Chicago in novemeber -Laurwalk

Chapter 5

"Lauren."

"Joe?" Joe broke the eye contact and looked down.

"I'm so sorry, I know what I did hurt you and me jumping in like that surely can't be doing me or you especially any good, I don't know-" Laurens lips were pressed against Joe's again, this time with more confidence. His hands moved down to hug around her waste and joe settled into the kiss. Maybe it didn't ruin his chances after all. Lauren slowly pulled away.

"There. Now maybe we have a better idea of where we stand." She gave a timid smile to joe as he rubbed small circles into the small if her back. She lay back down against his chest as he continued to hold her tightly. Not planning on letting go.

A few hours later, Joe woke up. It took him a few seconds to recall why Lauren was laying on him. It made him smile when he remebered. He just stayed next to her for a while, looking at her and finding it hard to believe that she was kind enough to forgive him. Joe tried to remember how he forgot about her which he thought was rather ironic. The most he could recall was the month after. He was asking around to see if anyone knew where she was and the most he found out was from their old friend Julia who at the time was Laurens best friend. She had told joe that Lauren had moved away from town after having some kind of breakdown. He had no idea what had happened to the rest of his memories, especially since it wasn't long ago. Joe reached up a hand to stroke Laurens hair and the other to hold hers. She stirred then cracked her eyes open slightly. She looked up at Joe and jumped a little.

"Oh thank God, its you." She giggled and moved closer to Joe.

"Of course it is, who else would it be?" Joe said as he gently kissed her cheek.

"Exactly. I don't know who it could be!" They both laughed and eventually got up.

Although they had already kissed twice, both were still shy about kissing so it almost became awkward at times when it felt like the right moment to but they just didn't have the confidence. Joe thought that he should just go for it but in reality, this whole situation had been completely unrealistic. It doesn't seem possible that a few days after they met, he would be dating Lauren. But then some could say that they knew each other before that. The obstical that Joe felt he needed to overcome was knowing what he did to Lauren. He felt scared to kiss her or anything in fear of reminding her. Joe couldn't imagine the trauma Lauren must have gone through, especially seeing as she completely lost contact with most of their friends, if not all of them. He also had a feeling that the spite between Lauren and her Mom was partly as a result of her pregnancy. Or maybe she didn't even tell her Mom? It made Joe think that there was a little more too it than what Lauren had already told him about it. There's a fine line between not feeling a lot of love towards her mom and having raging arguments whenever they're in contact. Should Joe ask or should he wait for Lauren to tell him? She probably will tell him on her own so it would just be best to leave it and not push her.

"You okay? You seem kinda lost." A voice pulled him out of his thoughts

"Uh yeah. I'm good. How are you?" He replied unsurely.

"I'm fine thanks." That wasn't what Joe meant when he asked her that. He wanted to know how she was about everything.

"That's good but I really meant, how are you? How are dealing with everything? How do you feel about this and the other stuff?" Lauren looked a little puzzeled but realized what Joe was talking about after a few seconds.

"Joe, I love being how we are now, I'm so grateful that we found each other again and are able to start over." She finished but joes question remained unanswered.

"And what about everything with you know...your Mom and family. Have you heard anything more from them?" So joe was sort of trying to get her to explain in more detail what had cased such drama within her family but without actually asking her the question itself.

"Nope, no contact since that morning. I don't know really, I mean she's never been particulalrly fond if me as you know but this thing happened and she wasn't happy about it, like at all and she just wasn't a very good mother at that time." Joe was sure she was talking about the time he got her pregnant, unless Lauren had another secret? Joe was reluctant to ask anymore in fear of seeming pushy so he left it.