Dare You To Love (Camren - Norminah - Vercy)

Chapter 56: Alone Together

A/N: Sometimes I feel like the Universe is watching over me. I shit you not, I've had this chapter title planned since last year, and it just so happens to fall at a time when we're in quarantine...alone but together, which is the theme of this entire freakin' chapter. Anyway, my quarantine has been driving me nuts, but has also saved me from a lot of social events my introverted ass was not looking forward to. How's your quarantine going?

Wheeee! Tap that VOTE & leggo!

Recap (Read in Sabrina Carpenter's voice):

Previously on DYTL:

Lauren tells Camila she's going to get help and dares Camila to love herself and also get help. If Camila wins the dare, they can still be friends (CH 55)

Talking to your deceased loved ones through the moon (CH 49)

Lauren's aunt aka Lucy's mom aka Herlinda was an alcoholic and recovered by getting help (CH 11, 23, 26)

Lauren and Will met because Will was Lauren's grief counselor after her grandparents died. So she has some experience with group therapy (CH 14)

Lauren hid her accident from Lucy. Lucy found out when she surprise-visited from New York. Lucy got mad and lessened her communication with Lauren (CH 54)

Lauren's history with making drunk speeches (CH 46)

Lauren has a specific giggle that she giggles when only Camila makes her giggle (CH 49)

Lauren's grandparents using the sun and moon to feel connected when they were long distant (CH 43)

Camila told everyone she was going to journalism camp when she actually went to Little Harmony (CH 51 & 52)

Dinah likes the word 'fartface' (CH 29 & 40)

Vercy's break up (CH 46 & 47)

How Lauren first asked Camila out with tiger lilies after falling out during New Year's. This was back when when they were both playing games with each other (CH 27)

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Camila's POV

"I dare you to love...yourself."

Lauren's words rang through my mind as I tried to wrap my head around what she'd confessed to me. A cool breeze ruffled my hair and I gripped the railing of my balcony tighter as shivers ran up my spine. I looked up at the full moon, my gaze half-accusatory and half-scared, and addressed the man in the moon: my father.

"See how much she loves me? See how much they all love me? I was horrible to Lauren. I was snappish to Dinah. I never listened to Mami. But they all came together to save me from the person that you'd made me."

Powered by their love, I dared to tell my dad what I'd always suppressed behind my love for him. "You hurt me, Papi. When you called me disgusting names that day, you really hurt me. And in trying to make you feel better, I kept hurting myself. But I'm not going to be someone who's bound by your unreasonable promise anymore. I can't love boys. I've tried...but I just can't. I'm in love with a girl...Lauren...and you have to accept that."

I felt my eyes welling up with tears. Another shiver coursed up my spine; and this time it wasn't because of the cold, but because I felt a huge burden lifting off my chest as I stood up to the person I'd loved the most. "I dare you to love me, Papi. I dare you to love the real me...not who you want me to be, but who I really am. I dare you to love my flaws like I've loved yours for all these years...unconditionally."