The Stage Door (Camren/Norminah)

Shower Me With The Truth

Normani POV

I had sent a text to both Camila and Lauren and got no response, I assumed they were together and that they had made up because when Dinah and I said goodbye to Ally and Oliver and headed back to our room, all of Mila's things were vacant from the spot in the corner where she had left them this morning. I wanted to worry about them, but right now I was preoccupied by someone else.

I had watched Dinah carefully all day, she was quiet and reserved and completely unaware that I was worried, my mind going over the conversation that took place with Camila's father and mother at the restaurant. She didn't go in the water once while we are at the beach, she didn't move from her towel at all, not even to play volleyball with everyone else, a sport I knew she loved. She stayed in her spot with her eyes closed and headphones in, her face unreadable. I had seen her speak to Ally once and when Ally hugged her I knew that whatever it was that was going on, Ally was fully informed. When I questioned the smaller girl she simply told me it wasn't her place and I didn't question her any further.

"Do you wanna do something tonight?" I finally asked Dinah as I emptied the bags we had brought with us to the beach.

Dinah shook her head and averted my gaze, "I actually think I'm just going to shower and maybe go to bed early," she told me.

"It's like four o'clock," I stated and she just shrugged and grabbed her towel from where it was hanging on the back of her desk chair, making her move towards the bathroom. As usual, she left the bathroom door open and when I heard the water turn on I sighed knowing she was avoiding whatever conversation it was that she knew I wanted to have. "Dinah," I said cautiously as I pushed myself onto the counter next to the sink. "What happened yesterday?" I asked her, I was met with silence and I sighed heavily and leaned back against the mirror, "Did I do something because-"

"You didn't do anything," Dinah said to me and I barely heard her over the water. "I told my parents about you and they left," she was quiet, but I heard her and before I could respond she was talking, a little louder, but I could tell she was holding back tears. "They saw Mila and Lauser and they made some comments and I just saw red and told them and they told me I wasn't welcome back home," she stopped talking and I heard her drop the shampoo bottle to the floor of the shower and quickly moved to make sure she hadn't fallen.

"Are you okay in there?" I asked as I jumped off the counter and the sound of soft sobbing told me she wasn't. I bit my lip and moved on instinct, pulling my t-shirt over my head and stripping out of my shorts and bathing suit bottoms. I quickly untied my bathing suit top and for a second I wondered if this was a good idea, if it was going to be too much for her, but as I slowly pulled back the shower curtain, I saw Dinah's exposed backside and noted that she was shaking despite being under the warm water, her head was in her hands and the water was cascading over her caramel skin. I moved gently, stepping into the shower behind her, I bent down and picked up the fallen bottle of shampoo and placed it on the shelf, she didn't seem to know I was there and when I moved under the water and pressed my bare front against her back, my arms wrapping themselves around her middle, I felt her breath hitch and her body tense. I pressed my lips to her shoulder and moved my mouth up to her neck, one hand still wrapped around her, the other moving her hair to one side. "I'm here," I whispered against her. "I'm here and you're going to be okay, I promise," I told her and she let her walls down and cried harder as she turned in my arms and wrapped her own around my neck. It felt completely natural, innocent even, despite both of us being completely exposed. Her breasts were pressed against mine and I could feel and see every inch of her, but there was nothing sexual about the moment we were having. "Here, turn back around," I told her as I untangled from our embrace, I reached for her shampoo and squeezed some of the liquid into my hand before moving to massage the soapy substance through her incredibly soft hair. She moved back and tilted her head to let the water rinse out her hair as I reached for her body sponge and squeezed some of my own body wash on to it.

"Thank you," Dinah whispered as I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder before wiping it off with the sponge. I continued until she had been completely washed clean of the beach and when I finished she had a small smile on her lips, but there was still a sadness in her eyes. "Here," she mumbled as she reached for my shampoo, but I touched her arm softly to stop her.

"I can do it, go dry off," I told her and she looked at me curiously. "Pick a movie, I'm gonna finish up here and then I'll come snuggle, we can stay in tonight. Order pizza or something," I said and she nodded, leaning in and capturing my lips in a sweet kiss and I relished in how well her bottom lip fit between mine.

I finished off my half of the shower and stepped out, reaching for my towel and wrapping it around me. When I stepped out into our room I saw Dinah curled up on my bed, her own towel still wrapped around her, her body convulsing with her cries, I crawled into my bed and laid down beside her, my arm protectively around her as I pulled her closer. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she curled into a smaller ball against me and I shook my head before realizing she couldn't see me doing it.

"You have nothing to apologize for, they are the ones who should be apologizing," I whispered. "Let's just take a nap okay?" I said as I reached down and pulled the covers over us.

"Mani," Dinah whispered and I hummed a response to let her know I was listening. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

I was stunned, shocked to say the least and I swallowed the lump in my throat and tightened my hold on her, a smile sweeping across my face, "I think I'm falling in love with you too."