Jason

 

I’m wide awake in my bed at almost midnight. The impatient man I am is struggling with giving Laurel space. Knowing she’s in the next room is making it that much harder to leave her alone.

My phone vibrates on my nightstand, so I grab it. Yes, it’s her.

Laurel: I promised you another poem about the person who ruined pie, but the truth is, I suck at poetry. If I must write one, I want it to be about us. You asked for simple, so here goes…

Girl Meets Boy

Girl meets boy and thinks his art is to break girls’ hearts.

Boy convinces girl to give him a chance and take off her pants.

Girl discovers boy is her new favorite person in the whole, wide world.

Lucky for boy, girl doesn’t like to wear pants. Lol.

Me: My clever girl, I hope this means you’re forgiving me.

Laurel: Can we talk?

Me: I’ll be right over.

Laurel: No, I want to come to you. Give me ten minutes.

Me: Can’t wait.

The minutes tick by slowly, and then I hear her faint knock. I hurry to the door and open it.

My girl is standing in front of me, holding a cookie sheet. There are two saucers on top of it, each with a piece of pie on them, and there are two tall glasses of milk, as well.

“Happy Birthday. I brought us pie.” Her eyes well up with tears, and I lean over the cookie sheet to kiss her forehead.

“Come in.”

“I couldn’t find a tray, so this had to do. Your mom sure has a lot of stuff packed into that kitchen.”

I pick up the glasses of milk and set them on my nightstand. Laurel climbs onto my bed and rests the tray in front of her on the mattress. I take the spot at the head of the bed.

“Baby, you don’t have to eat the pie. I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

“No, I want to. I need to get past this. My dad and I shared pie every week at this bakery near our home, so this is hard for me. The place has been open since before I was born.

“It was my sacred time alone with my dad, and I took so much wisdom and love away from those visits, but then it was as if everything I’d learned from him, along with the fond memories, were stolen from me once I found out what he’d done.

“I’ve been afraid of someone else hurting me, and I guess my defense mechanism to prevent it was by refusing to ever eat pie again, but I know that’s ridiculous.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have pushed you, especially in front of everyone, and I should’ve told you I was your peer review partner.

“I discovered it after you offered to make me pot pie. I felt like a jackass for hurting your feelings over the poem, and you were just coming around to giving me a chance. I didn’t want to blow that opportunity by telling you.”

“I understand, and I’m sorry I tried to bail. I panicked. I was embarrassed for not knowing we were partners, and then I was insecure about Porsha, along with worrying about your family finding out about my dad.

“It seemed easier in that moment to run away, but you were so upset about me leaving. I couldn’t do it, and I realized afterward that it was wrong for me not to listen to you first.”

I get up and take the cookie sheet over to my dresser.

“The pie can wait.” Getting back on the bed, I sit against the headboard and hold my arms out for her. “Come here.” Smiling shyly, she crawls across my navy comforter, and I pull her into my arms. Cradling her, I pepper her face with kisses.

“My family is not going to judge you. I’ll admit that my parents will be disappointed to hear what your father did, but they’d never judge you for it. They’re kind and will take the time to get to know the real you.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, but I want them to find out when you’re ready for them to.”

Leaning up, she presses her lips against mine.

“I already missed you.”

“Ditto, and don’t think twice about Porsha. She was another distraction; and although I feel bad about using her, she was doing the same to me. She only wanted me for my family’s money.

“I said she was a friend at dinner because my family was sitting there. I wasn’t trying to keep the truth from you.

“Since we’re clearing the air, there is something else I need to tell you…” Leaning my head back, I stare up at the ceiling. “There was this girl in high school I dated briefly. Her name was Kayla.

“Since she wasn’t a part of the popular crowd at school, I only told Colton about her. I shouldn’t have cared what others thought, but I did.

“My other friends finally caught on that I liked her. They started riding me about it, so I ended things with Kayla.

“The next day, I realized the mistake I’d made, and how I’d hurt her. I was going to tell her after school, but she left upset before I had the chance… I found out later that she’d wrecked her car and died.

“I’ve been carrying the guilt from it a long damn time, and it changed me. It’s why I’ve not gotten close to women and began treating my mom and sister like shit.

“I didn’t want to feel anything for them in case they were taken from me, too. When I saw how upset you were in your car, I panicked.” Lowering my head, I gaze into her round eyes.

“As you fought to leave, I imagined possibly losing you, and it was in that moment, I realized how much I loved you.”

“Jason…” She cups my cheek. “I love you, too, and Kayla dying wasn’t your fault. You didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“No, I didn’t, but I still hurt her, and I’ll never be able to tell her I’m sorry. What happened with Kayla was another reason I waited so long to get to know you.

“I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t break your heart, and I was worried about you breaking mine. I’m sorry I ended up hurting you tonight.”

“I understand, and again, I apologize for running out. I don’t want to give up on us. I love you. So much so that I’ll get over my aversion to pie.”

As her gorgeous eyes tilt up at me, she grins coyly. “Well, so long as you watch Pride and Prejudice with me while we eat it. I mean, I am Elizabeth Bennet the 2nd.”

“As long as licking pie off your rockin’ body is the closing credits, I’m all in.”

“I think that can be arranged, and maybe after we can watch some golf.”

She giggles, and I kiss her nose. “Sounds like the perfect date, Gutter Girl.”