Eric had been lying awake for over an hour.
He was trying to remember what had happened last night.
It would have been easier if he didn't have a really bad headache.
He could get some aspirin, but that would involve getting up.
Getting up would involve waking Calleigh, who was asleep on his chest.
Eric was dreading having to wake Calleigh.
Partly because he was enjoying the moment so much, partly because she would probably fly off the handle and kill him, or run away from Miami so he would never see her again, No, she wouldn't run away. Whether or not she would murder him was a different matter…
He looked down at Calleigh, who was still asleep.
Her cold hands were either side of her head, flat on his chest. Whenever she moved, ever so slightly, Eric shivered.
Every time she breathed, a lock of blonde hair was blown away from her face and Eric saw the expression of peace that she was wearing.
It took ever ounce of self control Eric had to stop himself from kissing her.
Everything that had happened last night was a blur, but Eric felt sure he and Calleigh had slept together. Not that it was a bad thing. Eric had been attracted to Calleigh for a while, longer than he cared to admit. She was a good friend to him, trusting and understanding, despite Eric's faults. And she was beautiful. She had an amazing body and a pretty face… of course Eric was attracted to her.
But there was no way she would admit to feeling the same way.
She was just…Calleigh. There was no way Eric could change her, and frankly, he couldn't care less. Why would he want to change her? She was smart, funny, beautiful…
…And waking up.
Eric noticed her stirring and placed a hand gently on her back, hoping it might send her back to sleep again and give Eric a few moments more to decide what he was going to tell her.
What could he tell her?
He was just contemplating his next move when Calleigh groaned.
She lifted her head slightly and glanced around, slightly confused. Then her eyes connected with Eric's and her expression changed from confusion to worry.
"Eric?" she whispered. "Last night…? Do you remember, you know, if we..?"
"I don't really remember. I think so…"
"Me two."
Eric was glad to see that she wasn't angry. Or not angry enough to show it.
"I'm getting a shower OK?" she asked. "There is bread, so you could make toast for yourself, but I don't have much else in. Sorry."
"Don't worry. As long as you have coffee, I'll be fine!" Eric said, but she had already gone into her bathroom.
He heaved himself out of bed and slumped off towards Calleigh's kitchen.
Calleigh turned the water on and put her aching head under the waterfall that flowed from the showerhead. She let the water run over her closed eyelids as she rested her head against the wall. "How could I have been so stupid?" she whispered, her voice lost under the sound of the shower. She was confused and her head still ached from the amount of alcohol she had drunk the night before. Standing under the shower helped though. Her head started to clear and she was getting a slightly better memory of what had happened the previous day. Then the realisation of what must have happened, hit her.
"Oh my god…" she whispered.
She stood, stunned for a moment.
"No," she told herself. "Eric isn't like that. He wouldn't… He doesn't…"
She shut off the shower, stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel.
Without the shower, she could hear Eric moving around easily.
As she pulled on a pair of jeans, she wondered if anything would ever be the same between them again. They both knew that they couldn't have a relationship because of work. Calleigh hoped that despite what had happened the previous day could be forgotten and they could go back to being best friends again. She sighed.
She knew that there was no way that it could just be swept under the rug and forgotten.
They had both enjoyed it too much.
Calleigh found Eric in her kitchen with a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of toast and marmalade on the counter next to him.
He pushed the plate of toast towards her.
"This is for you."
"Oh! You made me breakfast!"
He shrugged. "It's your bread."
"Thank you anyway."
"It was nothing."
Without realising it, Eric and Calleigh had ended up standing very close together, staring into each-other's eyes.
Calleigh felt Eric's hand on her hips and her reflexes kicked in.
She stepped back as if Eric were holding red-hot iron against her skin and leant against the kitchen cabinet on the far side of the kitchen, facing away from Eric.
"Calleigh? What's wrong?"
Hearing his voice brought tears to her eyes, which she tried to blink away.
She didn't get rid of the quick enough, because Eric was suddenly by her side. He was rubbing her back in a comforting way, trying to ease the pain she was feeling. He wasn't quite sure why she was crying, but had a good feeling.
She pushed his hand away and put distance between herself and Eric once again.
"Eric, we can't do this."
"Calleigh, I know you want this and I do as well."
"I know."
"Why not then?"
"Work," she said simply.
Eric didn't answer, so Calleigh continued.
"I know we both really want this and I just wish that we could make it work, but we can't. It would take a massive thing to change that."
"I know. I'm sorry. For last night."
"So am I. Eric, please say we can just forget this and go back to being friends?"
He laughed. "Of course."
He pulled her into a tight hug and this time, she let him, but little did she know that the "massive thing" that was the only thing that could change anything for them, had already started happening.
