7 - Lay With Me

Pure panic wasn't something Lauren felt very often, but when she was sitting in bed and Camila was in the bathroom, taking a shower, her head almost exploded. "Fuck, fuck, fuck.." She said to herself, sitting on top of the queen sized bed in just her oversized Metallica shirt. She hadn't thought all of this through, at all.

Camila and her had arrived at the airbnb cottage about four hours prior. Camila had been impressed, which had made Lauren smile big-time. They had spent the afternoon relaxing. Camila had taken one of the books from the filled bookshelf the cottage provided, and had been sat on the porch ever since flipping open the first page. Lauren adored watching how care-free the woman seemed to be ever since they'd arrived at the place. She'd busied herself with cooking a meal for them. Of course all of the ingredients had already been packed in her car, just like extra clothing, fresh toothbrushes, towels and everything they'd need for their little getaway. Camila had smirked at her when she'd revealed the packed bags and had shaken her head playfully.

Lauren tried taking a few deep breaths grabbed her phone from the nightstand, which was standing right next to the bed. The cottage wasn't big and only had a few pieces of furniture. It was pretty much designed for couples who liked getting away from the city. It had a small kitchenette, a bed, a bathroom and quite a big porch, on which a table and some chairs were stood. They'd eaten the spaghetti, that Lauren had made, there. Lauren had laughed at how Camila's cheeks were smeared with the red sauce and had reached forward to brush it off. It had been an 'almost kissing' moment again and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to take another one.

She looked down at her phone, which was in her trembling hands. She had a few messages.

Tom 04:12pm: Update us every now and then please.

Tom 04:50pm: Lauren. We need information.

Tom 05:10pm: Update. Please.

Tom 05:48pm: Why aren't you replying to my texts? We need to know if you and Mrs Cabello are staying away for the night.

Tom 06:22pm: Lauren, you're being hard to work with. Update as soon as you read, please.

Lauren rolled her eyes, her panic attack momentarily fading away as pure annoyance took it's place. She shot him a quick text back, saying that she'd be staying at the airbnb so that the deal tomorrow could continue. She also had some texts from Zayn.

Zayn 06:32pm: Hey, I hope you and Camila are doing alright

Zayn 06:32pm: Please let me know if you've read this. P.S Tom is losing his shit. You should probably text him back.

Zayn 08:30pm: Just wanted to let you know that I respect you as a colleague, Lauren. This hopefully all ends tomorrow. Good luck over there. Thank you for working with me. We've already come far.

The panic was back. Lauren started hyperventilating once again, tears blocking her eyes as she shot Zayn a quick text back.

Lauren 09:02pm: Thank you too Zayn. Good luck tomorrow.

She noticed then, a little too late, that the shower had stopped running and that a content looking Camila Cabello stepped out of the bathroom, a towel in her hands, still drying her hair with it, while she was wearing Lauren's sleeping shorts and a bright red shirt. "Lauren?" She said, her voice soft and confused.

Lauren quickly wiped her tears away and threw her phone onto the wooden nightstand with a bang. She was shaking and her breathing still wasn't on point. She didn't want Camila seeing her like this, the thought alone was suffocating her. In fact, she started to feel dizzy from not breathing.

"H-hey, hey, it's alright. Calm down." Camila said, sitting down next to the dark haired girl. She'd dropped the towel on the floor and was quick to grab Lauren's hands. "Let's breathe together, yeah?"

Lauren, feeling weak and stupid, nodded anyway as she tried to look at the other girl. Her face was blurred by her tears however. She felt how Camila squeezed her hands in comfort before listening to how the girl took a deep breath, before blowing out again. She tried mimicking her, but failed, her heart pounding against her chest violently.

"It's alright. I'm here. Calm down, Lo."

Lauren closed her eyes, listening to Camila's calm breathing and trying to follow it. After some time, she opened her eyes again and saw Camila's face this time, all of her tears having rolled down her cheeks and no new ones forming anymore. The brunette let go of her hands then and she panicked again, her eyes widening.

"It's alright." Camila said calmly. "Let me just-" She wiped the tears from Lauren's cheeks softly, one by one. Lauren looked at the girl's face, feeling herself calm down more and more. Camila pulled her closer then and Lauren closed her eyes again, taking in the by now familiar scent.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Camila asked after some time.

Lauren quickly shook her head, panic bubbling up when even thinking about how she should explain everything to Camila. How would she explain being in love with someone that she'd been lying straight in her face to, for half the time. How would she explain why she really 'moved' to North Coconut Grove. How would she explain that Zayn isn't her boyfriend but her colleague. How would she explain that she was an undercover agent for the Miami Police Department and that her operation included putting her and her husband in Jail?

"Lauren?"

