Underestimated Part 66

"Can we talk?" I asked.

She stepped aside and gestured for me to come in.

"I just made coffee, want some?"

"Sure," I said, sitting at the table. "Lauren, I'm sorry," I blurted out even though I didn't know what I was apologizing to her for.

"Me too, Ry. I just don't want you to hurt Dawson.

He is so in love with you."

Hmm. How do I respond to that? She wasn't going to mention having lunch with him. Should I? I decided to let it slide and pretend that I didn't know.

"Why don't you and Joel come over tonight?" I asked. I didn't want her to come over with Joel. I wanted to spend the evening alone, talking to Dawson. I was just fishing for information.

"Joel and I broke up almost a month ago," she stated.

"What happened? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, playing the concerned friend.

"I came over to talk to you last night. We didn't really talk."

"Why did you break up?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I have decided lately that I wasn't getting any younger.

Joel's not really the settling down type. I want to be in love and start a family."

"Got anyone in mind?"

She thought briefly before answering. "No, not really."

She wasn't going to tell me that she had lunch with Dawson, and she wasn't going to tell me who she had in mind, but I could tell there was someone, and I had a good feeling that it was Dawson.

I answered my phone when I saw that it was Dawson.

"Where are you? I brought supper."

"How did you know that I was home?" I asked. I knew Lauren had told him. I just wanted to see what his answer was.

"ESP, baby. Get over here. I'm hungry, and I miss you."

I smiled. He wasn't telling me either. "I'm coming."

I stood up and took Lauren's hand. "Come, let's go eat."

"No. I think I am just going to hang out here. You go ahead," she said pulling her hand from mine.

"I thought you said you weren't mad at me."

"I'm not. I'm just not hungry. I had a big lunch."

"Please," I begged.

She groaned and got up. We walked across the yard, arm in arm. I knew I was being sly, but I couldn't help it. I had to know.

Dawson was setting plates out on the table and getting spoons for the carton of mashed potatoes and corn.

I went to the kitchen and got Lauren a plate and the b.u.t.ter for the biscuits. I watched the two of them exchange a glance. It was not my imagination. I know what I saw, and I know that Lauren quickly redirected her eyes.

I placed the utensils on the table and decided to try something else. I wrapped my arms around Dawson's neck and kissed him.

"Hi," I said as his hands moved around by ever growing body.

"Hi," he said, and I kissed him again.

"I think I will just leave you two alone," Lauren tried.

"No. I'm done. I promise," I said, playing it off.

"Sit."

We ate the chicken, and I purposely touched Dawson every chance I got, just to observe Lauren's reaction. It was obvious. She didn't want me touching him.

There was something going on. I knew it.

Lauren helped clean up the trash. I could tell that she wanted out of there. I kissed Dawson again in the kitchen, and that was it. She was gone.

"I'll see you guys later," she stated, not looking back.

"What's her problem?" I asked Dawson.

He shrugged one shoulder. "She's your friend," he accused, like I should know better than him.

"Did you miss me?" I asked, moving into his arms.

I don't know what the h.e.l.l I was doing. I guess I felt a little rejected or some s.h.i.t. I had planned on telling him that I didn't want to be with him and that I was going home to my husband. I didn't feel that way anymore. I wanted Dawson, especially after realizing that Lauren wanted him too.

"Of course I missed you," he a.s.sured me, pulling me into his arms. "How's your family?"

Was he now fishing for information? "Good, I'm going back down in a couple of weeks. Caroline is in a school play and I promised her I would come and watch."

I'm pretty sure he bought it. He kissed me, parting my lips with his tongue. I kissed him back and ran my hands along his ribs and to his strong back. I wanted him. I wanted him right that second. What the h.e.l.l was wrong with me? I needed professional help or something.

Dawson tried to lift my shirt over my head. I stopped him. I hadn't forgotten about the nice little surprise that Drew had left for me.

"I need a shower," I whispered to his lips.

He placed his forehead on mine and took a deep breath. "Then you better get away from me and go," he a.s.sured me.

I kissed him again and left him.

I prayed that he didn't come into the bathroom. I think I showered quicker than I ever had in my life. I even dressed in record time.

Dawson was in my room emptying his pockets when I came out. He took clothes from his dedicated drawers and kissed me as he headed to the shower next.

d.a.m.nit he was staying. We were going to have s.e.x. This was not the plan...at all.

