devil

part eleven

Lauren's fingertips graze the doorknob and she hates that she feels so conflicted.

She can't even start to place the thoughts running through her mind, but she forces them to go away.

Taking a deep breath, she unlocks the door and pushes it open seeing Camila in bed reading one of the books she left for her.

The brown haired girl looks up and sits up, placing the bookmark on the page she left on. She notices Lauren staring at the book, so she holds it up.

"Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer," Camila explains as she touches the spine of the paperback. "I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it. It's one of my favorites."

Lauren fumbles with the bag she carries in her hands and nods slowly.

Camila raises a curious eyebrow. "You knew, that's why you put it here along with the others."

Lauren shakes her head. "No, I put it there because it's one of my favorites too."

"Strange," Camila's lips form a smile. "I wouldn't have taken you for a fan of Krakauer's work given the circumstances."

"I just came to see how you were doing," Lauren states with a cough, quickly changing the subject. "I brought you food."

"You're not here to tie me in ropes again?" Camila questions sarcastically as her own smile fades.

"I'd have to wait for your bruises to heal first," Lauren says truthfully much to Camila's discomfort.

Camila watches as Lauren steps forward and removes the blanket from her body. She studies the light purple bruising all over her skin.

Camila also notices the way the green eyes try their hardest to avoid certain areas of her body.

"No scars, the bruises will disappear in a few days," Lauren states mostly to herself.

When Lauren finishes scrutinizing her body, Camila wraps her exposed body back in the blanket and watches silently as the other woman unloads the items from the bag.

A sandwich wrapped in a plastic bag, a couple water bottles, a Fuji apple, a change of clothes, and a packaged box that Camila can't quite distinguish until she cranes her neck. Once she sees the cover of the box, she tries not to burst into laughter.

"Is that Candyland?"

"We don't have to play it if you refuse," Lauren responds in a small voice.

"I'll play," Camila stands and grabs the change of clothes. "You're just going to get beat."

"E- Excuse me?" Lauren stutters softly.

She watches Camila slip into the undergarments, sweats, and t-shirt, and sit back down comfortably on the bed, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a big bite.

"It means, get prepared to lose." Camila muffles with a mouthful of food.

"Oh," Lauren refuses to meet her eyes and looks down, starting to set up the game. "We'll see."

Camila tries not to smile as Lauren begins to shuffle all the cards sloppily, some falling into her lap and on the ground.