Lauren Hart

Nervousness had taken control over me. I tried to talk to the butterflies which were flying in my stomach to ask them to stop fluttering their wings with such high intensity but all of them refused to listen to me.

I had already dressed up in an all-black outfit; a skirt which ended three inches above my ankle and a crop blouse and peep-toe boot heels. I had bought the outfit a long ago but never got the chance to wear it. Eloise and Ariana approved my look through a video call. I was so excited that I couldn't stop myself from blurting to them about the date and they squealed more than me. Christy helped me with my makeup then left for her night shift at the hotel where she worked as a assistant manager.

The clock struck six and I jumped out of my bed and started to pace back and forth in my room.

"Why am I so nervous?!" I questioned myself in frustration. "God, Sean come already and free me from this nervousness!"

My heart jumped at the sudden blow of the car horn. "He's here!" I rushed in front of the mirror to give a last look at myself. I reapplied the red lipstick since I had licked all of it in impatience while waiting for Sean.

The ring of the doorbell resonated in the house causing me to sprint to the door in high heels. I swung the door open only to come face to face with Sean, looking devilishly handsome. And that charming smile on his lips was enough to turn me into a giddy mess.

The smile on his lips started to disappear slowly as his jaw hung low and his now wide eyes accessed me from head to toe. My smile died down as well. Was I not looking good?

"H...how do I look?" I asked hesitantly while removing unwanted creases from my skirt— if there were any.

He did not reply. HE DID NOT REPLY!

Instead, he blinked a few times and again gazed down at my outfit.

Oh, god! I think I had done a blunder by choosing the outfit. I panicked when the thought of a ruined date crossed my mind.

"I...I look bad, don't I? I should have known." I grunted. "I overdid the black. I...you know what? Wait for a while, I'll go and change my dress. I will be real quick." I turned back in panic to go and change when I felt a tug at my wrist and I swirled to face Sean again.

"You look ravishing, Lauren." He said.

"Do I really?" I asked doubtfully. "You are not saying this to make me feel good, are you?"

He chuckled and pulled me out of the house and circled my waist. "You are beautiful, Lauren, no matter what you wear. I just got stunned because you look HOT."

I blushed and he brought his face closer to mine and whispered. "And your red lips look so alluring as though inviting me to lock my lips with them."

But before he could attack my lips I pushed him. "Nope, not gonna happen. You'll ruin my lipstick."

"What?! No, I won't." He whined. I shot him a glare causing him held his hands up in surrender.

"Fine! But you will have to make it up for this later. Now, let's get going, we're getting late."

He literally dragged me out through my wrist and while being dragged my eyes landed on my nosy landlords. Had they been watching us all along?

I mentally rolled my eyes and waved my free hand. "I didn't invite him this time!" I shouted.

"Who are you talking to?" Sean stopped and asked. I pointed to my right where they were still standing and gaping at us. Sean awkwardly waved at them and muttered at the same time.

"You could have ignored them, Lauren."

"Yeah, I would have but I did not. I love to annoy them. Can you believe Mrs. Harris crosschecked your statement with my mother?" I muttered in disbelief.

"Well, she must have received the answers then. Now, let's go." He pulled me with him. In the car, he blindfolded me.

"Sean, why—" He didn't even argue as he placed his finger on my lips.

"I want to see your reaction when I bring you to the place I have planned our first date at." He whispered. Sighing, I gave up and sat quietly, but to be honest, I was feeling mushy. I was eager to see what he had planned for our first official date.

It felt like forever when he stopped the car and my heart jumped in utter excitement to remove the blindfold but before I could untie it, Sean grabbed my hands.

"Not yet, Lauren." I pouted in annoyance yet decided to wait for the big reveal. Sean opened the door of my side and carefully helped me out of the car. As soon as I stepped out, a chill breeze passed through me making me shiver because of the cold.

"Owww, Sean, where are we? It's so cold here." I muttered as I rubbed my arms continuously and the next thing I know I was pulled into a warm embrace that blocked the chilly breeze instantly. He rubbed my back soothingly for a while then removing me from his embrace he intertwined his fingers with mine and led me somewhere.

