Love Was Easy When We Didn't Make It So Hard

The red brush slid across my thumb nail in a perfectly straight line, the wet redness shining in the light of my bedroom. I sighed, dipping the brush in before beginning another coat on my right hand which had already dried. Gabby laid next to me, snuggled into my side, her pink nose wet against my skin where my t-shirt had ridden up. After Eric had left, I popped in my favorite sad romance and put on a pair of sweats, snuggling up with a carton of ice cream. If Eric and I kept fighting, I was going to be fat by the end of the season.

Eric had been gone for three hours and it was now 10:30, the night long since falling over the city, but from the noise level, you wouldn't have been able to tell. I finished my second coat, carefully placing my hands against my thighs to dry. Gabby snorted against my leg and lifted her head up, looking at me with those crystal blue eyes that were beautiful. I smiled at her, kissing her snout before turning my attention back to P.S. I Love You.

This movie never failed to make me cry, the heartbreak of losing the only person she had ever loved. It was depressing and every time I watched it, the idea of losing Eric made me hug him that much tighter the next time I saw him. I was hoping to get the same results this time because lord knows I need something to get me to chill out. I was so upset with him. We have a great time at home with our family and friends and the second we are back here, everything goes to hell again. That can't happen because I honestly cannot live like this. It was too stressful and I shouldn't have to.

The apartment door creaked open just as the movie was ending but this time I was too upset to cry at the end when Holly read Gary's final letter to her. I sat up in the bed, fuming as Gabby poked her head up, her snout pointed towards the door. She sniffed as Eric walked into the room, tugging at his blue tie and glancing briefly at me. I rolled my eyes as he headed into the walk-in closet, shrugging off his outfit and slipping into a sweatshirt and some sweatpants. I kept my eyes on him as he walked around the bed, climbing in and snuggling under the covers with his back turned to me.

I clicked off the TV as Gabby looked back and forth between Eric and I, trying to decide where she was going to sleep. I snapped my finger and pointed to the floor, surprised when she jumped off and made herself comfortable on the pink pillow in the corner of the room. I smiled at her, blowing her a kiss before I turned down my side of the bed and shut off the light. I tried to get comfortable as best I could with the tension hovering over the bed. The sound of honking cars and the roar of the city filled the thick silence. I pursed my lips, waiting for him to say something to me, but he didn't. His breathing evened out before I could even consider talking to him.

I sighed loudly and burrowed farther into my pillow, tucking my chin to my chest as I let myself drift to sleep, ignoring Eric as he slept soundly as if nothing was wrong.
***

I woke up the next morning to an empty bed, my arms and legs wrapped tightly around Eric's pillow. Gabby had taken up residence on Eric's side of the bed, lifting her head from her paw to look at me. I smiled at her and ruffled her fur, reaching for my glasses off the night stand and putting them on. I pulled myself to a sitting position, looking around the room. I listened to the sounds of the apartment, hearing nothing but the outside world. I heaved a sigh and got out of bed, padding out to the kitchen where I found a note.

Went to practice. Be back later.
Love you,
Eric

I shook my head, tossing the note in the trash before looking for something to eat. I caught the glimmer of my ring in the sunlight, looking at it with a tilted head. It really was beautiful. It was simple, but extravagant enough where I was proud to show it off. I just wished I felt the same way about who I was engaged to. I sighed at that thought, moving to the coffee maker which already had coffee in it for me, still hot. I smiled at the simple gesture of Eric to make coffee for me.

Gabby sniffed at my feet, wagging her tail when I looked down at her. I knelt in front of my new puppy, scratching at her scruffy face. I kissed her snout, keeping my mouth there to place a couple more. She whined to me, her tail wagging with urgency.

