Chapter Eighteen
A couple of weeks had passed since Championships and all that happened in the wake of it. I knew my parents could tell I was in unusually high spirits, but they hadn't asked why yet. I wasn't sure when I was going to introduce them to Jared, worried that the "soccer coach" thing might put them off so soon after the season's end.
It was hard having this massive part of my life I couldn't tell them about. We'd always had a candid relationship. I talked to my mom about everything, but there was so much hesitancy in this.
I wasn't ashamed of Jared. I don't think I ever could be. The lack of transparency was driving me crazy.
Eventually, I reached a point in which I couldn't help it anymore.
One Saturday morning when we were sitting down at breakfast, the secret escaped before I could stop myself.
"I have a boyfriend," I blurted.
I don't know what I was expecting. In the movies, there's usually some sort of explosive response. Food gets spilled, messes get made, etc. That didn't happen here; my parents were eerily calm, and I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad one.
Mom looked at me, then at Dad. "I told you so."
He shrugged. "You did, but I'm not surprised."
I paused. "What?"
Mom laughed and continued eating her pancakes. "Laura, you were always home late from practice, you usually stay longer after school, and you seem so much happier lately than you did before. It's not surprising that you found someone. I was just wondering when you'd tell us."
"When do we get to meet him?" Dad chimed in.
"I don't know. Whenever, I guess," I said.
I looked down at my food, drowning my stack of pancakes in syrup. The last time we had pancakes and talked about my boyfriend, I was breaking up with him just minutes later. I hoped it wasn't an omen.
"He should come over for dinner tonight," Mom suggested. "I'm making lasagna."
There was an unmistakable note of hope in her tone. She definitely wanted to get to know Jared, and I wanted her to as well, but it wasn't so simple. There was going to be an awkward exchange somewhere in there, but I hoped the soccer season wouldn't ruin everything. I couldn't let it.
"That sounds like a plan," I said.
"I agree," Dad added. "That way I can threaten him from the comfort of my own home."
I blushed. "Dad—"
"He's kidding, Laura," my mother assured me. She pushed her blonde hair behind her ears and grinned. "I'm excited. He must be special. What's he like?"
I felt weird having the spotlight on me. Most of the time, our mealtime conversations drifted between a number of topics. It'd been a while since we've gotten this personal. I was a little embarrassed.
"He's great," I started. "Really great. He gets me. And I know that's such a cheesy thing to say, but I mean it. He listens and never judges. Everything he does for me is selfless. He's kind in a way that's so rare with people nowadays. He looks at me like I'm the center of the universe and always puts me first, even if he shouldn't. And I'm so... I'm so enamored with him I don't know how to handle it sometimes."
Mom watched me with a proud smile, and when I finished, she said, "You love him, don't you?"
Though I had yet to say the words to his face, I nodded. "Unequivocally."
"Then I'm sure we'll love him too," she told me.
Dad was back to eating his pancakes, but I knew he was listening. He cared a lot about me, just as much as Mom did, and it was why I loved him so much. Even if we weren't always perfect, our family was so important to me.
After breakfast, I went into my bedroom and called him, unable to wait any longer before I broke the news. As I laid back on my bedspread and waited for him to answer, it occurred to me that he'd never been inside my house. Today, he might finally see it.
"Hey, baby," he said when I answered.
"Hi," I said, giddy at the pet name. I would never get used to hearing it, and it never ceased to give me butterflies.
"What's up?" he asked.
"My parents want to meet you," I told him, getting to the point.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I'd love to meet them," he said.
"Good," I replied. "You're invited to dinner."
I wondered if he was smiling when he said, "Sounds great. Seven okay?"
"Should be fine."
"I wish I could come over sooner. I miss you."
"You saw me yesterday," I giggled.
"Still. I miss having you in my bed."
"You better not say that in front of my mother," I said sternly.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Singer, I'm Jared and I enjoy having sex with your daughter," he teased.
I knew if he said that, I would be scarlet from embarrassment. "I swear to God, babe, if you talk like that I'm breaking up with you."
"I know better, I'm just messing with you." He paused. "Babe?"
It took me a second to realize I'd used a nickname for him for the first time. "It just slipped out."
"I don't mind, baby. I don't have a monopoly on pet names, you know."
He was so cute when he was joking with me. It was one of my favorite things about him. I missed him too, even though his voice was there to keep me company.
"Have you heard back from Brown yet?" he asked.
I hadn't yet, which made me incredibly paranoid. "No."
"I'm sure they'll send out decisions soon," he told me. "You're getting in."
I wasn't so sure, but every time I mentioned it he dismissed my opinion. He was always supportive, sometimes to the point of it annoying me. But even when he got my nerves, he only proved what made him so good for me.
"I hope so," I said.
"Hey," he said after a few seconds.
"Yeah?"
"I adore you."
"Ditto," I said, laughing.
