In Your Arms

Chap. 45: Firing Missiles & Dropping Bombs

*Katie's POV*

With his hand in mine, Chris guides me through the house. Anxiety eats at me. I wonder if Chris can feel it through my trembling hands. I don't think I can face his family after they caught us in the position we were in. We weren't actually having sex—anymore, but we were in each others arms. I bite my lip as I can hear voices in the living room. Chris puts his arm around my body and settles a hand on my hip.
         "Steven, how can you eat when our son has been fornicating with—with that little gold digger!" Lauren, Chris's mother,  screams up ahead.
           I wince at her words. Chris's grip tightens a bit, his breathing becoming uneven. He starts to pick up the pace while I lag behind. When we step into the living room, everybody turns to us. Steven, Chris's dad, is munching on the lasagna on the couch. Lauren glares daggers at me, making me hide behind Chris, whose face is blank. They stare at each other for the longest time in silence.
              "I am VERY disappointed in you, Christopher." Lauren says coldly, her eyes flicker to me. "And YOU! I think you should leave. You're clearly—"
                WHOA OKAY THAT'S NOT JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AT ALL!! Chris lets go of my hand and pinches the bridge of his nose. Chris's eyes are on his mother. Their not dark or angry, but their not soft and gentle either. They have a tense stare down.
             "Now Mom—" Chris starts to say calmly.
             "She doesn't belong here." A pain pinches my chest, "She only wants one thing and that is OBVIOUSLY clear."
               Chris lightly shakes his head at his mother, his voice soft. "You don't know, Katie."
             "You've got hickeys all over the side of your neck!" Lauren jabs her index finger at Chris's neck.
              "—And if you spent ANY time with Katie, you would know how sweet and innocent she is." Chris's mother lets out a loud, harsh laugh.
               "Oh sweetie. It's okay." Lauren says in an eerie sweet tone, "Girls like her do that to good men like you Chris."
Girls like her? I feel as if I've been slapped in the face, hard. I just stare at Lauren hurt. I am NOT one of those girls! I was a virgin not even 2 hours ago!
          "Mom." Chris doesn't yell but uses a tone with Lauren, "Katie is not Penny. Katie is not Jess. And Katie is certainly not Emma or Kelly."
            "But at least they brought something to the table." Whoa, what does that mean? What is she trying to say?
Steven turns to his wife in shock, almost embarrassed. "Lauren!"
"What? It's true." Lauren shrugs, crossing her arms, "Emma was dumb but at least she was outgoing—"
"You could say that again." Loni arches a brow, snickering as she takes a bite out of her fruit bowl.
Lauren glares at her daughter, continuing. "And Penny was also dumb, she even had that annoying laugh, but you always had fun with her! You two seemed happy together."
Chris sighs. "She was only happy when I was spending money."
"And what about Kelly? You were madly—" Lauren starts to say.
"MOM!" Chris hesitates after he screams at his mom, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Stop, okay? Lets leave it at that for now, I don't want to talk about it."
I give Chris a confused look. Why doesn't he want to discuss it? Is it because of me? I feel as if I'm causing all of this. This problem. Maybe Lauren is right. Maybe I just need to leave and let things cool off. It's silent for the longest time.
"Lauren," Steven says to is wife "Chris is a grown man! He can make his own decisions now, so stay out of that area in his life. God only knows you ruined his relationship with—."
"—just....please tell me you used a condom." Lauren's voice is shaky, "God only knows where that girl has been."
Chris shakes his head softly. "She's been with me, Mom. She's a good girl."
"Well, that's not what I saw." Lauren finally looks up at us, her hazel eyes teary.
"Mom, I'm in love with Katie!" Chris says more hurt than angry. Poor Baby.
Lauren stares at us in horror, her mouth gawked open. Both Ian and Loni's mouths are capped open as well. Suddenly, a door shuts and in walks Andrew, Scott, and Chris's Uncle Joe. Oh great, more people to see this! They all stop when they see the scene.
"Lauren, why is your face like that? Did you see Steven's little dicky through his drawers this morning?" Uncle Joe chuckles nastily, making me shift on the balls of my feet.
"Mom caught Chris breeding with his girlfriend." Loni smirks nastily, popping a grape in her mouth. "And he just told mom he's in love with his latest sex partner."
I cringe at the term breeding. It sounds so nasty and filthy. And what does Loni mean by 'latest sex partner' ? I want to take his hand, to make them stop, but I feel that I would only make things worst. Uncle Joe smirks nastily and gives Chris a thumbs up. Yuck!
"Chris, sweetie, you're not in love with her." Lauren says coldly, "You've only know her for what? A couple weeks?"
"Four months, Mom." Chris says to Lauren, "Katie and I have been seeing each other for four months. And you're going to have to deal with the fact that I'm now in a physical relationship with a younger woman, whom I care about a lot."
"How dare you say that to me?!" Lauren says to Chris, her voice shaky "Why would you want to hurt your own mother like this? And for what? Over a little slut who looks like she should be working at Hooters?!"
Guilt pegs my gut. Lauren is trying her best to fire missiles and drop bombs on us. Mainly me. And I barely know these people! I have to get out of here. It's clear that I'm not wanted and I can't stand another moment being here in the middle of this fight.
Without another thought, I quickly walk to the kitchen and grab my keys. As I walk to the front door, I hear heavy footsteps running towards me. I don't turn back. I know who it is. Right as I go for the door, Chris whips me around, his hands firm. His eyes have something inside them, something that's mixed with worry and panic. Possibly fear?
"Princess, you said you wouldn't leave me." Chris says softly, his hands going to my hips.
"Chris, I can't take this!" I cry, "I can't stand the drama! And I won't get between you and your family! I won't be that person!"
Chris gives me a soft look. "Katie—"
"Goodbye, Chris." I say through my small tears, "Thank you for a memorable first time. And a memorable first romance. But I just don't want to be involved or be a cause of anymore conflict. I'm sorry."
Then before I know it, I'm driving down the road. In the rear view mirror, I can see Chris standing at his gate in his sweats. And I force myself not to look once more because I'll turn back.