"Do you want to go for a walk bud?" I asked her. She yelped in approval, blue eyes dancing with excitement. I giggled, grabbing her leash off the counter. I put it on her and then went to quick throw on a pair of PINK sweatpants along with a matching sweatshirt before pulling on my Nikes. Gabby and I walked along the streets of Chicago to Lincoln park which was flooded with people. Joggers ran by while other dogs walked around Gabby, sniffing at her before their owners tugged them away. Gabby loved all the attention from the various kids that reached for her, to the adults that cooed as she wagged her tail while peering up at them.

A little while later, Gabby and I stopped at a bench as I sipped a mocha from Starbucks, the hot liquid warming me up in the chilly fall air. I sighed softly, tracing my finger over the white lid as I stared out at Lake Michigan, the ring on my finger suddenly more noticeable. I smiled at the though of Eric's proposal and how incredible it had been when we finally began to embark on the road of being married. I wished the road was full of a little less bumps. I sighed as Gabby plopped down on the ground, settling against the sidewalk and huffing out a sigh or her own.

"Gabby, what am I going to do with your daddy?" I murmured to her, running my hands through my hair. I pulled at the ends before grabbing the binder from my wrist and throwing my hair into a pony tail. I traced a pattern onto my thigh, trying to think of a way to bring the old Eric back. My biggest problem was Tom. I had no problems with Eric playing in the NFL because that's what he wanted to do. But I did have a problem with how flaky he had been since we got here. It wasn't fair to me that he ran around being a dick all the time.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I looked down, pulling it out to see a new text from Eric.

Where are you?

I had just read it when he called me apparently not getting a response fast enough. I rolled my eyes and pressed ignore, feeling my anger at him flare back up with just the simple contact. He called again after he got my voice mail and I gave him the same response before shutting my phone off. It was a beautiful day in Chicago and I refused to let him ruin it for me. Gabby and I began to walk back again, taking the long way home as we weaved through the streets of Chicago. I did a little bit of window shopping, starting to get ideas as to themes and what style of dress I wanted.

Gabby sniffed at practically every person who passed by, friendly as ever as she bounced along the sidewalk in front of me. I smiled as a little girl tentatively asked if she could pet her. I smiled down at her and nodded my head yes, crouching behind Gabby to hold her collar so Gabby wouldn't frighten the little girl. My puppy's blue eyes shone with the sky as she got the attention she was always craving, the little girl petting her in just the right way.

"How old is she?" The mother asked me as she too petted Gabby's soft fur.

"She is three months old," I responded.

"She is very good with children," the mother observed as Gabby licked her daughter's hand.

"Yeah, one of the reasons I was so drawn to her was for her calm personality which is rare for huskies. Usually they are so full of energy they can't sit still." I stood back up when I realized Gabby had no intention of moving closer to the little girl since the tiny child had petted her into a coma. Gabby slid down to the ground, rolling over for her to pet her belly. I smiled at the sight, a feeling inside of me clicking at how adorable it was. I wanted kids, Eric and I both did, and it made me happy that my new puppy would be able to handle them.

Gabby and I moved along a few minutes later much to the puppy's and the little girl's dismay. Gabby whimpered as she watched her new friend walk away with her mom, both of them looking back at each other. I shook my head at how pathetic Gabby was being.

"Someday you'll have a playmate," I told her, patting her head. "And when Gracie is older and comes to visit with Zoe, you can play with them all day long until you are too tired to even lift your head." I smiled at our doorman who held the door open for Gabby and I, my dog giving him a sniff just to inhale one more person's scent.

"Miss?" The doorman asked causing me to pause. "Mr. Decker has been looking for you." He informed me.

"Oh?" I wondered. "I guess I forgot to leave him a note." I shrugged, smiling and thanking him.

I decided to take the stairs to give Gabby a little bit more of a work out and to put forth my effort to stop being so lazy. Of course I forgot about the twelve flights of stairs I would have to climb. I was sort of embarrassed that I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached my floor, letting Gabby drag me down the hallway to our apartment. I shoved the key in, opening the door to see Eric pacing the living room, his phone connected to his ear. His attention snapped to the door when he saw me, heaving an obvious relieved sigh.

