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Chapter fifty-four
Eric's POV
"I have spent days trying to phone you" Pam's angered voice growls down the phone. Looks like I have pissed her off royally.
"Did you expect me to answer the calls after how we left off our last conversation? You were being so fucking unreasonable, Pam. I wasn't ready to forgive you, or to even hear you out; you were being such a fucking nasty cow to Sookie, she has never once done anything to you" I shout through the phone when I get downstairs, mentally slapping myself. I could have woken Sookie up with my loud mouth. I need to be quieter, I can't risk waking her. She has barely slept as it is.
"I can hear you cursing under your breath. What have you done?"
"I shouldn't have shouted, Sookie is asleep upstairs. She hasn't been sleeping very well what with morning sickness and everything. She's knackered" I admit silently as I sit down on the steps with a sigh; I hate that she is so tired all of the time.
"Wait, doesn't she have a job?"
"She did, but she quit working at the hospital. She actually does have a new one lined up; this time she will be a nurse at a clinic."
"Eric, if she is struggling to get some sleep when she isn't at work, then surely she wouldn't be able to cope when she is at work. Do you really think she can handle the stress of work, this morning sickness, her lack of sleep and whatever else she may be stressing over? Is it even the right time for her to start a new job?" I'm surprised to hear concern in Pam's voice, maybe she does want to sort this out. Maybe she has thought over everything and realised that I need her there for me; she is my sister, after all.
"I don't know, to be honest. Look, this isn't about Sookie…wait, it is…sort of…look, we need to sort things out. I don't like being mad at you, Pam" I admit, hating that I am the one giving in so quickly, she should be the one begging me to forgive her.
"You're right; we do need to sort this out" she agrees, a sigh of relief escaping me. I want Pam and I to be friends again. We have always been friends; heck, we're brother and sister. We should be friends. Not to mention that we're also technically business partners. But the best part to this is that it won't only be settling my mind, but it will be settling Sookie's as well. Maybe Pam was right, maybe it isn't time for her to start a new job. I'll have to talk to her about it later when she wakes up, but I can already foresee that it won't be a conversation she will take lightly…
"Well?" I probe, waiting for her to say she's sorry. She is the one in the wrong here, not me.
"Do I really have to say it? You know I hate saying it."
"Just say it, Pam. You're in the wrong here, you acted completely out of hand and you upset not only Sookie, but me as well. Pam, take note of this: from now on, Sookie and I, as well as this baby, we all come as one package. If you can't accept her or our child in your life, then you can't accept me. I will not be a part of someone's life if they cannot accept those closest to me."
"You really love this girl, don't you?"
"I love her more than you could ever imagine" I breathe, my heart inflating at just the thought of Sookie. She is amazing. I never thought I could feel so in love with someone; heck, I didn't even believe in love until I met Sookie. That's how much of an impact she has had on me. She has changed me from being a man-whore, to being a proper man who cares for his lover. She has completely changed my world…and I am so pussy whipped...
"I'm sorry" she mutters.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you?"
"I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have been a bitch to your precious Sookie. God, look, we'll talk more later. My date for the night has arrived" she purrs into the phone, making me chuckle as I roll my eyes. That's my sister.
"We will talk more later, we haven't sorted everything out. We still have some major topics to discuss, but maybe they are better off being approached in person" I note thoughtfully, Pam agreeing before she says goodbye and puts the phone down, after we have agreed on a time to meet up. The second I put the phone down I release a sigh of relief. Thank God that Pam apologised, but we still have lots to discuss, and they do need to be discussed in person; a conversation as serious as what I have in mind should not be done over the phone. So instead I shall be meeting up with Pam tomorrow where we will have a proper discussion regarding this.
"Eric?" Sookie probes softly from behind me. I quickly stand up and turn around to find Sookie stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes meeting mine. Is it just me or does she look like an Angel? Albeit, a very tired one...
"Hey" I smile as she comes down the stairs. When she gets to the second to last step I envelope her in an embrace, picking her up from the step before I spin her around lightly.
"You haven't been asleep for very long, you must still be exhausted" I raise my eyebrow at her once I have her placed on the floor, my arms still wrapped around her waist.
"I couldn't sleep, I'm too hungry"
"This isn't good for you, Sookie. You or the baby, for that matter. This lack of sleep, the morning sickness, the stress of everything happening lately, what with us moving in together and buying a new house. Then there is my bar opening, and the twats across the street. This is all too much for you, Lover, I don't think you should have to go through all this. And I know you will certainly hate me for this, but I don't think this is the right time for you to start a new job" I admit my fears to her, Sookie's anger completely flaring as she pushes on my chest, causing me to stumble back a few steps. I don't want to piss her off any further by keeping hold of her when she doesn't want to be touched.
"How dare you try to manipulate me and control my life! I am an independent woman, I have worked for everything I have and I will continue to do so. I do not need you telling me what to do, or telling me what you think is best for me! I want to work, you can't stop me from doing that. I don't want to be a kept woman and that's exactly what I will be if I don't take this job!" she yells at me, tears welling in her eyes. How can she be angry and teary all at the same time? In fact, how can women feel so many emotions at once? It is unbelievable… I almost feel like Ron out of Harry Potter, and when he questioned this very topic Hermione turned around and said he had the emotional range of a teaspoon. Does that mean I have the emotional range of a teaspoon?
"Sookie, I am only trying to think what is best for not only you, but for the baby as well. You haven't been in work these last few days and within those few days you have had morning sickness and you have been lacking sleep. Do you think you could cope with that along with this new job? This job involves fixed working hours in which you will have to work hard; you will have to work with ignorant bastards who may try aggressive or offensive behaviour towards you. Do you want to risk that? Do you want to put both yourself and this baby at risk?"
"No…" she sobs as she breaks down into a mass of tears; I quickly rush to her and hold her, my confusion only rising. How can one person switch between emotions so quickly?
"I don't want to hurt our baby, but I don't want to rely on you. I…I just don't know what to do."
"Sookie, come work with me. Not for me, with me. That way you can have flexible hours, you can have days off when you want and you won't be stressing yourself out. You don't have to decide now, Sookie, just…just think about it, please" I beg her, Sookie nodding slowly as her sobs turn into hiccups.
"You're pregnancy hormones confuse me so fucking much" I grumble as I hold her against me, my eyes looking down at her. She still looks exhausted. She is definitely better off taking my proposal. I don't think this job is right for her; at least, not right now. Maybe after the baby has been born, but while she is pregnant I think she is better off without that job. There is too much happening in her life right now as it is, that job would only add to her worries. I don't want her to get stressed out anymore.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have gone off like that. I was acting childish, but I don't like being told what I can't do, I hate it" she mumbles as she looks up at me, I stroke her cheek before running my fingers through her hair softly.
"It's okay, you weren't acting childish. You were acting like anyone would if they had been told that they should quit their job, I shouldn't tell you what to do. But I only want what's best for you and our baby; I just want the both of you to be healthy."
"I'll think on it, yeah? But right now I am really craving some strawberries and milk, maybe we can do some house hunting on the internet while we eat?" she probes lightly, my thumb wiping away the last few tears that were sliding down her cheeks.
"That sounds wonderful" I grin at her before I guide her into the kitchen, but just as we enter the kitchen Sookie's phone buzzes with a text. She left it in the kitchen last night before we went to bed. I watch as she opens the text, concern attacking her face.
"Sookie?" she looks up at me as she passes me her phone. I gently take it from her hand before I look at the text.
"Watch your back" I read out loud, my eyes jumping to where the number should be displayed. But there is no number, it's an unknown number.
