Need You Now (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 23

 A picture of Eric is on the side. I know.....hes hotXD

                The sweet smell of sugar cookies and hot chocolate fill the room as i slowly open my tear-crusted eyes. How gross! I slowly raise my hand and wipe my eyes, slowly starting to regain sight again. A hand rests on my knee and i slowly reach my gaze to Eric, sitting across from me on a small chair. Has he been looking after me all this time? How long have I been sleeping? I bet Chelsea is worried sick. 

"Chelsea called. I told her you were with me. You don't have to stress," he smiled as he said the words softly as my head still pounded. It was as if read my mind. 

"How long have I been out?" He chuckles, rubbing his hand over his face, obviously exhausted. 

"About 4 hours. You passed out right when i layed you on the couch. Sorry if you have any neck problems. That pillow sucks," he says worriedly as he starts to help me sit up as i grab my head and wince. 

               There was an awkward silence as he passed me my hot chocolate. I think the last time I had hot cocao was when i was 5, and Robert cooked me some from the stove. I would have been able to have more but, Mother inisisted that i was too spoiled and immature and poured it on my arm. I'm just glad it didn't leave a huge scar. The memory was very vivid and the cold sweat comes back. I hate this. I hate all of the memories and this horrible past of mine. It's as if i was in a chamber with no way out. It was slowly killing me. I groan and burry my face in my hands. I feel tears start to come but swallow the lump back. I'm not going to cry. Especially not after that total breakdown i just had 4 hours ago. 

"Why did you do it?" Eric asks, firmly and obviously he wasn't going to let me go without an answer. It's like i'm with Chelsea all over again. I shook my head. 

"I....I don't know. I have no idea. I just....went. I couldn't stop myself for some reason. I just had to see it again." The cold sweat brings me chills and I hate talking about my personal pain like this. But it was a little better with Eric. In my heart, I knew he wouldn't judge me about anything. That he would never hold my past against me. He was too good to do that. His heart was too big. 

"I thought.... I thought you were dying, Sarah. When I heard the screams i ran into the house and....the blood was on the carpet. I thought it was new and I thought... And when i saw you the way you were, it looked like, you were dying inside. And i couldn't do anything. You just kept on repeating it. I couldn't get you to stop shaking. You scared me, Sarah." He said firmly, but yet his voice was very shakey. He kept looking at his hot cocao, his eyebrows furrowed and tears in his eyes. 

             Its as if it never ended. The endless days of running in the fields when we were toddlers, Eric's mother telling us to watch for snakes. The mornings where i would find ways to get out of the closet, and run over to our tree. He would sit there every morning, and have pancakes stacked up on a plate for us to share. We'd play princess and wizard and his father would build us a huge castle from old boxes. We would laugh for hours as our playdates went on. Its as if it never ended. Our friendship, the bond that never could be broken. 

       I scoot on the couch to where I am close to him and lift his chin, so he would be able to look at me in the eyes. 

"Eric, i'm okay. I'll be okay," i reasurred him. I wasn't sure if i was trying to calm him down....or myself. But i didn't care about that right now. I knew i was okay. As long as he was around. 

            He looked up at me with tears flooded in his eyes, getting ready to poor. He put down his cocao, and looked up at me, know with one singe tear running down his cheek. I wiped it away with my fingers and smiled at him. With both of us crying for each other, i grab him in a hug and i don't dare let go. His arms wrap tightly around me as we both cry into each other. All of the worry and pain comes out as our shoulders get damp from tears. We let it all out. 

              After, what feels like forever, we let go of the warm embrace and just look at each other. 

"Okay?" i whisper, him nodding as i ruffle his hair. 

"I missed you, SarBear." he said, him slowly brushing a loose hair behind my ear. I kiss his cheek and smile. 

"I missed you too, Prince Eric." 

               He laughed at his old nickname i gave him when i was 8, running a hand through his hair as i wiped my face. I told him i was going wash my face and he agreed, going to the opposite bathroom to do the same. 

           When i looked into the mirror for the second time that day, i saw something different. I looked different. Yes my eyes were blood shot from the tears but they resembled happiness and hope. Something that was never held inside them before. My face looked brighter and more refreshed. I looked alive.