Grow Old Without You (A Camren Story)

Saving Me Again

Grow Old Without You (Chapter 10)

RECAP:

"So you're going to tell everyone about us now? Do we get to be a family?" Lana's eyes lit up as Kara smiled widely.

"Baby, we're still a family, even if everyone knows or doesn't know. We're still a family." Camila said to Lana as Lana sighed, frowning.

"No we don't act like a family. You don't hold my hand when walking in the sidewalk, or we don't do rides together. It's always me and Gina or me and Uncle Troy. Kara says the same thing too. It's usually her and Aunt Kea everywhere, not mommy. When will we be a real family?" Lana looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Truthfully, I don't know.

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LAUREN NOW

A family. Lana just wanted to be a family. That's all I've wanted us to be. Lana was right, we've been too paranoid being photographed with them around, that we never did real family stuff in public. I don't hold Kara's hands in public when we see paparazzi around. We would dine inside the restaurants and choose the booths that are in the far corner to avoid being photographed or noticed. We've done that since she was born, and now I realize the side the twins are in. It's pretty painful.

"Lana, I thought you understood everything? Why we had to do what we're doing. It's to protect you." I said as I caressed Lana's cheek as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"But Mommy, you're protecting us from them, but how about how we feel?" Kara said, still looking down her hands. Keana and I looked at Kara surprised. Kara's speaking up.

Camila instantly stood up, running to the backyard, slamming the door behind her. This door has been slammed twice today and it's still there.

Everyone was silently eating after Camila's dash, and I could see Kara silently crying while she eats her food. When can we have normal conversations without anyone crying, or shouting.

"C-Can I p-p-please be e-excused?" Kara whispered as she put her napkin down on her plate, her voice shaky.

"Stay here until your mother comes back." Keana said sternly as she glanced at Kara.

"Voglio solo stare da solo, Zia Keana! (I just want to be alone, Aunt Keana!)" Kara mumbled in Italian as Keana's head snapped at Kara.

"Kara, I swear--" Keana looked pissed.

"Hey, let's take it a notch down. Let's talk calmly, please?." Ally said trying to calm everyone down.

"Get your ass up and apologize to your mother." Keana said.

"But we're not doing anything wrong." Lana said defending Kara, her voice started raising. Oh here we go again with more shouting.

"Hey. Calm down." Mani said as she held on Lana's shoulder as she swatted Mani's hand away. "Lana Camille." Mani said sternly as I just sighed, putting my head on my hands, getting a headache from everything.

"This is not helping Camila in any way, okay. No bickering and shouting, please?" I finally said as everyone shut their mouths. "Lana, Kara, living room, please." I stood up walking to the living room as I heard two pairs of footsteps follow behind me. I let them sit on the couch, as I sat on the table in front of them, looking at them straight in the eyes.

"We are a family. We will always be a family, even when we tell everyone or not. You are both from my flesh and blood, and you are both Mama's as much as you are me. We can't tell everyone about Mama and I being your parents, because it means we have to dig deep in our darkest secrets before. We can't do that because Mama's still under their Management, and if we do tell them about our relationship before, Mama will get in Legal trouble. We wouldn't want that to happen." I sighed as both their heads were down. I lifted it up as I saw tears on both their eyes. "But I can tell them you guys are mine, and we can hold hands on sidewalks, go to rides together, eat out, shop together. I don't have to worry about myself, 'cos I can take care of myself. It's Mama we're worried about, okay? Is that okay?"