A/N: Thank you ashmo2000, MelodyAnderson, 34ken, suzyq59, ericplenty, BlueMonday2387 and the two guests who reviewed chapter 7. I really appreciate it. I know I always say that but I really do.

Ashler55 I'm so happy you're all caught up and I'm so happy you love it.

I've edited this chapter myself and I am terrible with the spelling and the grammar. Please forgive me.

Y'all don't want anything to do with Bill at all. Yikes. This is a love triangle story so Bill's gonna be there. If it makes you feel any better chapter 11 is called Goodbye and it has to do with Bill. This story is planned out, it's going to be about 28 chapters, possibly 29 or 30 if some chapters run long. Please trust me, I know what I'm doing and everything will be alright.

Here is chapter 8. I hope you all like it.


SOOKIE

Bill had started working more and more during the day and Tara was taking classes at the community college in Shreveport to become a vet tech so I began hanging out with Eric almost everyday. We would watch movies or shitty TV shows, hang out by the pool or we'd just talk.

The conversations were never as in-depth as they were the day I met Toby but I learned things about him little by little. He loved Chinese food but only lo mein and chicken balls, his favourite beer was Coors Light but he would never drink it in public, in public he drank Budweiser. Periodically he would buy a chocolate fudge cake and eat the entire thing within twenty-four hours. He went to the gym or for a run everyday, usually in the early hours in the morning. He liked every genre of movie and his favourite type of music was classic rock but he enjoyed all types. They weren't huge things but I noticed them.

This is how we spent our days.

It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon as we laid out enjoying the summer heat. "These are some fucking potent brownies Sookie." LaFayette said as he lounged on one of my deck chair. His style was a little more subdued today, he was in full makeup but he was only wearing red swim trunks, nothing flashy.

"Yes, yes they are." I giggled as I moved my hand back and forth in the water. I had pushed my deck chair up to the edge of the pool. It was a very rare day that none of us had to work at any point during a weekday so we were making the most of it.

"This is fucking bullshit! How did you both get pot brownies and I didn't. I'm eating another one." Eric wailed, getting up, heading towards his house.

"No!" I shouted, reaching out with my arm in vain to stop him, rolling over and falling into the pool.

I surfaced to Eric grabbing my arm. "You gotta stop falling into pools Stackhouse, I won't always be there to pull you out of them." he said wrapping a towel around me. Toby was at my feet trying to eat the drops of water that fell off my body.

I was laughing hysterically and so was LaFayette. "No breaking the rules Northman." I reprimanded him by waging my finger. "One a day, those are the rules." I took the towel and wiped off my face. "There is a lot of beer in the house."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine." He stomped off into the house leaving me and LaFayette alone.

"So yous been spending a lot of time with my boy Eric." LaFayette said to me. It wasn't a question.

I nodded. "Yeah, we get along, live in close proximity, have stuff in common so we hang out." I sat down on my chair again.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away." He took a sip of the pina colada that he made for himself with a smug look on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like that." I laid back out on the deck chair as I rubbed the remaining drops of water off my body, marvelling at my new neon orange swim suit.

"Mmm-hmm, not yet." He didn't sound convinced.

I knew this was bound to happen. It was difficult for people to accept a man and woman being friends, especially when I looked the way I did and when Eric looked like Eric, the type of guy everyone stopped to look at. I knew people were talking, I knew Bill was listening and all of it was so tedious, so high school.

"Bill must love it." LaFayette laughed.

"Bill must love what?" said a low, tired voice.

My eyes flew open to see Bill standing on my deck. He was wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt with the first two buttons undone and black dress shoes. "Bill." I stood and walked over to him giving him a kiss. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working." I rubbed his arm trying to seem as sober as possible.

"I was, I just wanted to pop over and see you." He smiled as he looked past me to LaFayette. "Are you having a party?" Toby ran over to him then stopped about a foot away and started growling at him, barking like crazy.

"Toby!" I said shortly trying to shoo him away.

"Hey Billy!" LaFayette called out lazily behind me. Bill gave him a nod and a wave.

"I have the day off so I had a couple people over." I shrugged looking back at LaFayette who had gotten up and was singing and dancing to an Iggy Azalea song.

"Is Northman here?" He already knew the answer, his tone was short, tight.

