Laura's POV

I can't believe I told him the real reason. I was trying to keep it to myself especially since I knew he had daddy issues. Well not daddy issues but he lost his father. I had a feeling he'd want my father's approval over anyone else's because he lost his. The somber look on his face almost killed me.

Another reason I didn't tell my dad was because I didn't want him to think I was a hoe. How could I go from one guy to another so quickly? I could tell him the truth, obviously, but our background story was complicated and not something I was proud of. I let Chris take advantage of me and I ended up enjoying it.

I couldn't concentrate the next morning when I was having breakfast with dad. I kept thinking of a hundred ways to break the news because I didn't want to just blurt it out.

"Honey you seem a bit distracted. Something on your mind?"

"Why do you say that?"

He pointed to my plate. "You hardly touched your food and I made your favorites."

Everyone was working today except me and dad. He volunteered to cook since it was birthday.

"Oh." I stuffed my mouth with the delicious chocolate chip pancake drenched in syrup.

"No seriously honey. Is there something on your mind?"

Dad was typically a very busy hard working man. It wasn't like him to pay attention to little details of my life. I never felt neglected but growing up was different. I hardly saw him since he was always working. He strived to create a better life for us but somewhere in there he lost the time he could have spent with us.

"Dad?" My hands were sweating. "How did it feel falling in love with mom?"

He rubbed his grey stubbled chin and leaned back in the chair. "It felt like a dream at first; like it wasn't real and any minute I would wake up and she'd be gone."

Love did feel like a dream. Like it was too good to be true.

"Your mother became a part of me. There was a moment when we broke up and I could remember feeling like something was always missing. The other women I dated couldn't fill that part of me like your mother did. That's how I knew I couldn't live without her."

Chris felt like that part to me. Will only temporarily patched me up because deep down I still felt like something was missing.

"Are you thinking about Will?"

I needed to come clean. "No. Will wasn't my missing piece." My dad was already formulating an assumption. " Chris Compton has become a part of me."

Dad remained calm. "What are you saying?"

"Chris was the man I walked down the aisle with in Sarah's wedding. Around that time he and I got pretty close but somewhere along the line we misinterpreted things. It was a bit messy and complicated but when he came back a month ago I couldn't pretend he wasn't important to me." I was spilling my guts to him. "Dad, I couldn't marry Will because I couldn't let Chris go."

"Do you love him?"

Wasn't it too soon for that? "I'm still learning the meaning of that word but I think I'm getting there."

He sighed and I held my breath waiting for the big lecture. "As long as he makes you happy."

Oh my goodness. That was it? Why did I feel like it was as painful as cutting my arm off? I tried reading his face but he was stiff as stone.

"That's it? That's all you're gonna say?" Come on dad. Spill the beans.

He was understanding. I knew I was overreacting but it couldn't be that simple for such a protective father.

"Laura sometimes we have to make mistakes in order to learn from them especially when it involves the heart. I can't tell you who to care for and who to love."

Okay... it was kind of like a good luck quote. 'Love is complicated. Go figure it out. Hopefully, maybe he's the one.'

"Laura..."

Ooh no. "Hmmm."

"Feelings can be complicated. Chemistry is easy to have with anyone. Physical attraction is also easy to find. But sharing your heart with someone is not something you can do with just anyone." He patted my hand. "I'm telling you this so you can analyse your relationships. Love may feel easy but its really, really hard."

I swallowed. I wish he would have had this talk with me sooner.

"Don't be blinded my the physical things. Just because Will was good looking, a decent guy, and made great money didn't mean he was perfect for you. Laura, honey I want you to love for the right reasons."

Ooh wow. I nodded, speechlessly. "Ok daddy."

"You should invite him to our anniversary dinner. I'd like to officially meet him."

First dinner with the family. I hope Chris was up for it. Wait, was I ready?

Of course he was. I wondered if he was as nervous as I was. I wore a cute burgundy dress that flared out at the bottom. Valerie had picked it out for me. She was excited to finally meet Chris on a personal level. I had told her bits and pieces because as my sister she needed a legitimate reason for why I broke it off with Doctor Mchottie.

