Haven't Forgotten My Way Home (Camren)

Chapter Five

"Karla Camila Cabello, have you lost your melodramatic mind?!"

Camila sighed and held her cell phone away from her ear as she navigated down one of the hallways at Lakeview House. "Don't raise your voice to me, Normani Hamilton," she said. "I don't want Lauren to hear."

"Fine," Normani growled in frustration. "Dinah, you take over."

There was the sound of scuffling, and then Dinah's calm tone came over the speakerphone. "Have you gone insane... Ma'am?"

Camila rolled her eyes and giggled. "I'm thinking perfectly clearly."

"You want her to come live with you!"

"I want her to come visit," Camila corrected. "For a week, Normani. Only a week."

"What will she do while she's there, Ma'am?"

"Rest?" Camila said with a shrug. "Sleep, watch tv, eat good food, keep me company?"

"And by keep you company, you mean..."

"Stop it," Camila finally snapped, as she stood outside a closed door labeled PT. "I won't have you accusing me of bringing Lauren to my house for purely nefarious reasons."

"Ma'am, she's using big words again."

"She means she's not going to sleep with her."

"Oh. Well, that's good to know, Ma'am."

"Ugh, you two are insufferable," Camila said, but she was smiling. "Also adorable." Growing serious again, she explained, "I applied to the Council for a visit. A visit only. A change of pace from the House. Emily seems to think it will do Lauren good, I don't understand why you don't." She leaned against the wall across from the door and waited for Normani to continue her rant at her.

Hearing Lauren ask if Camila could find some way to contact her the next time she couldn't come to the House, had inspired several reactions in Camila. One, she was beyond elated that Lauren was asking for something from her. What did it mean? Camila wondered. Did it mean that Lauren was comfortable with her? Did it mean she was learning that it was okay to ask for things? Did it mean... she was getting better?

But even as Camila was happy about such a "simple" question, she was also worried. Because it could also mean that Lauren was becoming dependent on her, and as a recovering submissive who'd been exposed to horrific brutality if her scars were any indication, Lauren already didn't know how to separate dependency from reliance.

But warring with all of that was the reality that Camila was slowly coming to, the fact that she really, really didn't like the idea of Lauren being alone at the House. Lauren didn't complain, and the few questions Camila had asked her about the House were met with a quiet "I'm fine, Miss Camila, I promise." But that too, Camila understood, was a product of Lauren's time before the House. Before her. No doubt "I'm fine" rolled off her tongue as easily as water from a roof, because Camila knew that Lauren wanted desperately to say it so much that it would be true. But because Camila knew it wasn't, because she saw how thin Lauren was and because she couldn't bear the idea of Lauren going to sleep alone and waking up alone...

She'd gone to Emily and requested Lauren be allowed to stay with her for a week.

And surprisingly, after asking her a few questions about her intentions, Director Fields had agreed. She'd put in a call to the council, and Camila placed her own. Now they were just waiting for the decision.

Lauren had seemed nervous when Camila told her, but Camila had also caught the fleeting excitement in her eyes that came and went in seconds. She hadn't said much and that was worrying in itself, only asking Camila if she thought Jasper would like her. But that was really a no-brainer, Jasper liked everyone. Camila smiled, thinking about him and Lauren. About cooking for Lauren. Helping her bathe. Watching television with her. Taking care of her.