Chapter 11

Chase's POV

She begrudgingly left her precious little sister to eat in the cafeteria with me. We ate in comfortable silence in the cafeteria.

"I know you'll think I'm weird..." She took a generous bite of her grilled chicken panini.

"Probably!" She giggled.

I loved that she appreciated my sense of humour.

"In the future, like four or five years from now, maybe not with me... would you like to have children?"

My mouth opened wide, not necessarily at her question as much as the skinny blonde that walked into the cafeteria. Erin's eyes squinted a little waiting for a reply. Her toned arms crossed on her chest as I still fixed my eyes on what seemed to be my ex-wife.

"Wait for me."

I stood and left the table without turning back to an angry Erin that begged for understanding. I reached Allison's table and sat facing her, I could already see Erin angrily eating her sandwich and fidgeting on the table, but curiosity got the best of me.

"What are you doing here?"

"I... missed you..." My eyes grew wide, I couldn't possibly believe that, after everything she made me go through, she could not just barge back into my life, a year after our divorce was finalized.

I was dating Erin, the hot Erin. I turned to look at her and noticed she had her eyes fixed to the newspaper trying to avoid my stare.

"What?"

"No men treat me like you did, you're so kind, so sweet, so gallant, so charming... so handsome." I turned to Erin again, to my great dismay she was emptying her tray into the trash can, mine as well.

"I'm dating someone else."

"The red-head?" I nodded.

"She's... not me, you used to love me."

"I did, I'll always have fond memories of you, but I don't love... you. I love her, so much and the great thing is that she loves me so much as well. The things you miss have nothing to do with your love for me, they have to do with the way I treated you."

Erin breezed past me. I gently grabbed her hand.

"Babe, the answer's yes and hopefully with you. Come and meet Allison my ex-wife. Sorry I treated you that way!" Erin stood surprised at my revelation.

"Come on!" I urged her. She sat beside me blushing a little.

"She's my girlfriend, I just love her so much and you may miss me but you'll never give me what she does."

"What does she have that I'm lacking? Tell me Robert."

"Reciprocated love... you didn't love me as much as I loved you and I love that when I look in this woman's perfect green eyes, I can see love, I can see the love I have for her and the one she has for me... I'd love to have everything with her." Erin blushed now staring at the floor-tiles.

Erin's POV

I went from feeling ecstatic at the way he proclaimed his love for me, to feeling sorry for her at the extent to which he proclaimed such a flame and finally surprise pure, unaltered surprise. Wished I could subtly walk out of the crowded cafeteria. I looked around shyly and finally found my target, my father had just walked in, I stared at him walking towards the queue turning his head twice in surprise and joined us in no time. There went my opening. Robert in the mean time still stared in shock.

"Really!" Was all he could say.

My father joyfully said: "Hey... you made it, Cuddy will be really glad you made it."

"What?" Robert interjected indignantly.

My father replied matter-of-factly. "She's taking Lisa's place for a few months while she's staying home with our baby."

"I didn't know that." My boyfriend replied angrily as she looked into his eyes.

"Well I wanted to move back here, I love you, I need you..."

Upon listening to his ex-wife inappropriately professing her love to my boyfriend I decided to stand and leave; there wasn't much for me to retrieve from the conversation. This was something they had to deal with amongst themselves. I kissed his cheek softly and said good-bye to all of them.