I'm Here For You

What if we wait?

"Did you still want to go on that road trip we were talking about?" Lauren arched a brow at the brunette sitting beside her. "I was thinking we could plans for a couple weeks from now and map out where we'd go in our prep time."

"Maybe-" Camila frowned and Lauren could tell there were things Camila wanted to say but she was afraid.

"Be honest, Camz."

"Maybe not now," The brunette sighed, closing her eyes for a moment in the hopes of avoiding the disappointment she was sure to find in those dazzling green eyes she loved. "Just...with everything that's been going on and-"

"Shawn."

"Yeah," Camila leaned back on the couch and ran a hand over her face. "And Shawn. I think I need...time."

"How long have you been working your way up to say this?"

Because the pair hadn't been spending nearly as much time together as they usually did and that wasn't due to Lauren's lack of trying. It was Camila that put the distance between them this time and Lauren knew why.

Shawn was back and that meant something between them even though neither had wanted to acknowledge that upon his arrival. But it meant something now and it would mean something until Camila could define what they something was.

"I don't want you to hate me, Laur," The younger girl turned her body to face the green-eyed girl, her eyes pleading with her friend to understand her dilemma. "You know more than anyone how much I'd want this to work."

"I do." The older girl offered her friend a half smile in an attempt to show her that she was okay.

"But I can't be with you knowing that I still feel something for him, it's not fair on you or him or me. I didn't think he'd ever come back."

"I've been thinking about it too," The green-eyed girl confessed. "Look, I'm not completely over Lucy either. I'm pretty sure it's impossible that I ever will be, but I think we owe it to ourselves to try this when we're both a little more...available, you know? And I love you, Camz, I do, I know that, but I also know that you're not there yet with me." And then Lauren did something that surprised the younger girl. She cupped her face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before leaning her forehead against her own. "So I'll wait. Until we're both ready, until we're sure. I'll be here. I'll always be here, Camz."

"But what if-"

"Forget 'what ifs', they haven't happened so they're irrelevant," Lauren smiled before pressing a kiss to Camila's forehead. "I'll wait for you."

So that's how the pair left things because both knew that they were going t collide if they let things continue on the way they did, there were opposing forces working against them now and they needed to have a clean slate before jumping into something as serious as a relationship more than friendship between them. It was the smart move. They both knew it.

And it wasn't that Lauren was overly upset about it, she still knew where she stood in Camila's heart and she still knew her value to the girl, in Camila's heart...Lauren was priceless, in the very same way Camila was priceless in her own.

It was Dinah that was impacted the most.

"You sunk my fucking ship!" Dinah slapped the green-eyed girl's shoulder in annoyance. "You had one job."

"Not sunk," Lauren put her hand up as she saw Dinah going in for another swing. "I docked it for a minute."

"So you plan on getting all up in those Cabello short shorts still?"

"First of all, don't ever say that again," Lauren rolled her eyes. "And secondly...I'm waiting for her. We've had over thirteen years, I can wait a little longer."