"I'm gonna go hop in the shower and find flowers perfect for your mother. Does she like tulips?"
"You're such a charmer," I said. "Yeah. Pink ones are her favorite, but you don't have to buy her flowers."
"Of course I do," he replied. "I'll see you tonight, baby."
"See you then."
He hung up first, and I went to take a shower of my own.
Taking showers without him wasn't the same. I was so used to him joining me every chance he got. I'd almost forgotten how to take a shower without company. He'd never let me hear the end of it if I admitted that.
I was wearing a pair of leggings and one of Jared's soccer jerseys from Brown. He loaned it to me the other night to sleep in, and I hadn't returned it yet. I tugged my hair up into a messy bun and finished up some homework. I needed to study for finals week, so that's what I did in the hours leading up to dinner.
Jared announced his arrival by ringing the doorbell like a gentleman. I hopped out of bed and wandered out into the living room to find Mom there already. I had a feeling she was more eager than I was.
"Hi," he said, extending her the bouquet. "I'm Jared."
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "Laura, he's so kind. You weren't kidding! Come in, Jared. I'll put these in a vase."
My dad was on the couch watching a sitcom, but he switched the TV off when he saw Jared. He got to his feet and shook his hand. "Bryan Singer. It's nice to meet you, son."
"Jared," my boyfriend said, returning the handshake. "The pleasure is mine."
"You've met my wife, Beatrice, already," Dad went on. "Feel free to take a seat."
Jared sat down on the couch and tugged me by the wrist to be next to him. He ran his thumb along the collar of my shirt, then pushed the strands of hair that had fallen loose behind my ear.
He smirked at me. "Nice jersey. Where'd you get it?"
"My boyfriend," I said. "He's a soccer player."
"Oh yeah?" Jared said. "He must be pretty great if he scored a girl like you."
I shrugged. "He's okay. But sometimes I pretend he's Harry Styles."
Jared glared at me. "Okay, that's just mean. You're a mean girl."
I kissed his cheek as he pretended to pout. "Oh, shut up. You love me."
"You're lucky I do," he replied.
My world stood still for a second, but I reminded myself that this wasn't a serious conversation and that he was probably just messing around with me.
He went on, oblivious to my reaction. "I thought you'd pick Leo Dicaprio, but apparently you've lowered your standards."
I smacked his arm playfully. "Jared!"
Mom sat down in the chair across the room, redirecting Jared's attention before he could say anything back.
Dad piped up first. "So I have to ask the million dollar question; how did you meet my Laura?"
"I was practicing drills at the park when she was playing soccer. We had a one on one game and hit it off from there," Jared said, squeezing my hand. I knew he could tell I was nervous, but he seemed at ease.
"How old are you, Jared?" Mom asked.
"Twenty-one," he replied. "I go to Brown University. I play soccer there actually, but I'm taking a gap year. It's perfect, considering it's Laura's dream school."
"So what brings you to Connecticut? Are you from this area?"
He shook his head. "I'm from Rhode Island, but I came here for a coaching job."
"What position do you play?" Dad added.
"Normally goalie," he said. Just like Laura. She's better at it than I am."
I nudged his shoulder. "Now you're just lying."
"I'm only speaking the truth," Jared replied.
A timer in the kitchen went off, and Mom made a beeline for the oven to take the lasagna out.
Jared got to his feet. "Do you need help with anything, Mrs. Singer?"
"Call me Beatrice," she called out. "And no, thank you."
I headed to the dining room anyway to set the table, and Jared followed me. He helped me dish out the plates. My back was to the kitchen, meaning my mom could examine Jared's jersey. His last name was written on the back, and it wasn't like I hadn't mentioned his full name to them. I didn't realize Mom was looking at me, putting the pieces together in her head.
"Jared," she said. "You wouldn't happen to be the same Jared who coaches for the local high school, now would you?"
The air thickened. The question was an atomic bomb about to detonate. The only way to diffuse? Lying, but neither of us could do that. Jared cleared his throat to speak.
"I was," he began candidly. "I was the varsity coach for the season. Laura and I met prior to the start of the season, though. I didn't know she was going to be on my team when I first got her number. The circumstances aren't great and I fully understand any disapproval you guys might have. The fact remains; I'm serious about us. I made sure to keep our relationship professional on the field because I wanted to do this right."
I laced our fingers together, at a loss for words. Jared put it better than I could've by far. Still, the seconds leading up to my mother's reaction were grueling.
After exchanging looks with my dad, she spoke. "I'm not happy about the fact he was your coach, but I understand that you're both adults and you two met before you knew what would happen. I trust you to be responsible, but I don't think it's a good idea to be very public with your relationship until she graduates."
"I agree. It's why we've been keeping it quiet," Jared said. "I appreciate you being so understanding."