"Be careful with your steps." He warned me.

"Yeah, I know. But if you remove the blindfold then I won't have to watch it." I grumbled. Instead of replying or removing the blindfold, he intertwined his fingers with mine and kept walking.

My heels clicked on something which felt like wood as the sound felt crusty and hollow. I guessed we were walking on a wooden deck. As we walked further I heard the faint sound of something which I couldn't comprehend. Sean halted me from walking all of a sudden and my heart jumped in joy when he went behind me to open the blindfold. Freaking finally.

As soon as the blindfold slipped off my eye and I looked at what was in front of me, my eyes went wide in surprise and my jaw went to the ground. Because in front of me was the long wooden deck decorated with small lamps and at the end of it were placed a table and two chairs. And beyond the sitting area was water...just water. As far as I could see was water everywhere. And the dusky sky did wonders to the view.

"Do you like it?" I heard him whisper in my ear from behind. I swirled to face him and laughed.

"Like it? I love it, Sean. It's magical. Simply beautiful."

Saying that I ran on the deck to go to the edge to see the water more closely and to feel the cool breeze. It wasn't anything extravagant, instead, it was simple, quiet, refreshing, cool and so romantic; the way I always wanted my special date night to be.

I was admiring the view when Sean circled his arms around my waist. "I am glad you love it." He said while kissing my hair. He then let go of me and pulled a chair for me. I muttered a small thank you and sat on it. After we settled, a waiter came and served us white wine then we ordered our food. We indulge in a light chat as we waited for our food to arrive.

"Do you know this..." I gestured my hand around. "This is the idea of my ideal date."

"Well, then I am pleased that you are satisfied and you are happy. Your bright smile is worth the pressure I put on my mind to find this place." He replied, smiling.  I laughed at his comment. We chatted about random things, our likes and dislikes until our food arrived. After we were done eating I asked something I had been longing to ask for a long time now.

"So Sean, tell me about your childhood, your parents, and your family. I want to know you a bit more."

To my surprise, he became quiet and gazed at the night sky. A look of pain crossed his face. His eyes held somberness. Something was bugging him, I could say that. And that is what I wanted to know; I had a feeling that he had been hiding a lot inside. But there could not be anything serious, or could there be?

"I have spent my childhood in loneliness." He muttered, not looking at me but the stars. I would be lying if I say my heart didn't squeeze at his statement. 

"My parents, let's just say... are power-hungry people. High status is what they have always cherished." He then flicked his eyes to me and what I saw in those gorgeous oceanic eyes was intense sorrow...that I had never seen before.

"And to enjoy their status, they tossed me into the loneliness at a very young age."

"What? What did they do?" I couldn't understand what he meant by that. He flashed a small depressing smile and leaned forward on the table.

"I was an energetic and naughty child." He chuckled humorlessly. "My mischiefs used to cause difficulties for my parents. They couldn't look after me as they had business to handle and people to please, they had another son to look after. So they sent me to a boarding school when I was six."

"What? At that young age?" I gasped.

"Yes. Although the school and the education there was incredible...I wanted to live with my parents, my brother, my grandparents but..." He looked down at his fingers and began to fiddle them.

"They never looked back. They didn't attend any function or event; it was my grandparents and my brother. I yearned to see them...may it be for a while...but I could only meet them in summer breaks. Shane, my brother was the quiet one and was manageable as there was barely any complaint of him. So, they kept him with them and separated me from them. That's when I lost my childhood. I didn't have an interest in playing with my classmates because my mind was always roaming at home. That's why no one became my friend. I lost my charm, my energy, and became silent."

My eyes welled up with tears but I gulped the urge to cry. He had suffered more than me and here I thought my parents were worst at parenting. At least I had my parents with me—though nagging all time— but I grew up in their presence.

I could never feel his agony. It was totally different from what I had suffered. I slid my hand on the table and grabbed his hand. My heart broke into a million pieces when a drop of water fell on my hand. He was crying. 

"S...Sean..." I weakly called for him. He grabbed my hand and gazed up with those teary eyes.

