A/N: So, I am hoping that I can keep doing my updates for this story on Sunday nights, or early Monday mornings, as it seems to be, and updating Hershey's Kisses on Wednesday's. That is as long as RL allows it. Thanks for being so patient and being faithful to my stories, you guys are fabulous.

As always thanks for your reviews and alerts and favorites. You guys seriously are the shiznit and you make my day.

Please forgive any mistakes for they are all my own.

Disclaimer: I still don't own them. Darn it! If I did they would probably run away because I play with them too much.

SPOV

I couldn't believe it. I was right. Two weeks, TWO, since I had confessed to him that I loved him and he has said nothing. NOTHING, NADA, SQUAT! So maybe I was a little stoned, but I remembered it. I wished like hell it wasn't true and that I hadn't outed myself in my drug induced haze, but I did.

Thinking about it only made it worse. I had tried avoiding him as much as possible. But truthfully, I did love him and I wanted to be around him. Now I knew that he, indeed, did not feel the same. It was beyond frustrating.

I stormed away as fast as my legs would carry me, not really caring where I went, I just needed air. I couldn't breathe and the walls seemed to be closing in on me. I slung the door open a little harder than I intended, causing me to wince slightly.

My ribs had pretty much healed, but sometimes sudden movements would tweak something just right, or wrong in this case, and it would hurt like nobodies business. Once I was outside I took a few deep breaths and tried desperately to force the tears back and swallow the lump in my throat.

I don't really know what I expected. We had really only been seeing each other for a short while, but I knew how I felt and I guess some part of me expected for him to feel the same way. Even though, realistically, it was not completely reasonable. But I had fallen so hard for him and so fast that it scared me half to death and I certainly knew that this would give him the freedom to break me, and that I just could not handle.

I was just going to have to break it off with him before I got any deeper than I already was. As it was, he could already cause me more emotional heartache than I was willing to admit.

I felt a hard warm grip on my elbow as I was pacing across the sidewalk and it almost caused me to trip over my own two feet. I knew who it was before I turned around, but I did in a huff and attempted to cross my arms.

I refused to look him in the eye as I face him. "What?" I knew I was being harsher than I had to be, but I needed to distance myself emotionally as much as possible.

One of Eric's hands snaked around my waist but I didn't have the time to pull away before the other hand cupped my cheek and his mouth was crashing into mine. My body responded although I didn't want it to, but there was just something about Eric's lips on mine that melted away all of my worries and I felt light as a feather and completely at home.

My body knew how much my heart loved him even if my head was screaming at me to run before he could reject us anymore. But he just tasted so damned good and his tongue moved with mine like we had been practicing this kiss since the beginning of time. I relaxed in his arms and succumbed to the pleasure he was giving me with his mouth, wrapping my arm around him tightly and bringing him even closer. I knew I was going to hate myself for allowing this, but I couldn't find the will to stop.

Finally, he did it for me, but kept me held tightly against his large frame. I looked up at him and he looked as flushed as I felt and was most definitely just as breathless. I had limited our physical time ever since the first night. I knew for sure I would regret giving myself to him completely, because that would most assuredly connect me to him even more. And that could prove to be dangerous, too dangerous.

"Sookie." Eric started and I just waited, knowing nothing he could say would change things. "I won't tell you I love you because the truth is, I don't." I released the air that was in my lungs and squirmed to free myself from his hold. I couldn't hold the tears and they were threatening to fall. "Wait." Eric begged.

"No, Eric. What else could you have to say? What else is there? Now, let me go." I tried to keep my voice from shaking but it did nonetheless.

"I have feelings for you, but I don't know that it is love and I won't lie and tell you that it is, because I am not myself certain. Please just wait." He begged as I stepped away from him.

I paused and looked up to him expectantly. "What?" I asked defeated. "What kind of 'feelings'?" I said mockingly. He looked at me as if I had just run over his puppy and I almost, almost, reached out to comfort him.

"Well…" He started as he took two steps towards me, closing the distance between us and reaching to brush the loose hairs from my face. "I don't know if I can even describe them correctly, but I will try." He pleaded with me silently and I nodded for him to continue.

"I just so happen to think that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." I snorted. If this was going to be about looks then I was taking my leave now. Sensing exactly that, Eric grabbed my arm and halted my escape.

"Seriously Eric, I know you think I'm hot. That is not what I asked." I spat and he nodded.

"Well, you have the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. You are selfless and you put your whole self into everything that you do. You are beautiful and not just on the outside. You are hard headed and stubborn and won't listen to anything anyone else has to say until it's too late."

I coughed interrupting him and rolled my eyes in annoyance. That really didn't sound like a good thing to me.

"You may see those as bad things, but it's just a few of the many things I love about you."

I felt my heart clenching in delight at the word love even if he didn't realize he said it, or even meant it in the way I wanted to hear it. I couldn't help but to enjoy the way it sounded when it fell from his tongue. I quickly stomped those emotions down and closed myself back up, determined not to feel too much.

"I know I don't think I could sleep another night without you beside me in my bed." Eric continued and my frozen heart melted all over again. "I love that yours is the first face I see when I wake up and the last face I see before I go to sleep at night. Not to mention that you star in an astounding number of my dreams, once I am asleep." Eric stated with a wink and I couldn't help that my lips twitched with a hint of a smile.