"At the end of the day, all that matters is that you're happy," my dad added. "I'm five years older than Beatrice and I believe wholeheartedly that being in love and being happy is the most important part of a relationship. Besides, we genuinely like you. Mitch was just a punk, and I think I speak for both of us when I say we're glad you aren't anything like him."
All of us laughed, especially me.
"Let's eat," my mom said. "Before it gets cold."
We sat down at the table, and Mom dished out servings of the lasagna. It was amazing, as usual, and Jared seemed to like it. He made small talk with my dad, damn near charmed the pants off my mom, and fit so well with my family that I wondered what life without him would look like. Whatever that picture was, I didn't want to see it.
I volunteered to take care of the dishes since Mom had cooked. She and Dad went out to the family room, leaving Jared and me alone in the kitchen. I rinsed and he loaded them into the dishwasher without complaint.
"Your parents are great," he told me. "Really. I love them already."
"They seem to approve of you, even though you were my coach," I said.
He took a plate from me, looking down as he turned it over in his hands. "Yeah. Sometimes I regret that little detail. But never you. I could never regret you."
I seized the chance to kiss a spot along his jaw. "I could never regret you, either."
He turned his head and kissed me, a chaste peck on the mouth, just before he got back to the dishes.
"We're going to watch a movie if you guys want to join in. Whenever Bryan and I have the Saturday off, we like to do family movie night," Mom said.
"Sounds great," he replied, looking to me for my go-ahead.
"I love movie night," I chimed in.
Since the recliner was big enough, Jared and I shared it. I rested my head on his chest, my legs tossed over his.
"What are we watching?" Jared asked.
"Dirty Dancing," Mom replied.
"A classic," Jared said, but I could tell he probably wasn't as excited as me about the movie.
"I didn't choose the movie this week, if you hadn't noticed," Dad joked.
Mom dug an elbow into his ribs. "You love it as much as I do."
"Sure, dear, sure," he said, winking at Jared.
We cuddled for the entire movie, Jared's hand tracing lazy circles against my skin wherever he could reach. He held me close, leaving no space between us.
I always cried at the end, though I could never tell you why it was so emotional for me. The dance sequence was just so perfect.
Instead of teasing me, Jared just chuckled at my tears and wiped them away.
"You're a sap," he told me as the credits rolled.
"I'm just a hopeless romantic."
"Lucky for me, that's true," he said.
Jared checked the time on his phone and nudged me off the chair so he could get up. It was past eleven now, and as much as I wanted Jared to stay, he had to leave soon.
He extended a hand to my parents. "It was nice meeting you guys."
"It was nice meeting you too," Mom said, giving him a hug instead. Dad shook his hand firmly, probably still trying to intimidate him. He was too friendly for that, and we all knew it, but he wasn't giving up.
I didn't want the night to end, so I glanced at Jared, wishing he could read my mind.
"What?" he asked.
I turned back to my parents. "Can I spend the night at Jared's?"
My dad looked at my mom for a cue. It was almost like he was asking "are we okay with this?" He wasn't excited, and she was definitely cooler about it.
My mom cackled. "Don't you normally do that anyway? We always assumed you were at Risa or Shea's house on the nights you were away, but I think it's safe to say Jared was probably in the mix."
Even Jared had to blush at that.
"It's fine," she decided. "You're eighteen now. Just let us know when you'll be home tomorrow morning."
My dad seemed slightly embarrassed knowing I was sleeping over at my boyfriend's, but he was fine with it. They both gave me hugs, leaving me to pack my bag and meet Jared in the car. On the way out, Mom caught my arm.
"Be safe," she told me, blue eyes stern.
"He's a good driver," I said, praying to God I wouldn't die of mortification.
"You know full well what I mean," she said. "Use protection."
I sighed. "Always, Mom."
"Good girl," she responded, closing the door behind me.
I climbed in the passenger seat beside Jared, throwing my bag into the space beside my feet.
"They were weirdly cool with that," he said. "My mom would never let me sleep over at my girlfriend's house when I was living with her."
"My parents are pretty understanding, as you could probably tell," I said.
He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. I just knew his question was going to be awkward before he even asked. "Do you think they know we're having sex?"
I bit my lip. "I think so. Mom reminded me to use protection."
His face went red all the way to the tips of his ears. "Jesus."
"It's all good," I said. "They don't seem upset about it. Besides, I think she won't mention it again."
"I hope so."
We made it to his apartment a few minutes later. He kissed me the second we were inside. I figured he was probably waiting to kiss me like that all night. I looped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, giggling when he pulled my shirt over my head.
"Really?" I asked. "Even after the 'use protection' conversation, you want to?"
"May as well make use of the warning," he said.
Then, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me to bed.
***
i love this book and the characters so much! in case y'all didn't know, the original title of this is green light and you can find a fun soundtrack on the spotify link in my profile! idk about you, but jaura feels always put me in a good mood.
also, can we talk about how cute Jared is? i adore him
signing off,
mads