Cant't help falling in love (CAMREN)

CHAPTER 15

They didn't pack as many things as they did last time since they were just going for Camila's birthday. Just their cameras and jackets were enough for the day.

They climbed into Lauren's Cadillac, both of them smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm so excited. I missed the beach," Camila said, taking Lauren's hand. Lauren looked at her, and then down at their hands, and they were off on their long and awaited ride to the beach, Camila almost jumping in her seat.

"What are we gonna do first when we get there? I wanna find a crab and take a picture. I didn't get one last time."

"Yeah, we can look for crabs in the tide pools when we get there. There might be starfish or something there, too."

"I've never seen a starfish in person before. Do you think they'll be there?"

"They could be."

They started approaching an empty road surrounded by trees, and Lauren accelerated quickly, with no other cars in sight.

"Lauren," Camila held her hand tighter.

"What?"

"Slow down."

"Babe. It's fine," she almost chuckled. Camila sighed.

"Just be careful, okay?" she sighed. "I love you," she closed her eyes and tried to relax as it felt like they were almost gliding on the road. Lauren turned a corner and looked at Camila, smiling. She opened her eyes looking and smiling back at Lauren, putting a hand on her cheek.

As they looked at each other for a short second, a light blue Chevrolet pickup truck swung around the corner, recklessly, heading straight toward their Cadillac.

The sudden movement in Lauren's peripheral vision made her whip her head forward.

All in an instant, Camila gasped, and Lauren put her arm in front of Camila, and turned the steering wheel to try and move out of the way. Her car drifted to the left, with tires shrieking on the narrow road, leaving the passenger side to be smashed into by the truck, followed by a scream and airbags being deployed. After that instant, it was quiet, and Lauren was afraid to speak.

"Camila?" she finally whispered. "Camila?" she said louder, her voice breaking. The silence scared Lauren even more. She felt her stomach drop, and her face get hot in fear and anxiousness. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and moved toward the smashed in passenger side, and moved the deflating airbag out of the way so Camila was in sight. She was unconscious with her head to the side and glass laying on her from the broken window, and Lauren tried to shake her awake.

"Camila. Wake up," she whispered. Camila didn't move, and she began to panic. "Camila!" she screamed. "Wake up, Camila!"

She rushed out of the car to see a drunk and confused man inside the pickup truck, with a destroyed grill, and became enraged. "Dear, God! Don't just fucking sit there! Help me get her out! Help me!" The man looked at Lauren, but didn't show any urgency or panic, and instead looked like he was about to hunch over and fall asleep. "God! Goddamn it!"

Lauren tried yanking the passenger door of her car open, but it was too bashed in and damaged. Returning to the driver side, she climbed in and toward Camila. She moved Camila's hair out of her face and took her face in her hands, and tried gently shaking her awake again. "Camz? Camz, baby? Wake up, sweetheart. Dear, God, wake up." She reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt before trying to pull Camila toward her. Glass was falling off her body and hitting the floor with little pats every inch she moved her. Her seemingly lifeless body slouched over when Lauren heard sirens. "Thank you, thank you, God!" she said, letting tears streaming down her face. Emergency services were alerted by bystanders who saw the accident, and were finally showing up.

Two ambulances and a police car arrived at the scene. Two medics rushed to the Cadillac, and two medics and a police officer to the Chevy. "Help me, I can't get her out, please!" Immediately, the two men got around to the driver side and pulled Camila out of the badly damaged car, and placed her on the grass next to the road. "Is she okay? Is she going to be okay? Check if she's alive. Oh, God, please," Lauren whispered feeling light headed, falling to her knees beside Camila. She started losing consciousness as Camila was being put onto a stretcher. "Please..."