Chapter 2 - Denial

After Eric left I went to my room, climbed onto my bed, curled up into the fetal position, and cried my eyes out. Here I had been going out of my mind with worry that Bill was lying dead in a ditch somewhere, and he was off making out with his ex-girlfriend. Then Eric Northman had to be the one to deliver the news? Talk about dying of embarrassment. I considered Eric to be one of my friends, but this situation was something I would have preferred people not know about, especially Eric. He had already tried to get me to "talk" about my relationship with Bill once, and now he knew that Bill had cheated on me.

I had grown closer to Eric in the year since I started working for him, but especially since my grandmother's passing. He was there for me the way I expected a friend to be, and it really made me see him in a new light. He was never anything but respectful towards me, and he never tried anything, which went against the things I had heard about him. When Bill never showed up to pick me up for our anniversary date, Eric was the first person I called. I don't know why, but his number was the one I dialed.

Now here I was, on my four-year anniversary, crying my eyes out. It wasn't exactly the way I had planned on ending the night. I felt so alone. I hadn't felt this alone since Gran died. Even then I was pretty alone. When I saw Bill that night, I expected him to hold me and tell me everything would be fine. Instead, he griped at me about getting a ride home from Eric. I ended up telling him to just go home, and spent the night alone in the house my grandmother had just died in. Now I was alone after finding out that he had most likely cheated on me.

I immediately decided to break up with him. He cheated, so that was the natural reaction, right? The thought broke my heart even more. I didn't want to be alone. All I had ever done was try to make him happy, but apparently I failed because he was out on our anniversary with his ex.

I began to pick apart all the things I'd done lately, but realized I hadn't done anything different. Perhaps he was just tired of me in general. I knew I wasn't exactly a prize in the sack. Bill was my first everything, and after about a week of first having sex with him, he didn't seem that excited about it anymore. I tried many things to spice up our sex life, and he would enjoy the new things for a short while before appearing bored again. Even recently, I could count on one hand the number of orgasms I'd had with him in the last few months. But instead of making me want to break up with him, it made me want to try harder. Maybe that's where I went wrong. Bill didn't want someone that tried so much; he wanted a natural. He was probably just staying with me out of pity.

Those thoughts kept running through my head until I fell asleep, mentally exhausted, and when I woke up the next morning I had a huge headache. The first thing I did was take some aspirin, and then I got into the shower. After that, I checked my messages. There was only one, and it wasn't from Bill.

"Hey, It's Eric. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. I… I'll see you tonight if you're still coming to work. Bye, Sookie."

I wanted to smile at his thoughtfulness, but it really only made me think of the reason why he called in the first place. I opened my phone again, and dialed Bill. It rang three times before he answered.

"Who the hell is calling me at eight in the morning?" he grumbled in the phone.

"Your ex-girlfriend, you jackass," I said back.

He paused for a minute before speaking again. "Sookie? What are you talking about?"

"I know who you were with last night. I know that you cheated on me. If you were going to do that, why did you have to do it on our anniversary?" I actually felt angry instead of sad for once.

"I'm coming over," was all he said before he hung up.

I didn't get the chance to tell him that I didn't want to see him. I thought about leaving so I didn't have to see him, but I didn't know where to go. Amelia was out of town for another couple of days, and there was no way in hell I was going to visit Jason. I thought about going to see Sam, but he probably didn't want to hear about my issues with Bill. He never had liked him much.

Instead of leaving, I began cleaning. I managed to get the all the counters in the kitchen bleached by the time Bill got there. He actually knocked, which never happened.

"Come in," I said.

He immediately walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. I stilled in his embrace, and refused to look at him. He smelled so good though; like sandalwood and herbs. It was his distinct smell, and it was one I had grown to be comforted by. Probably because I used to feel completely safe with him when he'd hold me close. After he released me, he led me by the hand to the living room, and we sat down on the couch together.

"Sookie, I'm sorry," he began. "I was in Shreveport yesterday to get you a gift, and I ran into Lorena. She asked if I'd have lunch with her, and I didn't see why not, so I went. She convinced me to have a drink, and we started talking. I think it was a plan on her part, because somehow one drink led to several, and before I knew it things progressed much further than what they should have. I felt awful afterward, and I left her place immediately. I knew I had to tell you, but I didn't know how. Unfortunately someone did for me."

