One Last Dance

One Last Dance (Chapter 8)

ROSS's POV:

I woke up the next morning still feeling horrible about everything. I couldn't stop thinking about Laura and what Vanessa said about their parents yesterday. If only I knew about it back then, I wouldn't have been so stupid as to say what I said when we broke up and now, she'll probably never love me the same again. Yeah, she kissed me yesterday but I doubt it meant as much to her as it meant to me.

I was downstairs in the kitchen making myself some breakfast. I was the only one who was up cause I was the only one who needed to be up.

I took a box of Frosted Flakes and poured some in a bowl. I took a jug of milk from the fridge and poured some in my cereal.

I grabbed a spoon, sat at the table and started eating my cereal.

I heard footsteps coming my way. I looked up. Laura was standing in the entrance of the kitchen.

"G'morning," she said walking into the room.

I gulped. "G'morning to you to... I didn't know you stayed over last night."

She shrugged. "Well, I did."

She got herself a bowl of Frosted Flakes and sat down next to me at the table.

"So...." I started. "Why did you come over at 2:00 this morning again?"

She looked down. "I couldn't sleep. I wanted to be with Vanessa"

"I understand. I couldn't sleep either. Yesterday was crazy, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "It was very stressful," she agreed.

"Vanessa told us about your parents."

"I know," she said. "Vanessa told me she told you guys."

I looked down. "I'm sorry," I said softly.

She shrugged again. "Not your fault."

I shook my head. "But in a way, it was. I hurt you, Laur, and now that I know about your past, I feel terrible about everything." I paused. "I always felt terrible."

She didn't look at me. She didn't even make eye contact but she stopped what she was doing and stared into space.

"Laur, you okay?"

She ignored me and I noticed a tear fall down her cheek.

I reached over to wipe it away when she slapped my hand away and wiped the tears from her eyes herself.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

She shook her head. "Stop saying that."

"Why," I asked. "I really am sorry."

She looked down. "No, your not."

I rolled my eyes. "How would you even know if I was sorry or not?"

She looked at me. "Because my parents never were."

I gulped. "Well, I'm not your parents."

She shook her head. "You're right but you see, you're also wrong. They hurt me. You hurt me. They apologized but kept hurting me. You apologized and you're going to keep hurting me too."

I looked straight at her to see something I had never seen in her eyes before; sadness, worry, fear, pain... tears.

Had I caused that?

"I'm sorry," I said yet again.

She rolled her eyes. "What did I just tell you?"

"Sorry."

She slapped her hand against her face in stress.

"Listen," I said calmly. "I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did."

I sighed. "Well--"

"Just like my parents."

I grumbled. "Come on Laur. The thing is, you gave your parents a second chance when they hurt you, right?"

She shrugged.

I continued. "How about you give me a second chance too? And I promise you, I won't be like your parents and let you down over and over."

She hesitated. "I don't know....."

"Please," I begged. "We don't have to get together right away if you don't want to. We can just be friends for a while."

She bit her lip and looked the other way.

"Please!"

She sighed. "Okay... Friends."