Her eyes looked into comforting brown ones and she exhaled.

"You don't have to." Camila said quietly, pushing a strand of Lauren's half-dry hair behind her ear and smiling softly. "Come on." The brunette slowly shifted towards the other side of the bed. The cottage was dimly lit by the two lamps on the nightstands next to the bed and Lauren looked at how Camila calmly laid down on the side of the bed that she'd jokingly claimed as hers a few hours back. "Come here." The brunette said, laying down and opening up her arms.

Lauren sat on the bed, legs crossed and her head shaking no. She shouldn't make things worse than they already were. Camila smiled and grazed her fingertips over Lauren's bare arm, making the butterflies that never seemed to sleep, stir to life in Lauren's belly. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she was ashamed for Camila to see them. The brunette smiled however, her face free of any make-up that she would usually wear and her hair damp from the shower she'd just taken. "Come here.. Lauren.." She breathed out peacefully, reaching out and tugging at Lauren's arm.

Lauren obliged this time and laid down too, facing the beautiful brunette. Camila continued her random pattern making that she'd began with earlier that day, on top of the mountain, but now on Lauren's bare arm. Lauren's eyes were trained on hers, but Camila was just looking down at the her own fingers, which were dancing on Lauren's skin. "What if I'm not the person you think I am?" Lauren asked, her throat sore and voice sounding soft and raspy. "What if I'm-"

"Lauren.." Camila interrupted her. Her name came out more like a whisper. Her eyes finally moved upwards to look into Lauren's. The green eyed girl found herself holding her breath as their gazes met.

"I'm serious. God, you don't even know-"

Camila placed a finger onto Lauren's lips, shutting her up. "I'm serious too." She said, a tiny smile grazing her lips while her eyes were trained on Lauren's. A breath escaped from Lauren's lungs while she and Camila looked at one another. Camila's eyes shot down towards her lips again and the green eyed girl noticed how she slowly inched closer towards her. Her brown irises flickered upwards once more and Lauren felt like she could see it, everything she felt for the girl.

She felt how Camila's finger, that had been resting on her lips, moved towards her cheek, ghosting slightly above her skin. She looked down at the other girl's lips too, only for a second. Their foreheads touched and their noses bumped into each other. "I- I.." Lauren mumbled. She didn't really know what she was going to say but Camila's breath hit her lips and she shivered. She felt how the girl's fingertips were resting on her cheek. She lifted up her own hand and placed it on the girl's waist. Brown eyes fluttered closed and Lauren stared at Camila's face before closing her own as well.

She pressed her lips onto hers gently. Electricity ran through her body as Camila's lips responded, pressing back softly. Camila's hand cupped Lauren's cheek and Lauren's hand moved upwards, disappearing in the brunette's damp locks. They deepened the kiss, Camila's tongue smoothly tracing over Lauren's bottom lip before she parted them slightly. She let out a soft, involuntary moan as soon as their tongues grazed over one another. Her nails scratched over Camila's scalp softly and Camila's hand moved down to her waist, pulling their bodies closer together before biting down on the other girl's bottom lip delicately. Lauren's hands ran over Camila's body, wanting, needing to feel every inch of her. She nibbled on her bottom lip too, when having the chance. Camila's hands moved up to the back of Lauren's neck as she pulled the girl closer into her.

The kiss lasted shorter than both girls would've really wanted because as Camila's fingertips landed on Lauren's bare skin, underneath her shirt, she was suddenly pulled back to reality with a horrible wave of guilt. Two green eyes opened and she moved back a slight bit, disconnecting their lips calmly. She didn't want to scare the other girl, or startle her out of the moment they were definitely having. "We- we shouldn't-" She whispered, the tips of her fingers gently moving over Camila's lips.

"I know." Camila breathed out. Her eyes were still closed and smile appeared on her face. "I've been wanting to do that for a while though."

Lauren smiled too, slightly taken aback by the sudden confession. She reached forward, placing a tender kiss onto the girl's soft lips. "Me too." She whispered. It was the truth. Camila's eyes opened and her smile widened as she wrapped her arms around the other girl's neck and pulled her in for the most soothing hug Lauren had ever experienced.

"Lay with me." Camila murmured into Lauren's ear after some time. She inched backwards slightly, laid down on her back, and opened up her arms. Lauren laid her head down on her chest, the combination of Camila's scent and the fact that they had just kissed, making her feel drunk. They fell asleep then. Worries already nagging at their brains somewhere in the distance, but the pink clouds too thick to let them through.

———

Lauren had never woken up as peacefully as she did next to Camila Cabello, who was still laying in the same position she'd fallen asleep in. Lauren watched her as the 23 year old girl's quiet snores made their way out of her mouth. She smiled, thinking back of the kiss they'd shared the night before. The kiss that she'd been waiting so long for.

