A/N: A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read and review! Here's the second chapter (third will be up tomorrow). Hope you enjoy it! :)
-o0o-
Eric still felt uneasy, even after the countless times he'd told himself that he shouldn't have to feel like this. Since he'd left the lab to head home, his mind had been buzzing with questions about what had happened with Calleigh. His curiosity had peaked the moment Calleigh had agreed to sort through Dr. Marsh's notes with him, and he'd felt nervous ever since he'd realized that his own notes hadn't been in his batch. She hadn't given him a straight answer when he'd asked her if she'd read his notes, and the fact that she hadn't brought up the subject herself worried him.
He was afraid that if Calleigh had found out what he'd told Dr. Marsh in their sessions that it would make her feel uncomfortable around him from now on. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. Calleigh was one of his closest and truest friends, and he'd never forgive himself if he'd messed up that friendship by allowing her to find out his true feelings for her.
He'd been trying to come up with a plan to do some damage control, but so far his thoughts weren't proving to be too useful. He was too easily distracted by the mere thought of Calleigh's name. He'd get lost in the memory of how golden her blonde hair shone when it caught the sunlight, of how her green eyes sparkled so gorgeously whenever she laughed, or how her smile brought an inexplicable feeling of happiness over him whenever he saw it. Could she tell that the simple things she did affected him so greatly? How would she react if she ever did find out?
He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to calm himself down before he got too overwhelmed. A small fleck of reassurance helped to soothe him as he told himself over and over that everything would be okay, and his friendship with Calleigh would remain intact. But even through all the reassurances, that central fear of losing her still created an anxious feeling at the core of his thoughts.
However, the sudden ring of the phone interrupted his worried thoughts. It rang twice before he chanced a look at the caller ID, feeling a bit wary of answering the call as the word 'CALLEIGH' flashed before his eyes. He hesitated just long enough for the answering machine to pick up and he stayed close to it as he listened to her message.
"Eric?" She sounded anxious and worried, and Eric thought the worst at how apprehensive she seemed. "It's me. We need to talk." He let out a long sigh as he listened to her words. They most definitely needed to talk, though what to say continued to elude him.
"You know, it might actually be easier for me to say this when we're not face to face. I still feel strange just thinking about it, but I know that it's something you have to hear." This is it, Eric thought as dread filled him at her words, I messed everything up, and she doesn't want to see me ever again.
"When you got shot, it put things into perspective for me as well." Eric's breath caught in his throat as her message took a turn he hadn't expected. These words confirmed that she had indeed read his file, yet he still couldn't tell how she was going to react to it.
"I remember sitting next to you in the hospital for days. I wouldn't leave or even let go of your hand as I waited for you to wake up. I kept talking to you, hoping that you could hear me even though I knew that you probably wouldn't. I was so scared for you, Eric." He heard her pause and take in a long breath before continuing. "I was so scared that you wouldn't wake up, and I wouldn't get to be with you again.
"When you finally recovered, I was so relieved. I couldn't wait to talk to you, to be with you again because I was so happy that you were okay. The whole time that I worried you would never wake up made me realize just how much I truly care for you."
Eric stared at the answering machine as Calleigh's words continued to fill his ears. Was she actually saying what he thought she was? Could he possibly be so lucky as to have the woman of his dreams want him back?
"I thought about what it would be like to settle down with you too Eric." Her voice was quieter now, as if she was embarrassed to voice aloud her feelings. "And it made me happy to imagine settling down with you. I didn't have the courage to tell you because I didn't know how you would react. I didn't want to damage our friendship by telling you how I really felt. But after I read what you told Dr. Marsh, I knew I just couldn't hold it in anymore Eric."
She paused again, and Eric imagined that she was trying to compose herself once again before continuing on. "I care about you a lot Eric. And if you feel the same way about me, then I don't see any reason for us to hide from each other anymore." She paused once again for emphasis, and Eric continued to stare wide eyed at the machine as he waited on her every word. "So, let me ask you this: Do you feel the same way?"
"Yes!" Eric shouted at the machine in response, ignoring the fact that Calleigh couldn't hear his response. He heard the click of her hanging up the phone, and he continued to watch the answering machine as her words slowly sank into his consciousness.
She cared about him as more than a friend, and he felt the same way about her. The confirmation he'd been looking for for so long had finally come, and an overwhelming sense of exhilaration filled him at the discovery of her true feelings. All this time he'd been worrying about hurting her, and she'd felt the same way! But now that he was sure he could open up to her and she would open up to him, he knew that nothing would stop him from having Calleigh, his Calleigh, all to himself.
Eric jumped up from the couch as thousands of thoughts flooded through him. He hastily shoved his shoes back on and grabbed his keys from the table, dashing out the door of his apartment as he ran to his car. He couldn't wait another minute to see his Calleigh once again.