Lauren went out to the backyard. She needed air. She really just needed air. Once she reached the backyard, she opened up the door and walked out to sit there in one of the chairs. As much as she wanted to say that it had not affected her, that she hadn't loved every moment of it, she couldn't lie to herself. There was so much running through her head.
All she could think about was how he caught her, how close they were, his fingers on her face. She was going crazy. She knew she was. Her heart was still thundering in her chest. She was sure that if she didn't calm down, she would end up having to pick her heart up from the ground. There were no words that could explain everything that was gong through her whole being.
She couldn't take it anymore. There was definitely something she had to do. She had to tell him how she really felt, because if she didn't, she was sure that she was going to go crazy. It wasn't even the same feeling as it was in the beginning. She was sure that whatever it was that she had felt at the beginning, it was stronger now. Even if he didn't feel the same way for her, she had to tell him because it was eating her alive.
She took her phone out and she dialed the one person's number she knew she could trust without a doubt: her Aunt Emileigh.
She was nervous as she heard each ring. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when Emileigh picked up.
"Hey, sweetie. What's up?" Emileigh's tender voice reached Lauren's ears.
" I need to talk to you." Lauren's voice was still a bit shaky.
"Everything okay." Concern was definitely evident in Emileigh's voice.
"Yes...I promise everything is fine."
"Where do you want to meet then?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere is good."
"Okay, then for now, just meet me outside. We'll go somewhere from there."
"Okay, I'll be there right now, in about five minutes. I need to sit here for another five minutes, but I promise everything is fine. Thanks, Aunt. You're the best."
Lauren hit the call end button. She looked out to the yard, and she closed her eyes and took deep breaths in and out through her nose. Her heart needed to calm down completely before she went out there to talk to her aunt. But there would be no point in doing this now because just thinking about what happened made her heart speed up.
She walked back through the house and out the door. As she was expecting, Emileigh was out there already waiting. The first thing that Emileigh did when she saw Lauren was go up to her and wrap her arms around her niece.
"Is everything okay?"
Lauren looked up at her, and gave her a genuine smile followed by a nod.
Emileigh started walking forward. After a few minutes, they ended up in the same little restaurant that they had gone to for their "double date."
Emileigh ordered two milkshakes and then she faced Lauren, concern evident in the way that Emileigh watched her every move.
"What's going on?"
"Aunt...well, let me start from the beginning: you know how much Landon means to me and how he's been such a sweet guy. He even saved me from those thugs, which I will always be grateful for."
"Yes, keep going." she urged her.
"Well, we have this project in our English class. The assignment is to take a piece of paper telling us a few directions and turning it into our own skit...making it our own interpretation. And like always, I was paired up with Landon because everyone is still so cruel that they don't even want to work together with him. We tried it out and f it hadn't been for Lance coming in, Landon and I would have kissed."
Emileigh looked at Lauren with curiosity. "And this is why you were freaking out?"
Lauren nodded. "I like him, Aunt Emileigh. I like him a lot. I haven't told him anything and I just don't think I can keep it hidden inside of me. It's driving me crazy."
Emileigh had always known that Lauren liked Landon, but it amazed her that Lauren herself had figured this out.
"I see. So...what are you going to do?"
"I want to tell him how I feel, Aunt, because if I don't I'm going to burst. I can not explain this feeling. It doesn't even matter if he doesn't feel the same. I just need to tell him."
"I'm sure it's not true that it doesn't matter. But I know for sure that he does like you."
At these words, Lauren looked up, curiosity instantly sparking her interest. "How do you know that?"
"Because it is evident in the way he always protects you, in the way that no matter what, he always takes care of you and always just wants you to be happy and at rest."
"Aunt...don't give me those ideas. I'll believe them and then I don't want to get my hopes up because then they'll come crashing down."
"Sweetie, I would not be telling you this if I didn't one hundred thousand percent believe it was true. Landon is a great guy and I am so glad that he was the one that restored your faith in relationships, but mostly in guys."
Lauren smiled. "Aunt what am I going to do? I don't know how I am going to tell him. You know I have never been one of those that can muster up the strength to do anything like that."
"Oh sweetie, you are stronger than you think you are. I know that you'll be able to tell him what you really feel and I am sure that he will respond in the same way.
"But how can you be so sure? I mean, everyone has doubts, too. I need proof of that."
"He shows it to you through everything he's done for you. Don't you see that he does liker you? He's done more for you than all of us put together."
"That does not guarantee that he has feelings for me."