Right when all of the worries that today would bring, were starting to appear in her mind, Camila's eyes fluttered open and they disappeared again. A grin that was way too cute for Lauren too handle took over Camila's features. "You were staring at me." She said. Her morning voice raspy and lower than Lauren was used to hearing.

"I wasn't."

Camila turned onto her side to face her. "You so were."

Lauren avoided eye-contact by pulling the sheets over her face and groaning slightly. She didn't know what to do with herself, let alone Camila, who's giggles were sounding through the room. It was making her crazy.

"I think I'm going for a run." She decided finally, pulling the sheets off her head again. She's met with a frowning Camila.

"Seriously?" The brunette asked.

Lauren turned around and grabbed her phone, ignoring the unread messages and checking the time. 8:50am. "Yeah." She nodded. "Calorie burning and mind emptying, you know?"

"Did you know that kissing burns calories?" Camila started laughing after telling Lauren her own fact and Lauren's cheeks just ended up growing very red as she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Shut up.." She mumbled, sitting up in bed, stretching out her limbs.

"Make me."

Lauren's eyes widened as she looked down at Camila, who wore a playful smile on her face. "Oh no.." Lauren said. "No, no, no, no.." She threw the sheets from her body and jumped out of bed as Camila started giggling. "We're not doing this, Cabello." She said, a smile on her face as she pointed a wise finger at Camila, who jumped out of bed as well, walking towards the other girl, who suddenly felt overly-aware of the fact that she was only clad in an oversized shirt.

As Camila got closer, still wearing that playful smile on her face, she stepped backwards, nearing the bathroom as she did. She reached her hand out towards the doorknob so that she could escape but Camila started to charge towards her and grabbed her hand just in time. The bathroom door remained closed and Lauren's back was pushed against it as Camila trapped her. The two were a laughing mess as Camila's arms were pressed against the door so that Lauren wouldn't be able to escape. The green eyed girl noticed then, that Camila's eyes had looked down at her lips once more. It had just been for a second or less, but it had happened.

"Camz.." Lauren warned her, her voice sounding soft and unimpressive.

Camila's eyes found Lauren's once again and the smile that had been on her face, faltered slightly. "A-are you regretting wh-what happened?" She asked, her voice quiet. Lauren remained silent, not really knowing what to say. Camila looked down, insecure. She removed her hands from the door and stepped back slightly, when Lauren reached out to take her hands in hers.

"I don't think- I- I-" Lauren stuttered as brown irises were focussing on her. "Look. This- it's not the right way." She ended up saying, realising that Camila must think she's talking about the fact that they're both in a relationship and that she doesn't want to be a cheater.

"I know." Camila nodded, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "But I don't know- I- I- didn't even know I was into-" She pauses, taking a deep breath. "Women."

Lauren threw her head back and leaned against the door, rolling her eyes at herself. Not only had she barged into Camila's life, changing all of it. She had also made her realise she was gay. 'Great job, Jauregui.' She thought to herself as Camila looked up at her through some loose strands of brown hair. She stepped forward and brushed them behind her ear. "I'm sorry- I-"

"No. I mean it does make a lot of sense, now that I really know it." Camila said, a small smile back on her face as she spoke. "I've always wondered why I never really felt a- a connection with any of the men I dated. I mean I know I'm not- I'm not in love with Armando, but I've tried dating other guys before him. I- I just never thought about it."

"Great. So now I've made you gay." Lauren said, rolling her eyes.

Camila chuckled, playing with Lauren's fingers. "I think we both know that's not how it works."

Lauren let out a laugh but then groaned. "I feel bad." She admitted. "I feel bad but I also feel really good and I- I don't really know what to do."

Camila nodded, stepping closer towards the green eyed woman and moving her hands up to Lauren's face. Lauren held her breath, her heart once again beating fiercely against her ribcage. Camila's fingertips felt light on her skin. "Let me kiss you." The brunette pleaded. "Please."

Lauren found herself nodding sooner than she'd expected and felt Camila's soft lips, gently graze hers. She leaned in and felt how Camila parted her lips a little. Her hands moved to the back of Lauren's neck again, as she deepened the kiss. Lauren was being pushed against the bathroom door soon and her hands moved down to Camila's waist as she held her there, as close to her as she possibly could.

When Camila leaned back slightly, after some lip-biting and hair-pulling from both sides, she smiled. Lauren couldn't help but smile as well before she pulled the slightly smaller girl in a hug, taking in her scent once more. "Fuck.." She breathed out, eyes closed as she felt Camila's hair tickle her face. "Fuck, fuck, fuck.."

Camila sighed deeply, her eyes closed as well as she held onto the other girl for dear life. "I know."