CHAPTER SIX
I paced up and down Jason's living room from front door to the hallway and back again. I couldn't seem to calm down. The drive back to Bon Temps was long and stressful. I hadn't heard a word from Eric and I was disappointed to realise I was dreadfully concerned. Tara had calmed down and was sitting on the two seater couch with Jason, her legs draped over his. They were watching some documentary on african jungle cats and drinking beers. They both appeared not to have a care in the world.
Finally Jason glared at me. "Would you calm the fuck down?"
"No, Jason I will not 'calm the fuck down.' Eric hasn't even called to let me know he's ok. What if those witches have done something to him?"
"He's a big boy Sook, I'm sure he's more than capable to look out for himself. Maybe he got caught up." Jason offered. It didn't make me feel any better at all. I started to pace once more. I couldn't take much more of this. I had had enough. I grabbed my bag and headed for the front door. Jason and Tara both jumped up and Tara grabbed my arms as Jason stood in front of the door with his shotgun. "Where you goin'?" Jason asked.
"I need to go find him." I replied. Jason shook his head.
"You know we can't let you go out by yourself."
"I can't just sit here and rub my chin wondering what happened to him if he needs me."
"Can't you like, sense his emotions or some shit like that?" Jason asked and I felt that awful prickle in the corner of my eyes again.
"Kind of." I replied and he shrugged.
"There you go then. He's ok." I felt my lip tremble and Jason sighed. "Look, how about we go to Merlotte's and get a bite to eat and something to drink. We can play a game of pool and maybe even dance. We haven't had a night out since..." Jason trailed off as he thought back on it. "Since before Gran passed." He said quietly.
"I can't." I whispered and Jason placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Listen, let's make a deal. We go to Merlotte's and I'll let you kick my ass at pool while I get slowly more and more toasted on beer and if you sense any kind of negative emotion from Eric then we'll drive to Shreveport immediately."
I bit my lip as I thought that through and I slowly nodded. "I'd kinda like that." I said and Jason nodded, grinny madly.
"Done deal." He said, slipping his arm around my shoulders. "Comin' Tara?" He called over his shoulder and she shook her head.
"Yeah, I'm comin'."
We walked into Merlotte's and Lafayette glared at us through the serving window. "You motherfuckers are so sad that you ain't got nothin' better to do on your night off then come into work." He called. I felt my blood turn to ice. Lafayette... Jesus... ERIC!
"Fuck!" I breathed and Tara looked at me in shock and awe.
"Look at the mouth on you Princess." She said with a chuckle.
"Tara!" I grabbed her arm. She gave me a confused look.
"What?"
"Jesus was one of the people who threw me in the van."
"Yeah?" She said bewildered. I nodded to Lafayette. Tara looked at him then at me confused.
"What do you think Eric might do to him?" I asked. Realisation dawned on her face and she turned pale.
"Oh, hell no!"
"I have to call him. Oh my God I can't believe I didn't think of this before. Keep Jason busy while I call him?"
"Yeah, no problem. Sook he better not have killed Jesus cos boyfriend or no I will stake the motherfucker."
"He's not my boyfriend." I said but I wasn't sure Tara heard me. I walked outside to the parking lot so I could hear the phone, it was too noisy in the bar. I scrolled down til I found Eric's number and I called him. I put the phone to my ear and shifted from one foot to the other, impatiently. It took a few rings but to my relief he picked it up.
"Sookie, now isn't exactly the best time." He spoke into the phone. I was disgusted at myself at how relieved I was to hear his voice on the other end. It seemed he was fine.
"I'll be brief." I said. There was a pause before Eric spoke again.
"Let me go somewhere a bit more private." There was a few seconds of silence and the din in the background became less and less. "Alright I'm all yours." He said.
"Are you alright?" I blurted. I hadn't meant to ask that but out it came. I hated myself... everytime I opened my mouth around Eric it seemed my brain and mouth weren't communicating and my mouth just spat out whatever it felt like. I heard a soft chuckle come from Eric's end and he replied.
"Concerned for my safety are we?"
"No!" Eric was silent and I closed my eyes as I mentally kicked myself. "Maybe, just a tiny bit."
"I'm fine. Nothing a bit of blood and a days sleep won't cure."
"You're going to drink from someone?" I asked, feeling a sense of hurt and betrayal at the idea. Eric was silent for a minute. It seemed when he answered he was trying to pick his words carefully.
"There are some things that true blood just can't fix."
"Are you hurt that bad?" I gasped and he sighed.
"Sookie, is that a hint of jealousy I detect?"
"I... don't know."
"I need to feed Sookie." I was almost in tears. I closed my eyes and put my hand across my eyes.
"Feed from me." I said.
"No." The simply word cut straight through me as efficiently as a knife would.
"No?" I asked. "Why not?"
"Because Sookie when it comes to you if I were to feed from you now I would not stop there. I would want to make you mine, in more ways than one. I am not going to drink your blood until you make yourself mine." I knew he was telling me the truth. I knew he would want to make me his and I just wasn't ready for that. Eric knew it too.
"I don't like the idea of you drinking from someone else. I don't want to think what you might do."
"What? Like fuck them?" Eric was blunt.
"Well... yes I suppose so."
"I'm not going to risk upsetting you Sookie. I won't hurt you, and trust me when I say that I do not see any women in any sexual manner anymore. My eyes are only for you. Pam and I keep pets around... I'll just pick someone and drink, nothing more."
