job. It had been the only steady thing in my life recently, and I wasn't ready for it to go downhill.
-
Around two o'clock, Richard asked not to be disturbed until the end of the day which meant nobody could enter his office. We had spent the whole day trying to work this issue out with our superiors in Portland and had come up with nothing, so I was guessing he locked himself in there to try to brainstorm an actual plan.
However, this meant that I was going to be at my office desk for the rest of the day instead of sitting at a conference table like I had planned, and that meant I had to answer some questions.
I didn't even reach my desk before the girls ran up to me, their faces anxious.
"Camila isn't picking up," shouted Ally.
"I tried her cell six times." Dinah added.
"We called the hotel and they said she checked out. I don't know where-" Normani stopped, arching an eyebrow. "Why aren't you freaking out?"
I took a seat in my chair while they leaned against the side of my desk, staring at my expectantly. "Camila is at home."
They all gaped.
"Like... at home? With you?" Ally asked.
Normani shook her head, waving a hand in the air to silence everyone. "Wait, how did she go from not wanting to talk to you on the phone to moving back in with you in one night?"
"It was... a long night." I noted.
"It was still one night, Lauren. Are you sure you guys are ready for this?" Dinah asked. "You don't think you should have waited longer?"
"We've waited long enough," I pointed out. "This won't be like last time, okay? We're going to work at this." They looked at me with doubtful expressions. "Are you guys forgetting that we've known each other for seven years, or...?"
"Well, you haven't been dating for seven years. It's not the same thing." Dinah replied.
I glared at her and the group fell in silence. She knew she had crossed a line. "I probably know Camila better than you know your own husband. I've lived with her for six years-straight out of high school. You're right, though. It's not the same thing-it's better."
Dinah apologized quickly and Normani switched topics, asking about how long Dinah had before she was supposed to give birth.
I felt like I'd heard this conversation a million times in the last week. It was always the one thing they talked about when they didn't want to upset me.
I pulled out my phone, irritated, and sent a text to Camila: Wish you were here. What are you up to?
Apparently, Dinah was due in a couple of weeks. The same answer from last week.
Camila Cabello: Rough day? And I may be concocting a little something for you.
Camila Cabello: Don't bother asking. I'm not ruining the surprise. But you better be home by nine.
I grinned, wondering what she was doing and typed a reply: Definitely a rough day. I'm sure I'll feel better when I get that surprise at home though. Can I get a hint? I'll pout if I don't get one.
Camila Cabello: No.
Camila Cabello: But I'm sorry you're having a bad day. Did you get in trouble with Mr. Clarke?
I overheard Ally say something about how her son, Nathan, got an award at school. I replied to Camila: I'm pouting. And no, I didn't, thanks to my stealth skills. The girls just managed to put me in a bad mood.
Camila Cabello: I'm keeping it a secret so that you're eager to come home on time.
Camila Cabello: P.S. Go easy on the girls; Grumpy Lauren can be vicious.
I tutted: No hint about the surprise AND you are on the girls' side? I don't like this.
Camila Cabello: Just come home now... :) No more waiting for the surprise and no more dealing with our friends.
My lips stretched into a small smile: I wish. I'll see you at home later.
Camila Cabello: Don't be late. I love you.
Just as I was about to send a small goodbye text, my phone started to ring. My heart stopped. It was James.
The girls halted their conversation and collectively sent me concerned looks. "Everything okay?" asked Ally.
I met their eyes for a brief second before I got up, leaving without a word. Where was I supposed to go to answer a call like this? And was I even supposed to answer it?
I told Camila I would try harder. So, did that mean cutting him off?
Maybe Dinah was right. Maybe this was too soon. We hadn't discussed much about what we were doing different this time and I was pretty sure Camila would disapprove of me talking to him.
But that didn't stop me from answering.
"James," I whispered from the hallway, frantically looking around to see if anyone was near me, "hi."
"Hello, Lauren. How are you?"
"I'm-" I stopped, slipping into the nearest conference room when I saw a coworker come into view, "fine. Just at work. How are you?"
"Is now not a good time?"
"Now is a great time," I lied. "I'm glad you called."
"No, you're not." He said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing-"
"Lauren." James scoffed. "Don't."
"Okay," I gave in. "I'm just... A lot of things have changed since I saw you last."
There was a pause before he asked, "You're back together with her?"
"Yeah, I am. So, I'm-"
"You don't know if you should be talking to me."
I sighed, thankful he didn't make me say it. "Yes."
The older man hummed. "I thought you weren't sneaking around anymore."
"We're not." I denied. "We're supposed to be trying harder to... make things work."
"How's that going?"
"It's only day one." I huffed, "And I think I'm already messing up."
