Previously on Dark Paradise:

My mind worked insanely, searching of ways and ideas to feed all that adrenaline that was caged for so long. Looking at Robert only made things worse. Without realizing it, I was already pacing back and forth in that abandoned warehouse, with an unconscious body in front of me. I never imagined that one day I'd want a person's death so much, want to kill someone as much as I wanted to kill Robert. My feet halted on the ground, stopping exactly in front of him. Grunts escaped his lips, and slowly, he began to move with a pained expression.

"Camila?" Without me realizing it, Lauren walked into the warehouse, startling me.

I looked at the brunette and couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. Her state was deplorable, her whole face was swollen and with traces of blood everywhere. I approached her and my eyes watered. I touched her face lightly and Lauren slightly backed away, making a pained expression. It was heartbreaking to look into her eyes and see that where once was white and green, now was red and green.

"God... You're so hurt." I said the obvious, feeling tears stream down my face involuntarily.

Lauren grabbed my hand that was touching her face and kissed it with her swollen, cut lips. Despite everything she went through, her kiss was still warm and affectionate.

"I'll be fine." The brunette tried to flash a smile, but nothing was working to make it happen.

"Smile for me, Lauren." I said almost in desperation. It was terrifying to see her like that. Lauren just looked at me, shook her head almost in slow motion and then lowered it, letting the tears fall.

A sudden rage filled me and took over me, she was so fragile, so different from the strong Lauren I knew. Robert broke her mask in the worst way possible. I let go of Lauren's hand, balling mine into a fist, and I strode towards Rob's body that was still lying unconscious on the ground. He had to pay for what he did.

"YOU BASTARD!" I shouted through clenched teeth as I struck him on the face. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I shouted again and struck him again, this time on his belly, making the man wake up startled. I sat on his hips and began to strike many punches on his face. "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY WOMAN AGAIN!" I shouted one last time, when I felt Lauren grab me from behind, pulling me off of him. Gagged, Robert just groaned as he tried to spit out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth.

Lauren lifted me up and I got out of her arms, standing with my back turned to the both of them, I couldn't look at him, not now, the anger I was feeling was too colossal to control, it could be dangerous, but I wanted that. When I calmed down a little, I turned around and saw Lauren remove Rob's gag, turning him to the side so he could vomit all the blood that was choking him.

"You've got to be kidding me..." I whispered to myself. "Why are you saving this son of a bitch?" I asked incredulously.

"If he dies by your hands, you'll have lived in vain." She said, already standing and approaching me.

Lauren had made me think about what she had said, and she was right.

I didn't know why the hell I brought Robert to the warehouse. What the fuck was I doing here or with my life? I had no answers to such questions, not when reason was the last thing I had inside me.

My heart sped up in a split second and I couldn't breathe. I gasped and burst into a loud crying. I looked at my shaky hands with blood and despaired even more. I was crying copiously, and I crouched down and buried my hands in my hair. I was crying so much, as if that was going to wash my soul, wash my hands and my hellish days. My head was exploding in conflict.

"Lived in vain..." I sneered sarcastically, looking down, but when I looked up at Lauren, my heart clenched even more. It was as if the thread of hope of my reason faded away even more. "You really don't understand it, do you Lauren?" I looked firmly at the brunette, her expression was indescribable. "My whole life I lived in vain... Everything! Exactly everything was nothing more than a bogus script, where I was nothing but a puppet. There's no reason, Lauren, not when I've already spilled so much blood." I let out a sarcastic laugh. "You were always right... The only thing that sets us apart is my fucking badge!"

Lauren didn't say anything, just approached me and grabbed my wrists, forcing me to get up. The silence was broken only by Rob's groans. I stood up, and then the brunette looked at me and ran the back of her hand on my face, wiping my tears.

"Fuck, Lauren..." I closed my eyes tightly, tears still streaming silently down my face. "I-I screwed things up. I involved my family, I involved you! Just look at you..." I said in a choked voice tone, and then burst into tears again, gripping the collar of her shirt to then hug her.

"You just got desperate... Because of me." The brunette pushed me away from her body and held my face in her hands, forcing me to look at her. "Camila, do you love me?"

