fuck buddies

7

The living room felt unusually silent as Eddie sat on one end of the couch, his eyes fixated on a spot on the carpet. Shannon sat opposite him, her fingers nervously twirling a strand of her hair. The air between them was thick with tension, each of them unsure how to begin the conversation.

For a long while, neither spoke. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to grow louder with each passing second, amplifying the tension that hung in the room. Eddie glanced up at Shannon, who seemed lost in thought, her gaze distant.

Finally, Shannon took a deep breath, breaking the heavy silence. "Eddie," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "I know this is hard. Believe me, I know. But I want to see Christopher. I miss him."

Eddie's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, mostly anger and hurt. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Shannon, it's not that simple. I don't know if I can trust you."

Her expression faltered, hurt flashing in her eyes. "I understand why you feel that way, but I'm trying to make things right. I want to be a part of his life."

Eddie's jaw tightened. "You say that now, but where were you when we needed you? When Christopher needed you?" His voice rose slightly, the anger he had been trying to suppress bubbling to the surface.

Shannon's eyes filled with tears, but she didn't back down. "I know I wasn't there, Eddie. I know I made mistakes. But I was going through so much. I was struggling, and I felt like I was drowning."

"And what about me?" Eddie shot back, his voice sharp with pain. "I was struggling too, Shannon. I needed you. Christopher needed you. But you left. You walked away."

Shannon's hands clenched in her lap, her knuckles white. "I needed a partner, Eddie. I needed someone who could support me, and I felt like I was alone. You were so focused on being in the army, that you forgot about us, about me!"

Eddie's eyes flashed with anger. "Forgot about you? Shannon, I was doing everything I could to keep our family together, to pay the bills! You left, you gave up on us."

Tears spilled down Shannon's cheeks, but she held her ground. "I didn't give up, Eddie. I was overwhelmed. I was lost. And I know I made the wrong choice by leaving, but I thought it was the only way to find myself again."

Eddie stood up, pacing the room as he struggled to contain his emotions. "And what about now? How do I know you won't hurt Christopher again?"

Shannon stood as well, her voice breaking with emotion. "Because I've changed, Eddie. I've had time to reflect, to realize what I've lost. I want to make amends. I want to be there for Christopher. Please, give me a chance to prove that I can be the mother he deserves."

Shannon took a step closer to Eddie, her eyes filled with a mixture of desperation and hope. Before Eddie could react, she closed the distance between them and kissed him. It was sudden, unexpected, and for a moment, Eddie was too stunned to respond. But then, almost instinctively, he kissed her back.

The kiss was filled with a strange sense of familiarity, a comfort that Eddie hadn't realized he missed. It was like a brief escape from his mixed feelings for Buck.

Wait. Buck!

Eddie's eyes widened before he pulled away abruptly, his heart pounding in his chest. He stepped back, putting distance between them, his mind racing. "Shannon, no," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "We can't do this."

Shannon looked at him, her eyes wide with confusion and hurt. "Eddie, please. I just... I miss us. I miss what we had."

Eddie shook his head, struggling to find the right words. "This isn't right. We can't just kiss and pretend everything's okay. It's not that simple."