Rock and a Hard Place, continued
Eric sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as the elevator doors closed, signaling the end of Alexx's career at the Miami Dade Crime Lab. It had been a hell of a case to work, and it had been hard to walk that fine line between being loyal to a friend and not compromising an investigation. There were very few people in his life he would do that for, and Alexx was one of them. Another one was a certain blonde co-worker he was in love with, a person he knew would need him right now.
Turning around, he found Calleigh standing out in the hallway and noted the sad look on her face, the way she bit her lower lip. Her arms were crossed across her body, as if she was cold, and her eyes were fixed on him. Standing where he was he couldn't see her eyes that well, but he would have bet his next paycheck that there were tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly a few times, confirming his suspicions.
His heart clenching at the sad look on her face, knowing she was struggling not to cry, Eric tagged her eyes with his. With a nod of his head toward the elevator he stepped back a couple steps and reached behind himself to push the elevator down button.
Eric followed Calleigh's steps with his eyes, watching her approach, watching as she continued to worry her bottom lip, breathing deeply in an effort to fight the tears that stung her eyes. He blew out a breath as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Finding it empty, Eric looked up and silently thanked God for reading his mind.
With a hand on the small of her back, Eric guided Calleigh into the elevator, where they turned around in unison and stared straight ahead as the doors closed. As soon as the doors closed Calleigh turned toward Eric as he reached for her hand and tugged lightly. Without a word they embraced in a hug they both knew couldn't last very long.
Calleigh pressed her face into Eric's chest as his hands rubbed her back, his fingers combed lightly through her hair.
He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "Ready to go?" he murmured.
Calleigh nodded in reply, and stepped back out of his embrace as they felt the elevator reach the bottom level.
When the elevator doors opened they stood side by side again, staring straight ahead.
"Meet you at my car," Eric whispered as they exited the elevator. He walked toward the parking garage as Calleigh headed toward the locker room to retrieve her purse.
…
Within half an hour Eric parked his car in Calleigh's driveway and followed her to her front door, opening the door himself with his own key.
He watched as she placed her purse on a table by the front door and slowly walked into the living room, stopping by the sliding glass doors to the back patio. She drew the curtains aside with her hand and stood there, seemingly staring out at the world outside the door.
Dropping his keys beside Calleigh's purse, Eric moved up behind her and wordlessly enveloped her in his arms, smiling when she grasped his arms and sank back against his chest. She was the one thing that could brighten a bad day.
"Hungry?" he asked softly as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
"No, not really," she murmured in reply. Then her southern upbringing took hold of her and she turned out of his embrace. "But if you're hungry there's the leftovers from the other night in the fridge. I'll get them…"
Her words were cut off when Eric grabbed her arm. "I'll get them. You relax." Gently he pushed her toward the couch.
Eric brought two plates into the living room, knowing she needed to eat something. But neither of them was really in the mood to eat and they only picked at their food. Eventually he took both their plates into the kitchen while she turned on the television, turning the sound down until it was mere background noise.
When Eric returned to the living room, he stood in the doorway for a few moments, just watching Calleigh. She was curled up on the couch, arms around her drawn up knees, staring at the television, but not really seeing it.
In the many years since he'd met her, he'd grown to not only love her, but to know her very well, almost as well as she knew herself. He knew what made her tick, what made her happy, and what made her sad. So, he knew her thoughts centered on how much she would miss Alexx. He would miss her too, but he also knew that Calleigh's loss ran deeper, for Alexx was more than just a co-worker, she was Calleigh's best friend. And he knew that for Calleigh, even though Alexx wasn't gone completely from their lives, it felt too much like it did when Speedle died. She was feeling like she'd lost another friend.
"Come here," Eric beckoned her softly when he sat back down on the couch. Without hesitation Calleigh crawled into his lap… for her comfort and for his. He brought one arm around her back as she leaned her head on his shoulder, his other hand dipping underneath her shirt to lie warmly against her back. The skin to skin contact was as much for her as it was for him. They both needed, craved, the comfort of the other's touch.
He softly stroked Calleigh's hair, his touch soothing. "I'll never leave you, Calleigh," he whispered. He smiled when he felt the soft touch of her lips on his neck, and tightened his embrace.
"I know," she murmured in reply. And it was a truth she knew beyond anything else. "I love you, too."