I Woke Up in a Car

As the day went on, Eric slowly gathered his things from around the house, we both tried to avoid each other. Every now and then though, we would look at one another, no one saying a word. I caught Eric looking more than once as I sat behind the laptop, hammering out the details of John's next trips, keeping in touch with Adam (Moran) and the rest of the Burton team.

Dinner was awkward, mostly because Eric and I sat far apart from each other, which, for a couple who hadn't seen each other in three months, we should have been all over each other. John took notice at the separation and looked at me. I shook my head. I wasn't about to discuss it at the table and air our laundry for everyone to hear. I shouldn't even have been telling John, but, He noticed. It was hard to miss.

After dinner Eric disappeared upstairs, presumably to pack, John and I headed out to get a fire going in the fire pit. The house mates were cleaning up the kitchen and doing the dishes. "Okay, what's the deal with you and Eric?" John said, tossing a few pieces of wood in.

I shrugged in my jacket, just standing there, watching. I wasn't really in the mood for talking about it. "We're done." I said softly, reaching down to crumple some paper and stuff it between the pieces of wood.

John stopped and looked at me, "What?" he asked, "You just got back. You gotta give it time Ari." he said.

I sighed, "No, I don't. Some stuff.. happened.. I guess." I said, forcing more paper between the logs as I tried not to think about how upset I was still.
John reached over and took my hand back, "Hey, hey." he said, "Come on. What kind of stuff?" John asked, a frown splashed across his face.

I had never seen John frown or be upset, "It's not important." I said, looking at his hand on my arm. "It's really, really not important John." I said, my voice quiet as I avoided looking at him. The truth was, I didn't want him to be mad at Eric for screwing up.

John leaned in close to me and sighed, "You know, if it's that unimportant, why are you so upset?" John asked. I finally looked up to see his blue eyes. Fuck. I cursed him and Eric for having those same, ocean blue eyes. "Obviously, whatever happened is enough to shake you and your confidence in Eric." John rested his forehead against mine, "Just don't let it break you. You're stronger than that."

I just closed my eyes and stayed there, my forehead against John's. I just stayed like that for a while before moving to sit in a nearby chair as John started the fire. John was a good friend to me, he always had been. I just didn't have the heart to tell him that Eric had cheated on me while we were gone. Hell, I was still trying to forget about it myself.

The next morning we all got up to find Eric gone, back to Mammoth, back to Rachel. It was almost as though there was no trace of him to be found. A plate and fork was in the sink with a pot of coffee already made. The only proof that he must have been up earlier than anyone had expected. A note was left by my laptop:

Ari,

I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I never meant for things to go this way.

Yes, I made a mistake. I slept with Rachel but I was drunk. I remembered ordering a drink and then the next, I woke up in my bed, her naked next to me. I know that it's no excuse for what I did. I don't blame you for being hurt and upset. I know I'd have been upset if you had slept with someone I trusted to care for you too.

I just hope in due time, we can at least be friends, or, perhaps, on speaking terms.

Yours,

Eric

The letter was filled with good intentions, an apology, an explanation, and filled with understanding. Eric knew he had done wrong and I knew how sorry he was but I needed time. I needed space. I needed.. work to busy myself with instead of thinking about Eric and Rachel and how she manipulated him and how he fell for it.

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse... They did.