Breaking Hollywood [CAMREN]

Chapter 5

Lauren

I walk out of the hospital, car keys in hand.

Camz might be a monumental pain in the ass and wind me up like nobody's business, but I put her in this position with my carelessness, and I should do everything I can to help her.

Probably not bickering with her would be a good idea, too, but, honestly, in an odd way, it's actually fun, sparring with her.

If not a little surreal.

If you'd told me a few months ago that I'd be single, homeless as of tomorrow, and jobless and that I would hit Camila Cabello with my car, break her foot, and spend a few hours verbally sparring with her, I would have laughed in your face.

Funny how life can change in the blink of an eye.

Or, as in my case, go to shit in quick succession.

"Ah, crap!" I complain, grabbing the parking ticket off the windshield of Camz's car.

Add parking fine to the damage I've done to her.

"Just fucking great," I mutter to myself as I stuff the parking ticket into my bag and get in the car.

I move it into the parking garage and pay for the parking.

Heading back into the hospital, I get two black coffees from the cafeteria and some creamer and sugar in case she takes them. I'm a black-coffee girl myself. The stronger, the better.

Just how I like my men and woman—dark and strong.

Not that Tyron, my ex, possessed those traits. Well, he had dark hair. But strong? No way. Weak asshole? Definitely.

I had known he was difficult and selfish, but I didn't realize how bad he was until after he was gone.

Don't get me wrong; I was gutted when he told me he'd gotten an acting job in Australia, that he was leaving in a few days, and that he didn't want me to go with him.

He said our breakup had been coming for a while.

He was right. It had been coming. And I know I'm better off without him. He was stifling me.

I've always been a strong person, but with him, I allowed myself to be weak. I let him boss me around and tell me what to do and be an asshole to me because I was afraid of losing him when losing him was exactly what I needed to do.

My only regret is that I wasn't the one to end it.

I might have lost my job and my home, but I'm freer than I ever was when I was with Tyron.

Things will work themselves out. I know they will.

They have to.

I take the elevator back up to Pediatrics. Unsure of whether to go back to Harry's office or not, I decide to sit in the reception area and wait there.

I haven't been waiting for long when Camz arrives back in a wheelchair, Harry pushing him.

"What's the verdict? Is it broken?" I ask Camz.

But Harry answers, "First and second metatarsal. Clean breaks. And some tendon damage. It's hard to break the first metatarsal, so you got her good."

I wince. "Jesus. I'm so sorry, Camz.

Shee shrugs. "It is what it is. And, hold on, did you just apologize to me? Wait, I need to get it on camera that you did actually apologize to me once."

"Hey! I've said sorry to you plenty of times since I ran over your foot."

She grins at me, and I just shake my head, annoyed.