Next to Me (Camren)

Chapter 7

Camila's POV

I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I felt like I just had a nightmare and wanted to so badly just wake up and it would all be better. But it wasn't. I was in serious trouble. What would Lauren say about this? I knew she wouldn't take it well but none of it was intentional and it was out of my hands. I had no other choice but to go through with it.

"Lauren?" I came into my girlfriend and I's hotel room while she was asleep. "Babe?" I crawled into the bed and kissed her head. It was about 1 am and the incident only happened about two hours ago but this was an emergency. I needed Lauren right now.

"Yeah, babe?" she stirred awake.

"I'm so sorry for waking you but I need to talk to you about something," I said quietly.

"What is it?" she sat up and faced me. "Are you okay?" she took my hands in hers and squeezed them and I couldn't help but let out a sob. "Baby, what's wrong?" Lauren cradled me.

"Something bad happened," I cried.

"What happened? Is it your family?" she grew very worried.

"No, it's...okay, well..." I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and started to explain the long explanation. "I was FaceTiming Austin a little while ago and...he was getting very flirty."

"Okay and? Did you flirt back?" she asked.

"I...kind of did. I'm so sorry, Lauren," I apologized. She closed her eyes and hung her head low.

"Camz...at this point...if you like Austin more than me, then—"

"No, I don't," I interrupted. "I do not like Austin at all. I love you. But...as I was saying, he was getting very flirty, giving me tons of compliments, and asking about my love life. And then he said he really liked me and asked..." I started to break down again.

"What did he ask you?"

"He asked me...if I wanted to be...his girlfriend," I completely lost it.

"Wait, what?" she whispered in disbelief.

"I'm...I'm terribly sorry," I sobbed.

"What'd you say?" she asked.

"I panicked," I mumbled, trying to suck up the tears.

"What?"

"I panicked, Lauren. I said I didn't know and..I-I would think about it," I rambled.

"You couldn't tell him, could you?" my girlfriend sighed.

"Lauren, I am-"

"Stop apologizing," she got out of bed frustrated. "What did management say about this?"

"To do exactly what I did. Not tell him about you. And..." This was the worst part. I was physically shaking now. I really, really didn't want to tell her because I knew this would break her just as much.

"You didn't..."

"They told me to say yes," I whispered on the verge of tears again.

"Fuck," she growled and kicked the bed.

"Lauren, I tried...I tried to fight them—"

"Did you?" she was getting very angry.

"I did. I told them I didn't want to but they think it's great publicity."

"What the fuck?!" Lauren raised her voice which shook me a little. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I really wish I was."