Mistress (Camren)

Chapter 14

Camila's POV

"You ready for this?" Lauren asked, revving up the SUV. We said our final goodbyes to the kids (not Giorgio) right before they left for their jet back to New York. It was pretty hard not being able to go back with them but I knew I needed to do this. After almost nine years, I needed to return to Miami.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I sighed, playing with a fidget spinner that I stole from one of the kids.

"We'll be fine, babe," she took my other hand and kissed the back of it. "We're going home."

My heart rate sped up after she said those words. I hated my home. Who wanted to live somewhere where it was normal to hear gunshots and see people get robbed, jumped, murdered for no reason? I'd lived through it for 18 years and never wanted to go back. Sure, there were some nice things about the town but the death of my family will never not make me despise Little Havana.

We drove all morning into the late afternoon down I-95. Lauren drove the whole time since I was just so anxious. She thankfully distracted me by blasting some of our favorite songs... a lot of them her own from her upcoming album.

But we had a nice time on the road trip before entering Downtown Miami. Then I tensed up and was shaking all over. "We don't have to go to Little Havana right now, babe," she said which relieved a lot of stress.

"Can we not? At least not today," I sighed, looking out the window of all of the familiar buildings that I used to always go into. Not gonna lie, everything looked nice under the blazing hot sun... just like how I remembered Miami but the surrounding made my heart pound out of my chest.

"No worries. We'll go some other time," she spoke, squeezing my hand. We avoided the area by driving around it and went more down south to where Lauren lived instead. A much safer neighborhood in the city. "Here we are, South Miami," she smiled, happy that we were at her home.

"I had a couple of friends from around here," I peered down the streets after we passed by the high school that Lauren said her mom was a teacher at.

"And here we are. 6310," we pulled into the driveway of her home. It was a cute little house with palm trees in the front yard.

"This is where you grew up?" I smiled at her proud expression as she put the car in park.

"Yep. Ready to meet my family?" she giggled excitedly.

I sighed, growing nervous again. "I guess. Are they ready to meet me?"

"Absolutely," she nodded and quickly began to get out of the car.

"Wait," I unbuckled my seatbelt, following her. "They don't know about us, right?"

"Nah. Only that you were my former boss and wanted to visit Miami again with me," she smirked, handing me my suitcase.

"So, we're 'just friends' I suppose," my brows raised.

"We can be friends," she shrugged.

I chuckled and shook my head, "We can never just be friends, Lo. You should know that."

"I know," she breathed happily. "You'll always be something special, Camila."

With that rush of butterflies filling my stomach, we walked through the front door and into her cozy home. "There's my famous sister," a young man looking to be Lauren's brother smiled from the kitchen table.

"Nice to see you too, Chris," Lauren chuckled while I stayed quiet.

"And you finally brought a girl home," he looked at me with a wink.