Slowly, I felt my anger wane. Maybe he had just made a mistake, and it was all Lorena's fault. He said he was sorry it had happened; he would have never cheated on me if not for Lorena purposely trying to seduce him. What if it really wasn't about me? I hadn't done anything wrong.

"I made a mistake, Sookie. It'll never happen again."

I nodded, and he pulled me into another embrace.

"Look, Bill. I know I can forgive you for this, but I'll never forget it. I'm not completely sure I still want to be with you."

"Even after what I just told you?" he said coldly. "I apologized, Sookie. I told you it wasn't my fault. I've forgiven you for things before."

"I know that, but Bill, this feels like a betrayal," I started, but could tell this would just lead to an argument. "Look, I have to work tonight, so why don't you come in later, and I'll let you know what I've decided then."

He looked pissed, but agreed to it, and after giving me a kiss on the cheek, he left.

I had a lot to think about, but I was pretty sure I'd choose to stay with him. I knew that if I had slipped up like that, I'd desperately want him to forgive me. We could get past this. It would make us a stronger couple. I knew it could. The fact that it happened on our anniversary held no consequence really. I mean, yeah, that stung a bit, but it could have happened on any other day, and it wouldn't have mattered.

I spent the entire day thinking about it while I cleaned, and by the time I had to go to work, I knew my answer. When I got to the bar, Eric was already there, and as soon as he saw me he asked me to come to his office with him. I followed him back there, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. He sat down in the one behind it, looking slightly disappointed, and I wondered if he thought we were going to sit on the couch together like we did when we had our more friend-like chats.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I called Bill this morning, and he came over. He explained everything. He was in town to get me a gift, and ran into Lorena. She asked him to have lunch with her, and he had a few drinks. One thing led to another… He made a mistake, and he apologized for it."

"So you're staying with him," he said, more than he asked.

"Yes."

"Why?" he asked, seeming a little angry.

I didn't really feel like divulging certain details of my world to Eric, but I knew I had to if I wanted him to understand.

"It wasn't his fault. Besides, Bill was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. He's only been with one other woman, so I feel… safe with him. He's not the kind of guy to plow through women. He's the kind of guy that wants to settle down. Women go through their whole lives without finding a guy like that, so I'm going to hold onto mine."

"Bill cheated on you, Sookie. That doesn't sound like a guy that wants to settle down. That sounds like a guy that's not worth your devotion."

"It was one time. It was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. You've made your fair share, ya know," I said, getting a bit defensive.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"I just… I really considered not applying here because of the things I had heard about you."

"Things like what?"

"I met some girls that used to work here, and some that currently work here, and while they admitted that you were a good boss, they said you liked to sleep with the waitresses. I wasn't sure if you were the kind of person I wanted to work for, but I needed a job, and I knew I could handle you if you tried anything…" I trailed off, not really wanting to insult him any further.

"Sookie, you have to consider the source. You wouldn't believe how many girls apply here just because they think I'll sleep with them. I don't sleep around."

I snorted. I couldn't believe he expected me to doubt what I'd heard, especially since Bill had warned me about Eric's status among the ladies as well. "Are you kidding me? A person doesn't get a reputation like that without being a playboy at some point. You've probably been with hundreds of nameless women."

He didn't smile or smirk like I thought he would. He actually looked a little hurt.

"I've never been the type to sleep around, and I prefer to be in a monogamous relationship. I can count on one hand how many women I've slept with, and I remember all their names. You can choose to believe what you want, but that's the truth," he said, almost coldly.

Wow. That was all I could think. I couldn't help but believe him. He'd never been anything but honest with me, and I had a feeling that I could tell if he were lying. The questions remained though. Why tell me? Why didn't he just let me think he was a playboy? Why did he feel the need to tell me that he wasn't like that? The biggest question was: Why did I care?

"I should get to work," I said, and stood up to leave. When I got to the door, he spoke again.

"Oh, and Sookie," he said, and I turned around to face him. He had something like sheer determination in his eyes. "I've never cheated on anyone."

I quickly nodded, and left as fast as I could. The way he said it, the look in his eyes when he said it… it was like it knocked the wind out of me, and I didn't understand why. I had to go to the bathroom to catch my breath before I got to work.

The night seemed to drag on. The drunks were being rowdy, and Bill hadn't come in yet. Eric kept popping up out of nowhere, and he always seemed to be looking at me. I felt like he was judging me for staying with Bill. He probably thought I was pathetic, and I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't care what he thought, but for some reason or another, I did.

