One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

When Travis woke up in the morning, he smiled. Lauren was still sleeping in his arms with her head and one hand resting on his chest. Her hair was swooped to one side, revealing all of her flawless features. But with the events of the previous night replying in his head, that smile quickly faded. He shouldn’t have let it happen. Being the sober one, he should have had enough sense to stop Lauren.He caused her to cheat on her boyfriend.

Feeling guilty, he carefully unraveled his arms from Lauren and gently pushed himself off the bed. He managed to glance back at her before exiting the room and walking down to his. Holding the image of Lauren sleeping peacefully as he showered, he hoped nothing bad would come out of his actions.

Surprisingly, Lauren woke up with a smile as she let out a blissful sigh. She only remembered bits and pieces of the previous night, but the one thing she was remembered vividly: Travis.

She sat up slowly, hoping her aching head would subside. A smile still remained as she cleaned herself up from the previous night. She wasn’t feeling the best, but she was happy. As she pulled random clean clothes on, she heard movement from downstairs. When she walked out of her room, she saw Travis walking about the house with a trash bag in his hand.

“Do you want help?” she asked, causing him to snap his gaze up to her.

“No. I got this,” he said, dropping his eyes back to the random cups that were scattered about.

“Travis,” she said sweetly as she made her way down the stairs.

He hurried around the room before Lauren could get to him. She frowned at him as she stood in the center of the area with her arms crossed. As he continued picking up the rubbish, he refused to look up at her.

“What did I do this time?” she asked with a little irritation as she threw her hands up in the air.

“Like you ever do anything,” he said under his breath as he bent down to pick up a few items.

“We would not be in this whole situation if you would just talk to me like you used to. Travis what happened to you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, finally looking up at her.

“Just tell me what the hell I did wrong this time. It would make things so much easier than you just moping around acting all pissy with me,” she responded, letting her full amount of frustration show.

“You really want to know, Lauren?” he snapped, spinning around and looking at her straight in her eyes.

“Yes… just tell me.”

“We slept together last night,” he said, managing to keep eye contact with her.

Lauren stood there staring back at him. Her jaw dropped. What he had said wouldn’t completely register with her. She wouldn’t accept it. Only one thing was able to escape from her mouth.

“Mike,” she said as her hand covered her mouth.

Travis stared back at her, feeling a little more sympathetic than he had been. As her eyes became glossy, he put the garbage bag down and pulled her into a loose hug.

“Lauren, I’m so sorry,” he whispered truthfully with his chin resting on top of her head.

It bothered him that she wouldn’t hold him back. The worst thing that he imagined could happen happened a few seconds later.

“How could you do that to me?” she asked with tears streaking down her cheeks as she pushed him away.

“Lauren, I didn’t… You were…”

“You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to be the person that I trust the most. I have a few drinks and this happens,” she cut him off.

“But I tired to stop it. You were just…”

“You can’t blame me. I don’t even remember getting into my bed.”

“You wouldn’t let me get away,” he hurried to say before she cut him off again.

“Travis, how hard is it to just leave? I hope that you’re stronger than me. This shouldn’t have happened,” she stated as tears began to fall again.

“Lauren,” he started while trying to pull her into him again.

All she did was turn away from him as she hugged her arms against herself.

“I cannot see Mike now. We haven’t even been together that long and this happens. How am I going to tell him?” she rambled on more to herself than Travis.

She stared at the ground for a few seconds before locking her gaze back to his. Travis hated the way her eyes looked. There was so much pain in them. He didn’t want anything more than to take it all away.

“Just please humor me and tell me you used a condom,” she seemed to plead to him.

Travis couldn’t tell her. Everything was just happening so fast. He hadn’t grabbed one. Lauren knew by the way he paused and looked way from her. As more tears welled up in her eyes, she quickly made her way back up to her room.

“Lauren, wait,” Travis tried, but she was already at the top of the stairs.

She sat by herself for about a half hour. During that time, tears seemed to be never ending. Lauren was never one to cry this much. She felt like such a weak person. As her phone went off on the table beside her, her weakness seemed to grow. Mike’s name flashed onto the tiny screen. She couldn’t bring herself to answer it. The guilt she felt already was more than she could handle.

The more she sat there, the less she became upset.Sure she loved Travis, but she never wanted to sleep with him… under the unconscious state that she was in… and her having a boyfriend. What if her worst fear came true? What if Mike found out? What if she got pregnant?What if she actually remembered their night full of passion and she really did want to be with Travis?

But the bigger question was what was she going to do when she went to Carson City in two weeks?