Linger (Camren)

Chapter 32: What You Do For Me

{Lauren POV}

"Why are you awake?" I ask groggily. Checking my phone, I verify my suspicions that it's late. Three in the morning late, to be exact.

Though I found the sensation of her finger tips gliding along stomach soothing, her actions seemed laced with hesitation. Her touch light, but her mind heavy in thought.

I could feel the girl jolt slightly in my arms, clearly unaware that I had been waiting for her to fall asleep for the past half hour or so.

"Why are you awake?" She replied back, lifting her head from my chest, her eyebrows knitted cutely in confusion.

"I asked first."

With a sigh, the younger girl took back her position, returning her warmth. "Just thinking, that's all."

"About me?" I asked jokingly, trying, but not succeeding to mask the slumber embedded in my voice.

"Mhm." She hums softly in confirmation, taking me by surprise.

I take a moment to let that sink in. What thoughts about me could be going through her mind at this hour? Three AM thoughts are always the most absurd, the most convoluted, but often times the most honest in nature. I couldn't count the amount of times my best, and worst, ideas have risen after the world seemed to still outside. I wonder what it is about the dark hours that makes us more existential or more genius.

Then again, in our sleepless, delirious states we always seem way more profound than we really are.

I failed to realize that I too had momentarily fallen victim to the spell of the night, only being drawn out from my own pensive mindset by the familiar feeling of my shirt tickling my skin, guided by beloved fingertips.

Placing a hand on top of hers, I halt her movements.

"Care to share?" Though, a small portion of me wished she'd say no.

"I was just wondering some things."

Her brief and general answers made me anxious, particularly because she is always one to jump on any opportunity to share her thoughts. I feared that she now felt the need to censor herself around me in hopes of never stirring up any unpleasant situation. That was the last thing I wanted.

"Camz, you know you can talk to me about anything. Ask me anything that's on your pretty little mind."

Sighing lightly, she freed her hand from the gentle grasp I had on it, only to weave our fingers together, an action that brings me closer to feeling whole every time.

"When do you think I'm gonna get to meet your parents?"

I suddenly became aware of how eerily silent the room was at this time of night. It was also very stuffy in here for some reason. Squirming a bit underneath her, I found myself unable to formulate a response immediately, which bothered her, as much as it did me, I could sense.

Her soft sigh pushed me to say something. Any response at all would be better than nothing.

"Camz, I really don't know to be honest," I began to try my best to come up with an answer she'd be okay hearing, "I mean, it's not that I don't want you too. Please believe me. I'm not in any way trying to hide you from anyone. But things aren't the same with my parents as they are with yours. I haven't even seen my father in who knows how long, and I really have no intention of getting in touch with him anytime soon. We don't have the best relationship and neither of us have a desire to make any more of it. And my mother? Well, she doesn't do well with change. It all comes with the way her brain is wired. New things and people scare her and they make her uneasy. She herself is aware of that too, which is why the subject of dating, friendships and anything like that never comes up with her. But if I could... if things were different, then you'd be well a part of the family by now."