"Girl, would you just listen to me. Stop being so hard-headed. That boy likes you, and if you don't believe me now, watch when you tell him that you like him. He'll probably smile like he's never smiled before. Trust me when I say that he likes you. I know this. I've never been more sure of anything."
"So..." Lauren was going to change the topic. "How are things between you and Bryan?"
Emileigh gave her an evil glare and then she smiled. "Things are going good. He's pretty much my best friend and I really want it to stay like that forever."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"But it would be amazing if he were your best friend, your accomplice and your boyfriend all in one, wouldn't it?"
"Lauren!!"
"What? You can tell me the truth. I would understand. Bryan is such a gentleman and I wouldn't be surprised if you liked him, because all he's done is make you smile ever since you guys met and don't say no because it's true. You two would make a wonderful couple, even Landon agrees."
Emilieigh sighed. How in the world did her niece have her all figured out? Was it that obvious that she liked Bryan? How was she supposed to respond to that? But then she took the easy way out. "How did you know?"
Lauren laughed in victory. She had been right. "You guys look great together. And honestly, it would be kind of hard to not fall for him. He's such a sweetheart, and you can tell that he wants what's best for you."
Emileigh smiled. "Maybe we'll both get our happy endings."
"I'm sure we will, Aunt Emilieigh. "Cause if it's one thing I know, is that you deserve all kinds of happiness."
"And so do you, sweetie. So do you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lance entered Landon's room. What had been going on before he had gotten home? It was a question he was going to get answered.
"Hey, Landon." he started.
Landon, who was sitting on his bed, turned his head in the direction of his brother's voice, and he gave him a smile. "Hey, Lance. What's up?"
"What was going on down there?"
"Lauren and I were rehearsing something we had to do for English class."
"Right, but why did both of you disperse. What else did I miss?"
"Not much, really."
"You're lying, Landon. Come on. I'm your brother. I know when you lie and when you're saying the truth."
Landon sighed. "We almost kissed."
"What?!" Lance walked closer to Landon and decided to sit next to him on his bed.
"Yeah, it just kind of sort of happened. But then you walked in and you stopped it from happening, because we were both startled."
"Wow, Landon. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Lance. Besides, there was no chance that it would have started anything between us except for awkwardness."
"What are you talking about?"
"All I think about is that almost kiss, Lance. Everything felt right. I mean, maybe it was that she's the only girl that has let me get that close to her, but at the same time, I know it's not that."
"You like her."
"Yeah...and I thought it was temporary, just some thing that would go away in a month or two, but it's been a while and instead of going away, it's been growing."
"Does she know?"
Landon shook his head.
"You should tell her man."
"I know. It's kind of killing me. It's like having a deep dark secret that's eating your insides away and not letting me live my life. It shouldn't affect me this much, but it does. It totally does and I need to get it off my chest."
"Then do it."
"I don't know. I mean, I don't even care if she doesn't like me back, I just need to tell her because it's eating me away. It's not normal."
"You don't care? You won't care if she rejects you? We both know that's bull."
"Maybe it is bull, but what can I actually do about it? There is nothing that I would like more than for her to like me back, but I do not believe that she does. I mean, why would a wonderful, beautiful girl like her like a blind guy like me?"
"Hey, don't do that to yourself. It wasn't your fault at all and don't even think I am going to let you talk about yourself like that. You're an amazing guy, and I am sure that it is the reason why she fell for you."
"The reason why who fell for me?"
"Lauren."
"Are you okay? Do you have a fever or something?"
"Man, you may not have seen it because you can't actually see, but by the way she was looking at you, there is no doubt in my mind that she does like you."
"Lance, don't mess with me. I actually want her to like me. Do not get my hopes up. That would not be good for me."
"Landon, I am not messing with you. From what I see, from the way she looks at you, she definitely does like you. I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure about it. I know how much you like her. It has shown in everything that you do for her, Landon.
I mean, she's here, living temporarily in this house because you want to help her out. Tell me that wasn't because you liked her. Tell me that wasn't because you wanted to at least have her close for a while."
"Lance, I just wanted--"
Lance cut him off. "Look, Landon. I am just saying that I am absolutely sure that she likes you because I have seen the way you two interact with each other and it is obvious that you two care for each other."
Landon looked up at his brother. He thought about this and he knew that it was true, but caring didn't mean that Lauren liked him.
"So..when are you going to tell her?"
"Tomorrow."
"That fast?"
"Yeah...if not, I think I might die or something. I just need to get this off my chest as soon as possible."
"Good luck, bro."
"Thanks."
Landon knew that if he didn't do it tomorrow, he would never do it at all. So he had to prepare himself mentally for the rejection that could take place.