Can You Keep a Secret

Sleeping arrangements were all messed up. However, by eleven thirty things were being settled. 

Henry and Linda had one guest room, Jordan and Heather had the second room. Marc and Lindsey would take my room for the night. Jared and Natalie were going to take the fold out couch. 

"Wait, where are you sleeping?" Linda asked me curiously as everyone began breaking apart to get to bed. 

I bit my lip. "I'll just go crash on the couch in the-"

"No, you don't need to sleep on a couch!" she interrupted. 

Eric's eyes flickered between the two of us as we began debating the matter. "Just take my bed. I'll take the couch," he suggested. 

"Eric, no one needs to sleep on the couch," Linda stated sternly. 

"There's only one bed and two people," Eric pointed out. 

Heather brushed into the kitchen and gave me a side hug. "Thank you for the necklace. I can't wait to wear it," she told me. 

I hugged her back. "I'm glad. It reminded me of you," I told her. 

She laughed before hugging Eric and Linda. 

"Ricky will take my bed and I'll take the couch. No big deal. It's settled," Eric announced in his captian's voice before leaving the kitchen. 

Linda signed and rolled her eyes. "Stubborn," she muttered. 

I nodded my head vigorously. "Wait 'til you see him trying win an argument over movies. He does not give up."

Linda laughed. "At least he's dedicated. I give him that," she said. I smiled. She tapped her fingers against the counter, her eyes watching them. "So, have you found yourself a man yet?" she asked slowly. 

I laughed at the thought. "I haven't had an actual boyfriend in..." I dropped off, trying to remember. "Three years?" I offered. 

Linda shrugged. "So? Doesn't mean you can't find someone," she told me. 

I shrugged. "I guess I'm just not the relationship type or the type that makes guys want to date them."

Linda scoffed. "Or you have two giant idiots who refuse to let anyone near you," she corrected. 

We both laughed, knowing how true that was. "You put some kind of spell on my boy, I must say," she continued in a thoughtful tone. 

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I can't tell you how long it's been since I've seen him so protective. He was always protective of you, of course. It just shows a lot now. He called me awhile back complaining about some man that asked you on a date, you know?"

I tilted my head to the side. "Really? He told you about that?" The guy had met me at a coffee shop and asked for my number. Not thinking he would even call, I gave it to him. Within a week he was begging for a date. Eric had almost blown a gasket when the guy found the nerve to make a scene when he ran into us at a restaurant. Needless to say, I had to explain the whole situation after that. 

"Oh, yes. He called that night and woke me up, too. I have never heard him so frustrated that he couldn't find his words. He sounded like a two year old," she commented. 

I laughed at the thought. "I think the break in kind of made him nervous," I admitted. Eric had been more protective since then. Every time he was gone for more than two days, he would check in periodically throughout the day with me. 

"Of course it did. He felt guilty. If you had been here when it happened, I'm sure he would have beaten himself up over it for months," she agreed. 

Eric strolled back into the kitchen. "Do you know where I put my extra sheets? I was going to change the bed for you," he said. 

I nodded. "I think they're in the closet by my room. You don't have to do that. I can get it," I told him. 

He brushed it off. "Too late."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to go help. I'll see you in the morning," I told her. 

Linda gave me a hug. "Sleep well."

I followed Eric into his room. He already had the bed stripped and was now wrestling with the weird sheet that covered the mattress. 

I took a hold of one corner before tugging it down over the mattress. "Your gift is in the bathroom under the sink, by the way," I told him. 

He looked at me confused. "I wasn't sure I'd you would like it so I didn't want to put it under the tree," I mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Shrimp, it's the thought that counts. You didn't even need to get me anything," he told me. 

I rolled my eyes. We spread the sheet out and began tucking it under. "You got me something. Besides, I wanted to."

We met in the middle of the bed. He sighed. "You're a pain in my butt."

"You're a pain in my back side," I told him with a grin. I lightly flicked his nose before going to pick up the bed spread. 

Eric chuckled. "Loser."

I laughed. "You're so mature. There is no wonder why you're the captain," I commented. 

"Ha ha. I happen to be amazing, thank you very much," he returned. 

I snorted. "Right. And while you toy with that fantasy, I'm going to go get your gift," I said as I quickly left the room before he could get back. 

I shifted the towels out of the way under the sink, digging out his gift. I stared down at the book. I wasn't creative when it came to scrap books, but I at least thought his was decent. 

I took the book with me back to Eric's room. He had placed all of the pillows on the bed already. "So... Here it is," I mumbled, holding it out. 

He looked shocked for a long time. He took the book, though, and sat down on his bed to look at it. He opened the cover to find a picture of everyone from last Christmas. He smiled at the photo. As he flipped through the pages, he took time to take in everything. The longer he was silent, the more nervous I got. 

The pictures were all of him and people in his family or some of his friends. I had managed to get a hold of a picture of Ray and Eric when they were in diapers to add in. Eric laughed at the photos of him celebrating with the Cup. 

He finally got to the last page and stopped. I ended it with a goofy picture of the two of us. Our cheeks were smashed together and we were covered in paint. It had been taken several weeks ago when we'd gone paint balling one weekend. We were both making stupid faces. 

Beneath the photo, I'd written him a small message and signed it his roommate, "Shrimp".

Eric looked up at me. "I love it. Thank you."

The heat steadily rose to my cheeks. I smiled and gave him a nod. He laughed. His knee popped as he stood up. "I better get going to bed. Sleep tight," he told me. He gave me a quick hug and kiss on the forehead. 

"Night," I mumbled back. 

Eric left his room, taking the scrap book with him. I felt like an idiot. A fucking scrap book? What had I been thinking? He didn't care about a bunch of pictures. He probably would never look at it again. I pushed aside my ridiculous feelings as I crawled into his bed to go to sleep. I should have just gotten him a T-shirt or CD. 

-----

I tip toed down the hallway, trying to be silent so I wouldn't wake anyone else up. I had woken up at one am, thirsty as hell. I could see the light already spilling out into the dark hallway from the office. 

I peaked around the corner. Eric was passed out on the couch. On his stomach was the scrap book. It was still open to the page with the picture of us and my note to him. 

I bit my lip. Maybe he did like it a little..

I flicked off the light before continuing on to the kitchen.