Unable to deny anything at that moment, unable to run away or pretend that I was fine, I looked deep into Lauren's eyes to then answer what I've been denying to myself, to her and to everyone else for so long.

"Lauren, I love you." A few tears still rolled down my face. "I feel like I'll never stop loving you. When I'm with you, all the rules and logic, things that are important to me, disappear... All I feel is how my heart beats fast whenever I'm with you."

"I love you, Camila Cabello." Lauren said, and inched her lips closer to mine. I pressed my lips to hers greedily and longingly, but Lauren groaned softly, reminding us that she was very hurt. Slowly, I pulled away from her delightful lips.

We stood in silence for a while, just looking at each other. Lauren still stroked my face with her thumb. It was scary how much I love her, there was no explanation for the peace she made me feel, even while being in such a fucked-up situation like this one.

"We arrested Britt yesterday." I broke the silence. "But nothing leads to this bastard, Lauren." I took a deep breath to control my urge to cry. "This is so frustrating."

"Camila, you really screwed up by bringing this bastard here." I looked at Lauren who seemed worried. "It's a point of no return, there's no going back, you know that, don't you?"

Lauren was right, I really had screwed things up, it was a point of no return. Drastic measures will have to happen.

"I don't want to live in a world where I can't have you, Lauren." I said, already feeling more tears falling. Lauren's eyes watered again, breaking my heart. "I don't want to live anymore, Lauren."

"Camila..."

"No..." I choked on a compulsive cry. "Lauren, I'd rather die."

And I really rather die, this anarchy that became my life wasn't worth it anymore, it wasn't worth living anymore, it wasn't worth waking up every day knowing that I can't be with the person I love, with the woman who makes me feel alive. It's not worth living close to my family when I was the reason why they weren't safe.

"Camila, if you want to die, I can help you with it."

-----

POV Camila Cabello

"Yeah?" I asked, looking into her eyes. "And it's you who's going to kill me? Like you did with all the others?"

"Do you really think I'm capable of that?" She asked with a certain disappointment in her eyes.

"I didn't think you were capable of a lot of things, Lauren. And now look, you are!" I regretted what I said the moment I said it. I took two steps forward with the intention of apologizing. "Lauren..."

"What do you want me to do?" She said in a more elevated tone. "Tell me! What do you want me to do? I'll do it!"

"I just want you to end all this shit already! This can only be a bad dream or a bad joke."

"Is that what I've become to you? A bad joke?" Lauren said with teary eyes. I laughed in a sarcastic way, which irritated her even more.

"No, sweetie, after I met you, it's been just another day in paradise." I said through clenched teeth.

I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we were a real couple, and did that weigh on my decisions? Of course not! If I had only lived one of those moments with Lauren, all this shit would've still been worth it, but she didn't need to know that. I needed her to see the consequences of being who she is. It hurt to see what all that shit was doing to her, but it was affecting me too, but I needed answers.

"You don't mean that, you're upset." She said, turning her back to me.

"You really think so? I'm upset?" I started pacing back and forth, feeling the soles of my shoes sticking time or another to the floor of that warehouse. "I fell in love with an unscrupulous killer, my ex-fiancé is a son of a bitch, my family is in danger, everyone I know is in danger. Yeah... I think maybe I'm very upset, I don't know, you tell me." Lauren was angry, even with her back turned to me I could feel her tension, I knew her enough to know that she was about to explode. Lauren turned around and just stood there, staring at me for a while in silence.

"I have an idea!" She answered, somewhat euphorically.

"Yeah? I'm really curious." I said ironically.

"You need to die!"

"Wow!" I answered.

"Calm down!" She smiled before walking away. "You're going to die, but not really."

"And how does one die, but not really, Lauren?"

"It's simple... We'll fake your death!" She answered excitedly. "Listen to me. We can fake your death and pin it all on Robert. He'll take the fall!"

"What? And you'll get away with all this scot-free? Why am I not surprised by your selfishness?"

"You want me to turn myself in?" She asked, leaving me speechless. "Okay then, I'll turn myself in to the police."

