The next morning wasn't going to be easy. I knew that. The memory of Lauren coming to my apartment drunk, anxious and confused was almost too fresh to deal with. But I had to resolve this situation as soon as possible. We had done an outstanding job in the past of avoiding what actually bothered us and I wasn't going to repeat those mistakes.
I walked into my kitchen where the young woman who had shown up unexpectedly in the middle of the night was sitting. Her body language spoke volumes. Hunched over a cup of coffee, her shoulders were slouched forward and her face was resting on one hand. It wasn't hard to see that she wasn't feeling well. I approached her slowly and took a deep breath.
„You're up," I spoke quietly and saw the green eyes immediately looking up.
Taking a seat next to her, the emerald orbs still looked somewhat glazed over. It was probably part of her hangover. What I noticed was the sheer anxiety in them. She was silent and I assumed she didn't know what to say at this point. Neither did I really, but I couldn't simply sit there and watch her looking like a lost puppy.
„What are you thinking? " I broke the silence softly.
"I'm scared," Lauren replied in a raspy voice.
"Of what?"
"Of what you're going to say," she revealed worriedly.
"Do you remember what happened?" I asked carefully because I wasn't sure if the alcohol had clouded her memory.
"Not everything but I know what I did," the young architect said. "And I want to start off by saying that I'm genuinely sorry. I know I've said that so many times lately but it's true. It was never my intention to hurt you."
"I know you're sorry, Lauren. That was never the issue because I know you don't want to hurt me," I let her know before taking a small break. "But are you aware that you're hurting yourself more than anyone else? I don't want to tell you what to do. If you like to go out, have a few drinks and enjoy a night with your friends then I'm ok with that. I always was. What I can't do is have you come here wasted. We've been over this and as much as I don't want to bring it up...Lara cannot see you like that again...ever."
My last words struck a chord with Lauren. She buried her face in her hands as if she was too embarrassed to look at me. It wasn't my intention to make her feel ashamed at all. But I had to make sure she understood where the problem truly was.
"I don't even know what I was thinking coming here," my former teammate shook her head in disbelief.
"You obviously felt guilty and needed to get it off your chest," I understood her motives. "I mean...the kiss."
"You might not believe me but I promise it meant nothing to me," her response was immediate and her eyes connected with mine again.
"Are you sure?" I questioned cautiously.
"Yes, absolutely," Lauren nodded convincingly. "She's my friend and I honestly believe she wasn't really thinking either."
"You don't think she has feelings for you after this?" I couldn't disguise my surprise after hearing her explanation for Keana's behavior.
"I don't think so."
"I can't believe you're still defending her," my temper flared up a little bit but I made sure to control it.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," she interjected quickly. "It was a split second before I pulled away. In my opinion it was a drunken lapse of judgment but I understand that it was wrong and I take responsibility for it."
