Beautiful When You Don't Try

Chapter 12

"So, how long have you been out?" Kevin ask setting some of the bags down just inside Camila's bedroom door before taking a seat on the diva's bed. He watched as Lauren slowly scanned the room in amazement that everything still looked the same from all of her Myspace videos.

"Three years."

The tall man nodded and followed with his dark eyes as she finished her inspection and sat down next to him with a light, nervous smile. "But you've known for longer?"

She hesitated and nodded. "I had a really good idea senior, an inkling late junior year."

"So, if you knew then, what took you so long to come out? Especially since your parents were out of the picture."

She nervously scratched her head and diverted her eyes to the floor across the room. "I hadn't actually admitted it to myself. I had some other issues I was trying to deal with and that was just adding to the emotional fire."

Kevin never broke his sight on her and she was beginning to feel the pressure of his stare. She couldn't tell if he was disapproving of her or just trying to get a read. He braced his heel on the bed frame and hooked his hands around his raised knee, softening his posture a slightly. He was reading her. "What type of issues would you allow to prevent you from being who you are?"

She didn't want to do this, but she needed to. This was for Camila. Lauren may not have a family to answer to, but the diva did. "They were issues best dealt with on my own. Emotional damage. Proving to myself that I wasn't a disappointment like I had been told. Proving to myself that the bitch I portrayed myself as was actually the cause of a good portion of my unhappiness. There are still a few things that I am working on though."

"Like your daughter?" Lauren's eyes snapped to his, wide with nothing less than shock. "Has Camila told you that we have contact with Sinu?" She was stunned but finally managed to shake her head. Why hadn't Camila told her that? Kevin suddenly had a glint of guilt in his eye, seeing her reaction, and lowered his eyes from hers, shaking his head. "I mean, it's not like we just call each other up and chat for hours like old girlfriends, but it is about a half hour conversation once a week. Would you like to see a picture of her?"

"No!" Lauren sprang up off the bed, but held on to his arm that was reaching for his wallet. "I...I...I'm not ready for that." He nodded and returned his hand cautiously to his lap. She released his arm and fought to catch her breathing that was now panicked. "This weekend is about Camila. That...I'm not ready to do both.

Kevin nodded his head once more as he watched the brunette woman fighting to keep the tears from falling while she stared at the spot on the mattress where he was sitting. He could tell that she wanted to know but was scared. "Okay. Well, if you change your mind, just let me know."

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"Dad," Camila's voice was pleading. It broke Alejandro 's heart not just to give in if it made his daughter happy, but happiness now could very easily turn into very public heart ache later.

"I'm just worried for you, Camila. This is such an unexpected change."

"I know. It caught me off guard as well. But when I almost lost this because of my uncertainty, I realized just how much I wanted it. Dad, I really and truly love her. Just get to know her and you would even agree that she is perfect for me. She lets me rant and actually listens to it. She even provides feedback!"

Alejandro ran his hand over his balding head and repositioned his glasses on his face. "that is a...unique quality."

With Camila's flare for the dramatics, she threw herself off the couch and to her knees by his chair. Alejandro rolled his eyes. No matter how old she got she still acted like the little diva who use to feign panic attacks when asked to mow the lawn. "Give this a chance. Your approval means so much to me."