It was right after the murder of Dr Marshall was solved that Eric took the rest of the day off. He needed some time to re-group and rethink where he stands now. Once again, he had to change his psychiatrist and this time not because of a leak of information but because his psychiatrist was murdered.
He sat down on the couch with a beer in his hands and sighed heavily, running his head through his shaved head. He recalled that moment when he was sitting in one of the investigating rooms, with the patients files, and Calleigh walked in. His heart had skipped a beat, and this time it wasn't just because she looked so damn beautiful, but because he knew that she can find out what he had talked to the psychiatrist about. She knew that he had been going to one, and he had told her also that Dr Marshall was the one when they first found out about her daughter's murder that he had changed psychiatrists but now she was there, next to him, taking a seat to help him out, and Eric was still in search of his own file. Something told him that Calleigh did find his file, and if she did, then she must have read that he wanted her. That he would like nothing more than to have her more in his personal life.
He took a couple of gulps of the cold beer in his hands and let his head drop between his legs, as he rested his elbows on his thighs. What was he going to do? What if she read his file and now she would stay away? What would happen to their friendship? He had always liked her, but ever since he got shot, Calleigh had been the one to really help him get through this ordeal, and take care of him, made sure that he is following every step in the correct way, especially after he had messed up that evidence which almost caused the killer to get away.
She kept telling him that he could talk to her about anything, but he wasn't sure that she meant even his feelings about her. There were times when Eric was sure and confident that Calleigh felt the same way, but then there were times, when he felt the complete opposite, especially when a day passes by and there isn't one single moment between the two of them, where she gives him that brilliant smile of hers, or that particular look that makes her face glow.
Eric smiled and shook his head at his silliness, at how Calleigh had suddenly changed in his eyes, at how she wasn't just a colleague anymore, but so much more to him.
Then there was Jake.
He is back, and Eric doesn't like that. Just when he thought they were making progress in their friendship, and possibly something deeper was developing, Jake shows up.
'Damn it why now?' he cursed taking another sip from his bottle.
He heard a couple of knocks on the door then, so he got up and made his way over to the door. He looked through the peep-whole and smiled as he opened the door.
'Calleigh' he whispered with a smile. He could feel his eyes twinkling as his brown orbs settled on the beauty standing in front of him.
'Hey' she whispered with a smile 'May I?' she asked him.
'Of course' he replied as he stepped out of the way. He smiled to himself and closed the door before he turned to give her his full attention 'So...what brings you by?' he asked her, as he slipped his hands in his pockets.
Calleigh shrugged 'I just thought that you might need some company' she replied with her sweet voice.
'I always enjoy your company Calleigh' Eric replied and she smiled 'Beer?' he asked her.
'Yeah OK' she replied sliding her own hands in her jeans. She was starting to feel a bit anxious all of a sudden being here in his apartment. It wasn't the case of never being here before, because she had been here many times. It was just that that sentence from Dr Marshall's file was still stuck in her head, and it was like she was seeing Eric from a different light all of a sudden.
'Here you go' Eric told her as he handed her her beer.
'Cheers' Calleigh said as they clinged their bottles together before drinking some actual liquid.
'So...what were you up to before I interrupted your night off?' she asked him as they made their way over towards the couch. The balcony door was open and the curtains were swaying a long the light breeze that swayed into the room, making Calleigh's blonde hair sway accordingly. His eyes were fixated on its movements. It just made her look adorably sweet for some particular reason.
'Nothing much. Just sitting here, contemplating what I should do now that Dr Marshall is dead' Eric replied with a shrug.
'I'm so sorry Eric' she told him as she placed her hand on his.
'I know you are' he replied. She was resting her head against the arm which was resting against the back of the couch, her legs up, slightly bent, with just her knees on the soft cushions.
'Have you decided what you wanna do?' she asked him taking another sip.
'Not really. It's just that...I already changed the psychiatrist once and the second one well is now dead...so I'm not sure if I wanna go through everything all over again to start explaining what happened and all that shit' Eric told her.
'I understand' Calleigh told him with a sympathetic look 'You know...you can always talk to me if you need someone to talk to right?' Calleigh told him, placing her beer bottle on the coffee table. She moved a bit closer to him and took his hands in hers as he placed his own bottle on the coffee table next to hers 'I mean I am no psychiatrist...but I know what your jobs entails...what you go through every day. I know the difficulties you face, the danger, and most of all...I know you' she told him.
Eric was staring at her, blinking from time to time as her words touched his heart. She just looked so beautiful in his eyes. It was angelic.
