The Distance Between Us | Eric Coulter

nine

I'm back to feeling guilty again. I know I shouldn't, Eric is being a completely unreasonable asshole. But he's clearly driven by something he thinks I've wronged him of.

Still, I refuse to let him off the hook.

He could've talked to me about it like any other mature adult would. But no, the asshole results to borderline torture as his first resort.

Who the fuck even does that? Oh, I know. My fucking psycho ex-best friend- that's who.

I stomp down the aisle between the rows of tables through the dining hall before plopping down in the empty seat beside Shauna and stabbing my fork through a piece of grilled chicken.

"Who the hell pissed you off today?" Shauna asks, sounding amused.

Zeke snorts, "Who do you think?"

I slam my utensils down on the table with a clank, making Zeke jump.

"The idiot thinks I did something," I cross my hands over my chest with a huff, "Like...I don't know- betrayed him of something! That fucking idiot."

"Betrayed him?" Four says, "Do you have any idea what could've made him think that?"

"Of course, not." I reply, "If I did, do you think I'll still be sitting here and not smacking some sense into him?"

There's a beat of silence before Zeke looks at me with a frown.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

I tapped my chin thoughtfully, "He still cares," I say, "He acts like he doesn't, but he does. And I'm going to prove it." I jerk my head in a decisive nod, "Then, I'll get to the bottom of it all."

Three pairs of eyes stared back at me as if I was insane.

Before Zeke bursts out laughing- which seems to be a common occurrence around me, "Well, that took a turn I wasn't expecting. I thought this was about revenge and now you want to prove that Eric has feelings?" He wipes tears from his eyes, "Oh, this is going to be good. I hate to break it to you, Rory. But the only way that's going to happen is if there's some kind of Christmas miracle."

Shauna reaches across the table and smacks him in the bicep with a glare, "Shut it."

"Look, I know Eric, okay? He might act all callous and rude, but he's not. Not really." I tell him, "And it's still about revenge. I'm going to get my revenge, just in another way. Something tells me making Eric show some feelings might be just as painful to him as anything else I could dole out."

Four gazes at me thoughtfully and I narrowed my eyes at him, "What?"

He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. "I just don't want you to end up getting hurt."

"I can handle Eric, alright?" I huff, "I'll be fine."

Four studies with in a way that makes me shift uncomfortably in my seat, "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have feelings for him."

"Feelings?" I snort, frowning when I notice that none of the others look amused. "Look, I mean I used to have a crush on him- the keyword being used to." I shrug, "I'm over it."

"Sure, you are," Shauna deadpans.

"I am!" I argue, feeling oddly offended.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyes drifting to the corner of the room to meet those piercing blue eyes that stare back at me as always.

"See, that. That, right there." Zeke points a finger at me, "Is why we don't think you're over it."

My eyes dart back to Zeke, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh," Zeke mumbles around a mouthful of food, "The way it looks to me, I don't think it's one-sided."

✯

"Morning, bestie." I make sure to greet Eric extra cheerily the next morning as I saunter into the Pit. "Before you ask, I slept amazingly."

"I wasn't going to fucking ask," He grumbles without even looking up at me.

"Oh?" I say stopping in front of him, "Why not?"

Eric finally takes one look at me and frowns, "What the fuck do you want?" He asks, ignoring my question.

"Oh, nothing," I smile up at him, " Just being polite, that's all."

"Polite..." Eric drawls as if he's never heard that word before, "You?" He raises a pierced brows at me and snorts.

I can't help but feel slightly offended at his reaction and scowl.

"Ah, that's more fucking like it." Before he could catch himself, Eric reaches up and flicks me in the chin, a playful gesture that I don't think he was even conscious of doing.

Eric freezes before he quickly pulls his hands back and clears his throat.

"Get in line, initiate." He snaps.

"So fucking dramatic," I roll my eyes at him, putting some distance between us until I'm standing where we're supposed to be gathered with my hands tucked back.

Eric narrowed his eyes at me but doesn't say anything else, which was new. Normally, he would've ordered me to do some kind of workout as punishment as soon as I annoyed him since I was almost always earlier than everyone else like how I was now.

I raise my chin, meeting Eric's intense gaze even though it still had the power to make me squirm when Four joins us.

His eyes dart between us before he lets out a snicker and I tore my eyes away from Eric to raise my brows at him.

"Got something to say?" I asked sweetly.

Four cracks a smile at me, "What? I don't even get a 'good morning'?" He teases and I paste on an extra wide smile for him.

"Good fucking morning, Four," I say with a hint of sarcasm.

Four chuckles softly at my antics, but as I return my gaze to Eric, I find him watching Four and I with a severe frown.

Before I could even help myself, I found a genuine smile stretching across my face, mostly because I think I'd finally found something that would really make him tick.

"The fuck are you smiling at now?" His grits out.

I shrug, my smile widening as I answer with a question of my own, "Jealous, much?"

Eric clenches his jaw so tightly I was starting to worry he would chip a tooth.

We're both silent for a minute before he closes the gap between us so quickly that I barely had time to blink.

My breath hitches in my throat at the proximity between us and he whispers, "I'm not. You want to know why?"

Not waiting for me to answer his question, he lowers his head and presses an unexpected kiss to my collarbone that makes me let out an embarrassingly loud gasp.

Then, he raises his head and grins at me, "That's why."