"Hi," I told him, unclipping Gabby's leash as she trotted over to Eric, digging her nose into his crotch. Eric pushed her face away, crossing the room and gathering me up in his arms.

"I was worried sick about you!" He mumbled into my hair, inhaling deeply.

"Why?" I asked him, leaning back to look at his face, worry lines still evident on his face.

"I didn't know where you were and then you didn't answer when I called and texted you. Don't do that to me," he huffed out, pouting down at me. I felt a soft flutter in my stomach at how worried he was about me. It felt like it had been an eternity since Eric had showed that he cared that much about me, but when you're fighting, every good thing seems like light years away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be a big deal," I shrugged to him, rubbing my hands into his lower back. His brown eyes slid shut at my touch and he sighed softly, his hands running down to my butt. I giggled as his big paws gripped my backside tightly, a deep groan making his chest rumble against mine.

"Ry, I'm sorry about last night," He whispered to me. "I should have stayed home with you, or asked you to come. But it just wasn't your thing, you know? It was with a bunch of stuffy people and you would have had to dress up." He opened his eyes, one of his hands staying on my lower back while his other hand tangled in my pony tail. His fingers wrapped around the binder, slowly sliding it out of my hair so the strands fell against my shoulders.

"Eric, it's not that you went, it's that you didn't ask me if I wanted to. You keep making all these decision for me and it seems like it's simply because you just don't want me to be around you anymore."

"That isn't it at all, baby girl. I'm just trying to keep you out of the spotlight. I don't want you to be put into a situation you might not be ready for. These people are different than the college athletes we are used to." He ran a hand through his short hair as he looked at me through lowered lashes.

"I'll just go Minnesota nice on their asses." Eric and I both giggled as he slowly started to back me up through the apartment. I licked my lips suggestively as his hands roamed down to my butt again, gripping it as he hoisted me up into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist at the moment my lips touched his in a hungry kiss. I giggled into Eric's mouth as he thrust his hips into mine, his erection already prominent against my inner thigh. The feeling of Eric's arousal caused my body temperature to shoot through the roof. I titled my head, kissing down his neck as he pushed my sweatshirt aside, fiddling with the zipper as his fingers dug into my butt.

"Off," he growled into my neck, helping me pull my arms out of the clothing that was too much for the both of us. I grasped his neck, using it as leverage to hold him against me as he pushed the sweatshirt to the floor. I began pulling his shirt up and over his abs, brushing my fingers against the muscles that protruded out so deliciously.

"Eric," I whispered to him as he pushed me up against the wall, his eyes so dark they almost looked black.

"What?" He moaned out against my neck, his hands pushing my t-shirt up until he was faced with my breasts covered only by my plain white bra. I frowned as I looked down at it, wishing I would have worn something a little more sexy. But how was I supposed to know that this was going to happen?

"Hurry up." I complained as he grinned into my chest, his face covered by mounds of flesh. He pulled his face out, his grin the sexiest thing I had seen in awhile.

"Yes darling," he drawled out, getting a better grip on my butt as he walked us quickly to the bedroom. The jingling of Gabby's collar was heard and Eric quickly shut the door. I giggled as the dog whined from outside the door, wanting to know what we were doing. "Go away!" Eric yelled to her, smiling with satisfaction when the jingling of her collar brought her back to the living room.

Eric wasted no time in undressing me, his rough hands making me shiver as they rubbed against my smooth skin. I loved the contrast of his calloused hands against my soft skin, two different textures combined to make the mot enticing feeling. Eric let his tongue flick against the shell of my ear as he rolled a condom on, keeping my senses heightened as I watched his hands move the rubber down his length.

Just like always, he thrusted into me slowly, letting me adjust as the air whooshed out of my lungs. I gripped the comforter in my hand, the feeling of him filling me completely making me cry out in pleasure. I let out a fast breath at how good it felt when he started to move in and out of me, his hips bucking with mine in a quick, staccato rhythm.

