Fireflies at Midnight

EIGHT 8

With Eric constantly making eye contact in the rear-view mirror, Evelyn was suffocating on the ride home. It had to be unhealthy for her to feel her heartbeat between her legs almost every time he looked at her.

Evelyn tried her best to avoid his eyes, even as she looked up. She looked at the buttons on the dash, the gray interior of the truck, the road in front of them and even the fucking glove box. Anywhere besides directly at him.

Aaron was talking away, pointing to landmarks out the window as they made the trip back home. The tension was thick between Eric and Evelyn, but Aaron seemed completely oblivious to the fact. That was good.

"I have to pee guys." Aaron grunts, running into the house almost before the truck even stops.

Eric slams the truck in park with enough force Evelyn was surprised it didn't snap in half. He grips the steering wheel so hard his fingers turn white, arms clenched and muscles growing from the hold.

He's not taken his eyes off the dash, shooting darts at anything in his line of vision. Evelyn sat quietly for a moment, not sure what to do. The air around grew smothering so she reached for the door handle, a small attempt to give Eric some alone time.

Click. She looks down, the door locked in an instant. Evelyn doesn't hold fear, only curiosity and now she knows that his reaction is her fault. Not like she didn't suspect it before, but now she really knows without a doubt in her mind.

"Where the fuck are you going?" His voice is terribly dark, a rasp accompanying the back of it.

Those piercing blue eyes lock on her as he turns in the seat. His eyes run up and down her body, stopping just at the cleavage exposed, then again at her lips.

He's such an intense man when frustrated, Evelyn thought. She flutters her eyes rapidly, provoking him to elaborate on his sentence.

"You sit and make such flirtatious comments at dinner, then don't open your mouth on the way home? What even is that, Eve?" He asks.

"I'm unsure of what you mean." She really didn't know.

"You act as if you want everything to do with me one second, then nothing the next. You're seductive at 11, then sulking at 2. I can't keep up with you Eve." He seems lost, confused even.

Evelyn didn't blame him, she was too. Her hand reaches for his, an act of comfort. Maybe for her, maybe for him. So many things she didn't know the answer to.

"I-It's hard for me Eric. I want you, I do. But Aaron..." She trails off, not knowing how to explain herself to the man in front of her.

"So you do care for him?" He asks, scrunching his eyebrows together.

Evelyn rolls her eyes as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Of fucking course I care about him, Eric. I've been with the man for almost 3 years. I can't just stop caring." Evelyn's voice is desperate, grasping for any excuse she can to explain.

"I know. I'm not saying anything about that, I just need to know what we're doing here." He asks, biting at his lip.

"I'm not even sure I can answer that for you, Eric. I can't even answer that for myself." She shakes her head, lighting up a cigarette and offering Eric one. He accepts.

They sit in silence, Evelyn stroking his hand lightly. Sometimes the silence was all she needed for comfort. Lightly, she places her head on his shoulder, inhaling the light cologne he was wearing. He smelled so amazing.

"Be careful, Eve." He said, turning his head to look at her.

She knew what he meant, so she moved her head. On a whim, she leans forward and quickly pecks him on the lips. He's shocked, taken back by the straightforward action.