Alright, here's chapter 2 in honor of the draft, but it's like 11 pm in California and I have no concept of time or priorities or anything. Uh... There's some swearing in this chapter so... Yeah. There's that. Thanks for the follows and lone review. Maybe one more after this? We shall see...

Recovery

It was early, but not too early; she had showered and dressed as best as she could with only one arm fully mobile. She was putting her black brace on to stabilize her left arm when she heard her doorbell. With a roll of her eyes, she finished fastening the Velcro before she left her bedroom to open the door for the person ringing the bell, not bothering to look through the peephole.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood."

"You're full of shit." She spoke as she walked away from the door.

"We need to talk." He said after her retreating form as he closed the door behind him.

"It's not gonna be a talk. It's gonna be a lecture. And if that's what you're here for, don't say shit to me, Eric."

"You almost died." She had no idea what he had been through sitting in that hospital room. His own heart felt like it had stopped momentarily. He stood there, rooted in the spot he was standing as doctors and nurses rushed into her room. It took several of them to remove him while they worked to get her heart beating again. The rhythmic sound was like a beacon of hope when it reached his ears just outside the room.

"I know. I'm living with it." She gestured to the healing cuts and collarbone and fading bruises while she stood in her kitchen.

"What were you thinking, huh?" He spoke with his hands on his hips.

She rolled her eyes, "I honestly didn't think I had that much to drink. I was walking fine. I could see fine. I thought I was fine. Even the doctors and cops said so."

He stared at her.

"What do you care anyway? I'm surprised your little shadow didn't follow you when you rushed to the ER."

"I didn't tell her where I was going. She didn't really get a chance to ask either." He ran his hand over his messy hair.

"And I'm sure you still haven't told her either, right?" She tilted her head, her eyes scrutinizing him.

"It has nothing to do with her. You're one of my best friends."

"But only when she's not around."

"Why do you care either way? You hate her."

"I've tried, EA, for your sake as your best friend. I put everything I was feeling about the situation to the side because it was obvious that being with her made you happy. And I ever wanted was to see you happy. I was trying to be supportive, but she decided she wanted to be an asshole to me and I've got zero patience for that kind of shit."

"So you just walk away?"

"What the fuck else am I supposed to do? It's not like you've done anything to make me feel like you need me around. I can't stand her. I can't stand to see you with her. I don't want to be around that shit, and yet, here we fucking are."

"So this is my fault?"

"I didn't say that. You're not the one that keeps getting rejected by the one fucking person you love more than yourself; which ain't sayin' much considering," She gestured to herself, "That's not you. That's all me, Eric. And at this point, I really just don't fucking care anymore. I don't care that they resuscitated me. And I really wouldn't care if they hadn't been able to."

"Hey, you shut the hell up talkin' like that." He got in her personal space, reaching for her hand.

She yanked her hand away from him, taking a step back. "Don't. Don't act like you care."

"Don't fucking tell me that I don't!" He grabbed her right hand and pulled her into him.

Her eyes roamed all over his face, searching, "Show me."

"I can't. You know I can't." He spoke as he shook his head, his blue eyes downcast.

"You could before. I don't understand. Why is she so fucking special? What made you decide that she was the one you wanted to lock down? Was I just like all the other girls before her?"

He slowly pulled away from her. She blinked back tears.

"Fuck." She whispered her voice slightly cracking. "Wow." She went to lift her left arm to wipe her eye and winced in pain momentarily forgetting about her mending bone.

"It wasn't like that."

"Just admit it, E. Let's just come fucking clean, okay? I'm in love with you, I want you for myself and I have since I was 20 years old working at Foot Locker and you were working at Hooters. We have something undeniable, but it's so fucking one sided that it makes me sick. I'm carrying a torch for someone that I care about so deeply and it doesn't seem to matter. And that's my own fucking fault, but I'm not sorry about it."

He shook his head, "Look, I love you too, aight? I love you, I do, but..."

"You love her more and in a different way."

He was at a loss. He did love her. She had been ride or die since he met her. Fiercely loyal to him despite some of the dumb shit he did.

"Of course you do." She mumbled under her breath, walking further into her kitchen.

"Come on..." He took a few steps towards her, but still kept his distance, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for how you feel. I get it. After eight years and a near death experience, I get it."

They were quiet until his text alert sounded.

"I gotta go, it's Gionna."

She rolled her eyes, turning away from him to open her refrigerator.

"Take it easy with that break, aight?"

"Yeah, whatever, E."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

They stared into each other's eyes. His were always bright, lively and startling blue with this hint of mischief in them. Hers always held a deep warmth and seemed to carry a wealth of knowledge and wisdom beyond her years.

He was caught. He felt like he could see the weight of what she was carrying for him through her eyes and hit him like a punch to the chest. He never doubted a word she ever said, but looking at her in that moment he could see her heartbreak.

His text alert went off again making him look away.

"Fuck. Okay." He mumbled under his breath as he typed a quick reply.

"You better go before she thinks we're fucking each other behind her back." She tried to joke.

He gave a pointed serious look, "I need you to promise me something before I leave."

"What's that?"

"Promise me that all that love inside of you won't go to waste. Someone out there deserves that and will give it back to you in ways you've never imagined. Promise you won't let this make you stop loving."

She rolled her eyes again, "Always the romantic." She responded sarcastically.

"Promise me."

"That's not my style, you know that."

"Then just say you'll try."

His phone started ringing.

"I'll try. Now get out."

"Thank you." He came closer and pulled her into as tight of a hug as he could manage without hurting her slow healing bone. "I'll see you later."

"Later."

Where do they go from here? What do you think? Leave a review!