CHAPTER 8

House couldn't believe how much her liking someone else could bother him. His logical mind told him it was inevitable; she wasn't flesh and bone to him. She was his cyber friend, someone he'd never met.

But that was just it. He'd never met her. She didn't know the House that he let everyone else see. She knew much more about him than even what he showed Wilson, and for the first time he'd loved revealing it to another person. He felt free to do it, and she wasn't rejecting him; she hadn't push him away. They knew nothing about their lives except each other, what made each other tick, what made each other think. It was refreshing and he wasn't about to let that go.

And, as House wiped his eyes and looked at the clock… 11:00 p.m. … he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep without making up to her. It was insane what Drea, and Eileen both, did to him. His medication was off; his brain was muddled. In the last six months both women had held his imagination captive and he hated it. He was powerless to their power over him.

House couldn't deal with both women at the same time. He had to deal with Drea, the woman who held his intellect and logic at bay. She was snarky and fun and strong as she held her own against his blows. And the way she lashed out at him, while it hurt him, made him want her all the more. It made him want to compete with this unknown man for her affections. He hated that too.

But if only he and Drea had had a physical relationship. It would make what he felt about…everything… seemed justified. But they didn't even have that. At this point in their relationship it was something his mind…and certainly his body…craved. Lately his leg had been hurting more, and no matter how much alternative pain relief he could get… oxycodone, alcohol, prostitutes… nothing seemed to work. Only when he talked with Drea did the pain dull.

And that's where the anger rose. He wasn't like that. House was not someone to let another person consume him. It wasn't logical; it made no sense to his analytical brain. But what could he do? No matter what he did, no matter how he tried to distract himself, all he could think of was Drea and what to expect from that unexpected woman. Her conversations were intoxicating, and he found himself, selfishly and almost feverishly, hoping he invaded her like she invaded him.

House couldn't think of a time he hadn't known her but he didn't feel he actually KNEW her. Meeting her in real life would give him the knowledge he desperately craved.

And oh how he wanted to touch her, feel her, smell her, make his mark on her and declare his right to her.

No, he wanted to meet her. He NEEDED to meet her. His couldn't take it anymore, and that need instantly evaporated whatever hurt her desire for this other man had created in him.

But suddenly Eileen Simons came to mind. "Where the hell did she come from?" House finally realized he'd been unconsciously putting Eileen's face and body to the woman on the other end of his computer conversations. When he thought of LGB he'd see Eileen Simons. When he remembered the words she typed, he'd see Eileen Simons typing them.

"I'm hallucinating again. I should call Dr. Nolan. This isn't fair…"

He was stuck between two women, one in cyberspace that represented everything he wanted in a woman; another in real life who embodied most of what he wanted but…

…she was real.

And that was going to change…

BUT... if he met Cyber Drea, he wouldn't have to wrestle with anything he could be freeing for Eileen Simons. That's how it worked, right? He could get one and push the other completely away. Yeah, that would work…

DING! House looked down and sighed with relief at the message…

LGB HAS ENTERED THE ROOM

LGB: ONR? R u there?

ONR: I am here.

LGB: I'm sorry. Really I am. I want to say…

ONR: no

LGB: no?

ONR: don't say anything.

LGB: ??

ONR: I want 2 meet you.

LGB: …

ONR: well?

LGB: I have 2 think about it

ONR: damn it, don't think

LGB: y not?

ONR: because you'll say no.

LGB: how do u know?

ONR: because this is insane but I have to meet you. I can't take this anymore.

LGB: oh?

ONR: this isn't something I normally do

LGB: y do it now?

ONR: I don't know

LGB: that's not good enough

ONR: that's my line

LGB: what do u mean?

ONR: I'm the logical one. This role reversal is so weird

LGB: then y do it?

ONR: stop asking. Just tell me, yes or no?

LGB: I can't start anything right now

ONR: too late; u already started it

LGB: is this my 1 chance?

ONR: no but if u don't do it now u won't ever do it

LGB: if u believe that u don't really know me

ONR: I'd like to change that

LGB: …

ONR: ur hesitating again

LGB: I gotta go

ONR: damn it u r such a coward

LGB: that won't help me make up my mind

ONR: fine. 24 hrs

LGB: oh a time limit now? That doesn't help either

ONR: 24 hrs.

LGB: fine. What time is it?

ONR: what time is it ur time?

LGB: 11:09 p.m.

ONR: r u in eastern time?

LGB: yep.

ONR: Where do u live?

LGB: not now

ONR: fine. 11:00 p.m. tomorrow

LGB: fine. C u

ONR: ok

LGB HAS LEFT THE ROOM

*****

"What do I do now? How come I couldn't say yes???" Eileen rubbed her tired eyes and closed her laptop. She had a lot of thinking to do.

*****