Chris was surely dressed to impress. He had on black pants, a nice navy button up shirt, and a bouquet of roses in his hands.

"They're for your mom."

"Suck up." I looped my arm around his to lead him inside and kissed his cheek. "She'll like that."

Mom was glowing the second she saw Chris and I together. She came over and hugged us both before Chris handed her the flowers.

"Aww honey thank you. Thank you for coming. I was so happy when Laura told me the news. I had a feeling I'd see more of you."

Mom took Chris' arm from me to show him off to the rest of the family. I raised my brow because there wasn't much I could do. I knew my mom would protect him. She was definitely team Chris like most of my friends were.

"This is my sister Mona. Mona this is Laura's handsome boyfriend."

Aunt Mona was the closest relative living near us. I had known her all my life which meant I knew how she'd react. I dreaded her criticism.

"Boyfriend?" Her eyes raced up and down his body. "You're a Compton, right?"

Chris smiled politely. "Yes."

"She's been with one of those before. Hopefully this time will go better."

Gah, why was she embarrassing me like this? I was like a daughter to her. I know she was looking out for me but Chris was not his cousin.

"I intent to make Laura very happy."

Aunt Mona grinned in a sarcastic manner. She was only mad because I wouldn't go out with the guys she tried setting me up with.

"Of course you do."

"Oh that's enough Mona. Don't scare the boy away. I like him." Mom pulled him into the dining area where Valerie spent hours decorating.

The long table had a navy and gold cloth draping to the ground. Pretty light blue, white, and dark yellow flower centerpieces and tall candles set the romantic mood. My sister was a perfectionist when it came to these sort of things.

Mom introduced Chris to dad and I unknowingly held my breath. Dad shook his hand and smiled, truly accepting him.

"It's nice to properly meet you Chris."

"And you Mr. Brown. Congratulations on 32 years of marriage."

"Thank you. Please have a seat. I'm famished."

Chris sat directly in front of me right beside mom and my brother in law. Valerie married Jack four years ago and gave me the cutest niece and nephew, Sophie and Mason. Mason who was three crawled into my lap and I hugged him to release my unwanted nerves.

The food was amazing. Every woman in my family knew how to cook but me. I wasn't terrible but I didn't have many opportunities to cook. Mom always had food prepared by the time I got home from work.

Chris seemed at ease. He and the boys drove into a deep conversation about cars. That was a language I didn't speak.

"So Chris when did you two start talking?" Valerie didn't know the whole story because I didn't know how to explain our messed up beginning.

Chris' green eyes flashed in my direction. I bit my lip; I was curious how he was going to start this.

"I really noticed Laura at Michael and Sarah's engagement party. She walked into the room and I couldn't take my eyes off her."

"Was it because her hair wasn't brushed?" Danny, my youngest annoying brother, laughed at his own joke.

Chris half smirked. "No. She was wearing the same color she's wearing right now. I couldn't take my eyes off you because you were so beautiful."

Ooh my gosh. Was he making this up? Was I wearing burgundy at the engagement party? I couldn't remember. Why was I blushing?

"Whatever." I covered my face behind Mason's tiny body.

I tried being nice to him that night and he actually walked away from me in the middle of our conversation. I was so mad.

"You were a jerk to me that night." I put him under the fire.

He laughed as everyone's eyes darted at him waiting for him to correct me. "I was so nervous around you. I even spilt some coffee on myself but I don't think you noticed."

"You did?"

He nodded, grinning like an idiot. "I ran off so I wouldn't embarrass myself further."

Was he telling the truth or making stuff up to make our story sound cuter than it actually was?

"Awwww," Perry took the words right out of my mouth.

"I should have asked you out right then. I could have saved us a lot of trouble but I was stupid."

I gulped. Yes he would have saved us some trouble, that's for sure.

"A man that admits his faults. That's a rare quality. Laura he might be a keeper." My sister was warming up to him with that comment.

"I really hope so."

The night was like a wonderful dream. I couldn't be happier. I could envision Chris as part of the family. Everyone seemed to like him and he looked so comfortable. My brothers even invited him to tag along at a car show.

I walked Chris outside but before he could get to his car I grabbed his hand and led him into the back. Our backyard had a patio area facing a patch of woods. We sat down and he stared at me instead of the stars.

