AN: Okay, so I know I said I wasn't going to do an EPOV, but I couldn't help myself. This chapter just screamed it. There's no sexual tension in this chapter, in case you were looking for it. So, no bashing the writer for not including it LOL. Eric's got some things he needs to deal with first.

I wanted to thank all of you who are reading this story, and especially those of you who reviewed it. I know I haven't responded to most of you, but I do appreciate your words. I have a full-time job and cannot always respond back. I'm working on another, longer story right now, but if the mood strikes, I will do another short chapter ficlet like this one. I have a character in mind for Eric.

A HARD LESSON TO LEARN

EPOV

"Fuck." I'm not sure if I was pissed off, humiliated, or proud that she could give as good as she got.

Bill stood there laughing at me with my shorts in his hands. "Fuck man, just undo my hands, will ya."

"I told you to stop playing games with her, didn't I? I told you that one day it was gonna come back and bite you in the ass." He reached down and loosened the vest that was pinning my wrists down.

I rubbed them for a moment before snatching my shorts and putting them on. Thank god no one saw that but Bill, because I wouldn't have lived it down. I'm sure Bill will have plenty of fodder from this to rib me from now until graduation anyway.

I gathered my books and papers from the floor. "So, you were in on this huh?"

"I can't take all the credit. I was just told to be here at a certain time because you were going to need a little help." I grabbed her vest and stared at it for the longest time before shoving it into my bag. As we left the library, he was still laughing, his face turning red from it.

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Over the next week I avoided all of them like the plague. I was definitely smarting from the payback, even though I decided I wasn't mad at Sookie. I knew I deserved everything she threw at me. I also placed a call to the English department and requested a new tutor. When they asked why, I told them that we were well acquainted and that it was a little weird being tutored by a friend.

Bill ribbed me a few more times, but eventually stopped. He had warned me ahead of time that I was playing too much, but I couldn't help myself. What can I say, I'm a guy and I got carried away. I did like her a lot though. She had captured my attention the first time I saw her, but I was just too stupid to actually be a normal about it. Now I probably lost her.

The night we were watching the movie, I was toying with her again. She went upstairs very upset, and Bill had gone up after her to talk to her. Amelia let me have it and I left feeling like a heel. Bill was a good friend and good listener, which is probably what she needed at the time.

Little did I know just how good a "friend" he was to her, until now. Instead of our normal weekend socializing, Bill and I decided to chill out in our room. I grabbed a case of beer from the local package store while Bill rummaged through the shelves at the so-called video rental place. For a college town, this place sucked for up-to-date movies.

Bill must have been in a nostalgic eighties mood because he ended up bringing back The Running Man and Tron. Well, I had no intention of sitting there watching Ahnold try to act, so we popped the tops off a couple of beers and sat there watching Tron.

Eventually, I lost interested in the movie, although it was a decent sci-fi flick, and we just kicked back and talked and drank. It seemed like the more we drank though, the more we talked…well, Bill did most of the talking.

Somehow we ended up on the topic of Sookie again and he rode me hard about playing games with her.

"Okay, okay, I know I fucked up with her. I guess I was so used to being the player around here and even back in high school, that I couldn't really see what it was doing to her. Most girls like the teasing. I thought she was enjoying it."

"You really are and idiot, aren't you? You know, she really likes you a lot. I get the feeling that, dare I say it…she's in love with you. I just hope if you decide to apologize and mend your ways that she forgives you."

He downed the remainder of his bottle and I tossed him another one. I couldn't imagine her liking me that much. I knew she was crushing on me, but she hadn't shown anything more than that before. "When you talked to her, did she tell you that?"

"Uh, yeah, kinda." There was something in his voice that made him hesitate. Even in my alcohol induced buzz I could pick up on that much.

"Spill dude, what exactly did she say up there?" I shifted forward in my chair so I could hear him.

Bill got real quiet for a minute and a smile spread across his lips and he laughed. "Well actually, what she said was more like 'Uhhh Bill, oh god Bill, don't stop!'"

I had to think about that for a minute. Why would she say don't… I blanched and looked up at him still with that cocky smile on his face. "Bro, tell me you didn't."

He shrugged his shoulders at me nonchalantly. "What can I say? You have no claim on her and you left her over-wound. So I helped her, uh, unwind."

"You unbelievable bastard!" I launched out of my chair and straight at him. I threw a hard punch at his face, but he ducked to the side and I ended up punching the back of the overstuffed chair he was sitting in.

I grabbed his shirt and hoisted him up by it and this time punched him in his jaw. He fell back into the chair and I reeled back shaking my knuckles. He massaged his cheek and moved his jaw around, making sure it wasn't broken before coming after me.

We went round and round trying to pulverize each other until our neighbors across the hall, Ned and Ralph, burst in and tried to separate us. They were football players and could easily have taken us both down if needed.

I pushed against Ned's grip. "Bill, you fucking asshole. How could you? You talk about me playing games? What the hell did you do, you went and fucked the one person you knew I wanted."

Ralph was busy holding Bill back. "Eric, sometimes you're such a douche. You were the one playing games with her. I saw how it affected her and I was more than happy to help her. And you know what? She welcomed it. She loved it, and if she asked me to, I'd do it again. Oh, and I love the little tattoo she has on her ass cheek."

I struggled more against Ned. "Let me go!"

"Eric, just calm down. I'll let you go, if you promise to walk away, man. Go for a walk or something okay."

I was seething. "Whatever, just let me go."

He dropped his grip and I shrugged my clothes back into position. In a huff, I bellowed, "I'm going for a drive. If you know what's good for you Bill, you'll be gone before I get back."