"Ok." I said, biting my lip. "But you need to swear that you will ONLY be drinking from them." Eric chuckled.
"You have my word."
"Good."
"Sookie, why else did you call?"
"Whatever you do don't hurt Jesus. Lafayette loves him and I couldn't live with myself if I knew you hurt him on my account. Besides Tara said she'd stake you." At this Eric laughed, not simply chuckled but laughed.
"Well I'd be amused to see her try."
"I'm serious!"
"So am I." He replied.
"Eric!"
"Alright I won't hurt him."
"So you haven't already?" I asked and felt relief flood over me.
"No. I've brought him back to Fangtasia to question him. Everyone else is dead though... is that a problem?"
"No, I guess not. Why didn't you kill Jesus?" I asked.
"He has answers to some very important questions." Eric went quiet for a few moments and then he spoke again. "Sookie, I need to go. I probably won't get to see you tonight. I need to see you, are you free tomorrow night?"
"I'm working the day shift tomorrow but I will be finished at six."
"Alright I'll see you at your house. And Sookie?"
"Yes."
"I'll send you an apology gift... you should recieve it tomorrow." With that Eric hung up and it left me feeling bewildered to say the least. A gift? An apology gift? What did he need to apologise for? I put my phone back in my bag and went back inside the bar. Jason and Tara were leaning against the bar, waiting for me. I wandered up to them and Jason handed me a martini.
"Thankyou." I said as I took the glass from Jason. "Shall we?" I nodded to the pool table that at this point in time was free. Jason smiled and nodded.
"You read my mind Sook." I stared at him and so did Tara. Jason looked from me to Tara and then back again. He took his time in working out the irony of his comment and he blushed. "I... I'm sorry Sook, I didn' mean that the way it came out." He paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "Hey, do you think that vampire's could go into a vampire bar and ordered a bloody Mary then they would drain some chick called Mary?"
I looked at Tara and she looked at me. We both burst into laughter. My poor brother really wasn't the brightest bulb in the pack at all. The three of us set our drinks down at the bench next to the new pool table (that I had been informed Alcide had bought for Sam... what a sweetheart) and grabbed a pool cue each. "Who's breaking?" I asked.
"I will." Jason said. After that the three of us played round after round of pool. I played twice against Jason, once against Tara and Tara and Jason played against each other about three or four times. I lost count after my eight or ninth drink... lost count of those also. Finally as Sam was closing Tara helped me into Jason's car.
"I needed tonight." I mumbled to Tara as she slid into the front seat. She shared a knowing look with Jason and they both laughed as Jason pulled his truck out of Merlotte's carpark. Tara looked back at me.
"Are you going to start with the drunk 'I love you' speech?" Tara asked and I groaned. One of the many drinks I had wasn't sitting well in my stomach anymore. I never drank and when I did I got drunk real fast. I could tell I was going to regret it in the morning. At this moment in time, however, it was exactly the sweet release I needed after everything that had happened in my life recently. I giggled and Jason glanced at me in the review mirror.
"Ev'rythin' alright Sook?"
"Yes." I giggled again. "My life is so messed up."
"Everybody's is Sook."
"I think I'm gonna throw up." I groaned and Jason pulled over with the screech of his tyres. He pulled open my door and dragged me out onto the shoulder of the road and a short way into the tall grass that grew haphazardly all over the ground. "What are you doin'?" I groaned.
"I ain't having you throwin' up in my truck." He said and I groaned.
"I'm gonna be so hungover tomorrow." I groaned. Jason rubbed my back and nodded.
"Yup, you're gonna be sorry for sure." He sighed and turned his back as I was sick.
"I wanna go to bed." I moaned and Jason turned back to me.
"Are ya done? Cos I ain't lettin' you back in my car if ya feel like bein' sick again."
"I'm ok now." I promised him. Jason helped me back into his truck and we drove the rest of the way to his house. When we arrived I opened the car door and stumbled out of the car and I chuckled as I staggered over I root. I would've gone face first into the dirt if a strong hand hadn't grabbed my underarm.
"What the hell happened to her?" Eric snapped. Tara and Jason couldn't help but laugh. I stared up at Eric and laughed.
"You're so serious?" I mocked and he glared down at me.
"What's wrong with you?" He snapped and I laughed til my ribs hurt.
"I got drunk, Jason and Tara kept giving me drinks." I gasped out. Eric rolled his eyes.
"Well in that case we better get you to bed." He said as he started to lead me into Jason's house. I stepped on the leg that I had stumbled over the root and I sqeeked as a sharp pain ran the length of my leg and I staggered. Eric frowned and looked down at my ankle. "You hurt yourself again? Sookie, can't you stay out of trouble?" He tsked.
"I think... I think I twisted it." I moaned. Jason came toward me and started to sling his arm under my shoulders at the same time as Eric bit into his wrist. He held it to me and I pushed it away. Eric lifted that eyebrow and I frowned. "I wish I could do that." I moaned.
"Here." Eric said as he tried to push his wrist to me again.
"It's just a twisted ankle." I reinforced, once more pushing his wrist away from me. "I just need some ice." I yawned and my head lolled to the side. "I'm sleepy." I mumbled and I rested my head on Eric's shoulder and closed my eyes. "I had a hard day." I murmured as I fell into oblivion.