Haunted, Chapter Six
"Love The One You're With"
When Chandler opened his eyes the next morning, he saw that Erin was curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest. He closed his eyes tightly, and wrapped his arms around her, willing away the feelings of resentment he was feeling. Erin stirred, and Chandler opened his eyes, as she looked up at him.
"Morning," Erin yawned, as she pulled away from Chandler and stretched slowly.
"Morning, sweetheart," Chandler whispered, as he pulled himself up and leaned on the headboard.
"You got home late last night," Erin noted, as she sat up.
"I know, I'm sorry," Chandler said softly, as he played with a stray clump of hair on Erin's head.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. No..." Chandler sighed and shook his head.
"It's Monica, isn't it?"
Chandler looked at Erin, then at his hands. She knew him too well.
"We kissed. Last night. I...I don't even know how it happened. I...I freaked out, and I ran..."
"Wow. Okay. What, um, what do you want to do? Do you want to go back to her?"
"No. No, Erin, I love you, I do. I just...I don't know. I have all these feelings, and they've been bottled up for years. I thought she was dead...and she's not, and I..." Chandler wrung his hands together nervously as he spoke, tears falling from his face.
He was in turmoil, that much Erin could see. She wanted to help, but had no idea how.
"Chandler, you need closure. You and Monica, you never had closure, because of the strange...thing that happened. You can't get past these feelings you have until you face them."
"You-You're not mad at me?" Chandler said, then sniffled loudly.
"No, honey, I'm not mad," Erin turned to face Chandler and placed her hands on his tear-stained cheeks, "I'm sad, but I'm not mad. I know you love me."
Chandler looked at Erin, then nodded, "I do, baby, I love you so much."
"I love you too. We'll get through this, I promise."
***
Erin insisted that Chandler go to the Sunday brunch alone. Initially, he wanted her and the kids to come, but Erin felt that it would be better if Chandler try to talk to Monica without her there. Chandler was amazed at how much Erin trusted him. He walked into the restaurant, and spotted his friends immediately.
"Hey, Chandler! Where's the wife and kids?" Ross asked.
"They are gonna do some shopping. They all say hello," Chandler flashed a brief, nervous smile, and sat down next to Monica.
Monica was surprised by Chandler's decision to sit next to her, after what had happened the other night. She wondered what was going through his head. She didn't have to wonder long. As soon as everyone started talking to each other again, Chandler leaned over to Monica.
"We need to talk," Chandler whispered softly, then straightened back up.
Monica nodded weakly, and pretended to concentrate on her menu.
The brunch went by at a painfully slow pace. Both Chandler and Monica were having trouble concentrating on what their other friends were saying. The group finished up, and parted ways, promising to keep in touch as much as possible.
Monica and Chandler made a subtle departure, and wandered into Central Park. They walked in silence for several minutes, then took a seat at a park bench adjacent to the trail. They sat together silently for a minute more, then Chandler took a deep breath, and turned to Monica.
"I told Erin what happened," he said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"I had to, Mon. I couldn't not tell her."
"What did she say?"
"That you and I need closure. And I think she's right. The way everything happened..."
"I'm sorry about what happened," Monica said quietly.
Chandler turned to look at Monica and took her hands in his.
"Don't be, Mon. We are both dealing with feelings that we've kept inside for a very long time. I lost you fifteen years ago, but not because I stopped loving you. And it took me a very long time to get over that. But..." Chandler pulled away from Monica, and ran his hands through his hair, then rubbed his greying temples roughly.
Finally, he turned to her and sighed. "I still love you. I've never stopped loving you."
Monica smiled, and felt tears fall down her face. "I love you too." Her smile faded, when she saw Chandler's somber expression. "I sense I big 'but' coming," Monica whispered.
"There is one. I do love you. But I love Erin too, and I love my children. I can't do this to them. I can't put them through this pain. As much as I want to be with you...I can't. And you and I need to find a way to bring closure to us. We need to say goodbye to the past."
"I know."
They sat in silence for several minutes, both wondering how to bring closure to a book that was never really meant to be closed.
***
Chandler awoke with a start, and realized, with horror, three things: 1) He was naked. 2) Erin was not next to him.
3) Monica was...and she was naked too. Chandler closed his eyes, and prayed that he was dreaming. When Erin had suggested he find closure, he was sure that this was NOT what she meant. He looked at Monica, who was sleeping contently, and a wave of euphoria swept over him. He quickly dismissed it, silently scolding himself for even remotely enjoying this. He had just done the one thing he had sworn he would never-ever do: He cheated on his wife. He looked at Monica's bedside clock, which was eerily similar to the one she used to have, all those years ago. In that moment, he was transported back to a place and time when he was free to love the woman next to him, without any fear or guilt. As his eyes finally focussed on the face of the clock, he saw that it was almost five pm. Erin was probably wondering where he was. He sighed, and began to sit up, but froze when he heard the front door of Monica's apartment open. He was trapped.
