Chapter Two.
2330 Words
Ava POV
Thursday:
"You got everything?" I ask him as I do a sweep across the apartment.
"Love, we ticked off everything in the list and some of those things are ones you wanted me to bring, I really didn't even think I needed them." Eric kisses me on the cheek as he makes his way to the car.
"I told you I'm driving." I scold him softly with a smile as he tries to tell me that he feels better today after I let him sleep the whole day yesterday while taking complete care for him.
"You're the one who slept less and needs rest." He says with a hint of guilt and shame. I go to the driver's side and engulf him in an embrace, kissing the sides of his forehead, "it's fine, I'll have plenty of rest when I come back without you." I lighten the mood with a joke and pull him to the passenger side and make him get in.
"I love you so much." He says with full emotions when I start the car and he lays his hand on my thigh and squeezes.
That wakes my horny demons because I wish we would have at least made love last night but he's still hurting and more so than often this year plus after looking back on the months and realizing what an asshole he's been he was just completely wrecked.
Two weeks!
I remind myself, in two weeks he will be back and we will go back to being Eric and Ava that love each other. He'll still be hurting because the pain of losing a parent never goes away but he'll be better, he'll be strong and most of all he'll still have me so we will always be alright.
I pull into the small shopping center, "love!" He exclaims with an exasperated smile.
"We need food and supplies." I tell him getting out.
"We can get them further into the trip." He tries to bargain but I have already told him that I want him to relax the whole two hours drive to Cold Springs, he can even sleep if he wants, to which he protested by saying "I can't be that spoiled." And I replied by saying, "too bad I want you spoiled so you can never leave me." Then he sweetly said, "I wasn't leaving ever." My heart suddenly had a pulse again, remembering why I had decided to devote myself to Eric.
Eric didn't have much as a matter of fact he had baggage–A dead mother who was his only present parent, A deadbeat father who had all the money in the world and still refused to at least fund his son's future plus a first love of six months that promised him everything then left as soon as he really needed her. They remained friends after she 'explained' her situation–which wasn't a situation at all but excuses from a rich girl who thought she could play with people's feelings.
But Eric was sweet and caring. He was diligent and worked hard plus he loved with all his heart. Which is why he forgave his first love but he didn't get back with her, by that time he was already in love with me. Senior year sweethearts that made it through to college together. We moved in together and we shared bills and everything in between.
Eric worked hard to get into the prestigious College I wanted to go to called St-Simons College. Very prestigious, very expensive and has great quality education. He couldn't afford it not by a long short but he did everything in his power to get the most famous scholarship from said college called the St-Peters scholarship. It covers everything plus gives you money for living expenses. He's been getting it for the three years that we've been in college.
"I have money you know." He protests again as I pay for the groceries and more supplies I got for him.
"What part of I'm spoiling you did you not get? Put your card away." I say sternly and give a stank eye to the bubblegum chewing cashier as she judges me.
We get back in the car and drive all the way to Cold Springs. There's a private cabin there that belongs to my father, well to me since he's dead. He left it to me since it was our thing. We spent all holidays there so I can get away from my horrible mother although my dad would have never allowed me to say that about his wife.
He always said, "this is father-daughter time. No Mom's allowed." As if he didn't know that his wife was a terrible woman and an even terrible mom.
Anyway I'm taking Eric there so that he can spend some time alone while healing his broken heart. His mom died two weeks before his birthday in sophomore year of high-school and everytime around that time of every year he gets heartbroken and all sad. Then two weeks later he celebrates his birthday with me and his friends because we're his family now. But this year it got to him again because he had been missing her plus he realises that he's turning into an adult without his mother.
"Wow." He says when he sees the cabin.
"Eric it's not the first time I brought you here." I remind him of his twenty-first birthday when we were in cold springs for a show and then he got way too drunk and caused a huge disturbance at the hotel so I ubered us here.
"I was drunk that time." He says closing the trunk and following me. "Not the whole weekend." I tell him, "well I wasn't going to focus on a cabin while I was trying to get you pregnant." I laugh because that weekend I had lost my birth control pills and we were out of condoms but we still wanted each other so bad that we had wild s*x and he always said he will get me pregnant everytime he came.
We settled into the four bedroom cabin. One was my childhood bedroom, the other was my pre-teen bedroom then one was the master and the other a guest bedroom.
"So call me if you need anything and I mean anything at all. We have great service here so you won't have any problems, but if you do just use the house phone please. Also don't ever go hiking alone, if you feel like going outside just take a walk around the scenic view and always call me when you're about to do so. Also–" he cuts me off by pulling me into him by my waist and kissing me gently. I blink my eyes looking into his black eyes, I never thought such a basic color for eyes would be so beautiful.
"I'm okay. We talked about all the safety rules." He pecks my lips again, "I love you." He then seals it with a kiss so deep that he dips me too.
"Okay but remember the cabin rules, don't go into my father's study and don't go into my childhood bedroom otherwise the place is yours." He winked at me and I left.
