I Can't Make You Love Me [Short Story]

Lauren & Drew

Rain falls heavily as Lauren gazes at the skyline of the city from the living room in her penthouse. Slowly sipping her from her tea-filled mug as she stares out of the window, her thoughts are racing a mile a minute. On nights like this, she would be fast asleep by now. Tonight, however, sleep evaded her. Upstairs in her bedroom, on her bed, laid the man she loved. The man she loved without reciprocation.

Lauren Marshall has been in love with Andrew Grant since they were 13 years old. Although he never saw her as anything other than a best friend, through her eyes he was 'the one'. They met when Andrew moved into the house across the street from her own. From the very first day, their chemistry was undeniable. Over the years, neither name could be spoken without mention of the other. They were just that inseparable.

For Andrew, this closeness had no effect on his relationships. The women he dated knew about Lauren and understood the dynamics of their friendship. She was his best friend - nothing more, nothing less. They knew he loved her, but was not in love with her. For Lauren, a similar sentiment could be said, but her heart wouldn't let her love anyone other than Andrew and that's where the problem laid.

Lauren was horrible in relationships. Each suitor would be subconsciously compared to Andrew, but none of them ever measured up to her best friend. Jason, her longest relationship, came close. Really close. He was just like Andrew. She had finally found a replica of 'the one'. But, like the rest, she chipped away at him until she found a flaw. In his case, he just wasn't Andrew.

The pull that Andrew had on Lauren's heart was unmatched. Further intensified by his occasional visits after his own heartbreak, Lauren couldn't love another man the way she loved Andrew if she wanted to. Her heart wouldn't let her.

Tonight, Andrew made another one of those visits. His most recent break-up might have been his most painful one to date. He needed a shoulder to cry on and he knew that the woman he's called his best friend for the past 22 years would be available.

It started like every other time. Andrew called Lauren at quarter past midnight asking if he could stop by. For any other man, her answer would have been a simple "No" followed by three beeps indicating that she had ended the call. But for Andrew, she said "Sure. What's going on?" no longer worried about the sleep she was missing out on.

"Naomi left me. I won't be over there long. I just need my best friend right now." Lauren could hear the pain in his voice.

"Let me know when you get here, I'll buzz you up."

When Andrew arrived, Lauren could tell from the redness in his eyes that he had been crying and that broke her heart. As she led him to the couch he'd slept on more times than she could count, no words were spoken between them. With his head on her lap, they sat in silence for nearly 5 minutes. Andrew broke it first.

"She gave me my ring back."

"Did she give you a reason?"

Before answering, Andrew sat up and faced Lauren.

"She said that she's not happy anymore and that even though she loves me, she's not in love with me. La, I don't even get that. I thought we were good. You know? If she was unhappy, she never showed it."

"Drew, sometimes the signs are there, but when you're in love it's hard to see them."

"True, but why didn't she say anything until now? I don't get it. Why not say you're unhappy before I spent $15,000 on a ring?!" Andrew got up from the couch and began to pace.

Lauren watched silently as he walked circles around her living room. After a few minutes, he stopped and walked to her floor to ceiling windows. Lauren stayed seated as she watched his every move. When she heard him sniffling, an overwhelming urge to wrap him in her arms consumed her and guided movements until she was standing behind him with her arms locked around his waist. It was in this moment that he fully let go and cried like a baby.