Nowadays Every Night: Chapter 5

When they were in bed later that night, Eric looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing."

"Eric, what? What's wrong?"

"I just keep remembering when you left. I was worried sick, Julia, I was. I didn't know what happened to you, I even asked the other lads, they hadn't seen you. I was scared to death, afraid I'd pushed you away."

"You didn't!"

"I know that now, love, but a man wonders things sometimes, 'specially with the craziness that had been happening."

Julia nodded. She'd felt horrible leaving, but thought maybe, it would have helped, you know, that Carol would have one less person to be mad at, that Julia herself wouldn't get in the way.

That she would be able to choose between the two men she cared for most.

"I thought I was helping," she said softly.

Eric peered at her. "None of that stuff was your fault. You DIDN'T have to leave. It honestly wasn't the same, going to sleep without you right here beside me. I'd come home, hoping maybe you'd be there, but when you weren't..." he said softly.

Julia's heart sank at the look in his eyes.

But that's all over with," he said, touching the side of her face. "I got my wish. You're back now."

"And I'm NOT going anywhere," she said, as Eric pulled her close to him.

"Good," he said in her ear. "That's what I like to hear."

Julia was over the moon in love with him then, even more now than ever.

There would be some way to deal with the feelings for Mike.

She knew she had to end them.

Eric was the one for sure.

But that night, oh, in her mind, she dreamt of Mike, of kissing him, of him making love to her in that big huge castle where the film was shot...oh dear..oh dear..oh dear..

Julia thankfully kept silent as she slept.

Thankfully.