Yesterday's Pain

Chapter 9

Madie and I are holding hands while standing in front of our school's director. My knees started to tremble and cold sweats started to form on my forehead but Madie looks so calm like she didn't create a huge mess.

"Are both of you aware that punching a professor's face can cause you to be kicked out in this school?" The school director even took off her eyeglasses to look at us eye to eye.

"It is his fault though," Maddie pointed in my professor's direction. My terror professor looked at Madie furiously. He couldn't take the anger he was feeling so he stood up and came near us. He grabbed Madie's collar and held it tightly. I couldn't stand seeing it so I pulled his hands out of Madie's collar. I thought I am strong enough to do that but I was wrong because with just one push I fall on the floor that was the exact moment when Andrew entered the room. Andrew immediately walk towards me and held my elbow to assist me from standing up. He checked my face and my hands to see if I was hurt somewhere.

"I am fine Andrew," I told him with a small smile on my face. When he heard that he let go of me and walk towards my professor. He grabbed the collar of my terror professor and held it tightly. I saw how the face of my professor became paper white. With trembling hands, he let go of Madie's collar.

"Who told you that you can push my wife like that?" Veins on Andrew's arm are showing because of his tight grip. My professor couldn't answer him and he looks like he was about to cry. I felt sorry for him so I walked in their direction and hold Andrew's arm.

"I am not hurt Andrew, it was an accident, my professor didn't push me that hard." I convinced him while caressing his arm softly. He looked at me for a few seconds and he pushed my professor to the side.

"I will file charges." He announced that made everyone shocked. Upon hearing Andrew's words my professor kneeled while rubbing his palms against each other.

"I am sorry Mr. Gray, I didn't mean to push your wife. I am deeply sorry." The tears that my professor have been stopping earlier fall non-stop.

"Deserve," Madie commented with a smirk on her face. I slapped her arms. Yes, my professor humiliated me earlier but I still feel sorry for him.

"Can you just please let this go?" I asked Andrew but he shook his head and look straight into my eyes.

"No one can disrespect my wife like that." He said with finality and I knew that I have no power to change his decision. I looked at my professor feeling sorry.

"I hope this won't happen again." That was Andrew's last words before dragging me out of the director's office. Madie followed us with satisfaction on her face.

"Your husband is so f*****g hot Lauren." She whispered in my ears and slap my arms to show how thrilled she is.

"Everyone is looking at your husband girl, look." She pointed at the crowd and she is right, everyone is looking at my husband. Andrew is indeed a head-turner I cannot deny that. He is tall and his muscles are in the right places plus his face, he looks like a Greek God.

"Am I a lucky girl?" Madie nodded and both of us giggled.

"Hey, Adam!" Madie shouted and waved her hands at Adam. I also waved my hand at him but he just nod his head and diverted his gaze to my hands intertwined with Andrew's hands. He looked at it for a few seconds and walked out without greeting us back.

"What was that?" I asked Madie curiously.

"He is just jealous Lauren," Madie answered and pointed my hand held by Andrew. My eyebrows furrowed not getting her point.

"Nothing you numb woman." She laughed and drifted away from us. She took a different path and walk towards the cafeteria. I watch Madie as she greeted her other friends and after that, I diverted my eyes to my hands held by Andrew, I tried to fight the urge to smile but I failed.

"Why are you smiling?" I immediately wipe the smile on my face when Andrew asked that.

"Nothing," I answered and shook my head. When we reached his car we stopped walking and he looked at me intently. He hold both of my shoulders and made me face him.

"Do you know how tired I am Lauren?" He asked and I can't help but bow my head because I feel guilty. Of course, I know he is tired from taking care of his father but I tried stopping the school director from calling him but she didn't listen to me.

"I am sorry." I apologize with tears in my eyes. I did everything to stop myself from crying but my tears betrayed me.

"Get inside the car." He commanded using his cold voice. With trembling knees and cold hands, I opened the door of the passenger seat and get in.

"Tell me what happened." He told me the moment he was sitting in the driver's seat.

"My professor told me that I am a useless woman. I felt insulted so I cried and Madie notice it, she attack my professor and punch him in the face. I tried stopping her but I can't." My tears fall nonstop after narrating what happened. Andrew handed me a tissue so I took it. I waited for him to talk but it take him a while before saying something.

"Aren't you hurt?" He asked with concern in his voice. I looked at him and pouted like a kid who wants some comfort. He opened his arms inviting me to hug him so I did. I hugged him tightly and buried my face on his neck while crying.

"You are really a kid." Andrew let out a small laugh after saying those and caressed my back softly.

"I am not," I complained contradicting the remarks that made him laugh even more.

"Are you hungry?" When he asked me that my stomach growled so I buried my face on his neck even more. He laughed at me once again and lifted my chin to face him.

"Can we stay like this forever Andrew?" I asked while looking into his eyes. He was stunned for a second and he just stared at me.

"I am trying Lauren." He answered and kissed my forehead.

"I am trying to love you, be patient with me okay?" He asked so I nodded my head. I know I should be happy with his answer but I felt the opposite. It felt like someone stabbed my chest but I hide it by smiling at him.

"Can we visit Dad?" I will try my luck and I hope he will say yes. I miss my Dad so much and I want to see him badly. I want to check if he is okay and I want to know if he's still mad at me?

"Okay." After that, he started his car's engine and started driving.

"I just want to see him even just for a few seconds," I told him and he nodded his head.

