Room for Rent

The morning seemed to come quicker than one would imagine. There were three reasons why Lauren awoke. Number one was that the sun was shining in her eyes. Which was weird because she always drew the shades before she went to sleep. Number two, she was hot. Not just warm but like roasting over a fire pit kind of hot. And number three, she couldn’t seem to escape from underneath the covers to find some relief. All of this led to immense confusion until she felt an arm tighten around her waist and warm breath on her neck. Suddenly, the day before came flooding back into her mind. The exhaustion, the patient, being sent home, and Jamie. Her Jamie. Her knight in shining armor. The one who came to visit her at work just because he could and ended up taking her home and protecting her from the dark recesses of her mind.

“I can hear your mind running from over here,” a gruff morning voice said in her ear.
“Sorry,” she peeped. “I was just thinking about yesterday.”

Now Jamie was awake. His eyes were blinking to adjust to the sunlight in Lauren’s room. He loosened his grip enough so that she could turn and face him. He thought she looked like an angel. Her hair splayed out on her pillow and the sun forming a halo behind her head. If he hadn’t remembered the drama from yesterday, he would’ve sworn he was dreaming. He had been in this exact scenario so many times. Waking up with the most beautiful girl in the world next to him. Knowing the he was hers and she was his.

“Good morning,” he whispered.
“Morning…” she whispered back.

Lauren took her hand and traced it up and down his bicep. She noticed he was still wearing his athletic shorts and workout shirt from yesterday. He had been so caught up with her and her needs that he had neglected to think about himself. She studied him and looked up into his eyes. Here was a man who she adored. A man who had come to check on her out of the goodness of his heart and then hadn’t left her side when she began to retreat into herself.

Lauren needed to say something to him but wasn’t sure she could do it and look into his eyes. What he had done for her yesterday and by staying through the night had been immensely personal. It was completing crossing the line of platonic friendship. If she had learned anything from the romantic movies she watched, she knew how to recognize the big gesture. The one where all the cards are laid out on the table and the choice of will they or won’t they needs to be answered.

“Jame...I need to say…”
“No. You don’t. There is nothing you need to apologize for or thank me for. I was just doing what any human being would do when they see someone they love in pain.”

All of a sudden, Lauren’s hand stopped moving on his bicep. Jamie sucked in a breath when his brain caught up to what had just come out of his mouth. That was not on how he had planned that conversation to go. Not even close.

Lauren moved her hand from his bicep to his chest. She could feel his heart racing under her touch. She looked up at his face and could see him studying hers. Looking for any response to what he had just said.

“Jamie. I love you too.”

Notes

Once again, I have ghosted on you all and I apologize. Writing fan fiction has turned out to be much harder than I originally thought. Sometimes you are just in the mood and the words make sense. Other times, I can't even bear the thought of opening up my Google Doc to get anything done. Thank you for sticking with me on this. I love you all to the moon and back!