Heart Hold Fast

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I know it's such a pain following a story where the updates come so slowly, but I am so grateful for the support that this has received and I hope you can forgive my busy workload.

Tonight. The word alone was loaded with euphoric potential. Sunsets, and stars, and lights, and endless possibilities flashed into Lauren's mind, leaving her momentarily lost in a reel of film-worthy scenarios, conjured up by her ardent brain. For a few seconds, she allowed herself to become inebriated on the warm yearning that rushed through her veins, and erupted down her spine.

She set her phone down on the desk in front of her, and stood. Having been sat for the last couple of hours, it felt good to stretch her legs, and she let out a sigh of frustration. Characteristically, Lauren was not a particularly impulsive person when it came to things like this. She had an appreciation of plans, schedules, strategies and objectives, but Camila never failed to uncover that same longing to follow the beat of her heart, rather than her head. That familiar urge squirmed within her chest now.

The way love and lust pull away your inhibitions is an extraordinary thing. Lauren's rational voice warned her against disappearing off into the night, blinded by desire, digging herself deeper into a situation from which she would soon be unable to escape. Yet, there was a coercive whisper in her that seemed to be promising her earth, heaven and everything in between, and she was struggling to ignore that.

She liked what Camila did to her. That freedom that she had felt on the beach at the Lodge; swimming in the moonlight, and dancing by the flames of the bonfire. Her soul was screaming for that release again. It had spent too long restricted and shut up; denied the joys that she knew now were possible.

Her phone bleeped again, and for a second, she feared it was Camila. It was actually Normani, asking if Lauren wanted to join her in the JMA canteen for a lunch. She replied that she did, and left in search of her friend.

The canteen was on one of the middle floors, with a large open-plan space, and plenty of tables of sofas. Lauren arrived down there, and immediately spotted her managing director sat in one of the couches by the window.

"Hey,"

"Hi," Normani patted the seat beside her, "You okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're a bit red, that's all," her friend shrugged, "And I went a bit tough on you earlier too,"

"I probably needed to hear it," admitted Lauren, "Not that it makes it any easier,"

"Nobody said it's going to be easy,"

"No, they didn't. I wish they would,"

Lauren dug her phone out of her pocket, and handed it wordlessly to Normani. Camila's message was open for her to see.

"Ah,"

"Yeah," Lauren said wryly.

"Are you going to go?" Normani asked curiously.

"I rather hoped you tell me the answer to that question,"

"It's not my decision to make. There isn't a way that this isn't going to hurt you, Lauren. You can go tonight, and make the best attempt at being friends that you can, or you can stay at home, and do your best not to think about it,"

"She's all I think about,"

"Then I don't know what else to tell you. I've said everything that I can. Realistically, you need to move on, but I realise that it's not that easy, considering your families and your work, so you just need to do the best that you can. But, whatever does happen Lauren, whether you go out tonight or not... you are not the person that she is going home to, and I think you just need to come to terms with that reality,"