After (Camren)

Chapter 85

"Where is Ally?" I ask Lauren when we take our seats.

"I don't know." She answers and takes a bite of a croissant.

"You said she was looking for me?"

"She was but I don't know where she is now."

"Lauren, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Her grandmother appears behind her. 

I notice her take a deep breath before she turns to her.

"Sorry." She mumbles.

"I wanted to see you before I go, god knows when I will see you again. Can you save a dance for your grammy?" She asks and Lauren shakes her head. 

"Why not?" She asks Lauren with a smile.

There is a tension between them that I can't quite put my finger on. 

"I am on my way to get Camila a drink." She lies and leaves the table.

"Well, she's something isn't she?" Lauren's grandmother laughs uncomfortably. 

I am not sure what to say, my first instinct is to defend her but it seems she is joking.

"Is she still drinking?" She turns to me.

"What? No." I stutter, completely caught off guard.

"She only drinks every once in a while." I clarify as I see Lauren walking towards us with two flukes full of pink liquid. 

She hands me one and I smile and lift it to my lips. It smells sweet when I tip the glass back to take a drink and the bubbles spritz lightly, tickling my nose. It tastes just as sweet as it smells.

"Champagne." She informs me and I thank her.

"Camila!" Karen says and wraps her arms around me. She has changed out of her wedding dress and into a white knee length wrap dress. 

"I am so thrilled that you two came! How was it?" She asks. Karen is the only person who would ask how her own wedding was, she is too kind.

"It was so lovely, it was beautiful." I smile. 

Lauren puts her hand on the small of my back and I lean into her. I can sense how uncomfortable she is between her grandmother and Karen, and now Mike is making his way over to us. 

"Thank you for coming." Mike says to Lauren and holds out his hand to shake. 

Lauren obliges and quickly shakes her father's hand. I notice Mike lift his arm up to hug Lauren but he lowers it before following through. Mike's face is full of excitement and joy.

"Camila, you look beautiful dear." Mike compliments and hugs me.

I can't help but feel a little awkward around him now that I have a deeper insight into who he was all those years ago. 

"Are you enjoying yourselves?" He asks eagerly.

"Yea. It's a nice set up you've got out here." Lauren does her best to praise her father.

I put my hand on her back and rub small circles to ease her.

"I didn't know that you two were speaking." Adele speaks.

Mike rubs the back of his neck, a habit that I suspect Lauren got from him.

"Yea. Let's talk about this another time mother." Mike says and she nods in agreement.

I take another drink out of my glass and try not to dwell on the fact that I am drinking underage in front of adults.

A waiter in a black vest walks by with a tray of champagne, Mike grabs a glass and I cringe. He hands the glass to his new bride and I relax. I am glad to see that he isn't drinking.