Chapter 15: The Date
The days following Ary's great reveal were surprisingly relaxing. It seemed that, since she had divulged another of her secrets, Ary was more open around me. Any question I had about Lazarus, she would happily answer, but I kept the questions infrequent, knowing it still hurt her to talk about him. The following afternoon I was able to learn a few more things about his ability.
"So, Avarice said that his brother is telekinetic," I said over the lunch table. "Is that true?"
"No," Ary rolled her eyes while she ate her meal of bloody meat. As she chewed she seemed to mull over my question before answering. "Well, not exactly anyway. He's more of a mind controller than a telekinetic. I've never seen him move an inanimate object with his mind, but that doesn't negate the possibility that he could."
"A mind controller?" I quirked an eyebrow at her, curious to know more. The only vampire gifts I had experienced so far were Edward's mind reading—which never worked on me—Alice's clairvoyance, Jasper's empathic ability, and, recently, Avarice's shielding capabilities.
Ary nodded and took a deep breath, hearing and talking about Lazarus still caused her discomfort, but quickly regained her composure and continued. "He can control others and even hypnotize them."
"Wow." I chuckled softly, remembering when I had turned twelve and Renee had taken me to visit a hypnotist comedian. "That sounds interesting."
"It's definitely useful," Ary said, not looking up from her meal. "There are times when we don't want certain individuals remembering they've met us."
"Huh?"
Ary raised her eyebrows and grimaced a little bit, probably realizing that she'd said too much, but with a hesitant sigh she continued. "You've heard of hypnotists that can help a person diet or make someone forget their own family, right?" I nodded. The comedian I saw made a woman from the audience forget that she was human. My mother and I had giggled as the poor lady clucked around like a chicken. "Lazarus can do something similar, only it's much more permanent."
"How does he do it?" I gawked at Ary, recalling what Avarice had said about many fearing Lazarus for his ability. Who wouldn't be scared of someone who could instantly take away every memory you ever had?
"It's not like he actually removes the memories," she said in a hushed tone as a few of my friends walked by our table. Jessica Stanley rolled her eyes and continued walking beside Mike. Once they were out of hearing range, Ary raised her volume a bit. "It's more like he locks certain memories in a person's subconscious. I don't completely understand it myself."
We dropped the subject, even though I wanted to know more about it, and fell into a conversation about the local humans. According to Ary, Tyler had taken an extreme interest in her and made no attempt to hide it. I stifled a chuckle, while Ary gave a detailed explanation of Tyler's babbling attempt to ask her out, and was about to give my own history with Tyler when Ary's facial expression changed.
"Here he comes," she said and wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.
I followed her gaze, my eyebrows pulling together in confusion, and spied the reason for the humored look on her face. Eric was walking across the cafeteria, heading straight for us. My face flushed brightly and a flock of butterflies materialized in my stomach, making me wonder if I missed him more than I thought I did. The presence of Erickson McRae was not unwanted by any means, but it did bring about a lot of confusion. As he approached the table, I waited for his
hungry eyes to pour over my body—as they normally did—but was taken aback when he hardly acknowledged me.
A soft pang of insecurity rushed through me. Did I do something wrong? My thoughts flew back to his birthday and I couldn't help but wonder if hewas disturbed about the events of that night. Although Ary had reassuredme that he was not angry, I could shake the suspicion that I had upsethim.
"Welcome home, brother," Dante called, his voice pulling me from my thoughts, and rose to his feet. The two McRaes embraced each other roughly before Eric forced Dante into a playful headlock. They growled until Dante called out, "Yield!"
"Erickson." Ary nodded her head and he mirrored the action.
"Aryana," he said, smiling broadly, before shifting his eyes to me. "Good afternoon, Bella. It's good to see you."
His eyes sparkled, now a light shade of gold, and his genuine smile was warm and inviting. This was, needless to say, very different. Without saying anything more, he took a seat next to me and began sharing stories of the hunt with Dante. His new actions, barely paying attention to me and not staring at me like I was a piece of meat, surprised me and, as I looked over at Ary, I noticed they surprised her too.
"Don't look now," Dante said to Ary with a soft chuckle, "but your knight is on his way over."
"Oh, dear god," Ary grumbled and slouched, letting her head fall onto her waiting hands.
I looked inquisitively at Dante but, before he could answer, he was cut off be an unexpected peppy voice. "Hey guys!"
