Chapter 1:

The whole car ride home calleigh didn't say much, just looked out the window looking lost…..eric tried to start a conversation but the only comments he got were forced smiles and short sentences…..They got to calleigh's condo and walked to the door in silence…Once they were inside calleigh put her things away while eric sat on the couch, waiting patiently for some sort of indication that she was ok…After about 10 minutes she came back into his sight, standing in her kitchen both hands on the counter..

E: "Calleigh?" She didn't respond. "Calleigh?" he tried again. She looked at him. He looked at her with so much worry in his eyes it almost made her break down right there.

C: "I'm fine"

E: "come sit down, please". Reluctantly she agreed. She didn't really want to talk about what happened, but she knew if she didn't at least sit down he would just come to her.

E: "do you want to talk about it?"

C: "not really"

E: "Calleigh come on, it's me, if there's anyone you can talk to about anything it's me"

C: "I know , eric, I'm fine"

E: "you do know that when people say they're fine it's usually code for I'm miserable and terrified, right?" She couldn't help but laugh, even in the worst situations eric could always make her laugh. She knew he was right, but god help her if she was going to admit how what had happened affected her.

C: "true enough. But right now all I really want to do is relax and not think about anything"

E: "ok, if that's what you want. But we are going to talk about what happened eventually"

The look he gave her proved he was serious. But there was also so much concern in that look that it held her gaze for longer than she anticipated. The butterflies that started buzzing in her stomach snapped her back to reality.

C: "let's just watch a movie or something"

E: "whatever you want." A few hours later the movie was over and calleigh noticed how late it was.

C: "wow, it got late really fast. I guess you should go"

E: "I don't have to." She looked at him with surprise. She knew what he was trully hinting to. Part of her wanted it so much it took all her strength not to agree right was this part that threw her offguard, she didn't expect to want him to stay so much. Unfortunately, her stubbornness won out.

C: "you should go, it's late and we both have to work early"

E: "are you sure you want to be alone, I have no problem staying?"

C: "I'm sure." She walked him to the door and thanked him for the night. After closing the door she couldn't help but fall against it, thinking about eric's offer while her mind drifted to what it could have led to. She got about two steps away from the door before she heard a knock. She opened it to find a very serious eric staring at her.

E: "sorry, but I forgot something"

C: "what's that?" Before she knew what was happening his lips were on hers with so much passion she thought she was going to faint from lack of air. Regardless of whether she expected it or not, she couldn't help but kiss him back just as intensely. By the time she realized what was happening he had backed her against the wall, pressing her into it hard. His hands moved their way under her shirt up her back while hers systematically unbuttoned his shirt, almost out of her control. Before either one knew it neither had a shirt on and eric began kissing from her neck down to her chest, pausing to spend extra time at her cleavage, all the while moving further south. Calleigh closed her eyes and reveled in how good it felt to have him touching her, how much she wanted him. After removing her pants he stood up and looked into her eyes.

E: "I don't know what I would've done had something happened to you today"

C: "but nothing did.I'm right here." With that the insane passion continued. She undid his belt and groped for his groin as his pants fell to the floor. Eric's hands found their way to her backside where he firmly planted them, lifting her up so she was straddling his waist. He carried her down the hall to her bedroom, his lips never leaving hers. When they got there he forcefully, but gently laid her on the bed where he set to remove her underwear, kissing her inner thighs and working between them with intense movements of his tongue. A euphoric moan escaped her lips and she couldn't help but arch her back in anticipation. The next four hours were earth-shattering, each one exploring the other's body with mind-blowing enthusiasm.

All the while, in the kitchen, calleigh's cell phone was rang three times before finally stopping to record three voicemails.

J: "hey babe it's me, just calling to make sure you're ok after what happened today. Call me." Jake closed his phone and headed home.