Empire

Chapter 17

"Lauren baby can I get you something to drink?"

Sinu asked in her usual sweet motherly tone as Lauren lay her tearful head across the plush couch in her mother in laws lounge.. she was hurting a lot.. she felt almost shattered in ways she had never felt before, the empty space on her finger only leaving her heart heavier than a tone of piling bricks just sitting over her chest

"No"

She respond coldly bunching a pillow beneath her chin as Sinu approach the side of the couch leaning down to settle beside her daughter in laws trembling body

"Why did you run here sweetheart? The tears.."

"They all fucking ganged up on me! Thought I was some dirty liar!"

She spat staring off into the distance with her glassy tear filled eyes while Sinu let out a deep sigh of shared pain, she never wanted to see any of them in pain ever.. especially not Lauren, she'd grown extremely protective of the girl and understood her more than Camila probably.. it was a mom thing for sure

"And why did they think that"

Lauren prop her head up gently confused by the response as she watched the woman's face grow stern, Sinu was the only person who had ever managed to break down Lauren's thoughts in a way she could understand.. maybe that's why she subconsciously ran to her every time.. sought for her advise and comfort?

"I don't know?"

"Well what did they say? They must have told you why they thought you were a liar?"

Lauren sigh wiping at her cheeks before gulping back on her breath

"They said I was being weird and secretive with my phone, running away to take secret phone calls"

"And were you?"

She asked directly lifting her brows into Lauren's direction finally calming her heavy stream of tears

"W-well not intentionally, I just didn't want them to know I was doing this parent therapy thing.."

Lauren admit hesitantly laying her head back down against the couch

"But you see how that translates baby? You understand that because they didn't know what you were doing it could have come across badly?"

Sinu spoke firmly making Lauren realise in a calm environment that maybe she was being slightly too defensive over something they had obviously seen.. she was just too embarrassed in the fact she had to seek extra help to actually explain herself or at least settle the suspicions

"But I wasn't doing anything! And they're supposed to trust me.. especially Camila? She thought I was cheating on her! She's supposed to TRUST me!"

Lauren spoke reigniting her painful tears as she fell back into the pillow rolling over onto her back as her palms flew up to cover her eyes

"And is that why you took your ring off baby... because you feel she doesn't trust you?"

The tears only fell heavier... the missing ring she herself had taken off breaking her heart.. she wanted Camila to trust her more than anything and thought that no matter what her mind would never cross a line in thinking the love of her life would betray her

"Yeah.."

She spoke through broken tears, Sinu wanted to be angry.. she did.. but how could she when in front of her was a girl bound with childhood anxiety and trauma filled with a gravity that could probably sink a military ship..

She reach her hand out over the girls heaving chest rubbing her soft thumb over the thin material gently with a small sigh just allowing the heavy tears to calm for a moment before replying