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chapter fifteen of:
worse
IT HAD BEEN EXACTLY TWO DAYS SINCE THE DATE.
Exactly two days that Veronica and Eric had barely talked. Not at school nor after.
He was seated in a booth across Sunny at Pop's, in silence. The two hadn't talked at all since they arrived an hour ago. Sunny so desperately wanted to ask him about the date, but he seemed like he didn't want to talk about it all.
She was concerned, concerned of what had happened that caused him to become this icy person.
"You sure you don't want anything?" Sunny asked eating away her curly fries that were cooked perfectly. Crunchy on the outside and soft —fluffy on the inside.
"No." Eric replied back sternly, looking outside the window.
"Okay, what's up? I know you probably don't want to talk, but this isn't right either." Sunny said dropping the fry from her hand to her plate, as she pushed the plate aside a bit to be able to keep her full focus on him.
Eric sighed finally turning to look at her, and that's when Sunny saw it. The eyebags under his eyes, the so worn out look that he had. "I don't know really." He started still looking at his best friend in front of him.
She smiled lightly reaching her hand out to his, squeezing it —reassuring him. "It's okay to share your feelings."
"I think," He said but then sighed as he took her hand in his, "I like her." Sunny smiled, "What's the problem then?"
"I guess, I'm just scared a bit. That someday I'll hurt her. My anger issues have calmed down, but they're still there you know?" Eric poured out his feelings to her, as he turned to look outside the window — "It's just, I don't think I'm good for her."
Sunny stood up from her side of the booth, as she slid to sit next to him, making him look at her. "Hey. You're a good man." She said simply, but kept a stern look on him. She slid the plate to in front of them, as she picked up a curly fry. "Eat."
Eric smiled a bit and Sunny felt successfull. After a few days that he hadn't smiled, she felt happy and joy — that she was able to make him smile.
"We kissed." Eric said after eating one fry. "But I think I messed it up by now."
Sunny sighed, still looking at him. Although she was happy for him, she couldn't help but to feel pain in her heart. 'But anything for him', she thought.
"I dont think you messed up anything. Maybe caused some confusion, since I'm guessing you kissed her first?" She asked and he nodded eating away her fries. "Then I don't think so. Veronica is probably just confused, which is why you should talk to her and apologize."
Eric nodded as he smiled at her. Lifting his hand he ruffled her golden blonde hair as she groaned in annoyance. "Sunny never settle for anything less. I'm not an example of what you should settle for, so settle for something better than me." He said with a smile, with genuinity.
And she blushed slightly. He had never said that to her, and she couldn't even speak her true feelings to him. For she had wanted to settle for him, and wait for him. But it would never happen.
"I said already, you're a good man." Sunny said quietly, as she dipped her french fry into some ketchup.
"That means a lot." Eric said looking away from her as he pulled her to his side a bit. "You helped me a lot." He continued, but now turned to look at her, the girl next to him who was smiling.
The bell rang at the front door of Pop's indicating someone had come inside the small diner.
Sunny turned to look as she waved causing Eric to look behind him as well. There in front of him stood the most beautiful girl, along with his little sister. And before he knew it, Sunny had waved them to come to their table.
"Hey." Veronica said sitting next to Betty, as she looked at Eric — then shifting her eyes to see the arm around Sunny. She gulped a bit, trying to hide her annoyance and jealousy.
"Hey princess." Eric said back as he smiled at her, and that's when all the jealous feelings she had — had just gone away.
"We should switch seats." Sunny said sneaking away from Eric's side as Betty agreed.
Veronica sat down next to Eric as he lifted his arm around her shoulder, slightly squeezing it. He kept looking at Sunny and Betty who were so engrossed in their conversation that they barely noticed Veronica and Eric anymore. He leaned down to her ear, that was red from the blushing.
"Let's talk later."
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After dropping off Sunny and Betty to home, the last person in his car was Veronica. She was expecting for him to just drive her home as well, but she was surprised when he didn't. Instead they were parked at a cliff, where the two had stargazed two days prior.
"I'm sorry." Eric said as he leaned his seat back, leaning his face on his palm. "It couldn't have been nice to felt ignored."
Veronica fiddled with her fingers, she felt so nervous that she could die. She did feel hurt that whenever she had tried to talk to him, he had left.
"I won't do that again. Sunny said I should just say what's on my mind, but it's so hard. I've never done that really, like speak about my feelings and such." Eric said as he sighed. "—but I do like you. But there's also things, you don't know and I'm scared if you'll know then you don't want anything to do with me."
Veronica gathered up the courage to turn to him, as she placed her hand on his. "You don't have to tell me now. Whenever you feel like you want to share it, then you can when you're feeling comfortable."
"I like you." He said, looking at her face trying to see what she felt towards him. Though the kiss said otherwise, but he needed confirmation of words.
"I like you too." Veronica said with a smile, and almost in an instant, he reached out to her. One hand on her cheek, one hand on her waist. He pulled her towards him, to his lap.
Brushing the strands of hair behind her ears, he smiled looking at the beauty in front of him. Veronica cupped his face, also just simply admiring him. As she leaned down, their lips touched.
The kiss was different compared to before. Two days ago it was sweet, and short but still longing. Now it was more hungry for each other as the two were driven by lust. As if they couldn't get enough of each other, as their tongues danced together in symphony.
Veronica pulled away out of breath, as she smiled at him — as he smiled at her. "You know at first I was kinda sure you hated me." She laughed a bit when she said it as Eric looked away. Her laughter stopped as she scoffed. "Wait did you?"
Eric turned to look at her, leaning up a bit to give her a small peck on the lips. "I didn't."
