To say the last 3 months were Hell would be a lie. They weren't that bad I dealt with some heart ache but over all the last few months have been really great. Man i got to go to LA and hang with some super cool peoples. I've still been kicking it all healthfully and really life just isn't letting me get down. Love on the other hand that's a horse of a different color. I did get to see Laura again and much to my fearful assumption of a horrible distance forming. It was amazing. Seriously the hug that happened the moment we meet melted all fears away. It was as if nothing had happened and we were still just as close. I just leaned in and told her how much I had missed her. She replied in kind. After that the night was a foot. We took off to a bar called the Anchor for some eats. Each of us desiring some decent food. This place had it for sure I got a sandwich called, "Hell hath no fury..." I tell you what readers i felt that one later. So spicy even got some Jalopeno juice in my eye. As we sat there catching up on the 3 months we had been absent each others lives it was nothing but smiles and laughter. I shit you not I mean I nearly had a heart attack just for fear of this reunion. Only moments later we were back. From there we walked on to Mort's. Her local Haunt for Mondays they have live music and half priced Martini's. I remember discussing something Kate and I had talked about how we are all influenced more by certain elements and for me it was water. She asked what i thought hers was. I said, "Well you are stubborn and unyielding. I'll go with rock." She looked to me and said, "If you are water and I'm rock I suppose that means you'll wear me down." Adding to it her heart melting smile. I had no response just smiled back at her. We took off to go to another bar that was less crowded. There we got a few Guinness beers and sat down for what turned out to be question and answer period for the night. Now Laura is a girl that has a lot of walls up. So many in fact I found out she really didn't want to start a serious relationship with someone until she was able to take some of those walls down. Hence the Shawn thing. In fact I noticed every time she talked about Shawn her whole demeanor dropped. Personally, and i could be wrong it just seemed like it wasn't a happy thing to talk about. With him there are no expectations or even assumptions. I won't go into it a whole lot just because that's her story to tell. For my part I understood where she was coming from logically. I just didn't understand why she wouldn't let me walk with her and help her break down some walls. I did make the mistake of running ahead of her before she was ready to be as serious as I wanted to be. That was a failing on my part. One I wish I could have rectified. A lesson learned if nothing else. If we find ourselves together in the future I will be walking with her and we will take the steps we need to together and my head won't be in the clouds. The night drew on and I basically got all the answers that had been lost to me when I was to close to see the whole picture. She took me back to my hotel and when I asked how far away from my hotel her house was. She proposed letting me stay there with her. I mean it just wouldn't be a trip to Wichita if I wasn't falling asleep in her arms. So back to her house we went. She made brownies and then it was time to turn in. She said she no longer had a guest bed and I had to sleep with her. So long as I was good. I laughed and said, "When am I not good?" We settled in and I laid down preparing to be good. Much to my surprise she rolled into me and did a super cuddle move. The one where you head is in the nape of the others neck. your arms are wrapped around and your legs are intertwined. Not a friends way of cuddling. I didn't pull away I merely held her close. The night went on like that and we woke way to early from a long night up. We managed about 20 min more of cuddling then I was back to my hotel. I leaned in not knowing if I would see her that night and told her I never intended to say goodbye. The last time I said goodbye I truly meant it.
After all the stuff for the commercial was done it was about the same time she got off of work so I headed over to her place and hung out with a mutual friend of ours Ryan. We chilled at the house for a bit and went out for food. Ryan shot off to Soggy bottoms, that's their haunt on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That is also where Shawn works. Knowing this made me slightly at ease having spent the night before in his GF's arms. That bar was closed much to their surpise so we went to another called Quiencys. She got a call mid dinner from Shawn about the bar being closed and no one telling him. He wasn't happy about that and I assume less happy to find out Laura was hanging out with me. She said she would meet up with him in about 30 after we finished our food. Over the course of the meal she got several more texts and then I was taking her home. I asked if I needed to rush so she could meet up with him. She said, "No! he had already gone home." That's weird I couldn't fathom not waiting 30 min to see your girl. So we opted to go do some Karaoke. She sang and I sang. She sang Adele the artist i told her had torn me to pieces after our break. I was ok with it. More so than I had assumed I'd be. Went back to her place after and cuddled up. Watched some TV and I gave her a body massage to work on some places she hadn't had worked on sense I had been there last. Talked more in depth about the issues between us and i broke down some of my own walls for her. I also remarked how i had hoped I hadn't made Shawn Jealous because a jealous BF tends to try harder. Once again with a look of defeat she said he wouldn't try at all he would just leave. I kept wondering why she was fighting so hard something that seemed like it was failing but I held my tongue. It was not my place anymore to ask such questions. i was no longer a friend and no longer a lover. i was something new something different. lord knows what I am now. I told her how I had hope in us again just not for right now. I understood that she needed this time to find herself again. As the massage drew to a close. I kissed her head and told her that tonight ends the chapter of what had been between us. Tomorrow a new chapter starts. One where we are what ever new thing it is we are becoming. If it becomes lovers or stays friends. Either way what's been done in the past is past. I truly wished i could have just fallen asleep with her there that night but I had to work at 8 in the morning so around 1 I took off from her house. She watched me drive away until our eyes could no longer see each other.
She had told me of her dreams and aspirations on this trip and I look to make those come true for her. She invited me to her families Christmas gathering. I honestly don't know what kind of invitation that was a friendly one of one laced with a relationship she hopes will bloom. All I know is that from here on out. It's her turn to chase me. She can come to me, she can call me, I will be catchable. I will not fall back into a chase for her unless she is ready. I asked her if she was ready to not let pride or fear stop her from coming for me. So that's where I am at now my friends. My closest peer groups are super worried for me. They think I'll fall back into that hook. I don't think I will though. My heart is different now. It's changed. The love I have for her is still there but its a love based on condition. I'm also very aware of proper timing now. I won't screw it up if I'm given a second chance. I hope she will see the same. There is something there and it's more than obvious to both of us. It's just about finding the right time to act now.
