Chapter 14: The Shock

Eric and Taylor were enjoying their honeymoon. They refused to have anything or anyone disturb their honeymoon.

One night, Eric woke up and saw that Taylor wasn't beside him. He looked out at the balcony and found her standing by the rail looking at the moon. He got out of bed and walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against him. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked.

"What makes you think there's anything wrong?" She asked.

"Because you're out here in deep thought. You did that before we said "I do"," he replied.

Taylor knew that she couldn't tell him a lie, because he could see right through her lies. "I was just thinking about my dad," she replied.

"Understandable," he murmured.

She stepped out of Eric's arms and went back into the bedroom. "This is ridiculous, Eric, this is our honeymoon and I'm ruining it by thinking about my father," she groaned.

"Tay…." she cut him off.

"Don't Tay me, I'm weak and being ridiculous for even thinking about him. He ruined my day, Eric. He ruined my wedding day," she explained.

Eric sat down on the bed and rubbed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Taylor?" He asked. She turned and looked at him.

"The day he didn't turn up to walk me down the aisle was when he ruined my wedding day," she replied.

Eric stood up and grabbed her arms. "Taylor, listen to me, don't let your dad ruin it. It was his choice not to come. It was his choice to hurt you. Now, he gets to pay for the consequences, not you," he insisted. Taylor bit her lip before leaning against him. Eric held her tight and closed his eyes.

"You're right," she murmured.

Eric smiled as he held her tight. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too," he answered.

She pulled back and kissed him.

The next day, Eric and Taylor were walking around Paris hand-in-hand. "What do you think we should do tonight? Besides the obvious," she teased. Eric thought about it for a second and was about to answer when he thought he saw a familiar face going through the crowd. Taylor could see the off look on her husband's face. "Eric, Eric, ERIC!" She shouted. Eric jolted out of his reverie and looked at her. "I asked you what you wanted to do tonight," she repeated.

"I'm not quite sure yet," he replied.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I thought I saw something," he replied.

Taylor could see that her husband was a bit off.

Later that afternoon, Eric and Taylor were walking through the park when it happened again. "It can't be," he whispered.

"Eric?" Taylor asked.

"Stay right here," he insisted.

He let her hand go and walked over to the guy.

He had black hair cropped short, brown eyes, he was wearing black shoes, black pants, a white shirt, and a black jacket. However, he had grays going through his black hair and showing that he aged.

Eric stood behind the guy and prayed that he wasn't right. "Dad?" He asked. The man stalled and looked up. The man's eyes widened when he saw Eric.

"Eric?" He asked.

Eric felt his blood boil now. "Hi, dad, I'm surprised you remember me. Your son that you abandoned," Eric snapped.

"What are you doing here? Come to track me down?" Patrick asked.

"No, I'm here on personal business," Eric replied.

"Eric," Taylor called.

Both men turned and Taylor ran up to him. "What's going on?" She asked. She looked at the man and her eyes widened in shock. "This is your father?" She asked.

"I guess so," Eric replied.

Eric glared at Patrick. "So, personal business it is," Patrick commented.

"PAPA!" A voice called.

Then a young girl around thirteen ran up to Patrick.

She had shoulder-length blonde hair, brown eyes, she was wearing a school uniform, and her hair was pulled back in a French braid.

Patrick cleared his throat and wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulder. "Eric, this is my daughter, Charisse," he informed. He then looked at the young girl. "Charisse, ceci est Eric," he informed. (Charisse, this is Eric.) Charisse nodded to Eric. "C'est Taylor, l'épouse d'Eric," he added. (This is Taylor, the wife of Eric.) She then nodded to Taylor with a smile.

"Bonjour," she greeted.

Eric felt his blood boil. "You left me behind to marry a French woman?" Eric demanded.

"Eric, you have to understand that I wasn't able to take care of you anymore," Patrick insisted.

"No, but you can take care of your daughter?" Eric demanded.

"Look at your now, Eric, it looks like you put your life back on track."

"Yeah not thanks to you."

Taylor sighed as she grabbed Eric's hand. "Come on, Eric," she insisted. Eric glared at his father.

"You dumped me on the hands of nannies and then you broke your promise to me because you didn't want to raise me anymore? I was hoping I was wrong about you," he snapped.

He then walked away with Taylor in tow. Patrick sighed as he pushed his hair back. Charisse then looked at her father in confusion. "Papa, ce qui est mal?" She asked. (Dad, what is wrong?) Patrick sighed as he held his daughter's hand.

"Rien," he replied. (Nothing)

Then he and his daughter walked away.

Eric was so steamed that Taylor let him go spend sometime by himself. Eric was sitting on the wall of a bridge watching the water. He stayed there for hours. When night fell, Taylor walked over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked. He didn't answer, he just threw another rock into the water. Taylor reached over and grabbed his hand. Eric looked down at her hand holding his and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She then sat up on the wall and he wrapped his arm around her. No words were said, they didn't want to ruin anything.