The Best of Me (Camren)

chapter thirteen

Lauren's POV

Camila H: We need to tell Bella the truth.

It was the first thing I woke up to on this god forsaken Monday morning. Goddammit, Camila. Why wake me up this way?

"Who's that?" Lilly asked, stirring awake next to me. Fuck, I loved her sexy morning voice.

"Camila. She wants to tell Bella she's her mother," I spoke tiredly.

"Are you going to let her?"

I faced her seriously, unable to answer at the moment. "I still don't know if I'm ready yet, babe. It takes time for shit like this to process. I... just don't want my little girl getting hurt. I don't want her to feel like how I did."

"Do you think by not letting Bella know Camila's identity, then you're just hurting her more?" Oh.

"I never thought of it that way," I said as we both sat up in bed.

"Well, think about it. Bella and Camila are growing closer everyday. She wants to tell your daughter and you won't let her. Won't that make you look like the bad guy?"

"Okay no. If anything, Camila's still the bad guy. She's always been the bad guy ever since she walked out on my life and she can never be forgiven."

"Never?"

"Ever."

"Lo, don't you think you're being a little too hard on her? She is becoming a loving mother even if she hadn't for the past ten years. Wouldn't you say she's doing a good job now?" she questioned, obviously taking my ex's side rather than her own girlfriend's. Like, what the fuck??

"Lilly..... you know how much pain and misery this woman has put me through? I'd given her everything. I sacrificed so much to make her happy. I did all that I could to provide for her and keep her safe. But I guess it wasn't good enough. She was too selfish with wanting to move out of state and do what she wanted. But what about family? Does that mean nothing anymore?"

"You do know that you moved out of state, right?" she chuckled.

"Yeah when I had to. It was for the best interest of my family," I stated, getting out of bed to get dressed.

"Well, maybe that was just what Camila was trying to do. Maybe that's what she thought was the best for you guys," she shrugged while I just became more disgusted.

"Oh, don't sit up here and defend her, Lilly," I rolled my eyes, pulling my shirt over my head. "Everyone knows what she did was fucked up-"

"I'm not saying it wasn't," she argued. "But you got to look at it from her point of view too which you're too stubborn to do."

"Fuck her point of view. There's no excuse for leaving your own child. She could have still kept in contact for the past ten years but did she? No," I concluded, having enough of this conversation. I mean, why was my own girlfriend saying this to me? "And that's the last time I ever hear you defend my ex," I squinted harshly at this woman who was supposed to be supportive. I didn't care how "open minded" she was, she should have always been on my side.

"Okay, you know what? This is a conversation for you and Camila. Sorry for getting involved," she huffed, getting out of bed and leaving my room.

"You damn well right it is! Thanks for helping me move on." And there was just no way to move on since Camila was back in mine and Bella's lives. And there was no way she wanted out again.

Me: No.

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"July twenty-seventh," I smiled widely down at the invitation cards for Camila and I's wedding.