"Yes." I said trying to stay as composed as possible but I couldn't help but giggle just a little bit. I knew he was going to be angry and because I was as high as a kite it was all so hilarious.

"Where is he?" He said looking around me.

"He's inside sacrificing a goat, getting the alter ready." I said rolling my eyes. "Bill," I put my hands on either side of his face. "This paranoia you have about him has got to stop, Eric and I are friends and that's it." I looked into his eyes.

His brow furrowed. "Are you high?" He grabbed my face. "Did he force you to do this?"

"Yes, I forced her to take drugs cause I'm the villain in an after school special." Eric said behind me. I turned my head to look at him as he put down the two bottles of Coors in his hands. His voice was full of sarcasm as he removed his t-shirt that I was surprised he had kept on this long. I rolled my eyes at him understanding completely why he was removing his shirt now.

"He is a bad influence on you." Bill said looking at me, pointing at Eric.

I sighed. "Bill he didn't make me do anything. I ate a pot brownie that I made by the way because it's my day off and I decide what I do with my free time. I'm sorry if you're angry but that your problem and you are really fucking up my high right now." I moved away from him running my hands through my wet hair. I was angry and I was so sick of their feud.

He sighed and rubbed his face. "This is a problem." He motioned to Eric who raised his beer as he cheers'd Bill.

"Then don't make it one. He is not the person you knew in high school." I placed my hands on his chest as his hands fell to my hips.

"I really doubt that."

"Well you aren't the person you were in high school. We are adults now, let's start talking acting like it." I looked at him trying my hardest to focus, trying my hardest to end this childishness between these two men. "You are my boyfriend and he is my friend and if you both," I pointed at Eric, "this goes for you too, if you both keep this up you are both going to lose me. So stop."

He looked at me seriously, serious even for Bill and then his face softened. "Yeah, you're right, it's petty." He kissed me deeply. "Dinner tonight? I'll cook."

I nodded. "That sounds nice." I gave him a kiss.

"I have to get back to work." He stepped away from me and waved. "LaFayette, Northman."

"Bye Bill!" Eric sang cheerfully as he waved furiously.

I turned to look at him. "You be nice to him. You are both getting on my nerves with all of this shit." I flopped down on the chair.

"I'll be on my best behaviour."

I turned and shot him an aggressive look. "I mean it."

"Okay!" He shouted back mimicking a halo over his head. "I'll be nice to Compton."

I turned back and nestled into the chair. "Good." I smiled as I let my high take back over.

I heard LaFayette start laughing. "Why you all doing this to yourselves?"

Eric sighed. "Dude, you're high, stop talking."

"What do you mean?" I looked over at him, ignoring Eric.

"Why are you fighting the inevitable?" He was looking at me and then looked at Eric. "Except I think this one will end in tears."

"Shut up LaFayette," Eric said and then I heard a splash. He swam to the other end of the pool pulling himself out and sat on the edge for some time looking at the water. Finally he looked up at me. "Beer?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

He headed toward the house. "I'd like one too." LaFayette cooed.

"Nope." Eric said.

There was a tension in the air that I didn't appreciate and it was fucking up my high worse than Bill did. I wasn't happy that people assumed that my life was so out of my control that I didn't even have a say in who I wanted to be romantically involved with. I was sick of the implications and jokes. So much was already out of my control and if I could make a choice it would be mine and mine alone.

I took the beer when Eric gave it to me and closed my eyes trying to drown LaFayette and Eric out.

~x~x~x~x~

I rubbed aloe on my shoulders as Bill placed a plate of beef stroganoff in front of me. "I can't believe how badly you got burned."

"That's the price I pay for falling asleep by the pool." I slowly moved my arms to grab my fork and took a bite of the meal. "This is really good."

"Thank you." He grinned at me. We ate in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "So I was thinking about what you said and I think we should invite Eric over for dinner."

I looked at him in shock. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean I can't get over how I feel about Eric if I never get to know him. We'll invite Tara, Pam, LaFayette and Jason and it will be an easy environment to do that in. I'll cook, you can bake, we'll both host. Lots of wine and good conversation. It'll be fun." He smiled widely.

"Are you sure?" I asked still not believing he wanted to do this.