I slipped on a pair of socks and eyed his cellphone, trying to tell myself not to do it. I had never looked through his phone. I never had a reason to. I jumped up and practically ran to it. I opened it up and went right to the messages. Fifty seven of them were to and from Lauren. I scanned them quickly, listening for the shower to shut off.

Most of them were just quick little text. Like, good morning, good night, how is your day going? And then I read where they were meeting. He knew that I was home the night before. Lauren had text him and told him not to come over because I was home.

Why was I so p.i.s.sed about Dawson and Lauren? It wasn't like I hadn't just lied to him and spent the last few days with Drew. I was furious. I was reading one from Lauren, telling Dawson that she missed his lips and couldn't wait until she could kiss him. I didn't hear the water shut off, and I didn't hear Dawson walk in.

I don't know how I knew that he was standing there. I guess I just sensed his presence. I turned to see his tight lipped face staring right at me, going through his phone.

"Dawson?" I said. I needed to know. Screw the private investigator c.r.a.p. I wanted to know, and he was going to tell me.

"I've wanted to tell you, Riley."

"Tell me what?"

He didn't speak. I could feel my heart beating. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins. I was ticked. I wanted to pick his gun up and shoot him in the head. I was literally seeing little light prisms. I was so freaking mad. I couldn't see straight. Why, I wasn't sure. I really had no right, but G.o.d d.a.m.nit, this. .h.i.t me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't expecting this. I could have never seen this coming, not in a million years.

"How long has this been going on, Dawson?" I asked. I was trying my best to keep my cool. Never mind the fact that I was planning on dumping him that very night.

"Riley, come here," he tried. f.u.c.k that. He wasn't touching me, ever.

"Just f.u.c.king tell me, Dawson," I demanded, still trying not to yell.

"Come out here and sit down. I will put on some tea, and we will talk."

I stormed past him shoving his phone in his chest. I didn't want to sit. I couldn't sit. I walked out to the cold November chill in my sock feet. I needed air. I needed the brisk cold sea air. I felt like I was suffocating, and I didn't know why.

Dawson left me alone while he heated water. It was probably best that he did. When I finally cooled off, I walked back in and sat at the table. I shivered, freezing from the cold air.

"Do you love her?" I asked, looking down at the table. I didn't want to see his face when I got my answer.

"I don't know, Ry. Lauren has been there for me through all of this. We spent hours together when you were missing."

"How sweet," I smartly, replied.

"Not like that. We spent hours looking for you.

You were gone almost five months before anything ever happened. We were only intimate twice before I found you."

"Why didn't you just leave me lost?"

"Because I love you. I still love you."

"Do you want Lauren?"

"I don't know how to answer that right now. I guess that is up to you."

"Why would it be up to me?" I asked, turning to look at him.

He bought our teacups to the table and sat in front of me.

"If I thought for one second that you were going to divorce Drew and marry me and raise our family together, I wouldn't want Lauren."

"So, you are doing to her, what I have done to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you are putting her second because you feel obligated to make things work with me."

"Is that what you have been doing, Riley?"

"Not on purpose, but I guess so. It's always been Drew, Daw. I didn't always realize that, but it's a fact.

We could have been happy had things not have happened the way that they did. If I wouldn't have forgotten who I was and fallen in love with my husband for the first time, things may have been different. I do love you. You have been my safety blanket from day one."

"You want out too, don't you?"

"Yes. I didn't go to my mother's. I have been with Drew."

"I kind of figured as much, and it wasn't the first time. Was it"

I shook my head.

"What about the baby, Riley. If this is my kid, I want to be a part of his life."

I smiled at him. I couldn't help it. "I know, and I would never keep you from that. I would actually be a little relieved if I knew that Lauren was going to be the other female in his life."

He smiled too. I think at that point we were both praying that this little boy wasn't his.

"I'm glad that I had the opportunity to know and love you," Dawson, quietly said.

I don't know why that bothered me, but it did. I think because I knew he was at the place where he was telling me goodbye. I quickly swiped the escaped tear.

"Riley?" Dawson said, sadly, wanting me to look at him.

"I'm not Riley, Dawson. I'm Morgan."

He smiled a weak smile. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. I've been through worse. I'll manage."

"Yes you have, and I hope the rest of your life is full of nothing but happiness."