James gave a slight chuckle. "Relationships aren't rocket science, Lauren. Just be honest with her."
"That's what I'm afraid of." I admitted. "I feel like she's going to make me give you up."
"...If it comes down to that, don't choose me."
"James-" I protested, but he interrupted.
"No, listen to me. Camila is your future. You need to hold onto that."
"I know," I agreed sadly.
"I'll let you get back to work. And if she allows it, I'll talk to you soon." He said goodbye and hung up, leaving me to silence.
The door opened and I looked to see Rachel standing in the doorway. "There you are." She smirked, pointing at me. "Is that a hickey?" My eyes widened and I moved to cover my neck with my hair. So much for having Camila do my makeup this morning. "Cute." The secretary commented. "Anyway, you've got a call on line two."
"Thanks," I swiftly exited the room and headed toward my desk, noticing that the girls had returned to their own workspace. I took the phone call, which turned out to be from a client, and spent the rest of the day doing all of the unfinished paper work that had accumulated over the few weeks. With my new ranking at work, I was always stuck in meetings and now that I wasn't, I wished Camila was sitting across from me.
It was 5:30 P.M. before most of my coworkers had gone home and Richard finally came out of his office. He made eye contact with me and waved me in, waiting until I sat down to shut the door. I gave a small smile to Adriana who sat next to me with her notepad out. She looked thrilled to be staying late again.
We discussed possible fixes for the issue in Portland, but everything we went over proved to be ineffective. With the stats Adriana provided, we just couldn't seem to come up with anything.
Richard had even drafted a plan but, after further review, we deemed it to be unsuccessful.
It seemed only a couple of hours had passed before he let out an audible groan of frustration, shaking his head. "You might have to go back." I blanched. "I mean, I don't see what other choice we have. We've exhausted every option so far."
"For how long?"
"I don't know. It's a maybe for now. Even with you there, I'm not sure you could handle it by yourself."
"I'll go with her." Adriana flirted.
Richard rolled his eyes. "Why don't you head home, Adriana?"
She shot up out of her seat, purse in hand, and said, "I'll see you both tomorrow," before she rushed out.
"She'll be glad to be home early tonight. Especially since I kept her until midnight yesterday."
"Well, it's not that far off. Not even an hour difference." Richard commented, looking at his watch.
I paused. An hour? "Wait, what time is it?"
"Quarter to twelve."
"Oh, my God." I whispered, my heartbeat increasing. "Oh, my God." I repeated, louder this time.
The older man leaned forward, "Is everything okay?"
"I'm sorry-I'm just... I'm late for something." I scrambled to grab my things, throwing them messily into my bag. "I need to go." Richard nodded in understanding and I wasted no time before I hurried out of his office, fumbling for my phone. My heart dropped when I looked at all of the notifications.
4 Missed Calls
Camila Cabello [9:28 PM]: Where are you?
Camila Cabello [9:52 PM]: Still waiting...
Camila Cabello [10:04 PM]: Lauren, you're an hour late.
Camila Cabello [10:37 PM]: Answer your phone!
Camila Cabello [11:14 PM]: You're two hours late. Two.
Camila Cabello [11:20 PM]: Did you even TRY to make it home on time?
I instantly tried to call her, but it rang and rang until I got her voicemail. Note to self: Don't put your phone on silent.
I left work the same way I arrived: in a rush.
-
I searched blindly for my keys, my anxiety at an all time high, and opened the door. "Camz?" I called out, setting my stuff down. I noticed her asleep on the chair and walked over to her, bending down at the knees to be at eye level. "Hey," I lightly shook her awake. Her eyes fluttered open and my forehead was creased in distress.
"You're late."
"I know," I frowned, taking her hands in mine, "I lost track of time-my phone was on silent. I didn't even know all that time had passed. And I swear I wasn't doing anything but working. It's just-it's been really hectic at work lately and-"
"Lauren-"
"I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to be trying harder for us and it's day one and I've already messed up. I can't believe I'm more than two hours late."
"It's okay." She laughed a little, squeezing my hands in reassurance.
I looked at her, surprised. "Camz, it's almost midnight."
"I know... but it's not like you were late on purpose." I still looked unsure, so she cupped my face. "We're not spending our first night back together fighting. I didn't wait all day for this moment just to waste it by yelling at each other." Camila brought our lips together briefly, grinning at me when we parted. "Welcome home. Ready for your surprise?" She got up, pushing past me, and I remained staring at the chair, taken aback.
"Wait..." I got up, watching as she moved around in the kitchen. "So, you aren't mad at me?"
"No," she got something out of the oven, "but don't be late again. Or else." She winked, setting down what looked like a casserole on the dining room table. "Surprise! I made dinner." When I didn't move, the brunette put her hands on her hips. "I'm not mad. Aren't you going to enjoy this meal that I slaved over?"