"For you, I'm sure I want to do this." He placed his hand over mine and squeezed.

I smiled widely forgetting about my sunburn. "Okay, yeah. This will be fun. I'll text Tara and LaFayette and I'll tell Eric tomorrow at work." I couldn't believe how mature he was being. I was so excited that I wouldn't have to separate my lives anymore, that everything could blend together.

"Let's do it this Sunday. Merlotte's is closed on Sunday's right?" He inquired.

I nodded.

"That way everyone can get a little drunk, let loose, have a good time and not have to worry about anything." He took a sip of his beer.

I stared at him with a smile. "Thank you. Thank you for being so wonderful." I kissed him on the cheek.

We finished our meal in silence, cleaned up and then we made love.

ERIC

Merlotte's was becoming more and more busy, I noticed it was busiest when Sookie and I worked together. LaFayette was right, I brought in the women and Sookie brought in the men who hoped they could charm the heiress with no ring on her finger. When the dinner rush finally died down and Sookie and I had both tidied up she came over to sit by the bar. "What are you doing this Saturday?" She asked taking a sip of the water I handed to her.

"Are you asking me out on a date? I knew it was only a matter of time but in this setting, I thought you'd be a little more romantic Stackhouse." I tried to sound as love struck as possible.

She rolled her eyes, "Bill and I are having a dinner party of sorts and we'd love it if you could make it." She beamed at me.

"Is it just gonna be us three?" I asked.

She shook her head as she swallowed the water she had in her mouth and her ponytail swung back and forth. "No I'm inviting Tara, Pam, LaFayette and Jason."

"Is Bill cooking?"

She nodded.

There was a moment of silence. "He's going to try to poison me."

She laughed. "I guess we'll see." She smiled. "It'll be fine, I promise and you and Bill can work on at least being civil to each other."

I stared at her for a moment as she stared right back awaiting my answer. I huffed, "Fine, I'll come."

"Good. Bring wine." She swung her body around the stool and went to visit her remaining tables.

Luckily, the rest of the night was slow and at one we were both ready to lock up and leave. "Out you go Stackhouse." I motioned for her to go but she lingered behind me. "What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Do you want to stay and play some pool?" She asked timidly.

I looked at her with curiosity. "Don't you want to go home? Aren't you tired? Don't you want to see Bill."

"Well I'm either going home to an empty house or to a house full of drunk people, neither sound appealing and I'm never really tired. Bill has a conference call early in the morning so I'm alone tonight and I would love to stay here and play pool with you." She said throwing her purse on the counter.

I stared at her for a moment before I reached out my hand. "iPhone, please." I smiled as I took off my jacket and placed it by her purse.

I plugged in her phone, pushed play and poured us a couple of beers while she broke. I won the first game and she won the second. I watched her carefully as she moved around the table looking for her next shot. "So why can't you sleep, Stackhouse?" I asked her.

"What?" She asked as she sunk one of her balls in the far left pocket.

"I know why I can't sleep, so why can't you?" She missed and I lined up my shot.

She sighed. "It's stupid."

"If it's keeping you up at night then it can't be that stupid." I took my next shot and missed.

"It started when I entered university. All my professors kept using the word future, a lot, and I had never really thought about my future. I mean I had thought about it but I had never really about it but one night I did, I really started thinking about it. I didn't think that I was going to take over Sonnet, that was for Jason but I always assumed I'd work there but then I started wondering if I wanted to. Then I started thinking, if I don't want to do that then what do I want to do?" She took a sip of her beer. "Then my mother, in our brief conversations, kept pestering me about marriage and kids and before I knew it I just couldn't fall asleep." She got up and took her shot, she missed. "I just felt like I had so much to do and so little time to do it. It got a little better when I was dating Alcide but just a little, I thought I was going to marry him."

"Al-who?" I asked.

"Oh, Alcide," she shook her head, " Alcide was my boyfriend while I was in Uni. I think the stressed lifted slightly because I thought he was the one. Everything would be okay." She took another sip of her beer.

"What happened with Alcide?" I finished my beer and took a shot. I didn't know if it was mine or hers.

"The age old tale, he cheated on me with someone younger and blonder." She shrugged and went to the bar to pour another beer.

