Savior

Verse 3

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Stood the test of time

Though I treated you rough you were always kind

I let my head rule my heart now I'm feeling so lonely

And I feel it's the deal

You're letting me go, gonna go...

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"Please don't leave," Camila's soft plea came before she could really think about what she was asking Lauren. Who was she to ask, or rather insist, that Lauren stay anywhere? She was relatively a nobody in Lauren's life, she'd always been nobody in Lauren's life. The irony of Camila standing in her own bedroom doorway, pleading quietly with Lauren not to disappear, was not lost on the star. She had a Broadway show to perform - three more for the week before she'd get a week off to be with Lauren during the most likely torturous withdrawal symptoms she'd be suffering as her body realized it would no longer be getting the chemicals it desperately wanted. Camila had almost been tempted to call off, but knew that if she continued to call off for no real purpose, she'd be in hot water. As much as Camila was worried, she wasn't in a position to lose her job, either. Her eyes searched Lauren as the raven haired girl stopped, frozen in the bathroom doorway.

Lauren looked as if she hadn't been expecting Camila to plead with her, either. She remained quiet, frozen in the doorway, and wordlessly turned her gaze from Camila's, "Camila, maybe this isn't a good idea," that stubborn streak continued to show in Lauren. Camila knew that the Cuban girl was far too proud to accept charity, and letting Camila take care of her in any way was harder than running away. Camila knew Lauren, and she knew that Lauren would rather go homeless than admit she needed help.

"That is not up for debate, Lauren Jauregui," Camila raised her chin in a determined way, mirroring her younger, high-school self, her arms folding over her chest. Her strength faltered as her arms slowly fell to her sides, and she closed her eyes tightly as if trying to summon the courage from some far away place only she could reach, "I can't bear the thought of you out on those streets, and I won't watch you throw away your life."

"So don't watch, let me go, Camila," Lauren's firm gaze seemed to hesitate, falter.

Camila had an inkling that Lauren was testing her, testing her resolve and her loyalty. It was a test Camila could more than pass. In some strange way, this girl had earned more of Mila's loyalty over the years without really having a reason to deserve it. Mila opened her eyes, sought out Lauren's, "I won't do that."

Lauren fell silent, clearly troubled by the sincerity of Camila's answer, and she looked a little startled as well. She started toward the bedroom door, determined to push past Mila and most likely make a run for it.

Camila's arm shot out before she put any real thought into it, and she caught Lauren around the waist, feeling fists shoving against her shoulders as she shoved her door shut, leaving them both shut in her bedroom for the moment. Camila withstood every blow of Lauren's fist against her shoulders, her grip firm, eyes closed in concentration as she let Lauren throw her tantrum. The brunette felt Lauren pushing hard against her, trying to detach and get free, but Camila felt no conviction behind her movements. It was instinct, fear; it was Lauren feeling scared and lost.

The struggle ceased, Lauren's weight going slightly limp against Camila's shorter figure. Mila didn't let go, instead tightening her grip. In some messed up way, she needed Lauren to stay. Needed to make sure that Lauren was safe. Camila hadn't really examined her motivations, but she knew that she'd always cared about Lauren in small ways.

And Lauren most definitely needed someone. She needed Camila, because Camila was most likely all she had left. Feeling the other girl's weight go slightly limp against her, Camila knew she had won this battle, the first of many. Her eyes searched Lauren as she gently nudged Lauren's weight upward a little, angling her gaze to make sure Lauren was in one piece. Camila's brow furrowed in concern, but felt relief when Lauren's soft, pained gaze met her own.