AN: Thank you for the reviews, I love hearing from you. Enjoy and see you Tuesday.
Tris's friends were also dealing with an emotional Tris once Eric left. They both knew she could fall for someone fast, as was evident at how quickly she was getting serious with Tobias, but this thing with Eric really seemed to take the cake. Neither knew exactly what do to help, because they knew she was right about how difficult it would be to maintain a long-distance relationship with someone who was just as business oriented as she was.
Especially with someone she's only known for a matter of days.
Eric had texted her as soon as he'd made it back to Detroit, and they'd stayed in contact through text ever since. Their first few days back were busy, and it was almost easier for Tris to have the distractions from work. She and Eric were still texting, but it was difficult to have a conversation with how busy they both were.
They both knew that it was going to take a bit to get back into the swing of things at work, so they were each understanding and patient with each other when they couldn't manage more than texts and a sporadic phone call.
"I miss you." Tris said when he answered her call.
"I miss you too. How was that sleeve appointment?" He asked her, remembering the appointment she had with a notoriously picky customer.
"She seems happy. I was able to get a good chunk of the outlining done and some shading on the healed parts. She was excited to see the color coming through. What happened with Lucy?"
He sighed, "Well you know how we left Cara and Fernando in charge for us to take this trip?" He asks and she hums in affirmation, "Lucy was supposed to start while we were gone, she had one hell of a resume and we thought we finally had our office manager worked out. She showed up for exactly two hours and walked out."
"Oh no, does anyone know why?"
"Nope." He sighs again, "I just need to figure out these staffing issues. Enough work talk, tell me what you're wearing." He chuckles and Tris laughs with him.
"One of your t-shirts that I stole." Tris replies and she hears him laughing on the other end.
"You got that really soft black one didn't you?" He asks.
"Mmhmm."
"That's my favorite shirt. You're lucky that I like you." He replies.
"You could always find a way to get it back from me." She replies softly.
"The things I would do to you if I were there. God Tris. I can't believe it's only been two days and I'm already missing you this much."
"It's crazy how much I miss you too. Sleeping next to you, stealing your fries when I said I didn't want any, the way you'd try to glare at me when I did it-"
"That was a real glare, woman." He replies with a laugh, "How are Christina and Tori?"
"They're both good. Busy, like me. We have a good crew, but there's something about being away that always makes us feel like we've neglected something." She replies.
"Same, except I'm still dealing with being short-staffed. Something's got to give." He sighs.
"I'm sorry baby." Tris replies.
"I'm sorry too. Work is stressing me out, and also causing me not to be able to come see you."
They talk until they're both barely able to keep their eyes open, and when they finally disconnect both fall asleep almost immediately.
The first Friday night they were home, Zeke and Eric were closing their shop when Zeke decided it was time for Eric to stop moping around and have a little fun, "Uriah is out at Bleu, Marlene is there with a group of her friends, let's close up quick and meet them out there."
"Nah, I'm going to call Tris when we're done here." He said without looking at Zeke.
"Call her on the way. Marlene has her sister Shauna with her, who I've been wanting to meet for months now. Oh and Uriah said she has that girl Zoey with her too. Isn't she the one you said was hot?" Zeke asks.
"Did you forget I also said she lacked substance?" Eric asks and Zeke laughs.
"Dude, you talked to her for maybe an hour. How do you know she had no substance? Give her a chance, you might like her." He presses.
"Are you trying to hook me up with this girl?" Eric asks.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
Eric finally turns to look at his friend, "Because I have a girlfriend."
"Eric, let's be real, she's hours away and when the hell are you even gonna be able to see her? Tris is gonna end up on the same level as that chick you dated in high school. If she makes it into town, you hook up, but then she goes home and life goes on." Zeke replies.
"Tris and I are in a committed relationship. I've been home for a week and you're already trying to get me to cheat on her. What I need is supportive friends, not the devil on my shoulder whispering shit." Eric replies firmly and Zeke frowns at him.
