Chapter 6
Dusty Handprints
He was outside her bedroom window now. He could see only the top of her head as she sat leaning against her bed. Each of her sobs tore into him and heightened his own pain and helplessness.
Why have I not yet wiped this girl off the face of the planet? You torment yourself by allowing her to live! I would not wish this on my worst enemy.
The dark thoughts sobered Eric and he shook away the muddiness.
Unthinkable.
He placed his hand against the glass and pushed through comfort and tenderness with all his inner-might. A wall of stone met his advances and pushed them right back to where they'd originated. He knew this struggle would drain him but he needed to try. For the moment all he had was the fading smell of her on his hands, the sound of her sobs through the house wall and the blood-curdling shrieks assaulting him through the bond. The shrieking had started the moment he woke, strengthened in volume as he had driven towards her home and were now deafening with the close proximity to his bonded. These were not thoughts or words from Sookie, that were pushing through the bond. But if this emotion, he was being pounded by, could be translated into words they couldn't be plainer:
"ERIC! NEED YOU! NEED YOU! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP! DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!"
One of them needed to stay strong. And he felt himself on the cusp of losing his own sanity at the borage of her emotional attack on him. Her rejection of him and of their bond stung more acutely when he was this near her. Distance was the only remedy now for both. But the idea of leaving her alone with her tears repulsed him. He would find somewhere close by to…Hmmm
Oh no. Bad idea! ~~ But it would serve my purpose and he is after all my underling. ~~ Sookie would be disgusted with me if I took advantage of him…in his current state. ~~ Though he does owe me his fealty and his life many times over and I would be a fool to not use that card tonight.
He moved the chess pieces around the board considering all the strategies and possible outcomes. Eventually he won the argument he had been having with himself and decided to drive to Compton's place.
Before turning away towards his car he reached out again to her window.
I will not give up on you, lover…not this time, I promise.