I turned over my shoulder and almost grimaced when I saw Tyler standing over us, giving Ary an exuberant grin. One glance at her told me that Ary wanted to rip his head off. Her eyes were narrowed and staring daggers into the table, while her hands were gripping the base of her chair.
"Hi, Aryana," Tyler gushed and crossed his arms over his chest. When she didn't respond, his posture spoke his discomfort and he tried his best to cover it up. "So how about this rain, huh?"
This definitely made me grimace, and, before he could embarrass himself anymore, I took pity on him. "Yeah, I think Forks might have a record for rainfall." I said with a sympathizing grin.
"Oh, hey Bella," Tyler said with a surprised tone, like he hadn't noticed me sitting there. However, I saw his face light up with an epiphany and, before I could wonder what it was about, he spoke again. "I was actually going to tell you, we're thinking of planning a hiking trip in La Push and I wanted to invite you all."
My eyes widened, remembering how Edward had dodged the invite to La Push due to the treaty with the Quileutes. My eyes panned around the table, curious now if they had any truce with the tribe, but was met with blank stares. My brow furrowed as I tried to come up with the best excuse possible, but was cut off.
"Sounds fun," Ary muttered beside me.
"Great!" Tyler gushed and turned back to me. "We're meeting at Newton's shop at noon this Saturday."
"Okay," I said and attempted to smile, despite my confusion. Why had Ary agreed to go to La Push despite the Quileutes? Maybe the Quileutes don't know about the McRaes.
With a peppy grin and an extra hitch in his step, Tyler retreated to the group of curious spectators. I chuckled softly as my old group of friends waited in anticipation for Tyler's return. My attention returned back to Ary before I had a chance to see what their response was.
"Ary, what are you doing?" I asked and narrowed my eyes.
"The only way to get the humans off our backs is to act normal," she sighed and gave me an agonizing expression. "Believe me, Bella, I'd rather rip my own skin off than spend the afternoon with that blabbering idiot, but this will keep the speculation off us."
"But, what about the Quileutes?" I asked as I glanced around the table only to be met with the same empty stares as before. "They don't exactly approve of vampires on their land."
"You mean that tribe off the coast?" Eric asked and raised his eyebrows curiously. "They won't be a problem."
"Are you sure?" I asked, still not convinced. If the Cullens had to make a truce with them, then maybe there was something the McRaes should be worried about. My brow indented heavily as I tried to think of some way to convince them to be on their guard.
"Bella," Ira's crisp voice called me and I raised my eyes to meet hers. "You don't have to worry about us. Everything will be fine."
With a hesitant nod, I watched the McRaes fall back into their conversations. To be honest, I had no idea how the Quileutes had been able to keep the Cullens off their land. Vampires were pretty much the strongest creatures on the planet, if they wanted to kill the entire tribe they could have. I knew that they would never do such a thing; they weren't heartless monsters. However, I couldn't shake this feeling that there was a reason they would not step foot on the tribe's land.
"Bella." My deep contemplations were once again disrupted, but this time it was by Eric. I shifted my gaze and found him staring at me with a curious expression. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Of course," I said with a small smile.
"Would you… " he broke off the sentence and laughed before continuing, "like to spend some time with me on Friday?"
"Spend some time with you?" I wasn't exactly sure what he was asking. Did he mean like a date or did he mean something else?
"Would you like to spend Friday evening with me?" He clarified as I was dissecting his words mentally. "I was thinking of heading to Port Angeles and would like some company."
I was in complete awe of Eric's change of attitude. The way he gazed at me reminded me so much of…
"Sure," I spoke quickly to cut off the rising pain associated with Edward's memory, however I didn't regret agreeing to it. A wave of excitement and confidence flowed through me as Eric made an arrangement to pick me up on Friday at seven.
"Oh, and Bella?" Eric said as the bell signaled the end of the lunch hour. "Don't eat before I pick you up."
"Um, all right," I agreed, thoroughly confused. Eric and I had extremely different tastes when it came to food, so I could only wonder why he didn't want me to eat. As he disappeared into the rising crowd, I turned, face flushed crimson, to find Ary stifling a laugh. "What?"
"I am not leaving for Seattle until Sunday," she said and almost fell out of her chair laughing.
"Why?" I asked and narrowed my eyes. Ary had told me that it was important that she leave on Thursday night—what had changed?
