Something Worth Living For (Watty Awards 2011)

(CH 9)Something Worth Living for

Chapter 9

Allison could feel the tension emanating from Eric as he drove along the main road. They had decided that going for the pizza first would be a good idea so that Eric and Chloe could have a chance to talk first. Watching Eric out of the corner of her eye, she knew that talking would definitely be a better idea. There was no way they could have fun at the arcade if thing were this bad. True, it would take them sometime before they got used to the idea of each other, but never had she imagined it would be this tense or silent.

She looked out the passenger window, watching the different stores that flittered by them. Allison was very aware of the man that sat beside her and as she chanced a look in his direction she could see that his attention was not only on the road, but the little girl in the backseat.

His gaze was strained straight ahead, but every now and then, she’d see him glance in his rear-view mirror at Chloe. She couldn’t tell if Chloe noticed this and didn’t dare turn in her seat to see if she had. When she saw Eric turn his head slight towards her, she averted her gaze and looked out the windshield, pretending not to notice anything amiss.

When he turned his attention back to the road, she saw that his hands were strained white as he firmly gripped the steering wheel. Allison so desperately wanted to reach out and run her hands over his, in the same way she used to when they had been together.

There had been many a time when Eric had gripped his steering wheel in this same fashion and Allison always found that when she ran her hands over his, he’d glance over at her, his jaw set, but she’d smile at him and lean over to give him a kiss on the cheek. He’d always smile then, all trace of tension or anger would completely vanish and he’d always wrap one of her hands in his and bring it to his lips. There had never been a need for words between them that was one of the best things about their relationship. They just understood each other in that way.

Allison turned her head now, to look at Eric and knew there was no way that same understanding, that same method of communication could still be used between them, not after all that’s happened.

She knew there was no way she could reach out now and sooth his frustration the way she used to, but she could try it in another way, she just didn’t know if it would help.

They were almost at the restaurant and if things persisted as they were now, just silence, she didn’t know if she, or Chloe for that matter, would last through the day.

Taking initiative, Allison turned to face Eric and started some form of conversation, “So… how have things been this week? Sure it must be an adjustment to be back in LA after so long.”

Eric frowned at the causal conversation that Allison was making, but knew she was nervous by the way she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. He looked up in his rear view mirror again, this time to see Chloe looking wide-eyed at him. He smiled knowingly to himself, knowing Allison’s plan.

“It has been an interesting week. Things have been going great at work and I found myself an apartment.”

“Oh, really? I figured you’d be buying a house or something?” Allison went on.

He knew she wasn’t fishing for information or trying to be forward in her questioning. The whole purpose was so Chloe could get used to the idea of him and help her understand that he wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Maybe if she thought he would be staying here permanently, she’d feel secure in the fact that he wasn’t planning on leaving again and she’d open up to him.

And leave was something he wasn’t planning on doing.

“I was planning on getting a house, but on such short notice I figured renting an apartment would be best. It gives me more time to consider my options.” He replied.