'Thank you Calleigh. It does mean a lot to me to hear you say those words' Eric told her.
'Hey and you have the privilege of coming to me without an appointment at any time of the day, even in the middle of the night and at no cost at all' she told him with a laugh.
Eric smiled big at that comment 'And don't forget that I don't have to always come myself, you enjoy coming here as well' he told her.
'And that' she agreed with a giggle 'I do enjoy coming here' she admitted 'I enjoy your company Eric. You have become a very important person in my life, you know' she told him. That was when his smile faded a bit and Calleigh caught that.
'What? What did I say?' she asked him.
Eric shrugged and pulled his hands out of hers and got up from the couch to stare at the street lights outside the balcony.
'Eric?' Calleigh whispered not sure what she said wrong.
'What about Jake?' he asked.
She closed her eyes and realized that he was feeling insecure 'Eric' Calleigh whispered as she placed her hand on his back 'Jake has nothing to do with us' she told him.
'Are you sure?' he asked her.
'Of course I am. Why are you so insecure when it comes to Jake?' she asked him, and Eric turned to look at her.
'Because you and Jake were an item Calleigh. You loved him. You were with him, and he has been gone for quite some time, and now he is back...' Eric started telling her.
'So? Jake is just part of my past' she told him.
'Does Jake know that?' Eric asked her and then he raised his hand to stop her from answering 'You know what? You don't have to answer that question, and we don't have to talk about this' he told her.
'Who are you going to talk to about this if not with me?' she asked him.
Eric started to feel anxious again, so he slipped his hands in his pockets and shrugged 'I don't have to...talk about Jake or you with anyone. It's none of my business' he told her before he attempted to walk away from her but Calleigh grabbed his arm.
'Isn't it?' she asked him.
'What is that supposed to mean?' he asked her as he turned to look at her again.
'What if I admit to you that...your file was in my hands?' Calleigh told him 'Wouldn't Jake and where I stand with him be your business then?' she asked him.
'Look Calleigh...you don't owe me an explanation or anything' Eric started telling her 'I care about you, and our friendship means the world to me. You mean the world' he told her.
'I know...and so do you' she told him as she took both his hands in hers now.
Eric fell quiet so Calleigh squeezed his hands 'Talk to me Eric' she pleaded.
'I'm just embarrassed' he told her.
'What are you embarrassed about?' she asked him.
'You said you read my file. Then you know what I told her. You know that I told her...that I want a life with you' Eric replied.
'Yes I do' Calleigh nodded 'Is that something to be embarrassed about? What? Are you thinking that you are crazy for wanting that?' she asked him 'What if I tell you...that I want that too?' she asked him, and suddenly there was life in his brown eyes again.
'You do?' he asked her.
'Yes' she replied with that breath taking smile of hers.
Eric blinked hard, feeling his heart screaming in his chest with joy. He just had no idea what to say next.
'Say something' she giggled and Eric chuckled 'I'm sorry. I'm an idiot' he told her.
Calleigh rolled her eyes at him and laughed 'That was definitely not what I thought you were going to say' she told him.
'Then what did you think I was going to say?' he asked her.
'How about, may I kiss you or something of the sort?' she asked him smiling.
'Do you want me to kiss you?' he asked her, his smile fading now as Calleigh swallowed hard before parting slightly her lips.
'Yes please Delko' she told him with smile.
Eric cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as his eyes focused on her lips, glancing into her own eyes from time to time, before his forehead found hers, and Calleigh swallowed hard in anticipation, when she suddenly felt his lips brush against hers, and Calleigh moaned. At the sound of her moan, Eric pressed his lips hard against hers, before she gave him permission to kiss her fully as his tongue swam in her mouth, his fingers sliding to the back of her head, as he pulled her closer with his free hand which was resting on her back.
It took them quite a while until they finally broke the kiss for some much needed air, both in a daze from the strength and passion they forced into the kiss. Eric cupped her face in his hands and chuckled boyishly.
'What?' she asked him with a smile.
'I feel like a teenager all over again' he chuckled 'You know when you kiss the first girl your heart beats for' Eric told her, and Calleigh laughed at that.
'Mm who knows...I might need to act like a nurse then as well and take care of your heart Delko' she told him looking straight in his eyes.
'I love it when you call me like that' he confessed.
'Then kiss me again Delko' Calleigh told him, and Eric laughed hard before he slammed his lips hard against hers as all previous thoughts vanished into the night.