"This will be priceless," she said as she picked up her messenger bag. "I've never seen Erickson go on an actual date before."
I sighed heavily, a little annoyed that she found so much enjoyment in my awkwardness, and picked up my backpack. "I'm so glad we amuse you," I grumbled and fell in line beside her as we navigated our way to Anatomy. "You know this isn't going to be easy for me."
She glanced at me and smirked. "I have faith in you, Bella."
Her words gave me a small boost of confidence, which I needed, and I smiled a little. Over the past week, I had come to realize two things: Erickson McRae was not Edward…and that was looking better every day. Just like the time leading up to Eric's birthday party, the days ticked by quickly and, before I could catch up, it was my last class on Friday. I walked through the halls without truly acknowledging my surroundings or the few people who said hi to me. My mind was completely obsessed with my coming evening with Eric, and yet, I could assuage the thoughts of Edward.
The memories associated with Edward and Port Angeles were still fresh with pain and torture, something I found out quickly. The pain I felt, when I thought of the Cullens, had seemed a little less these days, so I reveled in a chance to think of Edward. Unfortunately, the festering hole was ripped open and nearly forced a scream from me in the middle of English.
I shook my head, trying to clear the unpleasant memory from my thoughts, as I made my way across the parking lot to my truck. Mike ran past me, almost knocking me over, and caught up with Tyler and Jessica on the other side of the lot. A small smile traced across my chin as I thought of Tyler's newfound infatuation with my best friend.
How can I get out of this hiking trip? I knew deep down, if the McRaes stepped onto the Quileutes' land, there would be hell to pay. However, despite my concerns, all the McRaes had dismissed my worry saying that everything would be fine. They reminded me so much of the Cullens when James was involved. I was incredibly worried about the family getting hurt in some way, but they laughed at my fears.
My eyes squinted shut and I gripped the steering wheel as the liquid fire moved through my body with rapid speed. With a few shallow breaths, I turned the key and my truck roared to life—scaring those within a ten yard radius. The loud bang was enough to break my concentration and, as my face flushed from all the bewildered looks of the other students, I felt the pain start to numb. With a sigh of relief, I headed home.
Once I was home, I had the arduous task of picking an outfit to wear. Turning hesitantly, I stared at my closet like some alien creature and opened the door. My clothes hung harmlessly in the space, and yet they looked like a horde of blood thirsty vampires to me. I had zero experience when it came to dressing myself.
I pulled out a few hopefuls and laid them on my bed before heading off to the bathroom for a shower. Lingering a little too long, I pulled myself out of the tub and, after drying my hair, it was back to the difficult task of picking the perfect outfit.
After trying all of them on two times, I decided to go with a red top that I had always like, jeans, and my heavy jacket—seeing as it was just above freezing outside. The alarm clock across the room told me that I had about half an hour before Eric would arrive.
As I stared outside, tapping my foot anxiously, I noticed the empty parking spot next to my old truck. I silently thanked my good luck that Charlie had to work late. After the awkward dinner with Ary, I had made a solid vow not to introduce any of the McRaes to Charlie. Besides, if he knew I was going on a date then he'd give Eric the third degree.
I guess I couldn't really blame Charlie for his newfound protective nature, given everything that happened with the Cullens leaving. The last thing either one of us wanted was another episode to reoccur. I still wasn't one hundred percent sure about these feelings I had for Eric, it was all so confusing. True, there was a part of me who longed for the same relationship I had with Edward, in spite of the false belief surrounding it. After all, Edward had claimed that I was his love and his life and yet he took no hesitation in leaving me behind.
With a disgruntled exhalation, I forced myself out of my room and downstairs, thinking a little television might calm my nerves a bit. As I settled down into the sofa, I couldn't stop my eyes from panning over to the reclining chair which had once held Edward. The hole in my chest began to sear and I promptly flipped on the television.
Since my father was the only one who used the TV, the first show that popped up was the sports network. I grasped the remote and flipped through the channels, finally resting on a cooking show. The sight of the warm pastries, fresh from the oven, made my stomach groan a little bit. My mind wandered to thoughts of a cereal bar in the kitchen cabinet, but I remembered Eric had requested that I not eat beforehand.
The cooking show ended and, just as I was about to channel surf again, there was a knock at the door. A flurry of butterflies, moths, and any other flying insect inside invaded my stomach as I stood up from the couch. My heart was pounding in my chest and, with a deep breath, I opened the door.