"I like your family."

I smiled. "Yeah they're alright." I took his hand and laced our fingers together. "Was that true, about you spilling the coffee and everything?"

"I was a mormon not blind. Laura you have an effortless beauty. You don't even try and you still catch eyes. And yes I did spill coffee. I was annoyed with myself because of how nervous you made me feel."

I didn't know that.

He brushed my hair back. "I told you. You made it difficult to hate you. I always thought you were beautiful. I just didn't expect you to make me feel anything."

There was always so much tension between us how could I not feel anything. But it was confusing. After having that talk with my dad I had to wonder. Was there more than just a physical connection? Well yeah but would adding more help? Or would it distract us?

"My dad gave me some pretty good dating advice."

"Oh yeah." I had his devoted attention.

"He said chemistry is easy to find but your heart can't be given to just anyone."

Chris snuck his arm around my shoulders to pull me into his chest. "I agree."

"I don't want to mess this up but we started this off in a mess. I don't want to get blinded by our physical desires. I don't-"

"You don't want to have sex?"

My cheeks were burning. "I know I sound like a hypocrite right now. I tried to seduce you the other night." Man I was horny that night but could you blame me? My boyfriend was so hot. "Just because it's 'normal' and everyone does it doesn't mean I should make it my normal. I always had the intention to wait till marriage, that I only wanted to share that special connection with my husband."

He inched back to assess my expression. "I'm making it hard for you?"

I breathed a laugh. "So freaking hard. I want more for us; not just great sex." Which I could already imagine how amazing it would be with him.

"I want more for us too. It would never be just sex. Laura if I ever get lucky enough to call you my wife I would make love to you. It will be meaningful and it will erase the regrettable actions we have in our relationship."

I was told by friends and co workers how natural sex was and how it was a way of connecting to your partner on a different level. They'd try to convince me sex was not wrong. Everyone was having sex. If you love the person why would it be wrong?

It was wrong because it was done outside a committed relationship, a committed marriage. I didn't want to give that part of myself away to an uncertain potential husband.

And I know my actions lately have been a terrible representation of that. It was hard to stick to my beliefs being with Chris. It was so easy and wonderful with him. I could get lost within him and that was scary for me.

It wasn't his fault. We started this all wrong but it didn't mean we had to continue that way.

"I want to fall in love with your heart and your mind because obviously I have no objection with your body." There was never an objection over that.

He sweetly kissed my forehead. "I want to get to know you so well that our hearts begin to sync together."

Chris was going to be more. Chris was going to be the one.

"So you don't mind... waiting?"

The moonlight gave Chris an extra glow. His sincerity was clear as day. "No. This will be new for me too. I wish I would have waited for love. I thought I was once but it wasn't anything compared to this."

He was in love once? I wondered who it was. Should I ask? "What is this?" That was a stupid question.

"This?" He hugged me. "This feels like everything I need. You feel like home if that makes sense. Damn I sound like a hallmark card."

I kissed his cheek and smiled when I felt his warm blush. "I like cheesy hallmark cards."

He was the first guy to actually admit his romantic feelings for me. Ben wasn't as expressive with words. He'd say he loves me but never was he descriptive. I loved hearing poetic emotions. Will wasn't so good with explaining his feelings either. But I believed in his own way he did love me the only way he knew how. I couldn't blame him. His mother wasn't the greatest role model.

"What are you doing to me?"

I laughed. "What do you mean?"

"You have more power over me than you can imagine."

My stomach knotted with an exhilarating sensation. I know he had said it before but could he really mean it? Did Chris Compton love me? How was that possible?

He... he barely knew me, right? Before we were so busy fighting and making out to feel real love.

"I have power?"

"I'd do anything for you." He declared.

Like wait till marriage to have sex. He didn't know but he had power too.

"I don't want to necessarily blame you but you made me temporarily lose my Christian morals. I wanted to toss them aside just to be with you. You have power over me too and that kind of scares me."

I was a Christian. I wanted to live by the bible, honestly I did but it was so hard. Especially now in the world.

"I promise never to abuse that power."

"I trust you." He had won my trust.

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