Eternity

“I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve seen you,” Erik sat up higher in his bed.

And Joe wanted me to check up on him?

“Erik,” I stated this time instead of questioning. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I was in an accident last night and I kinda couldn’t just drive home in my smashed up car, now could I?”

“You were the one in the accident with Joe?”

That was a stupid question to ask. He obviously was.

“Yeah, I guess I was. Wanted to see me instead, huh?” He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, please,” I said and stood up from the chair next to his bed. “Joe asked if I could check up on the guy that was in the accident with him. If I knew it was you, I wouldn’t have come, stupid.”

“Ouch. Hurtful words, Alex.”

“Alexa. And I think I have a right to say what I’d like after the way you treated me,” I retorted, not realizing how that seemed a little lame out loud.

He looked at me for a moment without speaking, probably unsure of what to say at first, and then laughed to himself.

“A woman should be kept in line, Alex, and I wasn’t gonna have you running around with some pretty boy. Where is that pretty boy anyway? I.C.U, I would hope,” he laughed.

“Wow, asshole much?” I replied sarcastically. “My fiancé is doing just fine, thanks.”

At this, he stared at me with a look that seemed like hurt in his eyes. And for a moment, I felt bad. I shouldn’t have felt that way, but I did. I suppose it was those old feelings that were beginning to surface that I hadn’t felt for him for more than a year. After all, I loved Erik; once upon a time…

After all this time, I did my best to keep him out of my mind. It may have seemed absolutely ridiculous, but there had always been something inside me that still longed for Erik.

I watched as he looked down at his hands and then rubbed his neck, as if it would help him think of something to say.

“Fiancé,” he repeated and sighed. I nodded my head slowly and sat back down next to his bed. His features had softened, and I didn’t know how I should react to this. “I can’t believe it.”

“Yeah, I could imagine,” I said and leaned back on the chair. “I can’t believe you’re not acting like a complete jerk because of it.”

“Okay, that’s uncalled for.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m moving on from you and I found someone that I love and who loves me back. He knows how to treat me right.”

“And yet, there’s still something inside of you that’s making you question whether your marriage would work. There’s something that’s making you doubt everything you have with that guy.” His tone was final, as if I wasn’t allowed to say something back.

“You don’t know anything about us.”

“Please,” he scoffed and waved his hand at me as if he were pushing me aside. “There are going to be so many troubles between the two of you; I can tell.”

“Erik, you know nothing. You know nothing about how to treat a woman,” I began ticking each item off with my fingers. “You know nothing about how a relationship should be, you can’t love anyone the way they should be loved, you’re self-absorbed, you’re a pompous ass; should I continue?”

“No need to,” he held up a hand for me to stop. “You still have feelings for me, don’t you?”

“What?” I exclaimed. “How could you think that? That’s so stupid!”

“Admit it,” he looked me dead in the eye.

“You’re crazy.”

The tension in the room was making me feel more uncomfortable than I had felt when I first realized it was Erik lying in the hospital bed. He shook his head at my comment and I scrunched my eyebrows.

“What now?” I asked.

“You’re saying you’re over me completely and that you’ve truly found the one that you’ll be spending that rest of your life with?”

I hesitated for a moment, wishing that I hadn’t.

“Yes,” I finally answered.

“A little hesitant, huh?”

“I’m not hesitant. I’m in love with Joe and I wanna spend the rest of my life with him.”

“And you’re sure about that?”

“Yes! God, Erik; why do you even care?”

“Because if you care for him as much as you say you do, than why are you still talking to me instead of comforting your fiancé in his hospital room?”