“I know this sounds incredibly selfish, because this isn’t just about me, but all I could think about when Daddy was staring at me with those vacant eyes, was that…” She began to cry again, “One day, there isn’t going to be anyone to call me Sweet Tea, anymore.”
*~*~*
Nate took her to a bench near the woodsy area by the parking lot. He’d seen Lauren cry. That night of the festival, and it had been hard enough then. But this? This tore his guts out. He let her cry it all out and when she was finished, he held her hand and waited for her to speak.
“Are you going to say anything?” she asked, then hiccupped.
He hesitated, remembering that time Lanie had mimicked his voice by imitating a robot. He felt anything but robotic at the moment. He was almost afraid to open his mouth for fear that he’d sound like a raving lunatic. “I’m not a businessman,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “But that doesn’t matter, because you’re a businesswoman, and whatever you decide to do will be the ri
ght thing.”
She nodded. “That’s it?” she said.
“No, I have a lot more to say, actually.”
She looked over at him, surprised. Her soft blue eyes were red rimmed by her crying, but Nate didn’t think she’d ever looked lovelier. “Do you remember the first night we made love?”
She perked up. “Of course I do. It was the night of couples Bunco.”
“And that next morning, when I told you that I knew when I kissed you that we’d end up sleeping together? That wasn’t exactly true. I knew that back in the restaurant.”
“You did?” She wiped a stray tear off her cheek.
“I knew it when I told you the real reason I became a doctor. I’ve never told that to anyone. Not to my mom. Or Lanie.”
“Or Jessica?”
He snorted. “Especially not to Jessica.”
“But, you didn’t really know me then.”
“I know. It sounds crazy, but, there it is.” He picked up her hand. “And I know you think that I haven’t had enough time to get over Jessica, but that’s not true. I think I was over Jessica a long time ago, way before I ever proposed to her. It’s like, I’ve gone through a lot of my life just being this person who did what he thought he was supposed to do. Graduate from med school. Marry my girlfriend. Start a family. Like some rote script I was following, only I was just going through the motions. That’s why when she turned me down, it was like…nothing. I actually felt relieved.”
He shook his head. “Saturday night, when you told me that if we broke up now, no one would get hurt, it felt like someone had ripped the floor out from under me. I wanted to puke. But I couldn’t let you see that. So I put on this face to make you think it was all okay. But it’s not okay. Not if we don’t end up together.”
“Go big or go home,” she said.
“What?”
“It’s what I want, Nate. I want a big life. I want to take risks. I want to use that money to buy that land and I want to work hard to make my company successful. But, I also want what my parents have. I want a big love, too. And…I want that with you.”
He cupped her face with his hands. “I love you, Lauren. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone.”
He went to kiss her when the sound of a screeching car made them both turn their heads toward the parking lot. Nate watched as Jessica’s car came to a halt just inches from his SUV. She got out of the car and slammed her door.
“Nate! What the fuck! I got to the house and all my things were on the front porch.”
Lauren and he looked at one another, and sighed. She stood up from the bench and smoothed her skirt out. “Please, allow me to get this one.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
He grinned. “In that case, she’s all yours.”
Still holding hands, they walked toward her. “Hello, Jessica,” Lauren said. Hector growled at her.
Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, I get it. How cute. You’re a couple now.” She glared at Nate. “Real classy, locking me out of the house and all. Go ahead, Blondie, have your little victory,” she said, making air quote marks on the last word. “But we’ll see who gets the last laugh when South Side Ventures buys the land your dump of a shop is on. Oh? You didn’t know I was the attorney representing the deal, did you?”