With Me Tonight

The sound of a coat and car keys being thrown on the counter made me jump, I hadn't heard Eric come inside... Normally he doesn't even come by until later, he says that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays his work calls him in either earlier or later, and its mostly later. He works at some sporting goods store nearby..

"Hey," I called over, my voice monotone. I was still pissed at him for last night.

"Did you take those pills yet?"

"Well hello to you, too," I rolled my eyes.

He sighed in agitation, "fine. Hi, Belle.. Now did you take those pills?"

"I already told you last night, I'm not going, too.. I can't do that," I sighed, keeping my attention on the TV.

"I thought you said you didn't want a fucking baby!" He yelled, getting worked up easily. Someone had a bad day?

"Calm down," we weren't even for sure I was pregnant, we just forgot to use protection and he wants me to take pills to get rid of the baby if I am, which doesn't sit right with me.

My words only made him more irritated so he tugged on his hair, letting out a grunt and storming down the hall. I was confused on what he was doing, but I soon heard a bunch of stuff getting thrown around. I got up from the couch and hurried over, stopping in the doorway of the bathroom to see him hunched over, digging through the cabinets, looking for the pills. He was just chucking things everywhere. "Would you stop?!"

He didn't stop. "Eric!" I put a hand on his bicep, tying to pull him away. I didnt use much effort because he now stopped, turning to face me and standing up. "What, Belle?! We can't have this baby! You're going to take the pills."

"This isn't just your decision, Eric!"

"I can't have a child, it will only fuck everything up! And you said the last thing you wanted was a child, too!" His words stung a little bit.

"I don't want this! But it might be happening! And we can't avoid it!"

"We sure as hell can avoid it!"

"I'm not killing a person, Eric! A little baby! That's all it is! I can't do that.. No matter what it might cause!"

He sighed deeply, maybe he is thinking about it? Accepting it? "If you don't take those pills..." he paused, holding in a breath. "Then I'm leaving."

I felt like I was punched in the gut, tears already brimming my eyes. "...W-What?"

"I'm leaving Belle."

"Eric, no. You can't! Please, we don't even know if I am pregnant!"

"Well I'm not gona stick around to find out," he pushed past me, walking back into the other room. I had to take a moment, I couldn't believe this was happening. He can't leave.. He can't just leave me..

Tears were now falling down my face as I went after him, seeing as he put on his coat and grabbed his keys, opening the door. "Eric..." I pleaded, catching his eye one more time before he walked out. "Eric!" The door shut, harder than necessary.

I wanted to sink to my knees, I wanted to scream, I wanted to chase after him... But, I just stood there. He said that he had loved me.. That he'd be here for me after I lost Cam.. And I just fucked everything up. All because of this pregnancy scare, too.

*(end of flashback)*

I focused on the small amount of smoke cascading from the bud of my cigarette, dangling between two of my fingers. My mind is swirling as much as the smoke is currently.

All my emotions are on edge and I'm feeling anxious again. Which I'm not sure why, because I decided to put everything into this relationship, no fear. But, I am feeling afraid again. Everything almost just got fucked up and it got me thinking mostly a lot of 'what ifs', but also a lot of 'im fucking afraid of getting hurt.'

After having a pregnancy scare with Eric, this scared me half to death.
And this also made me realize something: we're either gona break up or get married, have a family.. die.

"Babe..." Norman's voice rang out. I was walking on the opposite site of the sidewalk from him, and I know he could notice I was afraid again. Fuck. I dont want to be afraid, I love Norman. I really do. And I'm only gona be the one to fuck it all up.

I put out my cigarette and turned my head to look at him, parting my lips to speak, but cut off by a "NORMAN REEDUS!" Making me jump.

Both of us quickly looked behind us and saw multiple people with large cameras approaching.. fuck. "Norman, out with your girlfriend?" "You're Belle, right?" "Do you live with each other?'

Multiple questions were shot out before even giving us a chance to breathe and I was becoming frantic. The flashes were actually very bright and blinding, and this was all just completely overwhelming. Norman took a stride over to me, blocking me out of their view and pulling me into his chest. There was no way they could see me now, I was just a blob gripping on tightly to Normans shirt, breathing hard. I hated this. I have no idea how famous people could deal with this all the time. It gives me big anxiety, especially after today.

Norman managed to push through the people with cameras surrounding us, without being to rude because that just wasn't in his nature, but also still shielding me close to him. Luckily their was a restaurant nearby, I'm not sure what it was, but I also couldn't care more since the cameras didn't follow us in.

Norman and I hurried into the restaurant that was a seat-yourself one, but to my dismay and complete unable-ness to catch a break, a few girls yet again called out his name. "Oh my god," one of them mumbled, starstruck as she got up from her seat with a few friends. They looked to be in at least their twenties, maybe younger. "You're Daryl Dixon.." They called him Daryl? That was one his characters, not him.

Norman chuckled, but I could see the strain in his eyes. I know he wanted to relax as much as I did right now, but he was just too kind of a man and was trying to be sweet for these girls. As for me, I just wanted to go sit down and catch my damn breath before I have another freak out attack. But, Norman put his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side as the girls approached him. "Wow, I-I- uhm, can I get a picture with you?" One girl stuttered, the other just staring. Sometimes I forget that Norman even is famous, and girls wanting to get up all over him and paparazzi are only a harsh reminder. But, since I loved seeing this side of Norman, I didn't argue to take the girls phone and take a picture.

"Thank you so much, I-I love you!" The girls said to him and then turned to get their phone back from me. "You're.. You are his girlfriend, right?" She was wearing heels, so she was taller than me, and also was dressed 10 times better than I was.

"Yeah," I mumbled, looking over to Norman, who couldn't hear us.

"Even though I'm super jealous, I totally ship you guys," she exclaimed.

