Love Will Remember ❄︎ Camren

Chapter Thirty Six: While I Was Gone

Camila's POV

*Flashback*

I had someone once, who made every day mean something. But now, they weren't around anymore and it was all my fault.

I am lost.

And nothing means anything anymore.

She made me see the beauty in the little things. She made the sunrise much more than the beginning of just another day. It meant that I had the opportunity to be with her another day, to enjoy this life with her. But now the thing that hurts the most, is when the sun sets, I didn't have her hand to hold, her lips to kiss, I didn't have her anymore.

I always asked her, "What if you hurt me? What if you left me?" But the irony of that, was that I did the hurting. I'm the one who left. I'm the one who destroyed her heart. I promised myself, that I would've took good care of it. Because having something as precious as her heart, it deserved to be treasured.

I didn't deserve her, but I wanted her. I wanted her so much that it physically ached. It had been three years since I saw her. I'm not sure how she'll react to seeing me. I don't even know if she'll want to see me.

Why would she?

But a part of me couldn't help but think, that maybe she wanted to. Maybe she longed for my presence, as much as I wanted hers. Maybe she craved my body, as much as I craved hers. Maybe she yearned to hear my laugh, as much as I missed hers. And fuck, the intoxicating sound that was her voice, I missed it badly.

Maybe, just maybe, she loves me too.

"Camila?" I looked up from my lap, and when I laid eyes on my old friends, the tears that glistened their eyes, quickly turned into a stream. "Oh my god..." Dinah whispered out and ran towards me. I didn't have any reaction time to process what was happening. I felt her arms envelope my body, then another, another, until I was being crushed by my friends.

We didn't say anything. We just stood there, hugging one another and crying. Their arms felt like home. It felt as though, I was finally home.

Don't get me wrong, Maggie and Ariana; who were a couple now, were the two best friends anyone could ever ask for, but I missed this. I missed Dinah's hugs. I missed Ally's cheerfulness, I missed Normani's sass and I missed Mendes'...Mendesness. These girls, well women now, were from the better part of my life. They would forever be embedded into my heart.

After a few minutes, we pulled away from each other's embrace. Maggie and Ariana, were standing on the sidelines, not wanting to interrupt our moment.

Both Ally and Dinah's eyes were still filled with tears. Normani and Mendes both smiled at me. That genuine smile, that was contagious, I couldn't help but smile back. God, I missed them.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the pain and hurt, I put you guys through," I started my apology, but Dinah shook her head furiously.

She placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eyes. "Don't apologise, Camila. Don't apologise for doing what you thought was best for you. We're just glad to have you back. Alive and in one piece."

Normani nodded. "Dinah's right. I still think you could've called and saved us the heartbreak over the years, but, we understand what you did and why you did it. It's not easy going through what you went through. But we get it."

I smiled. "Since when do you agree with Dinah?" I laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Those two still don't get along," Mendes butted in. "They're always at each other's throats. But I don't blame, Mani. Dinah is annoying."
Everyone laughed.