I grabbed my keys and jumped in my car and sped away. I needed to be as far away from there as I possibly could. After about ten minutes of driving, I found myself turning down a familiar dirt road to a hidden clearing. As far as I could tell, no one else knew about this place. I hopped up on the hood of my car and looked out over the darkened city skyline. The building lights shimmered on the lake and cast an eerie glow in the water.

Ironically, the first thought that popped into my head was how much Sookie would like it here. I lay back on the hood and rested my arms under my head while looking up at the stars. Bill was right about one thing. I was a douche for doing what I did. I mean, okay, I did tease her, but it was at the point of being cruel to her, and that wasn't my intention.

Part of me was livid with him for taking advantage of Sookie like that. How could he have done what he did and still look at himself afterwards? How could he look me in the eyes? I'm sure it was freaking hilarious to him that she exacted her revenge on me. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well, in this case a woman overly frustrated.

Then again, I really didn't have a claim on her. We weren't dating, let alone talking, and if she needed to find comfort in the arms of another person, then it was her right. But why'd it have to be Bill? Anyone but him. He was supposed to be my best friend. I'd have never screwed over any of my friends like that.

"Fucking asshole," I shouted to the sky.

"Well, at least you acknowledge what you really are."

I slid down off the hood and turned around quickly just in time to see a figure come walking into the clearing.

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SPOV

"Sorry if I startled you." Not really, but I couldn't help it when he called himself an asshole. At least I thought that he was referring to himself.

"Sookie, what are you doing here? I didn't think anyone knew about this place."

"I could ask you the same thing. I parked down the road and walked up here. I've known about this place since freshman year. It's so peaceful and I come here to think sometimes. What are you doing here, and why do you look like you went three rounds with Mike Tyson?"

The look he gave me…well, if looks could kill, let's just say my brother would be planning a nice funeral by now. "None of your business. Now if you don't mind, I was here first, and I'd like some privacy."

My eyes went wide. "Excuse me? I didn't see property of Eric Northman on any sign around here. What's gotten into you?

"Maybe I should be asking what's gotten into you… or rather who's gotten into you?" He snorted sarcastically.

It took a few moments to register what he was talking about and I'm sure all the color ran out of my face. I looked up at him, my mouth wide open.

"Yeah, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Your "friend" spilled the beans tonight." He accentuated his sentence with air quotes.

I couldn't believe Bill told him what we did, and for the briefest of moments I was embarrassed. Then I reminded myself that I did nothing wrong. He had no right to act jealous. Wait, was Eric acting jealous?

I put my hands on my hips. "Look buster. I can be with whomever I want. You have no hold on me. All you've done for weeks and weeks now is tease the hell out of me. Did you expect me to just lie down and take it? I'm not your little doll you can play with whenever you feel like it. I'm a woman who has feelings. So you can just pack your jealousy away and go fuck yourself."

I pivoted and started to walk away when a hand rested on my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks. "You're right."

Well, that was unexpected. "What did you say? I didn't hear you." I wanted to hear it again.

He sighed heavily. "I said you're right. I have no right to be jealous or angry with anyone but myself. I played you, and at first I thought you liked it so I kept doing it. I'm an ass, what can I say? I'm sorry I hurt you."

I finally turned around to face him. "I can't deny that I hated the games at first, although I could have done without that night at the cemetery with your friends. However, you went too far. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

He hung his head. "Yeah, I'm beginning to see that. I wish I knew how to make it up to you."

He couldn't see my face, but I was actually smiling. I picked up his hand and led him to the cliff overlooking the water. His brow furrowed. "You're not going to push me over are you?"

I couldn't help it, I broke out into laughter. "I should. You deserve it you know."

I sat down and patted the ground next to me, making Eric take a seat. We sat in silence for the longest time, enjoying the night air and the cool breeze coming off the water. I was biting my lower lip, mulling over something when Eric spoke up.

"Tell me what you're thinking. You always do that when you're thinking of something."

I looked over at him. "Do what?"

His smile was warm and inviting. "You bite your lower lip when you're really concentrating on something. I always thought that was cute."

"Eric, can I ask you something?" I'm not sure why I was getting nervous all of a sudden.

"Anything Sookie…you can ask me anything you want."

I loved the way his blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. "I'm not going to ask you why you play the games you do. I'm not really interested, but it has to stop. You can't treat women that way. Anyway, I just have one simple question to ask you. How do you feel about me?"

He turned his head and looked toward the water, but I wasn't going to let him get away with that. I reached out and cupped his face with my hand, turning it back to me.

"Don't look at the water. Look at me. Tell. Me. Look me in the eyes and tell me how you really feel about me."

I steadied my hand and forced him to look into my eyes. He wasn't budging until he told me. Okay, maybe I didn't want to know and maybe I did. I was scared and this was a put up or shut up moment for him. I could have just walked…

"I think I love you."

My train of thought instantly dissolved. Did he just say something? I could have sworn he said I love you, but my hearing isn't that good. I must have been hallucinating.

"Sookie, did you hear me?"

I blinked a few times and wanted to say something profound back. "Huh?" Way to go English major. How profound was that?

He smirked. "I said I love you. I think I have since I first met you."

"I…I love you too Eric." He placed his hand over mine and leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine ever so slightly, and making my whole body tingle.

"So, where do we go from here?" He raised an eyebrow, looking to me for answers.

I thought about it and his free hand reached up and tugged at my lower lip, pulling it from between my teeth. I chuckled and leaned back from him, standing up from where I was sitting. Poor guy, he looked so confused.

"Be at the house at seven o'clock sharp this Friday, and don't be late. Wear what you had on for movie night. I believe you were wearing a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt."

Before he could respond, I turned and walked away laughing, leaving him to ponder what was in store for him Friday night.