Broken

• Chapter 42 •

Slowly and reluctantly, I uncover my face. I look to my right to find Eric sprawled on the bed beside me. His hand is on top of my stomach and soft sighs escape his lips. I smirk, he reminds me of the innocent pubescent Eric I met years ago.

I blink, close my eyes, and blink again. Streaks of sunlight penetrate the window and blind me. I sit up, drag my feet off the bed, and rub my knuckles onto my eyes. My legs dangle above the fluffy white carpet I picked out last week.

Eric's eyes flutter open as I sit up, scratching the top of my head.

"Dude, what time is it?" my voice is hoarse.

He squints at me, not comprehending what I'm saying. I roll my eyes and check my phone, it's half-past noon.

"Holy fuck, get up. It's twelve-thirty."

He props onto his elbows and runs a hand through his messy hair, still blinking at the blinding sunlight.

"Do your parents even know you're here?"

"No," he whines in a raspy voice, burying his face into my pillow and pulling the covers over his head.

I wait for it to click in his head, and it does in less than a second. His head pops up and his bright eyes are wide, "Ah shit. I'm screwed."

I cackle at his idiocy, "Ya think?"

I shake my head at him as I make my way to the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower, think you could check if my parents are back yet?" I call out.

"Yeah, fine."

___________________

"Hey babe, how are you?"

I step out of the bathroom quietly, towel to my hair. Eric stands by the window, phone to ear, back to me. He swears under his breath, as though remembering something, and winces with guilt, hand to his forehead.

"Shit Bella, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot," he says, bowing his head in shame. "Yeah yeah, everything's fine. Min—I mean Clementine, was going through something yesterday so I spent the night at her house," he tells her.

I feel like I should announce my presence. This is weird and creepy, isn't it? I'm basically eavesdropping on his conversation. My body doesn't cooperate, and I am frozen in place.

Please don't turn around.

"No! No, of course not Bella. She's just a friend, I promise," he reassures her.

Ouch. It's true, it is, but a sharp pain shoots through my heart anyway.

"No no, you don't have to cancel on your grandparents, we've planned this for weeks. I'm just sorry I forgot, I know it means a lot to you. I'll head out and meet you right now, okay?" he bites his thumb, anticipating her next response.

He smiles at what she has said to him. "... You're really sweet, you know that? But don't worry, I think she's fine now."

Wow, he must really like this girl.

"I love you, too, Isabella."

My heart plummets so far down I'm sure it's going to fall out of my asshole. He's in love with her? My heart thrashes violently in my chest, it feels as though someone is squeezing it, wanting to split it apart.

"Holy shit, Minty. How long have you been standing there?"

I shift my eyes to meet his and snap out of it. "Heh... Not long, sorry. I do seem like a creep," thankfully, my voice doesn't give.

He chuckles and shrugs it off. "Your parents aren't here. Your mom's still in the hospital but she's okay. Your dad left a note saying he's at work and would be back later tonight. He also left some food on the table. What a man," he smirks.

I force a half-laugh from my throat, "He truly is great."

Eric shuffles his feet, he seems a bit restless.

"Was that Isabella?" I ask as I make my way to my mirror, wringing my hair out with the towel.

He shrugs, "Yeah. I was meant to meet her an hour ago."

"Oh."

He rubs the back of his neck and glances at me through the mirror. "... Are you okay? Would you like me to stay?"

I give him a faint smile. "No. I'm fine, really. Thank you for being here last night," my voice cracks towards the end, I cover it up by clearing my throat.

I continue running the towel through my hair, only to make eye-contact with him once again. He looks unsure, his lips are pressed into a thin line. I take a deep breath in. "So um, I overheard you using the L word. You love her?" I try to keep my voice as friendly as I can possibly muster.

I can literally see his heart falling. His face pales. Ah, shit. Was that too blunt? Too intrusive? Awkward? Why should it be, we're friends, right?

He pinches his lip and shakes a hand through his hair, "I do..."

I force a smile. "That's... Really awesome for you..." I say softly, blinking several times.

I shake my head to myself, this is a good thing. He's my best friend, and I only want him to be happy. And he is. I turn to him and inhale deeply. I take his hands in mine, ignoring the sparks that fly through my body at his touch and will him to look me in the eyes.

"I'm happy for you... I really am," my words are sincere this time.

He gives me a sad smile and presses our foreheads together, "Thank you, Minty..."

He pulls away, and I can't help but whimper at the loss of his touch. I feel as though I'm losing him completely. It's excruciatingly painful to let go. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice.

"So, I'll see you at school?" he asks with a clueless grin.

I give him a tight-lipped nod and watch my best friend walk off to meet his girlfriend. To be with the one he loves. And my heart breaks just a little bit.

I finally let him go.