Waterfront

"Andrew..." She paused. "What I mean to say is that I've done it before...You weren't my first."

The silence that followed might as well had been daggers shoved through both of their hearts. Lauren curled herself into a ball, wrecked telling the truth about her broken past; and Andrew buried his face into the palms of his hands, speechlessly struck but her revelation.

Lauren didn't want to say anymore. What she had said must have completely destroyed him, and she felt that anything more would just add to the already uncontrollable fire that was Andrew's emotions. She knew how sensitive he was. He was always much more sensitive than he cared to admit. It's just that Lauren didn't want to lie to him. He needed to know the truth.

"How many times have you done it?"

"Several...I couldn't tell you..."

"How many different guys?"

"Only two..."

She heard him chuckle and mutter what she thought was 'two more than me...'

The emotions inside her began to bubble up and the tears she had tried to keep back began to creep through her tightly closed eyelids. Lauren started to cry and she couldn't stop. No matter how hard she tried, the tears flowed and the lump in her throat prevented her from speaking.

The two of them remained quiet, the silence only broken by the sounds of Andrew's heavy irregular breathing and Lauren's pillow-muffled sobs.

Andrew was the first one to move, getting up from the bed and making his way to the refrigerator where she knew he had another bottle of vodka. He dug it out and quietly opened it up, taking a small sip before letting out a heavy sigh. "That doesn't matter to me, Lauren."

She managed to pull herself out of the pillow she was crying into and barely managed to bring up enough courage to say something, "What?"

Taking another sip from his bottle, Andrew turned to her. "Lauren, do you understand what unconditional love means?" She nodded, but he held up his hand to stop her from saying a word. "I'm asking if you really know what it means."

He sat down on the floor in front of her, less than a few inches of air separating his face from her own.

"It means to love someone, no matter what they've done or how they've changed." He paused for a moment and stared into her blue eyes. "It means that I love you, with all of your perfections and your imperfections, the complicated intricacies that make you who you are, whatever you want to call it." Another pause. "It means that you and I need to stop thinking about the past, and look forward to the future."

Lauren tightly closed her eyes, traitorous tears still making small rivulets down her face. She took handfuls of the sheets and balled them tightly in her fists. "I can't help but feel like I've failed you, Andrew."

"Lauren. What did I just say...?"

"Andrew, I –"

"Lauren, I love you." The nineteen year-old tried to say something again, but he put a finger to her mouth. "Lauren, I love you. Don't say anything more about what happened before. Focus on the now, Dear. Remember, I told you there's a reason why I never stopped loving you."

She opened her eyes again to be greeted by the tender look on his sincere face.

Andrew kissed her forehead and started to get up, but Lauren grabbed his hand to stop him. "Andrew..."

"What is it, Dear?"

Lauren sat up on her knees and cupped his face in her hands, staring into his eyes for a few seconds before pulling him into a strong kiss. The feel of his lips on her own and the slight taste of alcohol on his breath was alluring. She pulled him into the bed, kissing him harder with the feel of his strong body on top of her own.

He responded by pulling her shirt off, letting his hands run over her skin. Lauren was shivering slightly and Andrew could feel the goose bumps on her skin. He loved that about her, the way she always got nervous.

"Andrew...?"

"Yes, Love?"

"Could you not stare at me so much...? It's embarrassing..."

He kissed her. "Just be quiet, Love..."

Lauren smiled slightly, kissing him back. She quickly pulled his clothes off, and started the process of gently tease him. After a few minutes, the nineteen year-old could feel him tense underneath her hand. "You really want this, don't you, Dear?"

He managed a small smirk, but couldn't lie to her.

Wrapping her body around him, she slowly started to grind on him. Andrew arched his body into hers, shaking as she rubbed herself against him. He was begging her to let him in, but forced himself to resist.

That's why she loved him so much. He respected her, like no other man had ever done before.

And he truly did love her.

She leaned into his body, his tip at her entrance. "Andrew. Make love to me."

Lauren lay comfortably in his arms, his warm and moist skin sticking to her own. His rhythmic thrusts matched the way she tightened her grip around his body. He was breathing heavily and his heart was racing just like hers. At that moment, laying naked underneath the protective man she knew and loved, Lauren realized that her future would be with him.

Andrew had left his past behind.

It was about time that she did too...