"They didn't even have time to call me." He sniffed and I immediately stood up from my chair and sat on his lap, and embraced him in my warmth. He's human too, he too feels pain and he too needs warmth.

"It's okay, Sean. You fought your way through the loneliness to emerge out to be one of the leading men in the world." I mumbled softly.

"But what do I do with it?!" He said harshly as he detached himself from me. He looked into my eyes. "When I got all of it...I thought they would have time to celebrate with me but they never had. It was again only my brother and my grandma. What should I do with my wealth when I have no one to share it with. My brother...was my only light in my gloomy days but I lost him too. And that's when I completely detached myself from my family...I never looked back until it was for Ryan's sake."

"Ryan's sake?" I asked back in confusion.

"Yes, for him. They can't even look after their only grandchild; the son of their deceased son. They wanted to throw him in the boarding school as well that's why I had to bring him with me."

"H...how could they do this to him?" I shrieked. "But he's there with them...what if they—"

"They won't. I have warned them not to take any decision for Ryan before discussing it with me."

"What about his mother?" I asked, worried.

"Don't worry about her. I have already received a restraining order by giving the proof in the court I have gathered against her. And I am gonna slap it in her face." He muttered harshly.

I felt relieved for Ryan. At least he was safe. "That's great, Sean." I smiled to encourage him and combed his hair back. He had a lot of courage in him. He had fought the world independently and became an inspiration for many. I never knew that the conserved and silent Sean was once a naughty child.

Circumstances are the vilest games that play brutally with people's lives; changing them into someone they are not.

That's what happened with Sean.

And I felt bad for him.

____________________________________________

Sean Peterson

I felt light. As if a huge weight was lifted off my chest.

It was only Xavier and Daniel I had ever shared my concerns with and that too a long time ago; in university. After that, they never touched the topic and life went on.

Lauren became the first woman who saw my tears, who learned about my distress. And I didn't regret telling her my life story.

She kept running her fingers in my hair soothingly as we gazed at each other without blinking. And for an unknown reason, her eyebrows furrowed and she abruptly stood up from my lap. And before I could ask her what she was up to, she began to remove her shoes.

"What are you up to?" I asked in confusion. She put her shoes aside and put her hands on her waist.

"Remove your shoes."

"What? Why?"

That's Lauren for you. One second she's an emotional mess and the next second she does something that is beyond anyone's thinking level.

"Just do what you are told to do. Remove your shoes now!" She ordered. Shaking my head at her craziness, I removed my shoes.

"Socks too." She commented and just to tease her I smirked and asked.

"What else do you want me to remove?"

She gasped and narrowing her eyes she bent to my eye level as I was still sitting. She pointed a finger at me. "You, Mr. Sean Peterson, keep your kinky thoughts to yourself and remove your socks."

"First tell me why!" I stated as I stood up and crossed my arms across my chest.

To my surprise and grinned then she looked behind me then again back at me. "Because we are going for saltwater therapy."

"What therapy?" I asked in surprise.

"Remove your socks and I'll show you what it is." She said. I did what I was asked to and she grabbed my hand and began to run, dragging me behind her. She ran to the beach and only stopped at the shore where our feet were in the water.

"This is saltwater therapy." She exclaimed. "Feel the salty water of the sea and look far away and you will see how small your issues are in front of the sea." She said while looking at the water.

"When you feel you have no one to talk to, talk to the sea...it will listen to you and will absorb all your tears. And in return, it will give you loud musical replies in the form of waves; telling you that all your secrets, worries, and fears are safe with me...just go back to your life and rise high like my waves and no one will ever be able to defeat you."

"Is this what you do when you feel low and lonely?" I asked her.

"Yeppp. I get my strength from the waves of the Sea." She said in utmost seriousness as she looked at the now silent sea as if talking to it in silence.

It's rare to see her become serious. To be honest, seriousness doesn't suit her. Her gleaming eyes, bright smile, and active personality are what make her unique.

