Our Time Is Here | a Lauren/You Short Story

3 • Mistakes

"Have a good day at school, love," I kissed the top of Eddie's head and hugged him once more.

"Mu-um, Harry's looking," Eddie whined, causing me to laugh at his expression.

Just to annoy him even more, I smothered his face with kisses causing him to groan. Once I decided that he had had enough embarrassment for one day, I pulled away and smiled at him.

"Be good," I shouted after him as he raced away to his new friend, Harry.

The two began to move their hands in a weird synchronisation which I'm assuming is the handshake that Eddie was talking about. It felt good to know that he was fitting in easily. That just gave me one less thing to worry about.

After dropping Eddie off to school, which was thankfully only a ten minute walk away from our apartment complex, I took a bus to my university and braced myself for my second day there. Unlike yesterday, I made it on time to my first lecture of the day, and I was glad because I didn't want to have a round two of awkwardness. Lauren wasn't in my lecture this morning, and I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Once my lecture was over, I walked out of the building and stuffed my notebook in my satchel. When I looked up, I bumped into someone, only for them to hold me in place.

"You should really watch where you walk," Lauren laughed. "Wouldn't want you to trip over would we?"

I smiled awkwardly. "Thanks... and, um, sorry about that. But um, how did you know where I was?"

She settled on a smile and said, "I saw you walking in this morning when I was walking to the library. I actually wanted to ask you something..."

I nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, shoot. I'm all ears."

She closed her eyes momentarily, and I noticed her take a small breath before opening them again. "Do you maybe want to come to my apartment tonight? You know, to catch up?"

I bit my lip, trying to think of a polite way to decline. "I'm not too sure about that, Lauren..."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Not like that. I mean, I just want to catch up. You know, as friends. Nothing more, I swear."

I pondered her offer and wondered if I should take it or not. She did say it was only as friends, and I would honestly love to catch up properly, too. The pleading look in her murky green eyes was enough to convince me.

I nodded and slowly smiled. "I would love to."

She grinned immediately, but I could see her trying to dial it down a little, for my sake. "Okay, I guess I'll see you tonight then. I'll text you where later."

I nodded, beginning to feel excited about it. "Okay, thanks. I'm going to the library now but I'll see you later, I guess."

She nodded and her smile never left her lips. "I'll see you later."

I smiled at her shortly before walking away and to the library. I could have either made the best decision of my life, or the biggest mistake of my life. Only time would tell.

***

I told Y/BF/N that I would be a little late tonight and if she could still babysit. If she couldn't, I would cancel with Lauren in a heartbeat because Eddie always came first, but thankfully, she could, claiming that I had to get out more, so the plan to go to Lauren's was still on. I actually received a text from her during one of my lectures. It turned out that she lived in the exact same apartment building that I did, and was only down the hall from me. How I hadn't noticed her was beyond me, but it made my life a lot easier. And harder at the same time. Easier because it meant that I wouldn't have to take several modes of transport to get there and back, but harder because it meant I had to be more careful with her and Eddie.