Room 47 // Laurmani

Chapter 10

You shift a little in bed and feel faint sunlight hit the back of your eyelids. You smile, too content to even open your eyes, and despite everything, that was probably one of the best sleeps you've had in forever. You're relieved a little when you don't feel Lauren's body pressed up against yours and you think maybe she's already up or she's just rolled away from you. You don't think you care, you're far too relaxed right now, part of you just wants to go back to sleep.

You feel Lauren shift next to you and feel her come closer until she's beside your ear. Your stomach flips when she suddenly licks the ridge of your ear.

"Lauren, we can't" you breathe out unevenly, your hand clutching the bed covers.

"Can't what?" you hear Lauren ask but her voice is much further away. Your eyes shoot open and you look to your right. Pickles is lying on the bed next to you, his head tilted to the side and staring at you oddly.

Your stomach flips again when Lauren giggles, she's standing at the doorway. You groan and shut your eyes, feeling your cheeks tinge with embarrassment. A goddamn dog licking your ear just turned you on.

You put your hands over your face and you hear Lauren walk closer until you feel her weight sit down on the bed next to you. She's still giggling and you don't have the guts to look at her right now, you're always making a fool of yourself around her.

"Normani," she singsongs and it makes your heart flutter, "C'mon it's not that bad, just look at me"

Unwillingly you drop your hands from your face and look at her, your eyes still a little blurry from sleep. She's smiling down at you, you notice she's wearing her overalls and boots and you wonder how long she's been up and what she's been doing.

"To be honest I'm kind of offended, there's no way I'd be that sloppy with my tongue" Lauren smirks at you. "And, that's not exactly the first place I'd tongue you either" she says shyly.

You let out a breath you weren't aware you were holding and smile at her nervously, your stomach doing cartwheels and between your legs doing god knows what. She's only sitting next to you and there's covers separating your bodies but you already feel like she's too close and you can't concentrate. "You said you'd never initiate anything so I should have known" you say and give an awkward laugh.

You feel too vulnerable lying down with her looking over you so you sit up slowly, your hands clinging tightly to the top of the covers. You clap over Pickles head to give your hands something to do.

"I figured out what the water dripping was," she says to you like she senses you're uncomfortable.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, the en suite toilet upstairs, the shower pipe was blocked and water was over leaking and pooling in the space below. Basically there was a puddle and it soaked through the ceiling a little, but it should be fine now" she says and smiles at you politely.

"OK," you nod and you feel weirdly disappointed for some reason. "Thanks Lauren"

"No problem, Mrs. Powers has made soup, you should come down and join us," she says and stands up walking away to the door, flashes you a smile and leaves. You let out a sigh in relief. God. Why did you come here again? You think she's going to kill you. You get up brush your hair, wash your face and dress into denim shorts and a plain white t-shirt.

A little while later you go down into the kitchen and Mrs. Powers, Connor and Lauren are all sitting at the dining table eating soup and chatting.

"Good morning Normani, I left your bowl by the cooker" Mrs. Powers smiles at you.

"Thanks," you mumble, your eyes immediately locking with green but you quickly look away. It's so weird having her here; you can feel her eyes constantly on you. You pick up your bowl of soup and you sit next to Connor, opposite Lauren and Mrs. Powers.