"Fuck." Eric cursed as I squeezed him from within, the feeling sending both of us so close to the edge. But Eric wasn't ready for it to end. He slowed down, burying himself inside of me so deep that I saw stars behind my eyes lids. He stayed there, not moving, just pressing into me as his lips came to mine, kissing me softly. His tongue flicked against mine and I moaned into his mouth, slapping his hip to get him to move again. He chuckled, but did as I commanded, sliding out very slowly and pushing in at the same pace.

"More!" I exclaimed, pouting at him.

"What?" He asked as if he hadn't heard me. "What do you want? Slower?" He slowed down even more, teasing me as I dug my nails into his back. I was so turned on that I honestly couldn't feel anything besides what was going on between my legs. Everything else did not exist as Eric pulsed into me slowly once more.

"I want more," I whimpered out as he continued with the slow torturous thrusts.

"How much more?" He breathed out, his breaths becoming sputtered as I gripped him tightly just to make him want me as much as I wanted him. He hissed against my chest where he was letting his tongue slid against my nipple, making the pink skin pucker along with the goosebumps that spread out across my chest.

"Eric! Come on!" I growled to him. "Please?" I begged, finally giving in to what he wanted to hear. It always got him going to hear me beg something from him. He liked to know that I needed what he was giving to me.

His hip thrusts immediately got faster after I had pleaded for him to give me more. I titled my hips off the bed, giving him more access to my body as I threw my head back against the pillow, moaning out loudly. Eric wrapped my legs around his waist, holding them there as our hips moved together quickly. I called out to him, screaming louder than I had in a long time, the feeling of him moving against my inner walls making my brain buzz.

The orgasm grabbed a hold of me in an instant, coming out of no where and knocking me over like a freight train. The moan/scream got caught in my throat as I dug my nails into Eric's back, almost drawing blood. But Eric was too wrapped up in his own orgasm to notice or even feel the pain. He let out a long strangled groan as I gripped him tightly, pulling the orgasm out of him with my muscle convulsions.

"Holy shit," Eric breathed out as he collapsed on top of me, his mouth open as he tried to breath, struggling along with me to do such a simple task.

"That needs to happen more often," I whispered to him, my fingers setting atop of his head. I scratched at his scalp as he moaned softly, his eyes fluttering closed.

"You're incredible, you know that?" He murmured to me, grabbing my left hand and running his thumb over my ring. I smiled down at it, a flutter moving in my stomach again.

"Of course. My other fiance tells me all the time." I giggled as Eric slapped my hip lightly. "You know you're my one and only, Eric." I kissed the top of his head.

"I can't wait to start our life together." He whispered. "I can't wait to make you my wife and start making babies. We will have cute babies." He assured me, his chin nuzzling against my breasts.

"Yeah, they will get all the cute genes from me."

"I was a cute baby!" Eric argued. I widened my eyes at him, shaking my head no.

"Honey, the cone heads had less of a cone than you did."

"Hey! That is mean!" He complained, his mouth dropping open in shock that I would go that low.

"But it's okay because you are so cute now!" I pinched his cheeks as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Stop it." I laughed loudly, my chest shaking and making my breasts slap against his face a bit. He looked down at them, rawring suggestively before looking back up at me. He kissed them softly, moving up towards my face and crawling up my body.

"You're ready to go again?" I chuckled, letting my hands go to his back as he propped himself over me.

"It's the baby talk," he shrugged, his kisses moving from cute to hot in one second. "Gets me going."

"Slow down daddy. We aren't having kids yet." I snorted at him. "I'm not ready to give this up," I gestured down to my flat stomach. He wrinkled his nose, rolling his eyes at me.

"We'll see about that," He growled before diving into my neck, making me squeal and laugh as we began round two with much less foreplay.