Therapy for the Supernatural

20

"You tell me that you love me but turn away from me and won't look at me. How am I supposed to believe you?" Cheryl tells him. She can't help but wonder if this is all part of him getting into her bed.

"I can't look at you because I don't want to see the disbelief in your eyes. I love you, but I know you don't love me. I don't expect you to love me. I don't expect you to tell me that you love me. I just want you to know I've never told anyone other than family that I love them. Not one."

Eric tells her then leaves her and goes out the back door leaving the food out. He needs to run. He takes off his clothes and even as he jumps forward he changes into his wolf and races off into the forest.

Cheryl watches this from the kitchen door. She hadn't meant to chase him away. She turns from the door once Eric is well and truly gone from sight. She sees the food Eric fixed and sighs. She takes one quarter of a sandwich and puts plastic over the rest to protect it before placing it in the fridge. She's not really hungry and she guesses that Eric isn't anymore either. Unless he's going to hunt something fresh to eat.

Cheryl doesn't like being in the house by herself. There's too many ghosts for her to deal with currently. She leaves the house. There are no thieves on pack territory and so it's safe to leave the door unlocked. She takes off in the same direction Eric left in, but she takes a trail that goes to the left. 

After hiking for twenty minutes she comes to the rocky outcrop she was aiming for. The waterfall is soothing as she sits next to it at the top of the outcrop.

She just lets her mind wander. She relives what Matt told her and then she thinks about what Eric told her. There is just no way for her to move her clinic here. She'll lose all or almost all of her clients. Also there's no way she'd be able to keep confidentiality. Not to mention the reason she hasn't returned for three years. 

Her pack. They don't want her. No one has ever said it in so many words, but none of them have accepted her overtures of friendship or given her any either.

That more than anything is the reason she can't return. Won't return.

She startles a bit when a wolf nuzzles his wet nose against her bare midriff. "Eww, knock it off, Eric." The wolf whines and lays his head down. He's telling her without words that he's sorry for acting like he did.

"It's alright, Eric. Coming back here is messing with my head. Matt knows how I feel about here and he knows how I feel about my life in the city. He knew it would piss me off, that's why he didn't want to tell me why he came here.

"I can't do it, Eric. I can't give up my life outside of the pack." She scoffs, "I've never felt part of the pack. There are no packs in the city and yet I've felt more accepted by the wolves there than I ever have here.

"As for you, I do believe you. Thank you. I can't tell you that I love you, because other than my parents I've never known love. I do care about you, but until my wolf can accept your wolf it won't matter." Cheryl's words make the wolf whine even more.

"I'll be going back to the city, if you don't want to take me after this weekend I'll have one of the pack members take me home." This time Eric growls, he doesn't like that idea at all.

"Okay, you can take me. I said if you don't want to or weren't you listening? 

"I have enjoyed your company, and if you wish I would like to continue seeing you after I return. But I don't expect you to come there when you probably have other things to do." Try as she might she can't keep the tears from slipping out. 

Out of all the things that were said today, why is it the thought of not seeing Eric the one that makes her cry?

Eric gives her face a lick. "Eww, don't lick the face, Eric. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

Cheryl is sure that Eric is laughing at her as his tongue hangs out the side of his mouth and he pants a bit.

"Did you eat?" Cheryl doesn't see any blood so she doesn't think so, but wants to make sure.

Eric shakes his head. "I put the food back into the fridge, we can go eat now if you want. The celebration will be starting in a couple of hours though." There is always a ton of food at the celebrations. Most people don't bother eating after breakfast so that they will be able to eat whatever there is at the bonfire.

Eric, though doesn't seem to be one of those people because he gets up immediately and walks a few steps before turning back to her. "You want me to come with you?"

She's pretty sure that she didn't imagine the flat look Eric gave her. "Okay, okay, hold your horses. You know you could go on your own and be there long before me."

Eric gives a low growl. He doesn't like her trying to get rid of him like that. 

Cheryl gives a small smile. It's nice to be wanted for a change. "Fine, but it won't be worth eating before the celebration begins by the time we get there."

Eric just jumps from spot to spot until he's at the ground and patiently waits for her to make her way down. Once down they walk slowly back to her house. "I don't have anything to take to the dinner." 

Eric sneezes at her words. "I know there will be plenty without me bringing anything, but I was taught by my mother that it's rude to go to the celebrations without bringing anything to share."

There is a recipe, a dessert that her mother used to make. It's quick and easy and if she has all the ingredients then she'll make that. With that in mind she speeds up her walking. Eric gives a yip asking why the sudden increase.

"I need to see if I have all the ingredients for something. If I do, then I'll have just enough time to make it before it's time to go." Cheryl explains. Some might have thought it strange for her to talk to the wolf like that, but she understands what Eric is saying through his body language. 

She also knows that he's no more excited about going than she is, but he wants the food. Cheryl smirks. Eric does love his food.

Eric thinks that Cheryl doesn't eat near enough. Cheryl isn't one to order salads as her meal, although she'll have one as a side, but neither does she eat like there will be no food on the morrow.

She races Eric to the back door once they hit her property.

She wins but she knows it's because he let her win. That and he needs to change and get dressed. She watches in appreciation. No one ever said that Eric wasn't good looking. Ever. Even after he dumped the girls after sleeping with them. They still gave his body good reviews.

He turns around catching her watching him and smirks. Cheryl refuses to blush or look away first. He's got a damn fine body and knows it. She needs to take him down a notch or two. She smirks at him and then looks away. "I've seen better."

She has too, he could tell the truth of that statement and it ticks him off.