"I don't even want to think about what I am going to do when you insist on moving back in your old apartment. I guess what I am trying to say, is that, although I know I love certain things about you, I don't know if I love you. Until I do know, I will not lie and tell you I do. I would want nothing to ever come between us and what we have. But rest assured, when I say the words, I will mean them whole heartedly. I will not say them if I have any doubts, nor would I say them for selfish reasons or to get in your pants." He finished with a snicker and I couldn't help but to smile at him.

I knew he loved me on many levels, even if he didn't, and I could wait until he was ready to say the words, or recognized the emotions. I could be as patient with him as he has been with me about the whole sex thing. I just hoped that I didn't get my heart ripped out in the process. That I couldn't do.

I took a hesitant step forward and closed the distance between us, until my body was flush against his. I wrapped my hand around his neck and lowered his head to rest against mine as I spoke. "I guess I can live with that. For now." I smiled up at him and kissed the end of his nose before turning away from him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eric purred as he spun me back around and pulled me into his arms, yet again.

With a speed that could only be described as superhuman, his lips were attached to mine and I was melting all over again. Eric's tongue smoothed across my bottom lip, requesting access, and I instantly obliged, savoring the delicious essence that was simply Eric. I was quickly wrapped around him, in a not so PG way, when I heard someone clear their throat and we pulled apart, both panting.

"Sorry Ms. Fant." I lowered my head and felt the blush rise in my cheek as one of the tenants, an elderly lady that lived on the second floor, made her way through the front doors, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Come on. Let's go." Eric said as he took my hand and led me towards the car. "You need the night out." I nodded smiling at him sheepishly. "And I'm the lucky bastard that gets to show you a good time." He winked and I rolled my eyes.

It was true. I really needed a night out. Hell, even a day out. The past two weeks had been beyond boring, being trapped inside and unable to work. I was bordering on insanity or maybe cabin fever. Whichever, I was welcoming the distraction and I was enthusiastic about it. Even with the heated conversation that had just taken place, there was an extra pep in my step and I was smiling.

Things between Eric and I were far from perfect and he was nowhere near the level of commitment I was ready to be at, but at least he was admitting to something and he was allowing me out of the apartment, instead of keeping me confined, as if to deter future attacks by my psycho ex-boyfriend.

Bill's trial was scheduled in two weeks and I was not looking forward to that, at all. Don't get me wrong, I wanted the scumbag in prison for the rest of his miserable life, but I didn't want to see his face ever again. He had been the star of many nightmares that had plagued my dreams since his brutal assault and I needed no other reason to think of him.

Fortunately, Eric had agreed, well insisted really, that he would accompany me to the trial and support me in any way necessary. Seeing as how he got shot by Bill and his stolen weapon, I knew he would be a key to putting him away as well. I really just wanted it behind us and off of my mind finally.

Hopefully, tonight would be just the distraction I needed in order to regain some semblance of my sanity back. Even if it was only a little dinner with just the two of us, at least it was a change of scenery and I'd get to see Lafayette too.

I was pretty excited about seeing him. I didn't realize how close we had gotten until I hadn't seen him for about a week. I missed him terribly. He was like my long lost sister that I never had growing up. He would tease me and taunt me to now end and drive me completely insane with his endless 'get Sookie laid' antics, but I loved him dearly.

We pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes later and Eric was at my door opening it with his hand outstretched for mine. I took it gingerly, realizing it was his bad shoulder and hoisted myself from the car. After pressing the non existent wrinkles from my dress, we headed towards the entrance.

I was surprised when we got in that the restaurant was not any busier than it was. It was a week night, but normally it would have been a bit fuller than it was. Of course, we were seated right away in Eric's designated booth, or throne, as I liked to call it and a waitress brought us a bottle of Chablis.

After a few sips and placing our orders, Eric's hand found mine and wrapped around it securely, resting them atop the table. I heard Lafayette's booming laughter coming from the kitchen and turned just in time to see him walking through the doors, grinning hugely and making his way to our table. I smiled at him as he made his way through the crowd and made my way to stand up and hug him.

Lafayette's arms came around me and he spun me around causing me to squeal like a little girl before he set me down laughing. "Girl, you look good considering you just 'bout got your pretty little ass handed to ya by your crazy ass ex." He sang.

I rolled my eyes. "I missed you too." I said with a snicker. I gestured for him to have a seat but he shook his head.

"Still not givin' up the poon I see." Lafayette said with his eyebrow cocked. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held his hand out to my face and with a "Pssh," turned towards Eric.

"When you gonna man up and hit that?" Lafayette purred and nodded in my direction.

A/N: OMG… I have missed Lafayette; I can't wait to see what he says next. I love writing for him, he's so fun.

By the way, I wrote a one-shot for the Cowboy-Up Contest. If you haven't read it, go check it out. It's titled Electric Cowboy. There are several other great stories in the C2 as well. Also check out all the new stories from the Poppin' Eric's Cherry Contest. These are all new writers and a lot of really great entries.

Press the little green button and leave me your thoughts. I love each and every one.

MUAW!!!