Calleigh's heart was sinking in her chest as he approached her. Gladly, his arms suddenly engulfed her body and she felt immense comfort as.
"I'm sorry," she apologized in an almost inaudible voice.
"Calleigh, I'm fine, it's okay," he reassured. She nodded sympathetically then examined his arm. "Don't worry about it anymore," he smiled, "you're not allowed to feel bad about it anymore, I won't allow it." A faint smile appeared on her face as she blinked away tears.
"Okay," she nodded before heading off.
Now that dilemma was seemingly out of the way, Calleigh geared up for another. She knew Eric was impatiently waiting. What could she say? There were no more tears left to cry; no more emotions for her to fake a conversation. She was almost sure her countenance would fail her once her eyes met his. She wanted nothing more than to just disappear in the elevator but that opened another can of worms.
"Hey, what happened with Stetler? Are you okay?" He began as soon as she stood at the entrance of the lab.
"Eric," she sighed, "I don't want to talk about Stetler. I'm fine."
"Okay well, wait on me. I'll carry you home," he offered. She knew he would and that he would never take no for an answer.
"Sure," she answered coyly.
"Where are you going? Do you know why Natalia just up and left?"
She no longer tried to hide the fact that he exasperated her, "No, Eric." On that note she left him little dumbfounded.
"Here," Natalia handed her a brown paper bag. Only half an hour was left on the clock when she had returned. Calleigh looked at her tentatively as she took it. She took a deep breath from her seated position on the locker room bench before glancing inside.
"Thanks. This is all too real… and happening so fast."
"I know," she agreed. Her friend responded with a quizzical look. "I just meant, I can imagine." She caught herself. What if Natalia had let it slip that the very same thing happened with her and Eric a few years prior?
Calleigh opened her locker and retrieved her handbag, "I can't do this here."
"Wait until you get home, and you know you can call me."
"Yeah, thanks I…"
She suddenly got rigid on hearing Eric's voice entering the room and stuffed the test into her bag.
"You'll be fine," she whispered reassuringly.
A sudden downpour on the car ride home accentuated the mood. The whole world rested on her shoulders. What was she going to do? Should she take the test and not tell him? Should she tell him about the test so they could find out together?
Eric glanced over at her in the passenger seat wearing a transfixed gaze.
"Hey," he called. Calleigh continued to look forward lost in her thoughts. When he eventually nudged her leg she jumped. "You've never been quiet on a drive home before. Matter of a fact, any drive ever."
His attempt at humor was ineffective. Those bright green eyes just faded back into their lost gaze.
"I'm just tired," she hesitated.
"Okay," he replied reluctantly.
As Eric pulled into her driveway and parked the car she exited. Calleigh entered her house, kicked off her heels and hastily made her way upstairs. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she locked her bathroom door. She threw her bag to the floor and faced herself in the mirror. Her reflection showed how panicked and scared she really was. Teary eyes and reddening cheeks glared at her until she couldn't take it anymore. She slid onto the floor and found herself hyperventilating. Her emotions were too much for her to realize how rude she was acting by ignoring him. Footsteps made their way up the stairs. She quickly turned on the shower to muffle her sobs.
Thoughts of how she wanted her first child rushed though her head. Could she really be expecting? What would he think? Before she knew it she was wrapping her towel around her clean body. The brown paper peeped out from her handbag on the floor. Eric was probably on the other side of the door. Naturally Calleigh did everything to prolong leaving the bathroom.
Eventually she heard Eric go back downstairs just as she finished getting ready for bed. She sat on the toilet fully clothed staring at the paper bag. Moments passed and she couldn't build the courage to do it.
"Calleigh?" He called. He was not gonna let her catch a break. She quickly grabbed her bag and ran into her room. Just before he stepped inside she managed to slide under the covers. "Oh, Natalia, she's asleep. Yeah, talk to you tomorrow."
That was right: she was supposed to call her. Calleigh laid still and waited for him to leave the room. She could hear him walking over to her side of the bed. She felt his soft lips caress her forehead with a kiss.
