This is rather short and kind of a filler. I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I didn't have any better ideas, so yeah. Please, bear with me until the next one. :)

It's been more than a week since that evening and I've been avoiding Eric like crazy. I refused night shifts at Merlotte's and asked for the morning shifts instead. I did not walk around after dark and always got home before sunset. I left my apartment in Bon Temps and rented out a few more rooms in motels and different houses. By now I had six rented apartments and I changed them every few days, afraid that Eric might somehow get hold of my new whereabouts.

I placed mirrors by the doors and put brooms behind them, scattered iron and silver around and even hung a few garlic strings just in case. I remembered Mircea did not enjoy the smell of garlic much and so I decided I'd better use more protection than less. My room looked definitely weird, but I hoped at least some of the ancient methods would work if it came to the worst.

Everything would have been way simpler if I just moved out. Left Bon Temps. And Louisiana. Perhaps, the USA too. But there was something squirming in my chest and I found it hard to just take a hike and leave for good so simply as that. A part of me had gotten accustomed to living here, working here. I finally had a friend who accepted me as I was or, at least, I hoped she did. And speaking about Sookie, she was urging me to have a talk with Eric. According to her, he had been coming to Merlotte's every night to check if I was there.

I refused the idea. I was not even sure why I was dawdling around. Why didn't I just leave?.. I never had problems with leaving. And now, that Eric had woken up the hunger in me, I could feel it rising steadily with each hour that passed. I needed to feed if I wanted to return to my usual self. That's right, perhaps, my attraction to Eric was due to my hunger. Nothing serious. Just thirst and hunger.

I sighed heavily as I climbed the stairs of the motel, heading to my room. It was a little after sunset as I got held up by the motel manager and I wondered what should I do about my little Eric problem. After all, I can't be running and hiding from him forever. I turned at the corridor corner and as I made a few steps forward, I realized there was someone here.

I lifted my head up and my eyes widened upon seeing a certain blond vampire leaning onto the wall just beside the door of my apartment. He was staring at me with a self-content smirk on his face and I whirled around on my heel immediately, breaking into a run. Yet, Eric was faster and he appeared in front of me in less than a few seconds.

I skid and came to a sudden halt, breathing out heavily, "Eric."

"Found you," he smirked even wider, sliding his fangs out fully.

"How?" I murmured, trying to win some time as my hand slipped into my jeans back pocket.

"Does it matter?" He asked prowling towards me slowly.

"You're right, it does not," I mumbled as I suddenly whisked a small bag out of my pocket and tore it in front of Eric's eyes, letting the contents fall freely onto the floor between us.

The vampire cocked his brow amusedly as he watched the miniscule poppy seeds cover the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Ha," I scoffed. "Now you have to count all the seeds before-"

"Why?" Eric asked, pure curiosity in his eyes.

I furrowed my brows, "Cause you can't cross them before you count them, right?"

Eric was still giving me that amused and baffled look and I moaned, "Oh, don't tell me it's another one of those fake wards against vamps?"

He chuckled and I cursed, "Damn it!"

"Wherever you got this information from, it was wrong," Eric smiled. "But if it will make you feel better, there are 16 542 seeds here."

I looked down on the floor doubtfully and then glowered back at Eric, "You lie!"

"Well, why don't you count them yourself and check if I'm lying or not," he smirked and I gave him another glare.

"Fine, whatever," I grumbled. "Just don't get near me, I have means to protect myself."

"Why? You're gonna throw more seeds at me?"

I gritted my teeth at his mocking tone and laughter and took out my last resort, a big silver cross, "Is that more to your liking?"

"Crosses don't really harm me," Eric shrugged and I smirked evilly.

"Not even if I stab it in your eye?"

The blond vampire gave me a hurt look and stepped closer. I retreated back, watching him carefully, painfully knowing that if he wanted to he could probably snap my little neck right now. I wondered how he would react to the fact that I would still be alive after that.

"Why did you run from me, Lily?" He asked softly and I blinked in surprise.

"Why?!" I echoed almost hysterically. Was he acting stupid so I let my guard down?

"Yes, why?"

I gave him a disbelieving look, "You don't know?"

He took a few more steps towards me and now stood just in front of me, looking down at me wonderingly. I lowered my rather unreliable weapon as I stared back at him. He looked… honest. Or he was a good actor.

"You…" I started and then stopped. How am I supposed to say this? "I just thought-"

"That I was gonna come after your blood?" He finished for me and I blinked a few times.

"So you do know," I grumbled and Eric smiled, lifting his hand up to brush his fingers at my cheek.

I flinched slightly at the feel of his fingers on my skin and in that short moment he looked hurt.

"I admit your blood smells… exquisitely," he whispered, his eyes finding mine. "But I would never hurt you, Lily."

I did not reply as I glanced away, avoiding his glance.

"You do not trust me," Eric noted, but I remained quiet again.

For a while, we simply stood there in the middle of the corridor. I did not know what to say. It was true that Eric did not seem too eager to drain me. He could have tried that already if he wanted to. I was used to vampires jumping on me the moment they scented my blood or trying to track me down in their urge to drain me to my last drop. It's not that I was scared that I would die if I lost all of my blood. That was not true. I would not die. I would simply go berserk with sudden hunger for life. And that was what I was afraid of more than anything, even more than dying.

"Then, I shall wait," suddenly, Eric said and I lifted my gaze to meet his. "Just don't run from me, Lily."

His fingers brushed away a lock of my hair, tugging it behind my ear as I stared at him surprised.

"You're… acting differently," I finally muttered and Eric arched his brow elegantly.

"Why? Did you expect me to jump on you and drain you dry?"

I shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah, something like that."

"I'm not some recently turned vamp that can't even hold his urges," Eric said with disdain in his voice. "I have control over myself."

I glanced at him and he seemed to be honest with me. Perhaps, he was right. And, he really did not jump at me as I expected him to.

"I shall wait for you, Lily," he whispered and shivers ran down my spine. Pleasant shivers. "I shall wait until you are ready to trust me."