Habit

Chapter 23

She let go of me and held out her hand, waiting for mine and so I joined us into one and followed her out of her room, and down the stairs. I let go abruptly once I could see the kitchen light and saw Camila's eyebrows furrow but she didn't push it.

She walked in before me with me trailing slowly behind her and cleared her throat before walking up to her mom, and wrapping her arms around her waist just as she had done to me.

''Mama, Papa, Sofi- this is Lauren. She'll be joining us for dinner, if that's okay.'' I tried to meet the eager gazes but could only stay in the trance that Camila's eyes pulled me into. It was an informal greeting, but the way that she looked at me proved exactly what I meant to her, and it made my heart flutter. The shine in her eyes was different now, it was proud, it was boastful-as if showing me off in a discreet way that only her eyes could express.

I smiled at her warmly and broke my stare off to meet her mother's arms that wrapped around me, and the smaller arms that wrapped around my legs, ''so, you're the girl, she keeps babbling about?'' I felt my cheeks burn and looked up to see Camila biting her lip, and smiling at the ground. I returned the gesture to her mom and nodded, ''I guess I am.'' With a face-eating smile, and once she let go, I leaned down to be at eye level with Sofia. ''Hi sweetheart.'' Sofia blushed and looked into my eyes, as hers widened. ''Wow! Your eyes are like the color of the grass!''

I laughed and furrowed my eyebrows, ''Grass, huh? Never really heard that one, is that a good thing?'' ''Oh yeah! I love the grass! I love the way it feels on my twinkle toes but Mami never really lets me go outside without shoes...'' she trails off, a small frown forming, but then a mischievous smirk plays on her face, ''But sometimes, I break the rules and Camila and I go outside....without shoes on!'' she exclaims before covering her mouth as a fit of giggles escape her mouth. I laugh along with her and she stops laughing for a bit before lowering her voice and looking at me with the most serious expression-it could make you laugh, ''But don't say anything, it's a secret.'' She pulls out her pinky, and shoves it in my face, almost causing me to fall backwards, but I catch myself and laugh slightly, before leaning forward with my own pinky, ''I promise, I won't say a word, princess. Can I call you that?'' A big smile broke out on her face that showed her missing front tooth as she eagerly nodded her head and hugged my neck. I hugged her back, picking her up and turning around to see the other three Cabellos smiling at me, and I felt myself blushing again.

Once we were all seated, Sinu, as she asked me to refer to her as, served us all a plate of Cuban food, which I accepted gratefully, since I was also part Cuban, and dug in almost immediately. I was seated across from Camila and beside Princess Sofia, and I was surprised at how it didn't feel awkward, it felt accepting, almost as if I was in my own home. Sinu and Alejandro were funny, and when I say funny, I mean HILARIOUS. Sofia had to hit my back a few times to stop me from choking when I accidently ate something during one of their many jokes.

When I wasn't laughing at their jokes, I was looking at the way Camila's eyes shined around her family, It was then that I decided just how expressive Camila Cabello's eyes could be and I never looked at anyone the way I looked at Camila, I never understood anyone the way I understood Camila, and it was like an unspoken language between us that I was dying to further learn. Her eyes flickered time and time again at me and it was short moments that I appreciated immensely because we'd smile at each other and it made me realize that it didn't matter where I was, who I was with, as long as Camila was there too, I could make the best of every situation, right?

Dinner finished earlier than I'm sure any of us wanted it too, but it was nice, it was lovely, and I knew then, that whenever it was that we decided to make it official, that it'd be okay, because we had their support, just like I knew and hoped my family would provide as well.

Camila volunteered herself to wash the dishes which surprised Sinu but she didn't even dare question her daughter, most likely fearing Camila changing her mind, and after she said a goodnight to us both, kissing the top of our heads, she walked off hand in hand with Alejandro to their bedroom I assume. Camila picked up her hair in a loose ponytail, giving me access to return her the earlier favor of kissing her neck and doing the same to my own hair, to help.

I grabbed one the dishes and began to scrub. I put on my best concentrated face and worked away and felt Camila's stare every few minutes, sometimes she tried to be sneaky about it, by only doing it out of the corner of her eye, but it always failed to go unnoticed. A smile formed on my lips every time I caught her, and I knew she knew she'd been caught because she'd turn abruptly always slapping me with her long ponytail that never ceased to make me laugh, and it overall was an enjoyable night/afternoon.

''Take a picture, it'll last longer.'' I smirked at her.

She turned to me, and smiled, ''May i? I'd really love to.'' She said with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes and shoved her playfully before cupping my hands, full of soap, to send bubbles her way which she popped eagerly and laughed that adorable laugh as she did so.

Camila Cabello will be the death of me; you're supposed to fall in love, slowly, right?