"I'm being a supportive friend by showing you what is realistic. You knew her less than a week, and you have no idea when you're even going to see her again. You're worth a girl you knew for less than a week. I'm trying to save you from a bad decision."
"You think me committing to a girl I'm into is a bad decision?" Eric tries to bite his anger back, but Zeke can hear it.
"You've dated women here casually for weeks, months, hell you were in an undefined relationship with Shelby for over a year. How is committing someone hundreds of miles away after a four day fling in Vegas a good decision?" Zeke asks.
Eric sighs, he knows that Zeke has a good point, but he's not ready to write Tris off yet, "I appreciate you looking out, but let me figure this one out. I'm not going to hang on to something that isn't going to work, but it's only been a week. Give me time to work through it."
"Fair enough." Zeke replies.
She was sitting in the office Sunday evening working much later than she should have been when she checked her personal email for the first time since returning home from Vegas. In it, she found a message from the Nevada government, and inside she found a document showing she was legally married to Eric Coulter.
"I thought it was just a symbolic ceremony." She whispered out loud as she read over the form. There was her handwriting; messy from her intoxication, stating her name, home address, email, and phone number. Eric had filled out the same, and their signatures were at the bottom.
It was a marriage license they'd signed.
She called him immediately, even though he'd said he was going to bed when they'd hung up a couple of hours earlier, and she could tell she woke him by his rough sleepy voice.
"What's wrong baby?" He asked her after she had apologized for waking him.
"I can call you tomorrow, you're exhausted."
She could hear the rustling of sheets, "You're more important than sleep. What's wrong?"
"We're married." She said and she could hear more rustling.
"What are you talking about? The ceremony? Did they send pictures or something?" He asked sleepily.
"I checked my email and there's a legal marriage license from Nevada. That night in Vegas-"
"We actually got married?" He asked, now sounding fully awake.
"You should have the same document. It looks legal to me." She replied.
She hears him moving, and then the tapping of a keyboard, and then an intake of breath.
"We're definitely married."
"Are you fucking insane?" Zeke asked him the next morning, "You're legally married to someone you have no prenup with. No way of protecting your assets. You married someone you knew for four days?"
"Dude chill, maybe it can be annulled." Uriah offers.
"Uriah, they had sex multiple times a day every day that we were there, I could hear him fucking her the morning we left, that marriage is more than consummated, you can't annul a consummated marriage." Zeke says.
"Enough! We didn't get married to try to screw each other over with our businesses. We were into each other, we were both messed up over having to leave each other, we did it for fun. We had no idea we were getting married legally." Eric argues.
"So, you just divorce her." Uriah replies.
"And she asks for half of his business in the divorce because she's pissed." Zeke sighs.
"Is that what you really think of her?" Eric asks.
"Why else is this random chick marrying you after four days, Eric?" Zeke lets out an exasperated sigh.
"Neither of us knew it was an actual marriage!" Eric shouts.
"You should have done some research! This is actual insanity, and this chick could take everything you've worked for!" Zeke shouts back.
"Guys..." Uriah tries to interject but Eric keeps going.
"She has her own business, she's not some gold-digger. We got married in one of those cheesy chapels thinking it was just a fucking ceremony." Eric replies angrily.
"What if it's Jeanine again? Do we know that her business is successful-"
"Zeke, dude, this isn't cool." Uriah interrupts and his brother shakes his head.
"No, this needs to be said. You've been a target before, Eric, and I don't want to see you go through that shit again. Please tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind." Zeke pleads.
Eric sighs, "Of course I am wary of people's intentions since Jeanine. Tris isn't like her. I'm in a relationship with her, we made it official before I left Vegas, and I'm not divorcing her without talking this through with her."
"You don't need to talk this through with her, you need a fucking lawyer to protect yourself. No way. You can't stay married. This is insane." Zeke replies.