I nudged her to bring her back to me. "You know what, seriousness and this 'Miss Philosopher' tag don't suit you." I air quoted 'Miss Philosopher'. "You better talk crazy and do crazy...that's what you are. CRAZY." I squeezed her soft cheek which made her laugh her heart out.

After her laughter died down she groaned in displeasure and slapped her forehead "I am so, so, so stupid. I ruined our date. It could have been fun and full of laughter but I ruined it by asking you the wrong question at the wrong time."

I laughed a little and grabbed her shoulders. "Don't be hard on yourself, Lauren. I am glad you asked."

A pout of dissatisfaction appeared on her lips. I sighed and looked around and when my eyes landed on pieces of rocks, an idea crossed my mind that could bring her smile back. I picked up a small rock and asked Lauren to watch me. I threw the rock in the water which caused the water to stir a little.

"You see what that small rock did to the water? It stirred the silent and still water. That's what Xavier and Daniel do to me. They don't let me feel alone by bugging me all time, stirring my peace." I chuckled a little.

Then I picked up a rock bigger than the previous one—basically a huge one— and threw it in the water. "You see what impact this rock had? It stirred the water regressively. This rock is you." I stated.

"Me?" She asked in alarm.

"Yes, you," I said as I turned my body to face her. "You came into my life like an unwanted stone and stirred my life with a huge impact. I don't know when you, an unwanted stone, became a jewel to me." I whispered as I stepped closer to her and cupped her face.

"You brought back laughter to my life, you brought me back from the darkness."

I caressed her face with my thumb and smiled. "I am glad you asked me about my life. It's a sensitive topic for me and you are the first woman I have ever shared my distress with. Me opening up to you is proof that how much I trust you. And spending time with you, laughing with you, caring for you is proof that how much I am in love with you."

There, I said it.

A sharp gasp escaped her throat as she stepped back in shock, repeatedly blinking her eyes.

"Y...you l...love me?" Her wide eyes held utter shock.

"Yes. I love you, Lauren. I don't know how and when it happened but I assure you that what I feel for you is pure Love." I confessed solemnly.

"I...I..." She stuttered and ran her fingers through her hair, roaming her eyes around in panic. I was about to embrace her to calm her down when her next words stopped me.

"You can't."

I knew she would say that. But I was ready to be rejected. For the first time, I was ready for rejection.

"Lauren, listen. You don't necessarily have to feel the same for me. I mean...I am not forcing you, take your time, and if you never feels the same for me I will free you from—"

"Shhh..." She shushed me by placing her finger on my lips. "This is not what I meant."

"What?" I asked in a low voice. She huffed and then crossed her arms and sulkily. She then uncrossed her arms and glared at me.

What did I do now?

"Now, you ruined everything." She accused me. "I wanted to be the one confessing first."

I blinked and blinked and blinked while listening to her outburst.

"I wanted to say 'I love you' first. But you said and ruined my surprise. What do I do now?" She grumbled.

Is she for real?!

I cupped her face in urgency and made her look at me. "You love me?"

I was not dreaming, was I? She did say she love me, right?

"Yes, I love you but—" I didn't let her complete her sentence and sealed her lips in a passionate kiss. I was beyond happy.

"It doesn't matter who said it first," I whispered, kissing her softly. "What matters is we share the same feeling for each other."

I detached my lips from hers and gazed at her red face. "Say it again." I urged her.

She smiled and circled my neck with her arms. "I love you, Mr. Sean Peterson."

"I love you, Miss Lauren Hart."

I kissed her again. This time slowly yet demandingly. She fulfilled my demand by kissing me with the same need as mine. I bit her lower lip and dragged it out before letting go of it. I then pecked her lips repeatedly, making her giggle.

"Stay the night with me?"

I asked without thinking of the consequences and I guess I asked for something I shouldn't have because she went still and studied my face. I kissed her forehead and caressed her face again.

"I am sorry I asked for that. It's absolutely fine if you don't want to. I respect your every decision, Lauren."

"And this why I love you." She smiled. "You respect me. You put me before yourself. You understand me."

She surprised me when she leaned forward and crashed her lips on mine. There and then I knew the answer to my request.

_________________________________________