Friends and Lovers

They pulled into Wes’s driveway ten minutes later. He noticed Lauren fidgeting with her keys as they walked up the front steps together. Was she expecting him to pounce? Offended and annoyed at the idea he opened the door, waved her inside, then gave the door a hard swing closed.

“I’m getting a beer. You interested?” he asked, storming off in irritation to the kitchen.

“Yes.”

When Wes rounded the corner on his way back, he slowed at what he saw. Lauren drooped like a thirsty plant on the edge of his sofa, her knees together, feet splayed, and her forehead propped on her hand. That was the posture of quiet despair. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Obviously, this wasn’t easy for her either.

Stopping in front of her, he offered a cold bottle. “Here.”

She looked up and took it. “Thank you.”

He chose to sit angled toward her rather than next to her on the sectional sofa so he could see her better. Then he kicked back, crossed his foot over his knee, and took a long tug from his beer before opening the floor.

“So.” It wasn’t a question, exactly. It didn’t imply anything either. It simply begged a response.

Caught in mid–swallow, Lauren covered a soft burp with her hand and repeated, “So.”

Wes smiled, both amused and surprised. “What’s going on, Lauren? Why would you think I didn’t intend to kiss you? You’re a beautiful woman. You didn’t honestly believe it was only out of pity, did you?”

She shifted and squirmed, decidedly uncomfortable. “Sort of.”

“Well, I hope I corrected you on that.”

Lauren blushed and looked down at her sandals, wiggling her freshly polished toes. “Very effectively.”

He studied her and finally shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

She closed her eyes as she sifted through her thoughts. Then they flickered open and darted his way for a second before retreating. “This is really hard for me, Wes. I don’t know how much to tell you.”

His head went back. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no” she hastened to assure him. “It’s just that I’ve been carrying this inside for so long I don’t know how to let it out.”

“Then take it slow.”

She turned her attention to the damp label on her bottle and picked away at it, the tight corner of her mouth and one pinched eyebrow the only thing he could see of her pretty face in profile.

“You know when you came to the shelter a couple of weeks ago?” she began.

“Vividly.”

Lauren smiled at that and peeled a little more of the paper away. “Well, I felt so many things—shock, terror, excitement.”

Shock? Terror? This wasn’t good. What the hell?

“Why?” he asked, half afraid of what she’d say.

“I can’t lug this secret around anymore. It’s too heavy.” She groaned and gripped a handful of her hair. “Because I never got over you.”

She had his attention now.

Wes sat forward, both feet firmly on the floor. “Come again?”

Lauren nodded, took a quick peek at him, and hid her eyes again. “I had a major crush on you and it never went away.”

“No shit?” he said with a soft smile of surprise.

Lauren cringed behind her hand. “I’m sorry and really embarrassed.”

Wes stretched across to squeeze her knee. “Don’t be.” He couldn’t help laughing at the irony. “Oh, man. I had serious wood for you too.”

Lauren’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You did not!”

Wes laughed at himself. “I did.”

Lauren blustered, “Then why didn’t you do something about it? You were going after everything in a bra at the time anyway.”

His smile faded. “Two reasons. One was Sherry. She said she’d redecorate my car with a baseball bat if I messed with you. And two, because you scared the hell out of me. I was too young. I was leaving soon, and I simply wasn’t ready for serious with someone like you. My sister was right to warn me off.” This wasn’t an easy admission for him. “It’s a good thing she never told me how you felt.”

“She didn’t know,” Lauren mumbled in shame.

“What a mess.”

“No kidding.”

“So, what happened between you two? You were so tight,” he asked her.

Lauren went back to gripping her hair, the label on the bottle forgotten. “You were the biggest secret I ever kept and the only one I kept from Sherry.”

Wes frowned. “Sorry, what? I’m confused.”

“I felt dishonest and afraid to tell her the truth. I didn’t think she’d understand or forgive me because I always pretended I was just as disgusted by you as she was.”

He gave a soft, involuntary gasp of surprise. “Disgusted?”

“Well, at the time.” Lauren tried to soften the blow.

Wes held up a hand and stopped her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. I earned her bad opinion. I’ve worked hard to change it.” He looked at her, hoping she’d see the sincerity in his eyes. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do with you.”

“You never had anything to fix with me.”

ISBN: 1987783476