Bill came in at about ten, and I was busy at the time, so I couldn't go to him immediately. By the time I did, he was already in his brooding mood.

"So, have you decided my fate yet? Is there a reason you made me wait this long? You know, you have a lot of gall asking me to wait for your decision when I could've just as easily said that I didn't want to be with you anymore," he said, and that last comment made me panic a bit. He was being a jerk, but I knew that I would have been frustrated if I'd waited a whole day to find out if Bill was staying with me or not.

"I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt this time Bill, but just make sure it never happens again, okay?"

He nodded, and pulled me to him for a kiss. I pulled away quickly because it wasn't appropriate, and I bumped right into Eric.

"Bill, nice to see you again," he said. "While I don't mind that you come here when Sookie's working, I would appreciate it if you didn't have public displays of affection while she's on duty."

I glanced back at Bill worriedly. He didn't like to be told what to do, but he surprised me by nodding at Eric. Eric walked away after that, and then Bill laid into me.

"What the fuck was that about, Sookie? Why is your boss telling me shit like that? Did you tell him about what happened?"

"He's telling you that because it was inappropriate, and no, I did not tell him what happened, he told me. He was the one that saw you."

I knew the instant it came out of my mouth I shouldn't have said it.

"I should have known that womanizing asshole was the one to tell you. He's a prick, Sookie! He wants you for himself!"

"Bill, stop it! I won't argue with you about this here."

"Then I'm taking you home tonight. We'll talk about it in the car, and I'll bring you to work tomorrow."

"You haven't been drinking, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"Fine. I'll see you when my shift's over."

"I'm leaving, and I'll come back to get you," he said as he walked off.

That certainly hadn't gone the way I wanted. I got back to work, and didn't see much more of Eric the rest of the night. I was actually glad. He made things worse, albeit unintentionally, but they were worse.

By the time my shift was over, Eric had emerged from his office. He came up to me, looking like he wanted to talk.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I reacted to your decision, and I'm sorry for getting on Bill about kissing you. I just don't want the other patrons seeing that and thinking they can do it to. Not everybody knows that it was your boyfriend kissing you, and not some random customer. I do consider you a friend, Sookie, and I care about you. But because I'm your friend, I have to believe that you are doing what you believe is best, and I will support you if it's what you really want."

Again, Eric managed to surprise me. I had tears in my eyes when he finished his speech, and immediately hugged him.

"Thank you," I said.

I was surprised how comforting his scent was as I breathed it in. It wasn't like Bill's at all. I couldn't even put a finger on what it reminded me of. It was purely Eric. Almost as quickly as I hugged him, I pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said, and he offered me a smile before I walked away. I went outside to find it raining.

"Great," I muttered, not wanting to wait in the rain for Bill. Luckily, he pulled up just as I was about to run to my car.

I got in, and he took off as soon as the door was closed. I scrambled to get my seatbelt on.

"Slow down, Bill," I said.

"Did you cheat on me with him?" he asked, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He must have gone to another bar.

"Bill, slow down. Pull over. You've been drinking, and you need to let me drive."

"Answer the question," he said as he stepped on the gas pedal harder.

"No, I didn't cheat on you. I would never do that," I answered, hoping it would calm him down.

"Is that a guilt trip? Why are you being such a bitch about this? I thought you said you've forgiven me."

"I do forgive you, and I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip. I love you, Bill. Please slow down!" I begged. My parents had died in a car accident, and he knew driving fast scared me. I was gripping the armrest and the door grip so hard my fingers were white.

"This is my car, and I'll drive how I want!" he yelled, and almost immediately after, we began to hydroplane. Bill did the one thing you never do when you hydroplane, and slammed on the brakes. I screamed as we skidded off the road and down the embankment. The last thing I heard was a sickening crack before I was knocked out.

First of all I want to say Thank You to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and put the story on alert! The response to this story has been so great, and I appreciate all the support.

I have to tell you that Sookie will probably seem frustrating in this. She's obviously been emotionally abused by Bill for a long time and hasn't really had her wake-up call yet. It'll happen, I promise. Like I said last time, I know just where this story is going, and I'm not going to jerk ya'll around when it comes to getting Eric and Sookie together. They'll get there, but it's going to take a bit of time. Have I ever lied to you? ;)

Huge thanks to FDM and Meads for pulling beta duties on this story. They're the best, and they are helping tremendously with this story.

Okay, so... did ya'll like chapter 2?