A perfect smile and flawless face greeted me, somehow relaxing part of my nervousness, and I grinned in return. Eric looked like the definition of debonair; his shoulder length hair was secured behind his head in a neat fashion, his clothes looked brand new, and he smelled wonderful.
"Good evening, mi Bella," he said softly and leaned against the door frame. His smile broadened, making his eyes tighten, which caused a shiver to run through me. "Are you ready?"
"Uh, yeah." I shook my head as his perfection made me a little disoriented for a bit. "Hold on, let me get my coat."
Once I moved deeper into my house, I took a deep breath to clear my head and grabbed my coat from the couch. As I pulled it on, I felt a soft breeze hit my neck and, as I turned around, I jumped when I found Eric standing behind me.
"Oh," I exclaimed and brought my hand to my chest, feeling my heartbeat increase even more. "You startled me."
"I'm sorry," he smiled apologetically and took a step back.
"It's okay," I replied and moved forward, grinning.
We both stood there for a moment, him staring at me and me looking at anything but him. With a soft chuckle, he took a step back and gestured for me to lead the way. Smiling, and silently hoping that I wouldn't embarrass myself, we were out the door.
The drive to Port Angeles was pleasant and surprisingly refreshing. I was a little worried about what I was going to say to Eric, but he surprised me by keeping steady control of the conversation at all times. He told me about the exotic places he and the family had traveled to and all the people they had come into contact with.
"She didn't!" I gasped when Eric told me that Ary had had a run in with Napoleon that was quite memorable. "What did he think of her?"
"The same as everyone else," he chuckled and threw me a dazzling smile, which made a tingle course through me. "He lusted after her, until he saw her dark side."
I was wrought with curiosity, knowing that I had never seen Ary transform, and immediately began probing Eric for more information. "So, what's she like? You know, when she transforms?"
He chuckles and threw me a pointed glance. "You mean," he said as he made the turn off into Port Angeles, "you want to know why she won't let you see her transform."
I lowered my head sheepishly, not realizing that my question had been so transparent, and glanced at Eric through my eyelashes. He was chuckling, obviously humored by my expression.
"Bella," he said without looking at me, still wearing a smile though. "It's all right for you to be curious. I'd be greatly disturbed if you weren't interested in that side of Aryana."
"Mmm," I hummed a response, not sure what to say to that, and looked down at my hands.
"But, to answer that question," he continued as he traveled down the main road in Port Angeles, looking for something, "when she transforms, it's very disorienting for her; she had a tendency of lashing out."
"Lashing out?" I raised my eyebrows.
"The first time she changed in front of Lazarus," Eric cringed slightly, "she nearly killed him."
My breath hitched and I fell silent, realizing exactly what Eric had said. The reason I wasn't able to see her change was because it was
dangerous. Her attack on Lazarus definitely explained the reason she got so upset when I asked to see her change. She didn't want me to get hurt; that caring gesture made me feel warm inside.
"We're here," Eric mused happily, shaking me from my stupor, and before I could look around, he was holding my door open.
"And where is here?" I asked as I stood up and took in the surrounding. We were standing in front of an exquisite looking restaurant with a sign that read: C'est Si Bon.
"This is rumored to be one of the best restaurants outside of Seattle," Eric smiled and shut the car door before placing his hand lightly on my waist, which forced a bright blush from me. "Of course, I'm not much of a critic, but I'm sure they'd love to hear your opinion."
My thoughts immediately went to my wallet, which was sitting on my desk at home, and I cringed. I didn't want to assume that Eric was paying, so I pulled away from him. "Um, Eric," I mumbled, and twiddled my fingers. "I don't think I can afford this place."
He laughed heartily. "You haven't been on a date in awhile, have you?" I shook my head. "Good, neither have I."
I smirked to cover the grimace that inadvertently spread across my face. Rochester's words rang crisp and clear in my head, trying to convince me that I was at risk of joining a list of distractions. As Eric guided me into the lavish restaurant, I pushed the annoying voice to my subconscious and tried to focus on having a good time.
The Maître d' eyed my clothes with a condescending smirk before speaking to Eric. "I'm sorry sir," he said in a snooty French accent. "But we have a strict dress code."