I smiled at her obvious excitement and crossed the room to sit down at the table. She hadn't made dinner for me in a long time... but there was a reason for that. She wasn't exactly a great cook.
"Okay, I know what you're thinking... but I really think I got the hang of it this time. I followed the recipe and look," she gestured to the food, "it's not even burnt."
"It looks good." I lied, a bit nervous to try it in front of her. I placed a small amount on my plate and took a deep breath. I could do this. I had to do this. She had already forgiven me for being late. It was time to return the favor. I took a bite, my eyes squinting to try to decipher exactly what I was tasting. "Is that... is that mustard with-?"
"Chocolate!" She exclaimed, grinning widely.
"Mhm," I gulped it down. "That's what I thought."
"Don't you like it?" Camila asked.
I nodded, taking another bite, "Of course I do. It's really good."
We stayed in silence for a while before she bursted out laughing. "You're lying."
"No-"
"Yes, you are." She giggled. "There's no way you can like that."
I gasped, realizing what she'd done. "Did you make that knowing it was gross?"
She answered my question with laughter and I sat there in disbelief. "You just... you just sat there and ate it, knowing that I'm the worst cook ever." I watched as she was in hysterics, bending over to try to get her breath back. "'It's really good.'" She mocked, "That was... the funniest thing I've ever seen. Spending two hours on that was the best decision I've ever made."
"Camila," I gaped, an unwelcome smile making its way to my lips. "You said you weren't mad!"
"I'm not." She chuckled, wiping away tears that had formed from her gut wrenching laughter, "But you left me waiting for two hours! I just got a little creative with the time."
"I can't believe you." Standing up, I smirked. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Oh, no I'm not." She shook her head. "I'm definitely sleeping in our room tonight and you can't stop me."
The air was still for a moment before we both bolted for our bedroom to see who got there first. I slid in the room, a few feet ahead of her, and shut the door, locking it. "Looks like I can stop you."
"Lauren, you better open this door."
I hummed. "I don't know, I'm not feeling very well. Must've been something I ate. Maybe I'll just call it a night."
"Sure, just leave me out here with your phone. I wonder... how would Mr. Clarke react if he got a text from you this late? I guess we'll find out..." She trailed off. I practically ripped the door off of its hinges as I opened it, seeing Camila crouched down low by my bag with my phone in hand. She stood back up. "Let's just type a quick text to Richard."
She held the phone close to her chest when I hurtled toward her so that I couldn't grab it. "I'm gonna give you a warning before I bring out the big guns."
"Oh, yeah?" She taunted, "Ooh, I'm scared." Camila shrieked when I began tickling her and we fell to the floor, my phone sliding across the hard wood. "Okay, okay!" She surrendered from underneath me and I stopped, rolling to lay down beside her as we panted, out of breath. I noticed when she turned her head to look and me and I met her eyes. Camila smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too." I turned on my side to face her, "I have to tell you something." She stared at me expectantly. "James called me today."
"Oh." Camila looked up at the ceiling wearing an unreadable expression. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't speak.
"Is it... going to bother you if we stay in touch?"
"I just don't understand why you still want to talk to him after what he's done to you." She grimaced. "It makes me sick."
"He's family, Camz."
"You don't do that with your family." The girl scoffed, sitting up. I sat up with her, taking a moment to think. She looked down at her hands before she said, "But I won't make you give him up. I know he was there for you when I couldn't be-no matter how toxic I think he is." I gratefully rested a hand on her knee and she met my gaze. "Thanks for telling me."
I nodded. "Thanks for trying harder."
Camila leaned forward and pecked me on the lips. "Hey, I forgot to give you your surprise." She got to her feet, disappearing into our bedroom.
"It's not another gross casserole, is it?" I called after her, getting up.
She came back with a wrapped present. "It's not, like, a big deal, but I had nothing to do all day so..." She pushed it toward me.
I smiled at her bashfulness and opened it, realizing it was my favorite picture of us-the one that Mark had told me he broke. It was nicely framed, ready to take back its rightful place on the wall.
"Surprise. I fixed it."
My eyes flickered up to hers and I broke out into a face eating grin. "I love it. I've been missing seeing this everyday." Walking over to the wall, I placed it on the lonely nail. "Perfect."
I chuckled when I heard Camila's stomach growl. "You know what would be perfect? If we got something to eat, Lauren-I think I'm dying."
"There's some leftover casserole."
She laughed, taking my arm and dragging me out of the door, just barely grabbing my bag in the process. "Guess who's paying?"
"Me?" I guessed.
"You." She confirmed.
-