I Loved You Before I Met You

23

   As I'm just laying in bed, I hear the front door close a little later so I know Julia has left, and then I hear Lauren coming up the stairs. There is a soft knock on my door then her head pops around the opening door before I can say anything. "Is something wrong?" I ask. "Oh... no I was just checking to see if you were asleep." She says. "I couldn't go to sleep actually and you can come in if you want to. You don't have to hang in the doorway, I promise I don't bite. Well I don't bite hard." I laugh a little after seeing Lauren's expression. "O-okay then, I guess I will come in for a few minutes."

Lauren sits on the edge of the foot of my bed facing me and just looks down at her lap. I sit up and lean against the headboard and laugh as I cross my arms and ask "why are you sitting down there and on the edge of the bed?" I pat the bed beside me and she crawls to the top of the bed beside me. Seeing her crawl towards me like that has me wanting her in the worse kind of way but I have to quickly push that to the back of my mind.

"So how was the visit with your sister?" She smiles a little "it was good. It was long overdue but we caught up on things that have been going on in each other's lives among other things.  Kyler... please, don't flirt with Julia." I knew she was jealous but I wasn't flirting with Julia. I can tell Lauren is tired and something else is bothering her. I'm guessing it's all that about Mike.

"I wasn't flirting... Lauren. We were just talking and she's not really my type anyway. You on the other hand, you are so my type. You know, I saw the jealousy in your eyes when I was talking with Julia. I also know you feel something for me." Lauren looks at me, "Kyler! I'm m-married for fucks sake and... and to your father." I smirk at her "yeah well, you can do so much better than him and deserve so much better." She shakes her head "Kyler you don't..."

I quickly interrupt "Don't even say I don't understand or any of the other bullshit. I see how he treats you. You deserve to be loved and desired and he definitely doesn't do either of those. Now... you need to relax. Just relax some and...let everything go." Before she can respond, I move down the bed by her feet with a bottle of lotion in my hands.

"I know just the thing to help you relax." I rest both of her feet in my lap and squeeze lotion in my hand and start gently massaging her left foot. "You don't have to do that Kyler," Lauren says and starts to move her feet. I grab them and put them back in my lap. "I want to do this for you. So just relax and enjoy it okay. You deserve to just relax and if I can help you do that, then let me, please." She nods and smiles embarrassingly then lies back on the bed. I lightly laugh and switch to her right foot.

Lauren raises herself up on her elbows so she is looking at me. "Kyler, can I ask you something?" I nod my head for her to ask away. "Why don't you call Mike dad and why did your mom keep you away from him?" What the hell. "What?" I asked more in a defensive tone than I planned and I instantly regret it when I see her flinch.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that but she didn't keep me from him. When he left after their divorce he didn't want anything to do with me. He would call every once in a while like for my birthday and some holidays for the first year then that stopped. And I just can't bring myself to call him dad when he hasn't been there for me growing up and when it's obvious he never wanted me anyway." She just looks at me like she is processing what I said.

She lays back down on the bed but quickly raises back up on her elbows. "Kyler... why... why did you... kiss me?" She asks nearly in a whisper and a deep blush covers her cheeks. I look at her and wish I could just tell her how I truly feel about her. But I know it's best if I don't put it all out there, at least not right now. She is stressed enough like it is, there's no reason for me to add to it. "Honestly, I don't know... except that... I really wanted to and you... you seemed like you needed it. I know I shouldn't have and... I'm sorry."

We stay silent for a few minutes then I ask "do you feel relaxed?" She smiles "yes, thank you. You are definitely good with your hands. You're like a miracle worker." I laugh at her as she quickly closes her mouth. "You're welcome but I wouldn't say I'm a miracle worker but good with my hands, yes, that I am" and I wink at her as her cheeks turn red. I crawl back to the top of the bed and lay down beside her. I turn on my side while she is on her back and just gaze at her. Her eyes are heavy and I can tell she is fighting sleep. I move closer to Lauren and start rubbing my hand lightly up and down her arm. Her body relaxes into me more and as her eyes close she snuggles closer to me.

I could get used to this and I feel my eyes getting heavy with sleep too. As I turn onto my back she turns on her side slightly resting against my chest. Her head rests against the crook of my neck and I wrap my arm around her pulling her closer. I know at this moment, if someone walks into my room it would raise questions. I don't care right now because I just want to sleep next to Lauren with her in my arms while I have the chance. I know this will probably never happen again though as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.