My stomach lurched and I immediately hated my taste in clothes. I should have dressed a bit nicer, slacks instead of jeans, maybe then I would have gotten by. My apologetic eyes caught Eric's and he gave me a smile I didn't quite understand.
"Actually, we have a private dining reservation," Eric responded firmly and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him, causing heat to sweep through my face like a wildfire. "And, if I'm right, your dress code is not enforced on private dining. Is that correct?"
"Your name, sir?" The man asked with an inclined eyebrow. I assumed he thought that Eric was bluffing and he was going to catch him in a lie.
"McRae, Erickson," he said with a soft smile.
The man flipped open a book arrogantly, and, after a few seconds, his back shot up straight as an arrow. "My apologies, Mr. McRae," he said in earnest and offered me a sickeningly sweet smile. "Please follow me."
We were escorted through a twin set of elegant French-style doors and into a small room, illuminated by dim lights and dozens of candles. My eyes widened in awe and, as we took a seat at the small table at the center of the room, a soft violin began playing in the far corner of the room. I turned over my shoulder to see a very sophisticated stereo system, with speakers on every corner of the room.
"Eric, this is…" I couldn't stop my eyes from searching throughout the entire room. There was so much to see; there were exquisite paintings, architecture, and statues that caught my attention. Eric chuckled softly and, when I turned back to him, he was smiling softly at me. "You didn't have to do this."
"Yes, I did." His head tilted sideways.
As the blush crept over my entire face, my hand came up to try and mask it. Finding it impossible to stare at Eric, without my face erupting into a tomato patch, I looked around some more at my surroundings. "Wow, this is…surreal."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it, mi Bella," he said and leaned forward, his eyes caught the light and began to sparkle. "So, what are you in the mood for?"
I stared at him blankly, hypnotized by his appearance. "Excuse me?"
He smiled. "What would you like to eat?"
"Oh."
The food was exquisite—Cornish Game Hen with mushroom stuffing and whipped red potatoes—and the music was enchanting. Then there was the company, which was needless to say perfect. Eric didn't eat the food, of course, but he provided me with endless entertainment while I devoured the delicious meal. He regaled me with many more tales of the McRae family, including the history of Ira and Dante.
"Wait." I stopped him after hearing that Ira had been turned by a mysterious stranger. "So, she didn't know who he was?"
"Exactly, kind of creepy, isn't it?" He grimaced and continued his story.
"When she awoke from the change, she attacked several of the house workers, and ended up accidentally changing her Uncle, who was taking care of her."
"Wow." I briefly wondered what it would be like if I was changed. Would I suffer the same fate as the others? Condemned to a savage existence of blood and violence? "So, how did Dante play into this?"
"As most love-struck youths do," Eric said inhaled deeply. "He was brought to Ira's Uncle to work, and, once he and Ira met, it was love at first bite."
I choked instantly on my food, trying to sustain my laughter at the witty pun, and reached for my water. After I had cleared my throat, I smiled and shook my head. Eric grinned at me and looked somewhat accomplished, but his face changed quickly with the music.
"It's a shame to let this music go to waste, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrows and stood up, letting his body unfurl and extend to his glorious height.
Despite my success at Eric's party, I didn't want to risk my luck. "I don't know, Eric."
He sighed and, as I raised my eyes to him, I noticed his face melt into a mischievous smirk. "My dear," he said and I jerked my head back, startled at the new name. Usually it was either Bella or mi Bella, this was different. He took a step towards me and, in a blur, materialized by my side. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
My eyes widened but quickly narrowed. Just what did he expect was going to happen? Did he think I was simply going to give in? I stood up and threw my napkin at him, playfully, and raised my eyebrows in a challenging manner.
That was a mistake.
Eric lowered his head, looking up at me through his eyelashes, and, as his chest heaved, a low rumble came from his throat. I took a step back, feeling the familiarity of this wash through me and, before I could stop him, Eric fell into a crouch, which made this whole scenario far too similar to another.
I felt the blood rush from my face and all the strength I had left my body, sending me toppling to the floor. My ears were deaf to the sounds of Eric's frantic voice and my eyes were blind to anything except the harsh memories of my past.
I could see Edward, as clear as day, playfully leaping at me after I said I wasn't scare of him. It was foolish to think that I had moved past this in anyway. The deep wound in my chest jumped to life and sent wave after wave of agonizing pain throughout my body, leaving me paralyzed.