"Younger? You're twenty-four, what was she a fetus?" I handed her my glass to refill.

"A freshman." She laughed. "It was about a two ago, I've come to terms with it but anyway, that's why I can't sleep." She handed me a beer as I braced myself for the question I knew she was about to ask. "Why can't you sleep?"

I sighed. "When I was fifteen my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and for whatever reason the drugs she was taking made her sleep all day. She was only ever awake at night and I knew, we both knew, she only had so long, so I stayed awake with her. In the beginning it was just staying up watching movies, talking, making sure she was alright, stuff like that." I drank half of my beer in one go. "When she couldn't leave the hospital I was there every night, the nurses broke rules and let me stay when I shouldn't have been there. So I learned to stay awake, power naps, sleeping during free periods, sleeping a few hours at dusk, after school and when she died I couldn't shake the habit. She also died at night, so did my dad, I have a stigma when it comes to night time." I was silent as I looked anywhere but into her eyes. I knew she was going to have that sympathetic 'poor orphan boy' look that I always got.

"How did your father die?" She asked leaning over the counter towards me. I looked at her to find curiosity in her eyes.

"He had a heart attack when I was fourteen."

"Jesus." She looked away from me with a furrowed brow. "Was he old?"

"Forty-two."

"How old was your mother?"

"Forty-one."

"How old were you when she died?"

"Eighteen."

"You have no other relatives?"

"My parents were only children, their parents had died when they were young. It's just me."

"I'm very sorry Eric, that must have been horrible." She looked at me with sadness in her eyes but she wasn't pitying me. She felt sorry for me but she didn't look at me like I was broken, like I needed to be fixed. She looked at me like I was someone who had lost something, which I was but not someone that had grown weaker for losing it, but I was weaker. I was never the same once I lost them, I was just a very good actor, good enough to fool her. "What were their names?" She asked.

"Astrid and Sebastian." I swallowed hard not wanting to speak about them anymore.

She smiled and took my glass pouring me another beer, handing it to me. She knew I was becoming uncomfortable so she was changing the subject. She sighed and looked at me. "Is Sam gonna be mad we're drink this beer?" She asked pouring herself one.

"I don't really care." I stood to go back to the pool table. "I bring so many women into this bar which in turn brings men in, he owes me a few beers." I smiled. "Come on Stackhouse, I have to finish kicking your ass."

"Um, excuse me, I'm pretty sure I'm winning." She circled the table like a shark. "And I think it's my turn." It was her turn. She bent over and sunk a ball and then another. She stood and circled the table again.

"Stackhouse?" I said quietly.

Her head jolted towards me, hearing the venerability in my voice. "Yeah?"

"You know how important what I just told you is right? How personal it is? Only two people know about my parents. The details I mean, everyone in this town knows they died." I took the three steps that was needed to be standing directly in front of her. I looked down at her as she processed what I said.

"This is just between you and me. I won't tell anyone, not even Bill." She wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. I put my arms around her, one around her shoulders, the other landing on the crown of her head, stroking her hair which smelled like grapefruit. Sweet and tangy just like Sookie. "Thank you for sharing this with me." She whispered into my chest.

"You're welcome." I whispered back. We stood together for a few seconds longer. "But I really think you need to get back to kicking my ass in this game."

She stepped away from me and grinned. "You're a graceful loser. I like that."

She won and I drove her home after we locked up.

I took Toby for a walk and fed him. I browsed my Netflix for a half hour before I looked over at Toby, who was now sitting beside me on the couch and said, "do you want to watch The Dark Knight?" I looked at him as his tongue flopped out of his mouth and he started to pant. "I'm gonna take that as a yes."

I put in the Blu-Ray and settled in for the movie as I ignored the tightening in my chest every time I thought about Sookie Stackhouse.

Sookie Stackhouse who I could always tell how well she slept by how much makeup she was wearing. Who loved lilies and hated daisies, loved the color red and young adult novels. Sookie who would marry cheese if she could and worked out in secret. Sookie who could bake with finesse and drink like a champ. Sookie who was just alone as I was, who was just as afraid of the future as I was. The girl I realized that would be gone in eight weeks and that thought made me lose my breath.


What did you all think? This is all building towards something, I swear.

Reviews are loved.

Thanks for reading.