Crossing Lines

TWENTY-TWO | COMING TOGETHER & FALLING APART

"Pete if you keep bothering that girl I'm going to take you home. Is that what you want?"

"But mom I-" Pete tried to come up with an excuse of why he was sprinkling dirt in the little girl's hair but his young mind that was usually filled with imagination was coming up empty.

"Don't but mom me. Behave yourself," Lauren told him that and Pete was running off again before she could even dismiss him.

A day out with just herself and her boys was something Lauren needed. She wished she could say that RJ and Pete were playing like two well behaved young men but that just wasn't something they were capable of. RJ had pretty much taken over the big kids swings and Pete? Lauren had to yell at him three times already because he was throwing sticks and sprinkling dirt in some poor girl's hair.

"Boys will be boys."

"You sound like their father!" Lauren said turning her head to the side to see Shawn walking over to her. She knew that voice sounded familiar.

Inside Shawn was cringing at her statement. Sounding like Pete and RJ's father was the furthest thing from a compliment. "I stopped by your house, Rosalie told me you would be here." Shawn said sitting at the edge of the bench closest to her. 

"I didn't think You'd ever want to see me again." Why would he? She fired him she cursed and screamed at him. Lauren was a bitter bitch and her pain didn't blind her from that fact.

"I'm always going to want to see you." It took a lot for Shawn to say that just like it took a lot for him to come here. Washing his hands of Lauren would have been the easy thing to do but he would have never forgiven himself for it. Tiffany was right Lauren's heart was on the floor and he would have been a damn fool to leave it there. Lauren was still the Lauren he spent months training the same Lauren who offered meaningful conversation and warm smiles. She was just down and at her worse and if he couldn't handle her now what made him ever think he would deserve her at her best?

'I'm always going to want to see you' Lauren knew how that sounded. But since the day Lauren accused Shawn of trying to seduce her when all he really was doing was trying to help her Lauren promised herself to never read too deep into her interactions with Shawn Becom's fine ass again. "I think he likes her."

"Who?"

"Pete." Lauren began to smile. "He keeps chasing around this little girl putting dirt in her hair. His cruel actions must be driven by him crushing on her. Hard."

"Oh yeah you think so?".

Lauren nodded "That's how it works right? with little boys and girls? One harasses the other it's usually because they like each other. They just haven't grown enough emotionally to express that so they use name calling and dirt throwing instead. Until boys turn into men that is."

"Trust me even grown men have a hard time expressing themselves." At least this man did. Shawn knew for months that his feelings for Lauren weren't feelings you have for someone who was just a friend. Still, he came up with any excuse not to say it. He didn't want to cross the line with a client, She was married with children learning to walk again she didn't need him getting in the way. All the reasons Shawn came up with were valid they made sense but in Shawn's eyes Lauren Mccall was the exception to every rule. Nothing should stand in his way of getting her and finally giving her the love and appreciation she deserves.

"I'll take your word for it." The air between them grew silent and thick all that could be heard were kids playing and the sound of leaves on the trees swaying with the cool breeze coming in.

"Look Lauren-"

"Shawn I'm sorry." Shawn was cut off by her apology.

"Lauren I-"