Smash Into You

Chapter 22: Lay It All On Me

I walked from the kitchen, wine in my hand, into the living room. Lauren had been sitting there, phone in her hand as she texted, the TV murmuring with low chatter. I had swung by after work, a habit I was slowly getting into, and was surprised to the fact that Lauren had a bottle of wine chilled in the fridge. When I asked if I could have some, she said sure, and so began our relaxing time with each other.

That was until just fifteen minutes ago, I received a call from Lucy that wasn't a very happy one. For a moment I had to literally stand outside Lauren's apartment to listen as Lucy yelled at me through the phone for something I had told her ahead of time before showing up. It completely ruined my good mood.

So, when I reached the living room, I took a sip before placing it on the table and plopping on the couch. But instead of sitting down, I ended up lying back all the way across, laying my head on Lauren's lap. She was slightly surprised by the motion, because she simply pulled back her phone as she sat there watching me for a moment, wondering why exactly I was there looking up at her and if I had planned on moving.

When she figured out I wasn't moving, because I was grinning like an idiot at her face for the several seconds she stared, she went back to poking at her screen as I simply rolled to my side and watched a bit of TV. I tried not to think of Lucy and her obvious bad mood, but it was hard not to because the fact that she was yelling at me for no reason was bugging me. So, with a sigh, I grumbled out to Lauren, "Why are girls so complicated?"

I didn't get a reply immediately. Instead, when I had glanced up at her through the corner of my eye, I was granted with a small little eyebrow scrunch and a blink. When her mouth opened, she took in a breath, and I could already hear her stating that I was, in fact, a girl as well. Instead, she shook her head and asked with a bland tone, "What is the problem in paradise today?"

I looked back ahead to the TV, shrugging as I admitted, "It's Luc-"

"Isn't it always," She interrupted in an obvious tone.

With a frown, I ignored her and pressed, "Before I got off of work, I called her and told her I was heading to your place tonight. She said it was fine. Then, fifteen minutes ago, the woman calls me up and asks if I'm coming over. And I tell her no, because obviously I'm still over here, and she just flips her shit and starts yelling."

Lauren listened quietly as she rested her free hand on me, still texting whoever she was texting. As she did so, I continued my complaints, "I don't understand why she is so upset. I called her ahead of time to tell her I was coming over here so there wouldn't be any confusion. And even though I did that, she calls up and starts trouble..."

It was quiet for a bit as Lauren kept texting. With a roll onto my back, I looked up at Lauren with a huff, stating, "Girls are stupid, complicated, and they fuck with your mind."

Finally, her eyes slid away from her cellphone screen, rolling them before looking at me. Placing the phone by her side, she looked back at me and listed, "Girls literally read between every line given to them if there is a reason to, search for every sort of emotional and physical sign if a reason is given to them, and strategically try to understand the mind of their partners," With a glance back at me after saying all of this, she frowned and poked at my forehead, "But I swear to all that is holy, you are the one exception to us all."

I blinked, "What? Why me?"

"Because you are absolutely and pathetically clueless." Lauren stated, smiling slightly as I gave a face that showed my unbelief.

"How am I clueless? I pay attention to everything, honestly everything around me!" I ranted, crossing my arms with a frown, "And I smooth over almost every situation that is slightly problematic! If anything, I'm God Tier in the woman category."

Lauren sighed, pressing with a shake of her head, "You are oblivious. Trust me, I've known you long enough to know. Sure you have your qualities, but the basics of being knowledgeable were skipped in your favor of being able to settle situations. Take it as a compliment Camz, seeing as you are unique in your own fashion. I'm just simply stating the fact that you have things– all the time– that completely fly over your head."

"Like what!" I challenged, glaring up at her.

"Like this very situation you are in now, idiot," She snapped back with sigh of frustration, "It's obvious what Lucy is playing at, I can tell from here."

"Okay, what is she playing at then?" I wanted to hear Lauren say it, seeing as I was somehow 'oblivious' and she somehow wasn't.

"She is testing you." When I blinked, confused, she laughed and continued, "See! You don't even know! She is testing you to see if you would ditch me to go running for her when she asks you to, and when you don't she gets pissy and just starts raging about the situation."

I laid there, still confused, but I didn't have to say anything because Lauren continued to speak, "Which is a pretty dirty move by her," she mumbled with a roll of her eyes, "Like I'm the one seriously taking you away all the time? Bitch please! She's the one that has you wrapped around her pretty little finger. So much so that she thinks just by asking I'll be left in the dust."

Her ranting became murmurs under her breath, but I could tell be her facial expression she was saying some pretty angry words. Shifting my head on her lap, I scratched my head and said slowly, "So Lucy is asking me to come over to her place, even though she knows I'm already here, just to see if I will? And when I don't, I must hurt her feelings enough to have her yell at me? Are you sure?..."

Lauren snapped out of her ramblings and looked back down at me. Huffing, she snatched her phone from the side of her and snapped, "Yes, I've been testing you for months, I should know–"

"You've been testing me?" I asked with a blink of surprise.

"Honestly, it doesn't matter you oblivious fool, because what I'm saying is exactly what is happening. How can she possibly think that I spend more time with you than she does is completely off the wall."

I continued to scratch my head, the whole situation overwhelming me with my new found knowledge. When Lauren continued to rant, I pointed out, "She never said that I spent more time with you, though."

"She didn't have to!" She rushed out with a glare towards me, "She is asking you to come over because she thinks you do. Which is crazy! She has you over practically every day for dinner, games, drinking, everything! Oh, but when little ol' me wants some time with Camila, all hell breaks loose?"

I must have missed the signs of Lauren getting absolutely pissed, because this was coming out of nowhere for me. Watching as she angrily poked at her cellphone screen, I thought about what had just been said and what I could possibly do to make everyone happy. Then, after a moment of thought, I raised my hand and covered up Lauren's phone lightly with my palm and fingers.

Storming green eyes flicked towards mine ready to bite my head off. Before she could say anything, I gave her a light smile and admitted, "Okay, so maybe you are right and she is testing me. Lo, obviously the test isn't working, and I doubt it ever will. I don't think she gets more time with me than you do, because I try to even it out as much as I can. I don't agree with her trying to cheat you out of your time with me."

With my words, I was slowly calming Lauren down. I could tell by the way her angry grayish eyes turn back to the cool green they were supposed to be, and how her tightly set jaw relaxed as her frown lifted. Then, with a sigh, she pulled her phone away from my hand and mumbled as she spoke, "I just got a bit annoyed, sorry."

"It's no problem," I replied shrugging as I rolled back to the TV.

It was quiet for a couple of minutes until I said softly, "Lauren."

"Yeah?" She answered.

"Girls are complicated." I complained.

I heard a small laugh slip as she agreed, "Yeah. Yeah we are."

Let my love in, let my love in
Lay your heart on me