Butterflies

Ch16-Bonding

Butterflies 16

Chapter 16

Hayden's POV

Eric's stare sent a shiver of fear down my back and forced me to take a step back.

Erica eyes widened in shock. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just wanted to talk!"

Embarrassed I looked to the floor. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just used to men hurting me."

Eric's eyes softened. "I promise you I'd never hurt you. You mean a lot to my son, and he means a lot to me. You've also become part of the family."

Is that why you signed me over to a crazy therapist?

"I know we haven't showed our acceptance of you very much, with the whole Ethan thing." Eric flinched. "Carol and I are so sorry for making you go to him. If we had known...we would never had made you go. Carol is in pieces knowing she forced you to go. Please understand we never meant it to happen! We're so sorry!"

I swear to god I have never seen a grown man cry. But now I have. I was shocked, Eric stood in front of me looking utterly sad and honest. "Ah, don't cry! I'm fine! I accept your apology!"

He sat in a kitchen chair across from me and put his head in his hands. "Honestly, you've become one of our children, I love you as much as Nathan and Sarah. You going through all this pain is hurting me as bad as it would them. The fact that Ethan gave you night terrors is horrifying! Your screams last night put everyone in tears. They sounded so horrible, like you were in pain and when Nathan put you in the bathtub your eyes opened but you weren't seeing! Your eyes were so scared! Like you were facing the scariest thing in the world. Nathan forced us back to our rooms before you went out of it. Oh god. I am so sorry. I'm so sorry."

I felt very uncomfortable and shy as he spoke about last night. I wanted the whole subject to be in the past and not spoken of anymore! But it just kept being brought up. Could I consider Eric my father? I guess I could see him as a fatherly figure, but not as my father. I understood I didn't have one. "I would really appreciate it, if you wouldn't talk about last night anymore." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I don't like to hear it. Also, I see you as a fatherly figure, but I also understand I will never have a true father."

Relief filled his eyes. "I don't care about that." He was lying. "I'm just glad you don't hate me." Truth. "I wanted to hang out. Get to know each other. We could go to the movies or something. We could stay in public If you like, so it doesn't make you uncomfortable to be with me alone."

I smiled. "I've never been to the movies before. My parents kept me in the house as much as possible, most of the time I only came out for school. This year is certainly the year I've been to places I've never been. Like the butterfly place, the hospital, the cafe. I like going places. One day I want to travel."

Eric suddenly looked very interested. "Where would you like to go?"

I leaned against the kitchen counter relaxing. "I've always wanted to go camping. I love nature."

Eric suddenly grinned. "We should go camping this weekend! I love camping! Nathan, Carol, and Sarah hate it though! But if you're going they'll go."

Guilt hit me. "I don't want to force them to go I they don't want to." But I really did want to go.

Eric waved his hand. "We need to get away from this town and go to the wilderness for a while. Spring break actually starts next week for Nathan. We could stay a entire week or so."

I grinned. "Sounds perfect."

~~~~~~~~

Eric and I spend the entire day at the movies, we watched movie after movie, after movie. I felt as though I had caught up with the most popular movies now.