Never Too Soon

Where Are You?

POV: Harper

"Are you here to see Miss Jauregui?" An older woman asked me from a lone desk in the hallway.

"Um, yes. She told me to come up." I nodded my head as I looked at the walls that were blank for some reason. That wasn't like Lauren at all.

The woman pressed a button on her desk and quietly spoke into a mic attached to her shirt.

I was slightly weirded out by her awkwardly staring me down through her glasses that sat on the tip of her nose.

"You can go in." The woman nodded to the lone door beside her.

"Thanks," I eyed her one last time before walking into Lauren's office.

"Hey," Lauren greeted me with a low monotone voice.

"Hi! How's everything going?" I tried to smile enough for it to rub off on her, but her face remained blank as her eyes stayed glued to the computer screen in front of her.

"Everything was going great until Max just texted me that Darius punched the guy who messed with you." Lauren mumbled, clearly unhappy with the subject. "I was just going to fire him and be done with it, but Darius had to stir a whole new shit pot."

"Did anyone see anything?" I asked as I stayed by the door in case she wanted me to leave. I would've completely understood if she wanted time to cool off.

"Max did, but he obviously claims he didn't see shit to anyone who asks. It's the dickhead's words against Darius's loud mouth. As far as I'm concerned the fucker ran into a wall." She made a solid point, but if it was that easy she would not have been that pissed.

"So what's the part that's stressing you out?" I quirked a brow and hoped it wouldn't set her off. Her limitations were unclear and constantly changing. The lines that were supposed to be solidly drawn in concrete were drawn with a stick in sand.

"Aside for the fact that Darius punched someone in my building?" Lauren looked up at me for the first time.

"Aside from that." I nodded my head.

"Someone messed with you." Lauren spoke only loud enough for me to hear. "That pisses me off more than anything."

"Darius handled it though. He had my back. Literally, all I had to do was yell his name and the dude's face went pale." I tried to show her how little it effected me.

"And if he didn't? What if he wasn't in earshot? The fucker was all up on you. I saw him put his hands on you. What would've happened if someone wasn't there to save you?" Lauren stood up from her seat. It wasn't until then when I realized how pissed she was.

"Run?" It came out as more of a question than an answer.

"You freeze up when someone lays a hand on you or even threatens it. Your PTSD kicks in and you just do whatever they say. You of all people know that you wouldn't be able to run, so what the fuck do I do to keep you safe?" Lauren threw her hands up

"How is this my fault? It's not my fault nor choice that I'm a danger magnet." I shot back with the same tone she had. I wasn't about to put up with her shit for a single second.

"It isn't your fault! That isn't my problem! My problem is how the fuck do I keep someone I love safe! I've never had to take care of anyone other than myself! This is all new for me!" Her tone quickly showed that she was far from angry. She was scared. Maybe even terrified.

"I can take a hit, babe. That isn't an issue." I brushed it off.

"You shouldn't have to or even be able to! Your shitty, narcissistic, bitch-ass mother engraved punching bag into your brain when in reality you are a fucking princess and need to be treated as one!" Lauren sat back down in her chair with a defeated grunt. Her elbows found the table and her hands held her forehead. "I've never done this before and I thought it would be easy or at least easier."