Time for a Sign

At 2:30am the next Wednesday, I woke up with an intense craving for peanut butter and chocolate. Not wanting to wake Pat, I went downstairs to the pantry to get the peanut butter from the pantry, but I realised we didn't have any chocolate. Feeling dejected, I went back upstairs to bed and tried to go back to sleep, but the craving was too strong.

I tapped Pat's arm, whispering his name. "Pat?"

Pat grunted and rolled over, still asleep. I shook his arm and said his name a bit louder. "Pat? Pat!"

Pat sat up and turned his lamp on so quickly that I nearly missed it. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?"

I shook my head, biting my lip. "Can you take me to the gas station? I need chocolate and peanut butter cups."

Pat just looked at me. "You need them?"

I nodded. "I can't go back to sleep because I'm craving them so bad."

Pat dragged himself out of bed, pulling a shirt on over his pyjama pants. "Come on, put something on and I'll take you in."

I smiled and bounded out of bed, pulling a sweatshirt on over my own pyjamas and slipping on a pair of shoes before racing downstairs to get my purse and Pat's car keys.

We drove quietly to the gas station which was deserted, due to the early hour of the morning.

I wandered around the candy section, finding the biggest bag of peanut butter cups and a chocolate bar before buying them and heading back out to the car with Pat, spending the drive home eating my peanut butter cups.

Pat went straight back to bed as soon as we got home and I followed closely, feeling satisfied that we had survived our first cravings attack.

* * * * *

I was supposed to be having lunch with Eric on my break from work that day, however it had been twenty minutes and he was yet to show up. Fed up with his attitude, I picked up my bag and walked out of the restaurant, only to see him come running up to the door as I left.

"I'm sorry, I got caught up with the boys. Come on, I'll buy you lunch," he apologised as I begun walking away.

"Eric I've been waiting for you for half of my lunch break, I don't have time to wait on you," I snapped at him, irritated and hungry.

"I'll buy you a coffee or something," he offered, to which I shot him a glare.

"Eric, are you forgetting that you can't have caffeine when you're pregnant?" I reminded him.

"I'll buy you a sandwich or something then, come on let me just make up for being late," he said, rolling his eyes. I began to see red.

"Make up for being late? First you have to make up for being an asshole since the day Pat and I started dating, and for being a dick the other night, and then you can make it up to me for being late."

Eric hesitated then his face set into a hard line. "Fine."

We both walked to the cafe in bad moods and I ordered myself a green tea and a grilled cheese while Eric got himself a coffee.

I sat down at a table near the doorway and he sat opposite me, both of us crossing our arms and looking away from the other in silence. Eric was the first to break the silence with a loud sigh as his shoulders slumped.

"Look, I'm sorry for being an asshole to you the last few years and especially the other night. It's just, we used to be so close. I used to be like your big brother and you would come to me for advice or to cry to me, and ever since Pat came along that's changed."

"Eric, he's my husband. Of course I'm going to go to him with everything, we live together. But that doesn't mean that I don't still want you to be a big part in my life. You're still just as important as you were before Pat came into my life."

"I just don't like how much this has all changed. I miss being able to hang out with you whenever I wanted without you having to tell Pat or change your plans with him," Eric said, looking down at his hands.

I looked at Eric's sad face and instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry. It's just that when you reacted the way you did when we announced we were dating, I felt like you didn't want me to be a part of your life anymore because I was with Pat. If I'd have known this was how you felt I would have done something earlier."

"I just don't know how we're going to fix this," Eric said, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, we could make this a regular thing? Let's meet up for lunch at least once a week, just the two of us, and then you could come over and have dinner with Pat and I every now and again," I suggested.

"I thought this was about fixing things up between us," Eric said, confused.

"It is, but I know that Pat has missed having you as a friend, since you've been avoiding him as well. I know he would really appreciate you trying to patch things up between you."

Eric nodded as the waitress arrived with our drinks and my grilled cheese. I didn't realise how hungry I was until I took a bite and before I knew it I had finished eating.

Eric looked at me in shock. "That is the fastest I've ever seen anyone eat anything before."

I rolled my eyes. "Eric, I'm eating for two. Come on, finish your coffee so I can stop off at the grocery store before I have to go back to work."

"Why are you going to the grocery store?"

"I need peanut butter cups."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Does Pat know that you're eating those? I've been told he's watching what you eat like a hawk."

"Well considering I woke him up at 2:30 this morning so he could take me to go get some, I'm pretty sure he knows."

Eric just looked at me in awe as I finished my tea and pushed my chair back from the table, signalling that we were leaving. He followed my around the grocery store as I picked up a packet of peanut butter cups as well as a large bag of Reese's Pieces.

I had opened the bag of Reese's Pieces before we even left the store and I looked over at Eric, who was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. I raised an eyebrow at him as I shoved a handful of the candy into my mouth and he couldn't hold it in any longer, bursting into laughter.

"Stop laughing at me! Pregnant woman cravings are nothing to laugh at!" I chastised, hitting him with my free hand.

"I'm sorry, I've just never seen you eat like this. You've got this crazed look in your eye, it's hilarious," Eric laughed out. I glared at him and checked the time on my phone, seeing that I had five minutes to get back to the office.

"Well I hate to end your laughter party, but I start work again in five minutes so I need to get going."

Eric nodded, his laughter dying down. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

* * * * *

I came home from work in a better mood than I was before I left the house in the morning, all because of my lunch with Eric.

Pat picked up on this as soon as I walked in. "You're in a good mood this evening, I take it lunch with Halvo went well?"

I nodded. "We talked everything out and we've decided that we're going to have lunch together at least once a week and he's also going to come over for dinner every now and again. I know that you miss being his friend and I thought it would be a good idea for you two to spend some time together as well."