"Love The One You're With"
When Chandler opened his eyes the next morning, he saw that Erin was curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest. He closed his eyes tightly, and wrapped his arms around her, willing away the feelings of resentment he was feeling. Erin stirred, and Chandler opened his eyes, as she looked up at him.
"Morning," Erin yawned, as she pulled away from Chandler and stretched slowly.
"Morning, sweetheart," Chandler whispered, as he pulled himself up and leaned on the headboard.
"You got home late last night," Erin noted, as she sat up.
"I know, I'm sorry," Chandler said softly, as he played with a stray clump of hair on Erin's head.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. No..." Chandler sighed and shook his head.
"It's Monica, isn't it?"
Chandler looked at Erin, then at his hands. She knew him too well.
"We kissed. Last night. I...I don't even know how it happened. I...I freaked out, and I ran..."
"Wow. Okay. What, um, what do you want to do? Do you want to go back to her?"
"No. No, Erin, I love you, I do. I just...I don't know. I have all these feelings, and they've been bottled up for years. I thought she was dead...and she's not, and I..." Chandler wrung his hands together nervously as he spoke, tears falling from his face.
He was in turmoil, that much Erin could see. She wanted to help, but had no idea how.
"Chandler, you need closure. You and Monica, you never had closure, because of the strange...thing that happened. You can't get past these feelings you have until you face them."
"You-You're not mad at me?" Chandler said, then sniffled loudly.
"No, honey, I'm not mad," Erin turned to face Chandler and placed her hands on his tear-stained cheeks, "I'm sad, but I'm not mad. I know you love me."
Chandler looked at Erin, then nodded, "I do, baby, I love you so much."
"I love you too. We'll get through this, I promise."
***
Erin insisted that Chandler go to the Sunday brunch alone. Initially, he wanted her and the kids to come, but Erin felt that it would be better if Chandler try to talk to Monica without her there. Chandler was amazed at how much Erin trusted him. He walked into the restaurant, and spotted his friends immediately.
"Hey, Chandler! Where's the wife and kids?" Ross asked.
"They are gonna do some shopping. They all say hello," Chandler flashed a brief, nervous smile, and sat down next to Monica.
Monica was surprised by Chandler's decision to sit next to her, after what had happened the other night. She wondered what was going through his head. She didn't have to wonder long. As soon as everyone started talking to each other again, Chandler leaned over to Monica.
"We need to talk," Chandler whispered softly, then straightened back up.
Monica nodded weakly, and pretended to concentrate on her menu.
The brunch went by at a painfully slow pace. Both Chandler and Monica were having trouble concentrating on what their other friends were saying. The group finished up, and parted ways, promising to keep in touch as much as possible.
Monica and Chandler made a subtle departure, and wandered into Central Park. They walked in silence for several minutes, then took a seat at a park bench adjacent to the trail. They sat together silently for a minute more, then Chandler took a deep breath, and turned to Monica.
"I told Erin what happened," he said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"I had to, Mon. I couldn't not tell her."
"What did she say?"
"That you and I need closure. And I think she's right. The way everything happened..."
"I'm sorry about what happened," Monica said quietly.
Chandler turned to look at Monica and took her hands in his.
"Don't be, Mon. We are both dealing with feelings that we've kept inside for a very long time. I lost you fifteen years ago, but not because I stopped loving you. And it took me a very long time to get over that. But..." Chandler pulled away from Monica, and ran his hands through his hair, then rubbed his greying temples roughly.
Finally, he turned to her and sighed. "I still love you. I've never stopped loving you."
Monica smiled, and felt tears fall down her face. "I love you too." Her smile faded, when she saw Chandler's somber expression. "I sense I big 'but' coming," Monica whispered.
"There is one. I do love you. But I love Erin too, and I love my children. I can't do this to them. I can't put them through this pain. As much as I want to be with you...I can't. And you and I need to find a way to bring closure to us. We need to say goodbye to the past."
"I know."
They sat in silence for several minutes, both wondering how to bring closure to a book that was never really meant to be closed.
***
Chandler awoke with a start, and realized, with horror, three things: 1) He was naked. 2) Erin was not next to him.
3) Monica was...and she was naked too. Chandler closed his eyes, and prayed that he was dreaming. When Erin had suggested he find closure, he was sure that this was NOT what she meant. He looked at Monica, who was sleeping contently, and a wave of euphoria swept over him. He quickly dismissed it, silently scolding himself for even remotely enjoying this. He had just done the one thing he had sworn he would never-ever do: He cheated on his wife. He looked at Monica's bedside clock, which was eerily similar to the one she used to have, all those years ago. In that moment, he was transported back to a place and time when he was free to love the woman next to him, without any fear or guilt. As his eyes finally focussed on the face of the clock, he saw that it was almost five pm. Erin was probably wondering where he was. He sighed, and began to sit up, but froze when he heard the front door of Monica's apartment open. He was trapped.