Despite the torture I was submitting to, I couldn't help the overwhelming horror I felt when I thought of what Eric must think of me. I was so positive that, when I got up, he would simply drive me home and never speak to me again, I was surprised when I heard his voice in my ear. I immediately recognized the beautiful lyrics as the song he had sung in the woods—the first time I had a break down in front of him. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply and, as he continued to sing, the pain and sorrow within me began to vanish.
"Mi mancherai, perche vai via?" Unlike the last time he sang, his voice was no higher than a soft whisper, and his breath sent a tingle down my skin, forcing goose bumps to arise. "Perche l'amore in te si é spento."
I took a deep breath and, after gathering as much courage as I could, I lifted myself off the ground. My face was red hot and I quivered nervously as my eyes found his. Much to my surprise, he didn't look concerned, wary, or desperate; he looked hauntingly calm and understanding.
"I'm so sorry, Eric," I mumbled and tried to find my footing, only to discover my strength had not returned yet. A groan of frustration seeped out of me but, as I tried again, I felt a soft touch on my arms. I stopped and shifted to face Eric, who had his arm around my shoulders.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella," he said and brought his arm away from me so he could cup my face. "You suffer, I can see it, but it's not your fault."
My head lowered to the floor. His words were so kind and compassionate, a side of Eric I had never seen before, and, without thinking about it, two tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly found myself completely enveloped in his arms, inhaling deeply, intoxicated by his scent. He smelled so different than Edward, but it wasn't a bad thing.
My hands snaked up around his neck, feeling his chest heave as our skin made contact, and relished in the chilly sensation. Before moving to Forks, I detested the rain and the cold, now it was all I clung to. In a matter of seconds, I had all but wrapped myself around him, holding his frigid body so close I could feel my heart beat sending rhythms through him. His aroma became stronger and soon my head was reeling.
"I'm dizzy," I muttered absentmindedly.
I felt him nod and my feet were lifted off the ground. I turned my head, looking to see where we were headed, only to see the door open. The night sky was cloudy but the wind was fresh and clean, which instantly filled my lungs.
Eric placed me on the ground but his hands did not leave my torso; they stayed, wrapped around my waist securely. My cheeks flushed warmly at his touch, but, for once, I didn't pull away. Even when he shifted his body to face me, I didn't contest it. I knew what I was doing.
I inhaled slowly and met his gaze again, relishing in the light yellow color of his eyes, and, with a careful approach, he brought his lips to mine. And I did not deny him.
Our lips met with a soft touch but quickly increased to a quickened frenzy as he pulled me against his solid form, and I knotted my fingers in his long hair. His hand traced my spine slowly, before finding my neck and caressing it. My tongue inadvertently darted out and he met it with his own, massaging and pushing it in tiny circles. The flock of insects in my stomach returned, causing a soft whimper to escape my lips, before I was plunged back into the passionate exchange with Eric.
His breath was fiery ice on my lips, and I hungered for me. Leaning in, he tightened his grip on me and lifted me off my feet. I felt completely weightless in his arms, and, for once, I felt a little bit more whole.
Without thinking, I opened my mouth to call out his name, to tell him how much I wanted to be close to him. Unfortunately, my mind was no longer on my side, and the second I uttered the word, I knew I was in trouble. "Oh, Edward."
Eric's body went rigid and he pulled away inhumanly fast, materializing four feet away from me, chest heaving and eyes wild with a mixture of lust and anger.
My mouth dropped open and I covered it with my mouth. What had I done? I had been thinking of Eric the entire time, even when I said Edward. My stomach lurched and my heart ached as Eric's face melted from anger to a familiar expression.
"Oh, god, Eric I…" I choked out as my chest heaved. Eric lowered his eyes, his face filled with an emotion I knew too well—rejection. "Please, let me explain."
"It's all right," he whispered without looking at me, and after a few silent moments he lifted his gaze. "But, it's getting late, maybe we…should go."
My bottom lip quivered and I felt the tears about ready to start pouring. I swallowed the lump in my throat, letting my head fall into my hands. A split second later I felt something slightly heavy hit my shoulders, I looked up and noticed that Eric had retrieved my coat for me.
"Come on, Bella," he said, smiling weakly, as his eyes flickered randomly to and from my face. I nodded and let him escort me back to the car, already dreading the long ride home.