Pat nodded. "I do miss his witty one-liners. So, what's in the bag?"

I looked down at the plastic bag that was dangling off my arm, full of my Reese's snacks. "Uhh, nothing much, just some stuff from lunch."

Pat squinted at the bag. "Are those Reese's Pieces? And peanut butter cups?"

I sighed. "I was craving them at lunch, it's so out of control."

Pat chuckled. "I can guarantee that as soon as you've had the baby you're going to hate peanut butter and chocolate."

"I don't think that will happen ever. Now, we need to start dinner because I am starving."

Pat laughed at me and headed into the kitchen as my phone started ringing, caller ID saying that it was Jessy.

"Hey Jessy, what's up?"

"Do you think you could come around? It's kind of urgent," Jessy sounded panicked and I could hear other voices in the background. I instantly became more alert.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I can't really discuss it over the phone, just please come over as soon as you can."

She hung up and I went into the kitchen to find Pat standing with the pantry doors open, looking lost. "I can't decide what I want for dinner, what do you want?"

"Listen, Jessy just called me and there's some emergency that she needs me for so I'm gonna head over. I'll call you when I know what's going on."

Pat's face fell. "Oh. Are you coming home tonight?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I don't know what's going on but I'm going to pack a bag just in case."

Pat nodded and pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. "Alright, be safe and call me as soon as you know what's happening."

I packed a bag and got in my car, driving to Jessy's as quickly as I could. Rebekah's car was in the driveway and when I looked inside there was a suitcase sitting on the backseat, as well as several bags of her other belongings. I rushed inside as soon as I could, Jessy greeting me by the hall.

"I saw her stuff in her car, what happened?" I asked her in a hushed voice.

"John broke up with her. She wouldn't tell him why she went over to Halvo's and he lost it. Garrett's gone over to John's to stop him from murdering Halvo."

Shit. This was not how I wanted my good day to end. "Why didn't Rebekah tell him? We told her that she should have."

Jessy shrugged. "She was so adamant about not telling John about his birthday surprise. Can't say we didn't warn her."

I put my hands on my hips, trying to think of how we could resolve this. After the way Rachel used to lie to John, there was no way he would trust her. But there was one person...

"I know this may be a suicide mission, but we need Eric."

* * * * *

Half an hour later I was driving Eric from his house to John's, feeling scared about whatever was going to happen. I managed to call Pat first to explain the situation and tell him what we were going to do, in case we needed extra backup. When we arrived, Garrett was standing outside.

"I hate to put you in the firing line, Alecia, but you're going to have to walk in front of Eric."

My eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Well number one, you're a girl so John would never think of manhandling or hitting you, whereas if it was one of us guys he wouldn't hesitate to push us aside to get to Eric. And number two, because you're pregnant he wouldn't want to do anything that would harm either of you so he might be a little more calm if you're the buffer."

I nodded, feeling unsure of myself now. Eric walked behind me, with Garrett trailing after. I opened the front door and walked into what looked like Ground Zero. There were clothes and photo frames all over the ground, a couple of empty bottles of alcohol and a bunch of cigarette butts. I held my breath as I walked into the smoky room, praying I could move us out onto the deck.

John looked up at me, his eyes red and watery. "Alecia, go home please," he said in a shaky voice.

I shook my head, not wanting to waste my clean breath before I said all I needed to. "Eric needs to explain everything to you."

John looked past me to see a worried Eric and he stood up, stalking over to us. I put one hand on my stomach and the other out to shield Eric, not wanting either of us to get hurt.

"I never want to see your face again," he hissed to Eric.

"Are you even going to give me a chance to explain everything to you?" Eric asked, moving to my side as he gained confidence.

"Do you really think you deserve a chance after everything you've done? You've fucked both my girlfriends, you're the worst friend ever."

"Maybe if you let me explain I'd be able to tell you that there's no way I slept with Rebekah. Do you really think I would do that to you again?"

John softened slightly, his face still stoic and he crossed his arms, waiting for Eric to keep talking.

"She came over to talk to me about organising a surprise for your birthday because I know you better than anyone else. I'm your best friend man, and Rebekah isn't an evil succubus like Rachel was," Eric explained and I saw the side of John's mouth twitch upwards into a smirk as he thought back on Rachel.

"Why didn't she tell me? She's my girlfriend, we're not supposed to keep secrets from each other."

"She just didn't want to spoil the surprise because she loves you. She loves you so much that she wanted to do something special for you, even if it meant that you didn't trust her. She's a mess because all she wanted to do was surprise you for your birthday and you dumped her."

John's shoulders sagged as he sat back down on the couch, holding his head in his hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? She's packed up most of her shit, she could be halfway to California by now."

I sat on the couch next to him, rubbing his back soothingly. "John, I just came from Jessy's. Jessy called me because Rebekah showed up there an absolute mess and has been sitting on Jessy's couch since she walked out of this door."

"I need to talk to her."

"Well the sooner I get out of this smoky house the better. Come on, Garrett will drive you over," I said, standing up from the couch and walking towards the door.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot-"

I held up a hand. "It's okay, just next time open a window or something."

John walked over to Eric, who was probably silently shitting himself. John wrapped his lanky arms around Eric, mumbling a thank you before he pulled away and followed Garrett back to his car. I turned to Eric.

"Want me to take you home?"

* * * * *

An hour later I was snuggled up with Pat on the couch when I received a message from Jessy.

'Thank you. Bek's driving home with John now but idk what's going to happen. You're an angel.'

I smiled to myself and put my phone down, curling myself into Pat as we watched some crappy TV show. Just call me Alecia, the master of problem resolution.