I Loved You Before I Met You (New Version)

62

   Lauren's mom quickly says "I think we are getting off track here. Look Lauren, we are happy that you're happy. We just... we don't want Kyler to use you or hurt you because you have already had enough of that and she is only 18. Plus already arguing this early in your... relationship is not a good thing."

   I lean forward and look directly at Mr. David and Mrs. Jessica, "I'm not using Lauren! I'm also not ever going to do anything to purposely hurt her. I know that for some, our age difference is a problem and with both of us being women but love is love. Love for someone cannot be contained. After meeting Lauren, I cannot tell you how many days I spent yearning for her. How many days it seemed I searched for a scent or a breath that she left behind. Just any trace of her."

   I sit back and continue. "I may be 18 but I fell in love with Lauren. I never knew that I could feel so... complete, until she finally let me in and let me love her and I let her love me. Her beauty radiates from her soul and she is the meaning of the term 'take one's breath away'. She takes my breath away all the time just from looking at me and from me just looking at her."

   Lauren takes a deep shaky breath "look, our disagreement was from me overreacting about something but that doesn't matter. I'm working on my insecurities I have due to things Mike has done and Kyler understands that. I wasn't looking for this mom and dad. God knows I didn't understand what was going on because I've never been attracted to another woman. I tried to deny it and ignore it but it was too late. This was never imaginable to me. I mean... I... I fell in love with a woman, who is not only my ex step daughter but also my student and she's eight years younger than me. But this is the absolute truest thing I have ever felt or known. Sometimes true love enters your life when you least expect it and there's no denying it. If I get hurt then that's part of loving someone too. You just have to trust that they will not hurt you and I trust Kyler with all my heart."

   Lauren's mom is wiping her eyes when I look at her. "Ok ok, you two. You don't have to convince us. Lauren, if you would have let me finish earlier I was going to say we know you two love each other. The way you look at each other, the love is written all over both of your faces and it's in your eyes. I have never seen you look at anyone Lauren, the way you look at Kyler. And Kyler, the way you look at Lauren, the love just radiates off of you. It's the purest thing I have ever seen."

   Lauren stands up and so do both of her parents. The three of them embrace each other in a big hug. I'm glad that her parents understand and seem to be fine with us because I was actually expecting this to go differently. As I sit here staring at Lauren, her mom looks back at me and holds her hand out and motions for me to come there. I walk over and she grabs my hand pulling me into their group hug. Once we break the hug Lauren's dad asks "so Kyler, does your dad know about you and Lauren? I mean I imagine it would be weird to take her home as your girlfriend."

   I look at Lauren then at her dad. Before I can speak, Lauren does and I'm grateful for that. "Actually dad, Kyler lives here with me and no, Mike doesn't know." I'm glad she didn't tell them about the whole accusation of a sexual relationship between us to the superintendent. That would have really been a whole different story to explain.

   Lauren's dad runs his hand through his hair "this gets better and better. How is she living here with you instead of at home with her father?"

   Lauren looks at me as if asking if it is okay for her to tell her dad. I nod my head for her to tell him. "Kyler lives with me because Mike kicked her out after I moved out and got this apartment. She had nowhere else to go so I offered her the spare bedroom here so she didn't have to go back to her aunts in Pensacola."

   Mr. David nods his head in understanding "well Mike is an idiot and at least she has her own bedroom here. Risking your career to date Kyler is bad enough, at least you're not sleeping with her too."

   I hear a snicker and I look towards the kitchen and see Julia standing in the doorway watching us. She walks into the living room a little, "okay, mom and dad, why don't we get to our hotel and give these two love birds some alone time."

   Lauren quickly starts nodding her head "yes I agree. I know y'all are probably tired."

   Julia starts laughing "as if that's why you want us to go to our hotel. You want to finish what you started earlier."

   Both of their parents ask at the same time "finish what?"

   Lauren shakes her head. "Nothing mom and dad." She quickly says.

   Julia walks further into the living room "oh it's not nothing. Just be glad you two didn't decide to go back into the kitchen after they finished dancing."

   Mrs. Jessica arches her eyebrows "what do you mean?"

   Before Lauren can answer Julia says "oh you know, just that Lauren..."

   Lauren cuts her off "shut it Jules!"

   Mrs. Jessica has a confused look on her face. Mr. David shakes his head "I think it's time for us to go. I probably don't want to know what Julia was going to say and hope it's not what I'm thinking. I'm going to be honest here, this is going to take time to get used to."

   Mrs. Jessica quickly says "if we don't see you two before Kyler's graduation Thursday, we will see y'all then." We both tell all three of them bye and close the door with a sigh.

   As we walk to the kitchen I rub my hand down Lauren's back and I can feel how tense her back muscles are. We look over the kitchen to make sure Julia had actually cleaned everything up and she had. Lauren grabs my hand and starts walking towards the bedroom. "Baby, I'm sorry about today with my parents." She says with a worried tone in her voice.

   "Lauren, you have nothing to be sorry for. Your parents just want what's best for you."

   Lauren chuckles "you are what's best for me. I didn't think this day could get anymore stressful until I got home and realized it could.

   Lauren quickly changes into her sleep clothes which just consist of an oversized shirt and her underwear. She sets the alarm on her phone and says "I know it's early but I just want to lay down and forget about today."

   I strip my clothes off throwing them in the hamper and walk to the bed in only my sports bra and boxers. "Don't get under the sheets yet." Lauren raises a brow at me in question "lay on your stomach, I'm going to give you a back massage because I could feel how tense your muscles are" I say as I get massage oil out of the nightstand.

   "I'm not going to argue with that. Not one bit." Lauren says with a laugh as she lifts her shirt up to expose her back and then lays on her stomach.