"You're also the one who just said I couldn't divorce her! Make up your damn mind!" Eric shouts.
"Hey, chill, we don't do this. No yelling and fighting, let's talk about this." Uriah soothes, "You've talked to her, right?"
"I talked to her last night, she's coming out here Friday night and staying the weekend. We're going to figure this out." Eric replies.
"Eric, you're my best friend, you have to understand that I wouldn't be pushing so hard if I won't worried about you." Zeke says.
"Are you worried about me, or about the business?" Eric asks.
"It would be fair for us to be worried about both." Uriah says carefully and Eric sighs, "We're partners in this, but you're our friend first and foremost."
"What my brother said. You know me better than that, Eric." Zeke replied quietly.
"I know." Eric says, scrubbing a hand across his face, "I get that the two of you are looking out. I would likely have the same reaction."
"There's no way you love this girl after just a week and a half of knowing her. Just see what your rights are to end the marriage amicably." Zeke says and Uriah scowls at him.
"Dude, he's obviously feeling the girl. We need to support the decisions he makes, not bring him down. Just chill." Uriah replies.
"You're right." Zeke admits begrudgingly, "I'm just worried about you, Eric."
"I know."
"You married him?" Christina says when Tris finally told them why she needed the upcoming weekend off.
"We thought it was just a ceremony, not a legal and binding marriage." Tris replies.
"Didn't you think it might be a good idea to make sure before you filled out paperwork?" Tori asks with an edge to her tone.
"We were drunk. We were really in our heads about having to leave each other. We just did it as something silly, something to have to remember each other." Tris replied.
"A marriage is certainly memorable." Christina said with a chuckle and all three women laugh.
"So, is this trip to sign divorce papers or something? I mean with how much sex the two of you had I know it's not annulment." Tori grinned at her.
"We're not getting a divorce. That's our initial reaction, and this weekend is for us to talk more about it." Tris replied.
The grin immediately drops from Tori's face, replaced by a look of disbelief, "Tris-"
"Please. Just trust me to make the right decisions." Tris interrupts.
"How? This is someone you barely know, who could have ulterior motives." Tori says.
"We had no idea we were getting legally married-"
"Or did he?" Tori interjects.
"You think he purposely married me? For what?" Tris asks.
"You are a co-owner or an incredibly successful business. His is struggling to keep workers-"
"Tori, stop." Christina admonishes.
"You think he's after my business? You think so little of me that there's no way he could want to be with me?" Tris asks.
"Tris, it's sudden, and a little suspicious is all." Tori says softly.
"You may not trust Eric, but you can trust me. I've never put our business in jeopardy, and I'll not start now. I know getting married is fucking crazy, but let me figure this out with him. Trust that I'll do the right thing, please." Tris says and Tori nods.
"Okay." Tori reluctantly agrees.
Tris looks over at Christina, "You know I've always got your back, even if I think you're absolutely insane."
"Tris, I do trust you, but you don't know him at all. This could be a move for your business-" Tori begins.
"Stop that right now. I may not have known Eric long, but I can assure you if I think our business is in anyway in jeopardy, I will absolutely protect us." Tris says firmly and Tori sighs and finally just nods.
"You okay?" Christina asks one evening while leaning against the doorframe for Tris's bedroom.
"Yeah." Tris says without looking at her.
"What's going on?"
"Just packing." Tris replies.
"Hey, I don't want you to shut down on me. I'm here for you, if there's anything you want to talk through, no judgment okay?" Christina says.
"What if I don't want to divorce him?" She asks.
"Then don't." Christina replies and Tris stops packing to look at her.
"Seriously?"
Christina nods, "Seriously. You'll know what needs to happen. If you don't want to get a divorce then don't. It's that simple."
"You're not worried about the business?" Tris asks and Christina shrugs.
"I worry about the business when everything is perfectly normal. This situation is irrelevant, I trust you, Tris. I know that you'll do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done."
"Thank you." Tris replies before hugging her.