"You what?"

She laughed at me, "I ship you two. Like support you guys as a couple.. You even have your own ship name and everything," before I was able to ask what a ship name was, or what ours was, the girl was called over by her friend. She said a quick goodbye squeal to us and then ran off, leaving me a little confused.

"Sometimes I forget how famous you are," I said lightly as Norman took my hand and led us over to a booth. He barely let out a small chuckled before we both slid in on the same side of the booth. "I'm sorry about all that, babe," he looked at me with soft eyes.

"It's okay.."

"I just didn't want you to get involved with all of that.. It's overwhelming.. and an invasion of privacy and I don't want th-"

"Hey, it's fine. If that's the price to pay to be with you, then it's fine. I'll get used to it," I tried to give him a warming smile, as he did me.

"Babe?" He questioned after a moment, my hand still in his and his thumb lightly rubbing over the skin on my wrist. I just looked up at him, his beautiful blue eyes searching mine. "Are you okay? With what just happened, I mean.."

I just looked down at my lap. Was I okay? I was shaken up completely, scared, put on edge, making myself think too much.. "What are you afraid of, Belle? I'm right here, like always," Norman's voice was quiet as he put his free hand on the base of my beck.

"I'm afraid of losing you.." I mumbled, fairly quiet. Is that selfish? I'm selfish aren't I? I'm being so caught up in myself because I was just so stupidly afraid. Norman's thumb now brushed the skin on my neck and was about to say something, but I cut him off. "This wasn't my first pregnancy scare," I stated. I'm not going to be selfish about this. I'll tell Norman why, I don't want him to feel bad for me or worry about me trying to run, so I'm going to come out with it and hopefully we can get over this. Right?

"What?"

"It's was with my ex, Eric.." Ugh. His name was like acid on my tongue.

"The guy that was a dick to you in the street?" Norman asked, holding back the anger lacing his voice thinking about the day I ran into Eric and Norman showed up. I tensed just remembering it. I hate Eric so much. So much it chills my bones.

"He wanted me to get rid of it, the baby.. We weren't sure if I even was pregnant, but he wasn't having it.." I paused, taking in a shaky breath. Just spit it out Belle, put it in your past. "I told him I couldn't do that. I couldn't get rid of it like that. So he blew up, and he left. He left because of the baby and because of me," my voice was now shaky and I was afraid I was going to cry. But, I refuse to. Not another fucking tear will ever be shed on Eric's part. "Babe-" Norman started, but I wasn't done. "No, Norman," I looked up at him. "I want to tell you everything."

He nodded and I knew he wasn't going to stop me. He had always wanted to know everything about me, but I just told him the simple stuff. But, it can't stay that way forever. "I'm afraid because I thought you were going to leave at my apartment.. I thought you were going to leave outside the pharmacy.. walking here.. That's what Eric always did. He told me he loved me and then when things got hard he would leave, but I was too stupid and caught up in him to even notice how bad he was," I scoffed. "He was an asshole. But, I didn't do anything about it, not even when he left after the pregnancy scare. Mostly because he came back a few days later, but everything was different after that. He was a bigger asshole. He was a bigger asshole that got tired of me so he used me for food and sex, but I didn't know that until I walked in on him fucking my employee," I gripped Norman's hand harder. I remember that moment so clearly. I was just going to work early, only to find Eric pounding into my employee on the front desk, picture of Cam and I on the ground, shattered.. "The worst part was.." I bit my lip, looking down at my lap. "I let him take advantage of me.. Boss me around.. Make me feel like shit.. I thought I loved him. But really after I lost Cam I was just looking for someone to help me feel something.."

"But, you're not like that, Norman. I know your everything he wasn't and I know your nothing like him." The beginning of our relationship was fine. Or at least it seemed so.. It really was just an allusion for both of us, like we were some high school crushes. But, Eric snapped out of that allusion first, realizing we were just in love with the thought of being in love after the baby scare. Like I said, everything was different after that. I don't know if it was then or before when he started to see Amy (my employee) as well as me..

"Belle.." Norman's voice was quiet and filled with sadness and in only a moment, his arms were wrapped tight around me. Just in his embrace, I relaxed. I breathed out and then breathed him in, wrapping my arms around him as well. He's all I needed right now. He's all I need.

I finally got everything out. Everything about Eric that was built up inside and driving me crazy out and I can put it into the past. I can move on over it and no matter how hard it was to get out, I feel better. I'm so glad. We both leaned back a little so I could meet his shining baby blues. "Cam?.. Your brother?"

His name being said aloud alone was like a punch in the chest. This subject tears could be brought on in an instant, just like now when my eyes were filling up. I hadn't said much, or next to anything, about Cam to Norman. I'm not ready to talk about him, I never have been. I can't..
Norman noticed the paling of my face and my teary eyes, plus the pure pain in my expression, so he quickly wrapped his arms back around me. "I'm sorry, Belle," my name coming from his voice was smooth like satin as I exhaled, trying not to think about Cam right now. "I'm fucking sorry about that douchebag, and I'm sorry that you had to say all that, I shouldn't hav-"

"I'm glad I said it," I cut him off, leaning back so I could look at him. "I got it out of my system, it's in the past now. I can move on."

The corners of his lips twitched up in a warm smile, "you have no reason to be afraid, babe."

"I know."

"I'm here."

"I know."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"..I know," a smile crept across my face. "I know," I repeated and then we both leaned into each others embrace again, in only a moment our lips were together. The delightful shivers reminded me that everything was okay, Norman was here and Eric was gone. Eric was a piece of dirt in my mind that I can now happily dust away. I got that part crossed off, dealt with. The Cam part not so much, but I have a feeling that I will never be able to deal with that. The only reason I barely am right now is because of Norman..