I Loved You Before I Met You

28

Once I get home I go to my room to take a nap. I might as well get some rest because I know once Lauren gets home and once she tells Mike, all hell is going to break loose. I wish I was still in Pensacola. I've never done anything as stupid as what I did today. Why did my mom have to die? Why did I have to move here? Why do I have feelings for the one woman I can't have? Why? Why? Why?

I strip down to my boxers and sports bra and lay across my bed trying to push all that to the back of my mind. With heavy eyes I drift off to sleep. I wake up to knocking on my bedroom door. Sleepily I say "come in." As soon as my door starts to open Lauren is already saying "Kyler, we need to talk so..." I look up at her and she is staring at me with her mouth slightly open. Her face is turning red and she licks her lips. I clear my throat and she snaps out of her daze. Was she just checking me out?

"What were you saying?" I ask with a smirk on my face. Lauren looks at me and her face is redder than before. She knows I caught her staring at my body. "Oh right, I was telling you to come downstairs so we can talk. I will be in the kitchen waiting and... please get dressed." She says with a shaky voice. I wink at her "be right down."

When I get downstairs Lauren is sitting in the kitchen at the island with a glass of wine and the bottle sitting in front of her. The bottle is over half empty and I know it was a newly opened one. I wonder how long she has been home if she has already finished half the bottle. I look at my watch and it is 4:20. Damn she must have hit the bottle as soon as she got here.

"How long have you been home?" I ask as I pick up the wine bottle and look at her. "I left school a little early." Lauren says and takes a deep breath. I sit down on the stool beside her and she looks at me "Kyler, what were you thinking? Never mind obviously you weren't. I can't believe you would do something like that. I just don't understand why Kyler. Why would you do that? I haven't told your father and prefer not to tell him at all if I'm being honest. He is supposed to be back tomorrow night though."

"Look Lauren, I'm sorry okay. It was stupid on my part and I am truly sorry. I know I should never have done that but I wanted and needed a distraction. I know I should have at least found someone else." I look at her waiting for her reaction. "A distraction? What are you talking about Kyler? Wanting a distraction from something doesn't mean you stop thinking." She says finally looking at me.

"I was thinking Lauren, that's all I've been doing. That's all I done all weekend. All I've been able to think about is... you... and Saturday night at the club. Then seeing you bent over in the hallway today it made it even worse." Lauren pours herself another glass of wine and takes a deep breath before taking a big gulp of her wine. "Kyler, please don't" I quickly interrupt her "no, its true okay just listen. Please." I beg.

"I was instantly attracted to you Lauren when I saw you for the first time. I will admit at first I thought you were just a very sexy woman I would like to fuck. But it actually became more than that only on the first day of being here and being around you. You are a beautifully sexy woman. Everything about you is sexy and makes you so... desirable and I'm not just talking about your body. You have a beautiful body, mind and soul. You're a beautiful person inside and out and I felt a connection with you when we first met. I still feel that connection."

Lauren opens her mouth but before she can speak, I keep going. "I've never felt like this before. I've never had a connection with anyone like I do with you. It always feels like a magnetic pull and I could be wrong but I think you feel it too. You have no idea what you do to me." I say looking Lauren in her beautiful blue eyes and reaching out for her hand placing mine on top of hers.

Lauren looks away and quickly wipes her eyes then looks back at me. "Kyler, I-I would be lying if I said I didn't feel the connection between us. I do... and I've felt it since we first met and it has really been confusing me. I constantly find myself wanting to touch you or just be around you. It drives me crazy because I've never been attracted to another woman. I don't know what it is about you but... but it can't mean anything."

Lauren finishes her glass of wine then continues. "I am currently married and married to you father until the divorce is finalized, you're my step daughter and I'm you principle. Even if we were in different circumstances, I'm too old for you and you need to find someone closer to your age. This between us couldn't happen."

"What do you mean until the divorce is finalized?" I ask. "Exactly what I said. Your father is cheating on me and has been for a while apparently plus.... I just can't stay with someone like that. I've taken care of everything and I'm giving him the divorce papers when he gets home. I'm not going to tell him about what happened today because that will only make it worse for you and I can't do that to you." Lauren places her other hand on top of mine and gives it a squeeze.

"Thank you Lauren. I mean it, seriously, thank you for not telling him. Please tell me you didn't fire Ms. Smith. She honestly wasn't at fault. I should have stopped the first time she said we shouldn't. I should have never done that in the first place. I'm so sorry and I hope you can forgive me and not be so disappointed in me. I don't ever want to see that look in your eyes again. I don't want you to hate me to the point you cannot even talk to me or be around me." Laurens hand reaches for my face and she wipes a tear that I didn't even know was there.

As she takes her hand away she sighs, "Kyler, I'm sorry for lashing out at you. My mind was everywhere when I walked into that classroom seeing that. I was so mad and I didn't realize it was you until you turned around. I don't hate you and I'm sorry if I made you feel like I do. I was disappointed and if I'm being honest... a little hurt."

She reaches and grabs both of my hands and looks me in my eyes "I'm sorry Kyler and I do forgive you and hope you forgive me too. I let my emotions and feelings take control of the situation and shouldn't have. I hope we can put this behind us but please don't do anything like that again. I didn't fire or report Ms. Smith because you begged me not to and she explained what happened as well. However, if there is another incident with her I will."