"What does your father like? We can stop at a nearby restaurant to buy him food before going to your house." My father eats anything though. He doesn't have any particular favorite. He ate whatever you can offer because according to him it is a blessing from above.

"Anything will do," I told Andrew. Like what he said we stopped at a restaurant. I want to come with him but he told me to stay in the car and he will be the one to order some food. I thought he will buy one dish but I was wrong. When he comes out of the restaurant he is holding a big paper bag.

"Why did you order so many?" I asked him when he get in the car.

"So your Dad will have options." He answered like he just spend a penny to buy those foods. The restaurant looks expensive so the food must be expensive as well.

"But this is too much." I opened the paper bag and it has seven dishes. I looked at him but he just shrugged his shoulder and drive to our house. When we reached our neighborhood I saw my father talking to Adam's parents. Andrew stopped the car in front of our house so I immediately get off. I saw my father looking in our direction and when he saw me he stared at me like he was surprised to see me. I walk towards him and Andrew followed.

"Good day Mr. and Mrs. Harris." I greeted Adam's parents and kissed both of their cheeks.

"You became prettier Meghan." Mrs. Harris complimented me that made me blush. I smiled shyly and uttered my thank you to her.

"Good day Mr. and Mrs. Harris, I am Lauren's husband." Andrew greeted them using his baritone voice. He extended his hands and Adam's parents even though shocked still took it. Andrew then shifted his gaze to my father.

"Good day Mr. Smith." My father looks so mad but still, he decided to shake hands with Andrew. I looked at my father and I saw his eyes diverted to me.

"I miss you Dad." I throw myself at him and hugged him tightly while my tears are falling. I felt my father's hands softly caressing my back and after a while, I felt my shoulder getting wet. I heard my father's sobs which made me cry even more. We are having a dramatic moment so Adam's parents bid their goodbyes to give us privacy.

"We will get going Meghan, Pastor Smith." I felt my father's nodding his head. My father gently pushed me and hold both of my shoulders so we can face each other. He lifted his hands and wiped the tears on my face but they continue from falling.

"I-I am sorry D-dad." I told him while catching my own breath because of too much crying. He continued wiping my tears and kissed me on the forehead. I looked at Andrew and he looks like a statue while watching me and my father comfort each other.

"Let's go inside." I cling my arms to my father and started walking to our house but Andrew remained standing confused if he should follow us or he will just stand there.

"You will gonna stand there all day long?" My father asked him so he shook his head and followed us while holding the paper bag with food.

"I miss my home, Dad. I missed you." I hugged my father once again when we entered the house.

"I missed my baby too." He hugged me even tighter and messed my hair like I am a little kid.

"You can sit down." He told Andrew using his strict voice and Andrew without saying anything. He looks so scared of my father different from his aura the first time they met. He looks so brave when he told my father that he will marry me but right now he looks like a scared kid.

"Thank you, Sir," Andrew said after sitting down. He put the food on the table so I took it and entered our kitchen. I left Andrew in the sala with my father. He tried calling my name but I didn't look back and proceeded on walking to our kitchen. I took out all the food from the paper bag and put it on our dining table. I arrange the plates and utensils and after that, I called them to eat.

"Food is ready Dad, Andrew!" I shouted from the kitchen and since our house is not that big they entered the kitchen in a matter of seconds.

My father sat at the center while Andrew sat beside me.

"Let us pray." My father did the sign of the cross and bowed his head. He uttered thank you's to God for the different blessings that we have received and he asked for forgiveness for all the sins we have committed.

"Amen." All of us said in unison when my father was finished praying.

"Are you happy Lauren?" I was about to grab some food but I stopped when my father asked me that question. I looked at him and smiled genuinely.

"Of course Dad," I answered him smiling from ear to ear. Of course, I am happy especially now that Andrew promised me we will make this marriage work. I was hurt at some point when he told me that he is trying to love me since it looks like I am pushing myself to him, but that is the truth anyway, truth hurts indeed.

"I am glad you are happy." He returned my smile and hold my hand.

" I promised to your mother that I will do everything to make you happy and I will protect you from getting hurt. That is why I stopped you from marrying Andrew, I am afraid that during your marriage you will end up getting hurt since everything is happening so fast, but now that I am seeing you happy made me the happiest father in the world." He was about to cry again so I squeezed his hand. He wiped the tears at the side of his eyes and looked at me with so much love in his eyes.

"Thank you Andrew for making my daughter happy. I now accept you as part of our family. Please take care of Lauren and love her right. My daughter is the only thing I have so treasure her." My father looked at Andrew so I shifted my gaze to my husband. I saw him slowly nodding his head.

"I will Sir." I held his hand under the table. He looked at me and when he did I uttered my thank you to him.

"Let's eat." When we started eating my father started telling embarrassing stories about my childhood. He told Andrew how stubborn I was as a kid. He even get our old photo album that contained my funny pictures when I was young.

"Dad stop please." I couldn't take the humiliation that was given by my father. I tried stealing the photo album from his hold but I couldn't. Andrew laughed at me and took one photo of mine, I am just three years old in the picture I think.

"I will keep this Sir." My father nodded permitting Andrew to take the photo. I look so messy in the picture while eating ice cream.

"Please not that one," I begged but both of them just laughed at me.

"Why? You are cute here Lauren?" Andrew looked at my photo and smiled. He is teasing me but I couldn't do anything about it. I just gave up on getting the photo. My father excused himself to get something and when he was gone Andrew whispered in my ear.

"You are not that hard to love Lauren."