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“How do you know?”
He sighed. “My God, are you that desperate for him?”
I gave him a warning look.
“I’m sorry, but I find it hard to believe that you would just take him back.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Eric. I haven’t let Trevor back in. We’re not a couple, at least not right now.”
His eyes flickered with something that looked like hope. “Oh? Why not?”
“I told Trevor I needed time to figure out how to forgive him. Make sure he wasn’t doing all of this because of the baby. He said he wanted to be with me exclusively before he even found out about the baby.”
With a rough laugh, Eric said, “And you believe him?”
Folding my arms across my chest, I nodded. “I do. I saw the look on his face that night when he saw me at Aisling and thought I was with you. He was devastated. He’d been trying to call me all that day, and I kept ignoring him. When I finally did answer, he told me he needed to talk to me. That’s when we made plans to meet that next morning.”
“How do you know he didn’t already know about the baby?”
This time I was the one who scoffed. “I’m sorry, do you not remember when you dropped the baby bomb on him? His reaction alone says he didn’t know.”
Eric had the decency to look like he regretted his part in all of that.
“Fine, so let’s say he had some sort of epiphany, do you think he is the type of man to stay faithful to you, love?”
I thought about his question for a few moments before answering.
“Deep down, my heart is answering yes. My head is still a bit confused.”
“I’d listen to your head and not your heart.”
“Eric, you’ll never know how much I appreciate you being there for me, and I don’t want to lose your friendship. I need you to understand something, though. I love Trevor and I may not be ready to fall into a relationship with him, but we owe it to each other to see where things go. We’re having a baby together and I know that’s not the only reason for us to be a couple, but I want to try. I can’t explain it to you other than to say that I gave that man my heart a long time ago, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give it to someone else, at least not any time soon.”
He shook his head. “How can you say that after everything he did?”
With a shrug, I spoke the truth. “Because you only saw the bad. He never promised me anything, and he was always up front from the first moment I went with him to his family’s benefit dinner. He’s always been honest about that.”
“So you were okay hooking up with a guy who whores around?”
Flinching, I looked down at my hands and then back to Eric. “I can’t help the way my heart feels, Eric.”
Looking away, he stood. “You’re being foolish and acting like a silly girl with a high school crush.”
My body heated with anger. “Excuse me?”
“Foolish! You think he is going to change, and you are wrong. A man like him cannot stop being with countless women. He likes the chase and the adventure too much.”
There was no sense in arguing with him. Even if I told him Trevor hadn’t been with other women, he’d argue that Trevor was lying.
“If that’s your opinion of me and of Trevor, there’s nothing I can do or say to change your mind.”
Eric sighed. “For Christ’s sake, Scarlett. Can’t you see I would always take care of you and love you?”
“Can’t you see how unhappy you would be? Why would you want to be with a woman who loves another man?”
“You’ll learn to love me.”
“Please don’t make me keep doing this, Eric. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Eric walked over to me and pulled me to him, crushing his lips to mine.
I knew he was hoping for a spark that might give him the slightest hint that there was something between us. I didn’t kiss him back and just stood still in his embrace. The kiss was nothing like when I kissed Trevor. It lasted five seconds, at the most, before I pushed him away, and I wiped my mouth.
“You don’t feel anything for me? Nothing when I kissed you?”
My heart ached to hurt him. Slowly shaking my head, I replied, “No, I’m sorry.”
Swallowing hard, he started out of the kitchen.
“When he hurts you again, don’t come to me for a shoulder to cry on.”
“Eric, please don’t leave like this. I’d like to be friends.”
His hand was on the doorknob. “I don’t want to be your friend, Scarlett. I wanted more than that.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s all I can give you.”
With that, he walked out the door, softly closing it.