A painful silence took over, a thousand things went through my head, was I ready for that? I could never see her again... Rob would get away with what he did, and my family would still be in danger. Nothing would be solved.

But to fake my death and let Robert take the blame for everything? That would be impossible given the circumstances we found ourselves in.

"No..." I whispered.

"No what? You need to fucking make up your mind, you need to decide once and for all! I'm tired of being the villain of this shit." Lauren spat out. "I just did what I had to do, those men were horrible people and you know that."

"Why didn't you simply stop, Lauren?" I asked, already feeling my face get wet with tears again. "Why?"

"I don't know..." She replied, looking down at the floor, as if she was wondering that herself.

"Is this some kind of illness that you can't stop?" I approached Lauren and gripped her bloodstained shirt with both hands. "Answer me!" I said angrily.

"I don't know." Lauren let some more tears fall down her face. "I don't know... I don't know." She repeated in a shaky voice. She was in despair.

"Answer me, Lauren! Answer me right now!"

"I want out of this!" She said, clutching my fists and releasing them from her shirt. "That's why we're going to fake your death."

A twinge in my head made my sight go blurry, I felt my legs weaken. Lauren held me firmly, offering me support. I closed my eyes and shook my head, a knot formed in my mind, my throat was closing in on me and I was struggling to smother the urge I had to just run away from there. I was tired, I wanted to believe in Lauren's idea, I wanted to imagine myself living in peace and happy by her side, I wanted my dreams of having a life with her to became reality. I was so lost...

My life has become such a mess, something out of a fanfiction, but meeting Lauren and having her by my side has been my only sense of reality, because what I feel for her is the only true thing in the midst of so many lies.

Lauren's idea was raw and lackluster, the probability of it working was almost nil. I definitely screwed everything up and I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to have the end I always wanted. That bad feeling consumed me.

"Camila..." Lauren was calling me, but her voice was distant.

"No..." I opened my eyes and looked at her. Lauren was tense. "No! This isn't going to work!"

"Of course it will, Camila. It's just us-"

"Who do you want to fool, Lauren?" I interrupted her. "Look around." I freed myself from her embrace and opened my arms, motioning to where we were. "You don't see where we are? We're in your lair! We are in a place where several crimes were committed. Goddammit! Do you expect us to fake my death and then blame it all on him? All of your crimes and my fake death? For what? For us to live in hiding, always on the run, leaving our families and friends behind?" I shook my head. "I admire your idea, but it's too raw, not to mention undoable. The thing I most wanted was to live by your side, Lauren, you're my happiness, but living in hiding... is it worth it?"

Waking us up from the utopian thoughts of being able to live together, I heard Rob laugh. He was already on his feet.

"Just give her what she wants, Jauregui. Can't you see how weak she is? Always hiding from what she really wants. First with her parents, by getting herself into a relationship where there was never love and fidelity, just to please them and have their acceptance." His voice came out bitter, making it clear that that bothered him. "And let's not forget her job, which serves only as mask to hide how much of a coward she is."

Robert is right, I am and have always been weak. I never allowed myself to be truly happy, always denying myself, doing what I thought was the right thing. The truth hurts but lies destroy and I've been lying to myself all my life.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Lauren yelled, approaching him and giving him a single blow to his stomach. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Another punch.

"Lauren..." She was out of control, she wouldn't stop punching him. "LAUREN!" My shout echoed throughout the lair, causing Lauren to stop instantly and look at me. Rob was unconscious again. "Enough!"

"Camila..."

"I said enough!" I couldn't stand to cry anymore, I could no longer handle that situation. Time was passing by, I needed to solve this as soon as possible. "Just get it over with." I whispered.

"No, Camila." Lauren shook her head frantically before falling down to her knees at my feet. "Please, Camila, please!" She wrapped her arms around my waist, her head on my thighs. Lauren whispered nonstop. My heart clenched and my tears streamed harder down my face.

