I'm Here For You

Why did you choose him over me?

It was needless to say that the Cabellos and the Jaureguis were close family friends due to the bond formed between the two eldest daughters. They saw each other often and had gone as far as to take annual family trips together. Taylor and Chris treated Sofi as if she were their siblings and Camila did the same with the other two. The only two who did not act like siblings were the two best friends themselves.

They were too affectionate for it to be considered familial. The families had long since accepted that Lauren and Camila would always hold hands, would always be found cuddling, would always turn to one another with anything that happened in their lives.

Sinuhe had worried on many occasions that Lauren would develop feelings for her daughter and the feelings wouldn't be reciprocated. She knew the older girl was always the more affectionate of the pair, but as soon as Lucy entered the scene, those worries were put to rest. It wasn't that Sinu wouldn't approve of their relationship, she just didn't feel that Camila would be as invested as Lauren and the last thing she wanted was for their friendship to end in heartbreak.

She didn't quite know what the pair would do without one another. They were all the other knew.

"They're good. Mom wanted me to invite you guys over again some time, they're hosting a barbecue and Dad's got this new bar set up next to the pool he's been wanting to show off."

"If he's mixing up the cocktails, then I'm there." Sinu mused. "Tell your mom to send me the details."

"I will do and yeah, I also will be staying for dinner. Whatever you're cooking smells amazing."

"I can't stay," Dinah interrupted the pair before they started their own conversation because she knew how easily Lauren got along with Camila's parents. "My mom would beat my ass if I showed up with a full stomach again."

"Language," Sinu chastised halfheartedly. She was well aware that Dinah would say what Dinah wanted to say regardless of what anyone else thought. She'd learned this the day she met Dinah three years prior. "Send your family my love as well."

Dinah offered the older Cabello and wide smile before pushing herself up from the bed. "I'll see you two losers around," She eyed the pair on the bed. "Think about what I said."

"We won't." Lauren rolled her eyes, lifting her arm from Camila's shoulders and getting up from the bed as well. "We'll catch you tomorrow at the arcade for Lucy's birthday."

"Can't believe that idiot wants to spend her birthday at the arcade, she's turning twenty for Christ's sake."

"My girl wants to hold onto her youth, I will let her hold onto her youth." Lauren chuckled softly. "Speaking of youth, where's Sofi? I miss her."

"Miss me instead, I'm your best friend not her." Camila stood up quickly and flung her arms around Lauren's neck from behind and jumped, the older girl catching her with ease. "Hi Lauren."

"Hi Camila." The raven-haired girl looked to her left to see her friend's face perched on her shoulder. "Comfy?"

"So comfy. Onward to the food please, noble steed." The brown-eyed girl pointed ahead of her, catching her mother's eye roll and slight shake of head and Dinah's risen brows and pursed lips.

Lauren walked the pair downstairs to the kitchen and finally dropped the younger girl down onto a seat but not without missing the slight intake of breath her friend sounded and the way Camila's face scrunched up in pain as she held onto her side.

"Whoa, Camz," Lauren crouched down in front of the younger girl and put her hand on her knee to keep herself steady. "What's wrong?" Her hand travelled to Camila's shirt and she raised the material slightly to see a tennis ball sized bruise settled on the brunette's left side. "Fuck, Camz, what happened?"