The days passes in a blur, it's like I couldn't function without Eric which is really f*****g ironic because while he was being a moron I always wished he would just dissappear so that I can have peace. He texted me a lighthouse emoji daily to tell me he was okay. We agreed to no words because then I would have expectations and right now he was too f*****g sad to be a functioning boyfriend. Over the years we have dealt with his sadness together, he always wanted to be distracted and I always knew how but this year he said he finally wanted to sit with it maybe it wouldn't be so hard anymore. I always thank the universe that he never needed therapy so I'm willing to give him some space.
I open his laptop and take care of all his projects, thank God he was done with the group project–fuck!
He wasn't done, well he was but as I was submitting his part I realized that he wrote most things wrong—like irrelevant wrong. He turned to do that all the time so I would just fix s**t for him. This habit started after our senior year, he needed to write an essay for the St-Peters scholarship on the topic given. He wrote plenty but they were all so irrelevant and too much repetition of facts or words. So I just fixed it for him without him knowing and he won the scholarship. I have been doing this for all his essays, his projects even though I'm in law and he's in business. I'm a genius like that, but he doesn't need the burden of knowing that I'm privileged like that and he will pressure himself to be half as good.
I spend three days fixing his project because I also have my own s**t plus some other essays are due before the project.
By the end of the first week I have kept him up with his lessons except his classes.
I avoid feeling lonely in the second week by doing extracurricular for him just so when he gets back all he has to worry about are tests. I realise he has also worked on his essay for the scholarship for next year. They are still taking applicants so they just gave them some practice topics to jog their minds for the real topics. This one looks good. Once the real topic comes he'll be great.
The week ends and it's finally the fifth of October, It's Eric's birthday. It falls on a weekend and I wish I could call him but he said that if he wanted a call that day he will send a heart emoji. He hasn't.
Mid-day hits and still nothing, afternoon hits and still nothing and then evening hits and all I get is a lighthouse emoji just to say he's okay.
I prepare for bed because I don't have a life currently not until Eric returns. I can't be having fun while my boyfriend is somewhere remote probably crying himself raw all day everyday.
Exhaustion finally caught up with me and I went under easily. I wake to my phone pinging like crazy, I jump and immediately reach for it as the final ping hits.
Unknown Number: Hey Ava
Unknown Number: Are you sick????
Unknown Number: I'm asking because I don't want to accuse you of being a selfish girlfriend....
It's 9 pm, I know because I look at the time. I also recognize the number, it's unsaved on my phone but me and the sender are from the same group chat. It's Penelope, she's one of the few friends of Eric, my friend by association.
Unknown Number: But seriously why aren't you at the party...?
Unknown Number: ?????
Unknown Number: Eric's birthday party!!! You know.....Your boyfriend.
Unknown Number: I think it's because you're sick. But if you feel better now, you can come. We're at a cabin in Cold springs. Come whenever, the party only started two hours ago and we're planning an all nighter.
Then a location pin is attached along with a short video of a full house party at my dad's cabin.
I feel everything in me go cold.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKKKKK!!!!????
My mind screams before I could even catch up. That is a very sacred space for me! Eric knows that! I f*****g TOLD HIM THAT THE FIRST TIME I TOOK HIM THERE ALL DRUNK!!! Nobody is allowed there without my permission!! Nobody is supposed to even know it exists unless I tell them!! Not even my mom knows where that cabin is, she's never been, everytime she asked my dad about it he always told her it was only ours–me and him!!
If I was anybody else I would be having a panic attack but right now I'm f*****g enraged, violently so.
I take three deep breaths to center myself, I look at my chats with Eric in case he texted and I never got back to him.
NOPE!!
No texts.
He f*****g didn't!!!
My mind supplies, I move immediately. I get the keys and go to the car and I drive like a madman I feel like.
The journey usually takes two hours, I make it with forty minutes to spare.
I rush in and burst through the door. Nothing stops because of how loud the music is playing. I walk to the sound system and immediately disconnect.
"Ohh come on....!!!" Levi, one of Eric's buddies yells.
"Love!" Eric notices me and looks me up and down. I realise in that time that I'm wearing his hoodie which gets to my thighs because he's tall and broad, I'm also wearing his boxers underneath.
"WHAT THE f**k ERIC!!!!????" I scream because....he walks to me and engulfs me in a tight embrace, picking me up and spinning me. I lose some of my fire going from rage to just anger.
"I thought I won't spend my birthday with you love, thank you for coming." He then puts me down and kisses me repeatedly on my cheeks.
Thank you for coming?? This is my f*****g cabin motherfucker!!!
I want to yell but he's being so sweet and besides the unwanted guests, the cabin still looks to be in great condition.
"Heyyyy Ava..." I know that f*****g sing–song, raspy voice.
No f*****g way!!!
Eric shifts to my side and pulls me to him with his left arm.
Yes f*****g way!!!
My mind taunts as the b***h that broke Eric's heart all those years ago stands in front of me.
"f*****g Amy???" I look up at Eric in a flabbergasted look.
- Writer