"Lauren, please..." I whispered between sobs. Lauren has always been a woman so sure of herself, so strong, and seeing her so fragile at my feet, begging, it only made the pain increase. "Lauren..." I grabbed her arms and helped her to her feet, her eyes were closed and her tears flooded her wounded face. I pressed my forehead against hers, taking a deep breath, smelling her scent. "Look at me, baby, let me see your beautiful eyes." I whispered with my lips touching hers. She opened her eyes slowly and I smiled weakly. "You're so beautiful."

Her breathless breath blew against my face as her possessive hands went up to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, making our lips touch. She took a deep breath, warming my face. My eyes were the first to close, her tongue asked for entrance and I gave in, I let myself go. The kiss tasted like blood, but I didn't care. Her soft tongue dominated mine.

Breathlessly, we ended the kiss slowly. I didn't want that moment to end, and with my eyes still closed and with my forehead touching hers, I allowed myself to lower my guard and enjoy her caresses for an instant. We were trapped in a bubble, a bubble that was only ours, where there were no problems, no truths nor lies. Only us.

I slowly pulled away, I didn't want to open my eyes, didn't want to see the harsh reality and didn't want to see Lauren suffer for having to do the right thing, so more than ever I needed to be strong. I opened my eyes and turned around, I looked to my side and saw the table full of tools. I inched closer, nothing could be heard besides my steps, and when I was close enough, I saw her dagger. It would be simple, quick and lethal. Before grabbing it, I looked up and there was my photo on Angel island. I smiled at the memory of that day, it was one of the best days of my life, it was just me, Lauren, Sofia and the natural beauty of all that paradise. Now I understand why that photo is Lauren's point of balance, it conveys peace and memories that I will hold close to my heart forever.

With the dagger in my hand, I walked slowly to Lauren, who stood motionless with a blank stare.

Maybe she was feeling the same fear as mine.

As soon as I got close to her, I brought my free hand to the back of her neck and pulled her face close to mine, making our lips meet, without pretense, just our lips touching each other, conveying all the love we felt for one another. Without letting her realize it, I placed the dagger in her hand and, in a sudden movement, thrusted it into my body.

POV Lauren Jauregui

The definition of being well is: being well for having a stable job, a good house and a family by your side, and well... with me it has always been the other way around. As much as I loved to sing and liked my apartment, it was always so empty... I lived every day in the shadow of my past, in the demons that awakened due to the lack of family structure, due to the things I witnessed.

I didn't kill because I liked it, I killed in the hope of quenching these demons inside me, hoping that one day it would stop, that the loneliness would disappear...Yeah... I was completely mistaken in thinking that this would get better, that this would somehow help me. The emptiness continued, until I decided to enter a very dangerous game of cat and mouse with Camila.

I never thought that in this game, I would find everything I've been looking for. Deputy Camila Cabello exorcised all my demons and brought me peace, love and happiness.

I woke up from my reveries and fresh blood ran down my hand. Camila was unconscious in my arms. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees, holding her fragile body. Trying to control my uneven breath, I looked at the dagger stuck in her chest, blood dripping like in a fountain. My eyes traveled all over her body, all over her face, searching for any trace of life. I knew the matte color that was present in her eyes and that look... It was death.

"CAMILA!" I shouted, clinging to her body in my lap.

"Lauren." Camila whispered and my heart jolted.

"God! You're alive! Look at me, Camila, please, look at me!" I begged. "Please, stay with me." Camila choked on the blood spilling from her mouth. I brushed to the side a few strands of hair that were wet with blood. "Wait, wait, I'm going to help you." I said desperately. "There has to be a way, you can't go out like this." I examined the stab wound, I was hopeful, but something inside me knew that it was too late. "I- I just need to stanch this blood." Carefully, I placed Camila on the floor and tore part of my shirt, placing the cloth on her wound, which immediately got soaked in blood. "Camila... Please." Tears flowed copiously down my face.

-----

Note: YIKES!! Don't worry tho ;) Imma start translating the next chapter so that I can post it tomorrow.
Y'ALL!! I'M BACK!! I'M SO SORRY FOR DISSAPEARING LIKE THIS! But I just had to take a break from all this and then I started watching lots of tv shows again and I got lost in that world lol But I'm back!