Every rose has its thorn.

Chapter Seven: True love.

I knew that it was going to happen. I told myself I was stronger than that, and that I could control myself, but I knew I was lying to myself. I leaned in fully, letting our lips lock for the very first time. It was perfect; her lips were delicate and rounded, and her perfectly tamed hair brushed my welcoming cheek. It was different to kissing Anna entirely. Where with her there would be little more than animalistic passion, Lauren's kiss was filled with sentiment and love, something I had never truly experienced until then. Something told me to end it and at least sort things out with Anna before I made any real decisions, but I resolved just to live in the moment instead. I had already passed the point of no return, so breaking it off now would be redundant.

The kiss ended after a short while, and I opened my eyes to see Lauren smiling blissfully back at me. I kissed the bridge of her nose playfully, yet again feeling her breath on me. She returned the favour by kissing me on the neck, sending a shiver down my spine. I retracted, grinning broadly, causing her to laugh slightly before hugging me tightly. I could smell the sweet aroma that drifted from her as we embraced, and at that moment I knew where my heart truly lay. I let her step back, then spoke.

"What made you change your mind about me?" I asked, genuinely confused. I could never find any redeeming qualities about myself, so it was a mystery that any female could ever find me remotely attractive.

"I realised a little while ago that I only said no to you because I was afraid of a commitment. I was going to tell you weeks ago, but I didn't want to interfere with you and Anna." She replied, blushing.

"Lauren, you know how much you mean to me, but I need to talk to Anna before we can even discuss becoming something more. Just give me until tomorrow, when she will be in a fit state to talk and I won't be an emotional wreck." I said, stroking her cheek with my hand. She seemed to press her face into my fingers slightly, and I felt awash with guilt for kissing her and then telling her nothing could happen yet.

"Don't worry Alex. I love you."

**

January 29th

There was screaming. A lot of it.

Anna's shrill shrieks echoed around her house, piercing me and making me feel two foot tall. Everything she said made me feel more and more guilty about leaving her, until suddenly something struck me.

The text message she hid. The random letters from a few days ago. She had been cheating on me. Within an instant, regret turned to rage.

"You cheated on me, didn't you, you fucking whore?" I screamed, having to stop myself from running head on at her.

"That's not the point, the po-" She began, but I interrupted.

"Either tell me the truth or shut the fuck up and leave!"

"Yes, i've been cheating, but so have you! You just admitted to kissing Lauren!"

"I kissed Lauren once last night, you have been cheating for at least a week! How long has it been?"

There was a pause. Tears began to form in her eyes, but I felt no malfeasance.

"JUST FUCKING ANSWER ME!" I yelled, sending birds scattering from the trees that grew outside.

"Two weeks!" She said, her voice tinted with fear. I choked slightly and almost swung to hit her, but I went against it and instead followed instinct. I turned away from her, walking towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going? Don't you dare leave without apologising to me." She spat as I reached for the handle.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." I retorted, fire in my eyes. I twisted the handle, but she wasn't finished.

"I'm going to ruin your fucking life Alex." She said violently.

"Just try." I replied, leaving before the conversation could be brought to a real end.

I practically sprinted out of the door, wanting more than anything to reach Lauren's house and tell her how I felt for her. It was ten o'clock in the morning and the streets were almost dead silent. The sun was bright and powerful yet again, and I was tempted to take a moment to enjoy it. However, I decided against it; there would be plenty time to lie with Lauren and just relax when I got to her. I leapt up and over a small wall, a well known short-cut to her house. I ignored the jeers of Chavs, obviously fresh up to greet the day and cause havoc wherever they lingered. In just three minutes I had made it to Lauren's front door, and stood patiently after ringing the doorbell. There were voices, and through the small, blurred piece of glass, I could see a slender figure approaching. The door swung open and Lauren flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me into one of her world famous, heart warming hug.

"I love you Lauren, I really do." I whispered in her ear, holding back tears.

"I love you too, and I'm so sorry I said no to you." She replied, stepping back slightly but keeping her arms around me.

"You have nothing to apologise for Lauren. We're together now, that's all that matters." I said, smiling. She kissed me on the forehead and smiled back. There was something different about her, and it took me a short while to figure out what it was. Eventually, it dawned on me; the sadness that once hung in her eyes had dissipated, revealing true happiness.

We spent the rest of the day together, with only each other's company. Between kissing and enjoying the fantastic weather, we talked about our feelings for one another, and the times when we had been close to revealing our true feelings.

"Yeah, I remember one time, we were just doing a video call and you looked radiant. I wanted more than anything just to say "Lauren, I love you.", but I couldn't. I was just too shy."

Lauren purred slightly, curling herself into my arms and burying her head in my chest.

"Alex, you told Anna you loved her. Did you mean it?" She asked, sounding slightly upset. I shook my head.

"No. I was caught up in the moment, so depressed that you didn't feel the same way, I told myself I loved her and not you. I was wrong completely, and I regret ever saying it to her. You were always the only one for me." I admitted bashfully. She smiled and kissed me sweetly on the lips, before returning to her original place. Despite the weather, the park was strangely unoccupied, with just a few teenagers playing football a few hundred meters away. I relished the peace that we had. It let me feel closer to Lauren, as if nobody could ever interrupt. We lay for hours, content with how we were. With nothing planned for the day, we could do anything we wanted without having to worry about the time.

If only everything was that perfect now.