What do you mean?” Camila queried,

What do you mean?” Camila queried, confused.

“Why don’t you just lift up your shirt and flash me now instead?” Lauren suggested with a challenging look on her face.

“You don’t think I will?” Camila questioned, raising her eyebrow rebelliously.

“There’s no way you’re going to flash me in the middle of the diner,” Lauren told her self-assuredly.

“No?” Camila said her tone lifting as she said it.

Lauren narrowed her eyes as if trying to weigh up whether Camila was joking or not, but her question was soon answered when the smaller girl reached down and lifted up the hem of her sweater and t-shirt, exposing her smooth, toned stomach and the purple bra she was wearing. She held it there for a minute and Lauren’s mouth dropped again at Camila’s boldness, completely surprised.

“Consider that a preview,” Camila said simply, dropping her clothing down to cover her again and casting a quick glance around the diner to ensure no one had seen before glancing back at Lauren who had been stunned in to silence. “You’re drooling,” Camila laughed.

She leant forward and took Lauren’s face in her hands, kissing her delicately on the lips.

“I want dessert,” Camila told her and Lauren licked her lips, eyeing Camila suggestively.

“Me too,” she agreed biting her bottom lip, the corner of Camila’s mouth turning up into a half-smile at her words.

“No, I mean, I want an ice cream sundae,” Camila informed her seriously and Lauren leant forward and kissed her quickly.

“Fine,” she conceded. “I’ll buy you an ice cream.”

“You’re such a good girlfriend.” Camila commented and Lauren smiled, kissing her again.

Once they’d finished dessert, Lauren drove Camila back home, taking the least direct route that she could find, desperate to prolong their date for as long as possible. Unfortunately, as always, time passes despite a person’s desire for it to stand still and Lauren found herself sat in her car outside Camila’s house with her girlfriend, neither of them speaking, both knowing that they must face the reality of being parted once again.

“So,” Lauren said as she stared out of the windscreen at the road in front of her. “Are you going to be here tomorrow night?” she asked tentatively. “Perhaps I can see you before you go back to the treatment centre…”

“No, my parents are taking me back straight after the deposition,” Camila shared with her sadly. “I’ve got to go back for a session with my therapist,” she explained. “She thinks that I’ll probably need it after…well…you know.”

Lauren looked up to see the nervous glint in Camila’s eyes, which were focused on her hands in her lap and she reached over to take Camila’s left one carefully, the bruising from Rachel’s assault earlier starting to appear on her skin.

“Good luck for tomorrow,” Lauren said sincerely, stroking the back of Camila’s hand with her thumb reassuringly for a moment before manipulating her small fingers instinctively out of habit. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. It’s just a formality. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“I’ll call you after school?” Camila asked hesitantly. “Tell you all about it…”

“No, don’t tell me about it, not unless you want to,” Lauren said comfortingly, squeezing her girlfriend’s hand in her own. “Just, tell me how you’re doing alright?” she asked. “That’s what I care about most.”

She paused for a moment to glance back at Camila’s house.

“I should walk you to your door,” she acknowledged grudgingly, climbing out of the car and walking round to the other side of the vehicle and helping her girlfriend out.

Lauren held Camila’s hand as they made their way up the path towards the front door and came to a stop on the porch in front of Camila’s front door. They stood together, Lauren facing Camila, her hand still wrapped protectively around her girlfriend’s, neither of them meeting the others gaze, both reluctant to say goodbye.

“I don’t want to go inside,” Camila spoke up after a few minutes of silence had passed and Lauren lifted her eyes to look at the smaller girl, her heart already aching at the thought of letting her go again.

“I don’t want you to go inside either,” Lauren admitted, a sad smile appearing on her lips.

“Ok, so we’ll both just stay here then,” Camila said with a sense of finality to her voice.

“Except that I have school,” Lauren reminded her, “and it’s getting dark Camz.”

Camila waved her free hand dismissively, as though the dark was nothing to fear.

“I’ve lived in the dark so long it’s practically like bathing in glorious sunlight.” She said. “School is basically Mount Everest though…no idea how we’re going to get over that little problem.”

“Camz,” Lauren said, her tone imploring, knowing her girlfriend all too well. “Don’t joke around because you don’t want to deal with this.” She chastised kindly. “You’re going to go inside and then you’ll go back to rehab.”

“I’m starting to think that going back isn’t such a good idea. I mean, they don’t serve pizza in the dining room and the company isn’t nearly as good a