I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to post new material! School, work, and my friends take up a lot of my time. Here's a little teaser chapter leading up to a larger chapter I'm working on. Hopefully you guys enjoy! Feel free to leave comments :)
Three Months Later
With a soft click, the car door shut and Erin rested in the driver's seat, waiting a moment to start the engine and drive away. She let out a deep sigh and rested her forehead against the wheel, still conflicted over the events of the night.
Had she planned on breaking up with Severide? No, not exactly. But after a month of awkward dates and a lack of communication, not to mention the fact that she'd waited for him at the restaurant for two hours tonight, Erin couldn't see a reason to continue the relationship. She was conflicted. The chemistry between the two of them was good. It was more than good, even mind-blowing at times. Severide had always seemed to get her in a way that nobody else did. He never pushed for more information than she wanted to give and he gave her space; they were cut from the same cloth. But both Erin and Severide had dealt with their fair share of trauma in the past few months and she wasn't sure that they were on the same page anymore.
After her abduction, it had taken Erin a few weeks to get back to her old self. She'd pushed Severide away, leaning on Halstead and avoiding the pain that seemed to accompany any thoughts about her time with Martinez. Severide had been understanding, to a point. After finding Halstead at her apartment for the third time, Severide had confronted Erin about what was going on between the two of them. She'd reassured him that she and Halstead were just friends, that he was just being a good partner. But the more time Erin spent with Halstead, the less convinced she became that the two partners weren't beginning to blur the lines of friendship. As the trauma of her abduction began to wear off, Erin came around to Severide. He took Halstead's place in her bed, came over for dinner multiple nights a week, and even introduced Erin to his father.
Just as it seemed things were beginning to go back to normal, tragedy struck Firehouse 51 in the form of Leslie Shay's death. Severide became unrecognizable. He disappeared, saying he just needed to get away, and Erin didn't see him for weeks. When he reappeared, he was cold and distant. He wouldn't let Erin in, or anyone for that matter. She couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through. What if she lost Halstead like Severide had lost Shay? Who would she turn to? Erin tried to be there for him; she cooked him meals, sat with him in silence as he drank his fifth glass of whiskey, tried to kiss away his pain when it seemed to almost overwhelm him. But nothing seemed to work. Erin was exhausted and Severide didn't want her help. He'd showed up tonight, stinking of alcohol and two hours late. She was done. She could put up with a lot, but she wouldn't be the girl, sitting alone at the restaurant waiting for her boyfriend to show up. Her heart almost broke as he told her, "She was my best friend." His eyes brimming with tears and the pain so evident in his face that she couldn't do anything but hug him. Erin liked Severide, hell, she could even love him one day. But for the time being, she didn't think their relationship was healthy for either of them.
Erin twisted her keys in the ignition and started driving, not quite sure of where she wanted to go. The thought of her empty apartment on a Friday night made her cringe and she wasn't in the mood to face the usual crowd at Molly's. A small smile formed on her face as she thought about who'd be up for an ice cold beer and some trash TV tonight. Erin took a right and drove the route she knew by heart.