I apologize, I know this chapter is shorter than the rest. There is now Tris in this chapter and it will highlight what caused Eric to become the person he is. Given this is a work of fiction I'm taking the liberty to change Tori's age slightly. The flash backs are from three years ago and Tori is 31 at the time. Everything in Italics is a flashback. Oh yeah also headed out of town in the morning so won't be updated until Monday at the earliest. Sorry enjoy your weekend everyone and much love!
The rest of Saturday night had found him with a bottle of whiskey as he sat alone in his apartment. Given it was the first weekend of classes he didn't even have anything to grade in order to pass the time. Lauren had called him and thanked him for changing the locks and hanging out for pizza, apparently they had both missed that a lot. At the end of the call they had both promised to try and make it a weekly thing, if not pizza and a movie just hanging out and doing something.
Sunday he only left his apartment to go to the gym for a sparring match with Uri. The other man was slim, tone and faster than Eric was but what Eric lacked in speed he made up for in quick thinking and brute force. Eric has been so focused on the anger which was still running through his veins that the match had ended when he accidentally knocked the other man out. Uri told him it was fine when he had come to a few minutes later. When Eric was leaving Uri was holding an ice pack to the back of his head and Eric had still felt a little bad since he shouldn't have lost control and taken his frustration out on the man.
Why he allowed a woman he barely knew to get to him like this he didn't know. Actually that was a lie he knew exactly why her refusal hit him so hard and pissed him off. Eric hadn't always been as ethical as he was now, for a time he just hadn't cared but his belief and trust in another were why he was teaching at a University instead of being an undercover cop as he had wanted. Those misguided trust and belief were also what lead to the hardest year of his life.
Reaching his apartment after the gym he was once again starting at that familiar bottle of whiskey and tonight he had decided regardless of the hangover he was killing the bottle. He never thought like this, always wanting to approach a class day with a clear mind and alertness and a hangover was the opposite of that. Raising the bottle to his lips he took a long pull before setting it down as he leaned back against his chair.
As steely eyes closed he could remember his first day at the academy, the day he met her. He's been pumped and excited to learn, most saw him as nothing but muscle the others in his class believing he could ace the physical portion but would tank on procedure and knowledge testing. Eric had proved them all wrong in the end but the whispers behind his back weren't what stood out from that day. A woman in her early thirties had come in, black dreadlocks falling down her back, a tight black mesh shirt over a black tank, black cargo pants and a pair of police issue boots. There were visible tattoos going up both of her arms as she crossed them over her chest eyeing them all as many whispered and yet not met her eyes.
As her dark eyes skimmed over the crowd of academy students they locked on him since he was the only one brave enough to meet her eyes. A small smirk pulled at her lips and Eric had felt something pull in his lower stomach in response. The age different didn't matter to him it was the way she presented and carried herself that caught his eye. "My name is Tori Wu and I'll be one of your instructors as you go through the academy."
Opening his eyes he was brought out of the past and raised the bottle to his lips once more. It was amazing how one person could change you so much, how their actions could completely change the person you were and the path you were on. Eric had grown to trust his instinct and think before he acted taking ethics and morality into account because the last time he had gone against his own judgement had nearly ruined him entire life.
His whiskey weighted lids began to slide closed as he fell asleep on the couch his thoughts on the past which caused his subconscious to latch on and play his memories as his dream theater for the night.
The sheets were wrapped around him as he laid back on the large bed his arms crossed behind his head as he stared up at the ceilinging fingertips play across his chest. "You have such a serious look on your face Eric, you don't have to worry my husband's not going to be home for hours." Tori cooed in his ear as she pulled on the lobe.
Eric knew this was wrong, not only was Tori married but she was his instructor. She claimed to be unbiased and he was sure that she was being unbiased since he pretty much excelled at anything he set his mind to and that was reflected in his current score and ranking which was number one. However if anyone found out about their little arrangement he was sure they would try to dispute his ranking. "Do you think we should really be doing this?" He asked her as his left hand absentmindedly ran up and down her left arm.
"Should we? Probably not but you can't tell me that you don't enjoy it." Her voice was a little husky as he looked down at her.
The problem was when he was with her he did enjoy being the one she counted on for her pleasure. The one she allowed to dominate her since she such a dominate person but when it came to being home at night away from her he felt bad for her husband who was holding her not knowing the truth. "Maybe it shouldn't be all about what we enjoy." Leaning on his side he looked at her locking his gaze with her and said something that most men would think he was insane for vocalizing. "I think we need to end this."
For a moment the room was filled with silence before he felt the tension setting in like a tropical storm. Moving out of the bed he gathered his clothing from the ground and began to get dressed. "I'm sorry you what?" Tori's angry voice ask as she pulled the sheets around her and got off the bed now all of a sudden concerned with modesty.
"You know what? I don't think we need to end this, I know we do. You're never going to chose me over your husband and I'm fine with that Tori, I don't want you to but I can't be this guy for you anymore. It would kill me if I were married and found out my wife was fucking around on me with a guy close to half my age." Zipping his jeans up he felt this odd sense of strength surge through him.
"Well he's never going to know. Eric if you ever tell him I'll completely destroy your career do you understand me?"
Eric shot up in bed panting his eyes wide his heart hammering in his chest from the intense dream which caused him to relive the beginning of the end of his career in law enforcement. This was why he couldn't allow Tris to push and push until he gave in. The last time he had allowed that to happen the cost was so high that he didn't even want to take stock of what had been taken from him to pay that debt. Looking at the clock he saw it was three-thirty and groaned pulling the pillow over his head.
Every time he looked at Tris he truly believed that there could be something more there, sure there was physical attraction but her mind was amazing as well he could actually carry on a conversation with her. How Eric wished that things could be different but if he walked into class later this morning and she was still in it then that was it. The leeway he'd allowed her so far when it came to personal space, teasing and taunts would be done. If she were in his class this morning, he was shutting down the part of him that was beginning to feel anything for her.