"I love you," he whispered.
It took every ounce of her strength not to smile until he walked away. Just like that half of her anxiety melted away. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a baby with him. For some time Calleigh dwelled on happy thoughts.
Calleigh awoke the next day in cold sweat. The room was still dark with a blue-black hue as the sunrise was due. Frightening thoughts came flooding back to mind: She shot Ryan, she missed her period and Eric doesn't know.
"I made breakfast," he entered her room with a tray smelling of eggs and ham. He placed the tray on her bedside table and bent over to kiss her. "You okay?"
"Nightmare."
He sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her torso to find her sweating all over.
"Are you sick?" He wondered.
"No," she answered too quickly.
"Calleigh, stop worrying about what happened yesterday. Ryan's fine and Rick can't do anything," he reassured.
Strands of blonde hair ruffled against his bare chest as she nodded. Calleigh was grateful that he didn't know in the slightest what was happening. She was taken by surprise when he tilted her chin up and kissed her. The feelings travelled south. Why was he able to just control her entire body with only his lips? She couldn't recall who deepened the kiss first but she couldn't pull away. After a couple of minutes she found herself sitting in his lap with her tongue halfway in his mouth. She quickly, but reluctantly, pulled away from him.
"We have work," she panted with her arms still around his neck.
"No, I have work. Horatio gave you the day off," he explained before placing his lips back on hers.
"Stop, you should get ready for work," she stood up.
"I have an extra fifteen minutes," he pulled her back down.
"Eric," she sighed. Her brain told her 'no' but her body screamed 'yes'. She lied, "I'm hungry."
"Okay," he relinquished but not before flashing a seductive look and biting his lip.
Eric got up with her in his arms before placing her on her feet. He cupped her cheeks once more and gave her two smooches before disappearing into the bathroom.
She let out a heavy sigh and plopped down on the edge of the bed. Breakfasts that Eric make are normally so inviting but she was now overcome by nervousness that she didn't crave it.
"Cal?" He called from the bathroom, startling her attention away from the food.
"Yeah?" She yelled.
"Natalia called last night to check if you were okay."
"Okay!" She grabbed the tray and forced herself to eat.
As if on instinct, her phone rang and she ran across the bed to retrieve it from her bag. She saw Natalia's name show up and sighed.
"Nat?" She answered whispering.
"Calleigh, why are you whispering? Oh, is he still there - wait, you haven't told him about the test?"
"No," she faced the bathroom nervously.
"What, why? What's the result?"
"I haven't told him yet because I haven't done it," she ran back over to the tray of food.
"What! What're you waiting on?"
An emotional sigh escaped her lips as she sat back down, "I'm nervous, I just - can't…" She heard the shower turn off and panicked.
"Calleigh, you don't know if you are or aren't. You could be worrying for nothing," she clarified.
"You're right," she agreed, "I have to go."
She hung up just as he exited the bathroom. Five minutes ago her hormones would have gone crazy for his damp body in a towel.
"What?" He asked noting her sad stare and half eaten toast. "I thought you were hungry. Does it taste bad?"
"Uh, no, it's fine, and I am," she hesitated, "Natalia called back."
"Oh… but what's wrong?" He asked, growing impatient.
"Nothing," she stuffed a forkful of eggs into her mouth.
He quickly got dressed and she ate silently. After spraying cologne he walked over to her and leaned over.
"Didn't we agree that there would be no secrets between us?" She nodded, her eyes not leaving his. "So what aren't you telling me? Don't tell me you're not hiding something because I know that you are."
"I," she glanced down momentarily, "I don't know." Well she wasn't lying.
"What does that even…" he paused as his phone rang. She knew it was a call out. "We'll talk when I get back later."
"Yeah…"
"And message me like every hour, so I know that you're okay. Promise?"
Calleigh nodded and he pulled her into a short embrace before leaving. Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible having Eric's baby.
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