Don't Forget
“Before he came back…”
Mia knocked harder on the door before her until it opened. Eric was still wiping his eyes. His jet black hair plastered to his head in odd places. He opened his eyes wide when he saw her, “Mia? What’s going on?”
“I’m really sorry, I know it’s late but I didn't know where else to go.” He pulled her into a hug. She couldn't stop her tears. Connor was the only one who could provoke uncontrollable tears. He had that effect on her.
“It’s OK now.” Eric said, “C’mon in.” He lead the way into the house. He held her hand firmly as they climbed the stairs. By the time they reached his room. She felt more like her old self. She wiped under her eyes hoping to get rid of potential mascara smears as he turned on the light to his room. “Come here.” He pat a space beside him on his bed. She dutifully followed his instructions. He wrapped his arm around her and began petting head, “What happened?”
“I caught him with another girl.” She choked on the last work as the tears started again, “Dammit.” She sniffed wiping her eyes.
“Look at me,” Eric said lifting her chin with his index finger, “You don’t have to be strong here.” That was it. She felt herself fall apart, and his strong arms were there to pull her back together. “I’m sure she wasn't as hot as you anyway.”
“She’s gorgeous and old.” Mia sobbed, “Totally his type.”
“I’m sure she has a bad laugh.”
“What?”
Eric proceeded to cackle like the wicked witch from The Wizard of OZ. Mia giggled, “She did sound a little like that.”
“No she sounded exactly like that.” Eric said smiling at her. She felt like his smile warmed her from the inside out. He always knew just what to say, “I’m sure she was hideous in the light. He doesn't deserve you.”
“If I listened to you I’d never date anyone.”
“Then I could finally have you all to myself.” He hugged her tighter and she managed to get her arm out to hug him back.
“Always such a tease…”
Eric sighed at the top of her head, “OK do you want me to give you a ride home?”
“My dad thinks I’m at Honey B’s. Can’t I just spend the night here?” She asked.
“Don’t you think that would be a bit inappropriate?”
“We used to do it all the time before…”
“Before he came back…”
“C’mon it’s super late anyway. Just give me one of your T-shirts. I’ll take care of everything else.”
He thought about it for a beat, “Fine,” He said. He got up and closed his room door. He took off his shirt and she noticed all his muscles rippled under his skin as he did such a simple motion, “The rest of my shirts are dirty.” He mumbled tossing her his shirt. He crossed his arms as he turned to face the door again giving her a little privacy, just like old times.
This time she took a little while staring at his back. The body of his black Chinese dragon tattoo danced a backwards S across his back while the head rested on his shoulder. When did he become a man? He must have had some sort of growth spurt in their few months apart. He was a little taller and-
“Are you done yet?’ He asked shocking her back into her body. Had he read her mind? “Now that all the excitement’s over I’m really tired.” He leaned his head with a thunk against his door.
“Sorry I zoned out for a little while…”
“Well hurry up then before I fall asleep standing here.”
She quickly changed into the T-shirt, “I decent now.” She announced.
“Ok,” Eric sighed, and with a swipe of his hand her turned off the light and made his way back to bed. When he laid down he faced away from her.
“Are you going to sleep right away?”
“That was the plan.” He said half into his pillow, “Why?”
“No reason,” Mia shrugged even though he couldn't see her in the dark.
“Sorry,” he said turning over and opening his arm under the blanket, “C’mere.” She turned and snuggled into his warmth pocket and he closed her in with him, “I thought you would have grown out of this by now.”
“You thought wrong.” She tried to snuggle closer and he stopped her with his hand, “What?” She giggled.
“And you called me a tease.” He said into into her hair.
“Fine, be that way.” She huffed. Soon she was asleep. The whole ordeal with Connor forgotten. Eric had that effect on her.
“I’m really sorry, I know it’s late but I didn't know where else to go.” He pulled her into a hug. She couldn't stop her tears. Connor was the only one who could provoke uncontrollable tears. He had that effect on her.
“It’s OK now.” Eric said, “C’mon in.” He lead the way into the house. He held her hand firmly as they climbed the stairs. By the time they reached his room. She felt more like her old self. She wiped under her eyes hoping to get rid of potential mascara smears as he turned on the light to his room. “Come here.” He pat a space beside him on his bed. She dutifully followed his instructions. He wrapped his arm around her and began petting head, “What happened?”
“I caught him with another girl.” She choked on the last work as the tears started again, “Dammit.” She sniffed wiping her eyes.
“Look at me,” Eric said lifting her chin with his index finger, “You don’t have to be strong here.” That was it. She felt herself fall apart, and his strong arms were there to pull her back together. “I’m sure she wasn't as hot as you anyway.”
“She’s gorgeous and old.” Mia sobbed, “Totally his type.”
“I’m sure she has a bad laugh.”
“What?”
Eric proceeded to cackle like the wicked witch from The Wizard of OZ. Mia giggled, “She did sound a little like that.”
“No she sounded exactly like that.” Eric said smiling at her. She felt like his smile warmed her from the inside out. He always knew just what to say, “I’m sure she was hideous in the light. He doesn't deserve you.”
“If I listened to you I’d never date anyone.”
“Then I could finally have you all to myself.” He hugged her tighter and she managed to get her arm out to hug him back.
“Always such a tease…”
Eric sighed at the top of her head, “OK do you want me to give you a ride home?”
“My dad thinks I’m at Honey B’s. Can’t I just spend the night here?” She asked.
“Don’t you think that would be a bit inappropriate?”
“We used to do it all the time before…”
“Before he came back…”
“C’mon it’s super late anyway. Just give me one of your T-shirts. I’ll take care of everything else.”
He thought about it for a beat, “Fine,” He said. He got up and closed his room door. He took off his shirt and she noticed all his muscles rippled under his skin as he did such a simple motion, “The rest of my shirts are dirty.” He mumbled tossing her his shirt. He crossed his arms as he turned to face the door again giving her a little privacy, just like old times.
This time she took a little while staring at his back. The body of his black Chinese dragon tattoo danced a backwards S across his back while the head rested on his shoulder. When did he become a man? He must have had some sort of growth spurt in their few months apart. He was a little taller and-
“Are you done yet?’ He asked shocking her back into her body. Had he read her mind? “Now that all the excitement’s over I’m really tired.” He leaned his head with a thunk against his door.
“Sorry I zoned out for a little while…”
“Well hurry up then before I fall asleep standing here.”
She quickly changed into the T-shirt, “I decent now.” She announced.
“Ok,” Eric sighed, and with a swipe of his hand her turned off the light and made his way back to bed. When he laid down he faced away from her.
“Are you going to sleep right away?”
“That was the plan.” He said half into his pillow, “Why?”
“No reason,” Mia shrugged even though he couldn't see her in the dark.
“Sorry,” he said turning over and opening his arm under the blanket, “C’mere.” She turned and snuggled into his warmth pocket and he closed her in with him, “I thought you would have grown out of this by now.”
“You thought wrong.” She tried to snuggle closer and he stopped her with his hand, “What?” She giggled.
“And you called me a tease.” He said into into her hair.
“Fine, be that way.” She huffed. Soon she was asleep. The whole ordeal with Connor forgotten. Eric had that effect on her.
♠ ♠ ♠
Introducing Eric Santiago Ladies and Jents