Malibu Love

XLVII

(three more chapters until the epilogue)

"Mom!"

Lauren lets out a tired sigh.

"What do you want now?" she calls back

"Where's mommy?"

The green eyed girl looks up from her book into her best friend's eyes.

"You're annoying Mani."

"So I've heard. Where's Mila?" Normani questions again

"She went to her parents' house. Sofi said she got a mail."

"Lauren, why didn't she change her address yet? I mean, she's paying the rent, well part of it."

Lauren shrugs. "Something about this being your and mine place."

Normani bits her lip nervously and sits on the couch next to Lauren. "What if it becomes your place?"

"What do you mean?" The green eyed girl furrows her brows.

"Aaron asked me to move in with him, like for New Year's Eve we were talking and he asked me--"

"What did you say?"

"That I need some time to think about it. It's been a week and although he didn't pressure me into giving him an answer I know he wants to know."

"Well, do you want to?" Lauren questions

"I kind of do, I really like him Lo. I know we haven't been together but," Normani lets out a sigh "I think I'm falling for him, hard."

"Then go for it nugget." Lauren offers her a smile "He obviously makes you happy Mani and this is by far your longest relationship. I've known him for years now and he's been nothing but a gentleman to everyone, especially the girls he dated."

"Did he date a lot of girls?"

"Not really, he's a few years older than me though. I remember that he had his high school sweetheart but she moved away right after graduation an they broke up. After that I think he dated Ally's cousin and that's the only thing I know. He was a popular guy at school, but a nice guy."

Normani smiled at the thought of her boyfriend as she listened to Lauren talking. 

"Okay, I'll meet him tonight and tell him I decided."

The door bell rang in and Lauren looked at clock. "It's not Camz."

"It could be Dinah." Normani mumbled and got up to open the door

A few moments later she walked into the living room and threw a package right next to Lauren.

"What's this?"

"A package for Miss Jauregui. Obviously." Normani scoffed

"Yeah but--"

"Girl, just open it."

Lauren shrugged and opened the cardboard to find a note and a what she assumed to be a book wrapped in a wrapping paper. with hearts on it.

"Who is it from?"

"I don't know Mani, let me read."

"Oooh, read it out loud."

So, Lauren did.

She cleared her throat and unfolded the note.

"Dear Lauren,

I hope that you're the person I met during summer. The beautiful young lady with emerald eyes full of love for the petite brown eyed girl next to you. Love can be a tricky thing but I hope it's treating you right. Wherever you are in your life right now, I hope she's next to you, holding you down on the ground and reminding you why life's worth living, although I am pretty sure that with her by your side, you don't need any other reason for happiness. The moment I saw you, you reminded me what real love is and brought a glimpse of hope that not everything nowadays is based on lust. The way you looked into each other left me breathless. I wanna thank you, both of you for being a part of my book, a part of my journey. May the love always be with you and guide you through tough times. Keep onto her and don't let go.