Six Years ago

I stumble down the stairs and into the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee pot. I have no idea why I agreed to work out this morning with Amanda, but I pretty much want to punch myself in the face, right about now.

I’m in such a fog, that I pay about zero attention to where I’m going, which leads me here, smacking myself face first into Eric’s chest.

His body is so hard that once I hit him? I bounce back, off of him, so hard that I nearly get knocked onto my ass.

I cry out as I begin to tumble backward, but right before I hit the ground, two strong arms grab a hold of me, pulling me back onto my feet.

I blink hard, before looking up, and meeting those gorgeous blue eyes.

“You know, you’re supposed to look up when you’re walking.”

He winks down at me, actually winks, causing butterflies to erupt, just about everywhere.

“I’m so sorry. Are you ok?”

A huge smile flashes across his lips, showing off two perfect dimples before he chuckles.

“Um, yes. I’m totally fine. You weigh what? Ninety pounds soaking wet? I should be asking you if you’re ok.”

“I’m fine,” I grumble, stepping past him. “The only thing hurt is my pride.”

He chuckles again, as I move towards the coffee pot. I reach for it, before slamming down my fist.

“Sonofabitch!”

The stupid thing is totally empty.

“Everything ok?”

I exhale, long and slow, before my shoulders slump.

“Yes. No. Dammit, I really need coffee. I swear, I set the damn timer last night.”

He reaches past me, before flipping the on switch.

“Calm down, Ave’s. It only takes a second to brew.”

I slump into one of the kitchen table chairs, before placing my arms on the table and resting my head on top of them.

“I can’t function without it,” I grumble, before sighing hard. “And I’m already irritated about having to be up so early.”

“Up so early?”

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, as he raises an eyebrow in my direction and looks up at the clock.

“It’s already after nine.”

“Yeah, and it’s Saturday! I prefer to sleep until noon.”

“Day waster.” He flashes me a grin before grabbing out a coffee mug.

“Cream and sugar?”

“You really don’t have to...”

“Yes, I do. You stay sitting. I’ll get you coffee and then I’m gonna get out of your way. You’re pretty scary in the mornings.”

He winks at me, and even despite my foul mood?

It makes my heart leap into my chest.

“I’m sorry.” I pull my head out of my hands before wiping at my eyes. “I’m just really not much of a morning person.”

“Yeah. I’ve picked up on that.”

He sets a mug in front of me, before taking a few steps towards the doorway.

“Eric?” I call out to him, causing him to stop in his tracks. He turns to look at me, and I give him a sheepish smile.

“Thanks for the coffee. And sorry that I’m being such a grouch. I just don’t want to be up this early, and I didn’t really sleep well. Amanda is forcing me to go to the gym with her this morning, and, well. I shouldn’t be acting like an asshole to you.”

He chuckles again.

“No worries, Ave’s. It’s all good. I pretty much picked up, day one, that you are not someone to mess with in the mornings. Have fun at the gym.”

I snort.

“Those words never go together.”

“What’s that?”

“Fun, and gym.”

“You’re crazy. The gym is hella fun.”

I roll my eyes before taking a long drink of my coffee, which of course, instantly lifts my mood.

“You, friend, need to get out more. Because it is most definitely not hella fun. It’s more like hella...hell.”

He returns the eye roll, before shaking his head.

“Enjoy your coffee.”

I admire his backside as he walks out of the room, because, well...

I’m only human, and there is a lot there to be admired.

While Eric mostly keeps his distance from me, I’ve come to enjoy to few moments that I get where he actually talks to me.

And not just because I get to check him out.

That’s just the added bonus.

But I have found that while Eric is very quiet, and mostly keeps to himself?

He’s also a super sweet guy. A gentle giant, actually.

Which of course, makes him even hotter.

He comes down for dinner and eats with us every night, but that’s about it for the time that I spend with him.

I see him once in a while in the hallways at school, and while he always smiles in my direction?

He never approaches me or tries to hang out with me.

I finish up my coffee, feeling at this point like I can at least manage to function.

I’m still not super stoked to be having to go to the gym today, but at least now I don’t feel like I could very well murder someone.

I make my way through the house and am just about to head upstairs to get my sorry ass ready, when I spy Eric in the front yard, on his phone.

He looks pissed.

I’ve never seen him look angry, so I hang back for a second, watching him out the window.

He’s damn near yelling into his phone and waving his hands around like a crazy person. He ends his phone call, and I watch him chuck his phone across the yard, before standing there, staring down the driveway, with his hands on his hips.

For a fleeting moment, I wonder who he was talking to.

Does he have a girlfriend, who just made him about lose his marbles?

I definitely wouldn’t know...

I haven’t seen him with anyone around school, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a girl from his last school.

From the rumors that I’ve heard?

He had an awful lot of girls at his last school...

He turns quickly, before storming into the house. So fast, actually, that I can’t even try to pretend that I wasn’t just watching him.

It would be rude not to ask if he’s ok, so...

“Hey. Everything ok?”

His breathing is harsh as he stands there, staring at the wall, before finally swinging his eyes at me.

“Yeah. No. Fuck. Not really.”

He doesn’t offer anything else, so I just shrug.

“Are you grouchy because you need your coffee too? Because there’s more in there.”

He snorts, before finally, a small smile pulls at the corner of his lips.

“I don’t drink that crap, Ave’s. But thanks anyways. I’m just...fuck. My uncle was supposed to be picking me up today and bringing me to see my mom. But something came up, and now he’s not coming.”

“Oh.”

I blink hard, watching as he throws his arms out before shaking his head.

“Yeah. It’s so fucked up. I mean, I was counting on him. I guess I should just know by now, that the only person is this fucking life that I can depend on is myself.”

He walks across the room, before dropping down onto the couch and throwing his head back against the pillows.

I’ve never seen him like this. Never seen him show any kind of emotion about anything.

And my heart breaks for him.

I don’t know much about his life prior to coming to live with us, but I do know that his mom is currently in prison, a couple of hours away from here, serving a ten-year sentence. I know that he didn’t have a stable life prior to coming to live with us, and I know that my dad had taken him in so that he could have a shot at getting a baseball scholarship, because word on the street is that he is a pretty fucking fantastic ball player.

But that’s the extent of my knowledge, and, like I said. He hasn’t shared a single bit of that with me.

“You can take my car.” I offer, as his head snaps towards me.

“Really?”

I shrug.

“Sure. I don’t need it today. Amanda was going to just pick me up anyways. You can drive a stick, right?”

“A stick?” His face falls.

“No. Never learned.”

“Oh.” Fuck. I watch him for just a split second longer.

“Ok then. I’ll drive you.”

His eyes widen as he shakes his head.

“No, Ave’s. Thank you, I really appreciate the offer, but no. I am not going to bring you to prison with me.”

“Tough cookies, hot shot.” I shrug, before glancing up at the clock. “You said your uncle was supposed to pick you up at ten?”

He nods slowly, not meeting my eyes.

“Fine. I’ll take a quick shower and throw some clothes on. I’ll be ready by 9:55.”

“Ave’s...”

“Nope. Accept it. I’ll give you a ride. And then maybe on the way home? I’ll show you how to drive a stick.”

I flash him a smile before darting up the stairs.

I’m going to be honest. Sitting in a car right next to Eric for two hours each way has my heart about racing in my chest. I’m not sure how that’s going to work out for me, since my body is usually all hot and bothered by him after just a few minutes.

But no way am I going to just sit back and make him miss his visit with his mom.

Plus?

Bringing him means that I get to skip the gym today.

Which is a pretty damn big win in my book.