Hold Me Closer

I carefully followed Eric up the stairs to his apartment.  I hadn't been there since he'd admitted that his roommate was his ex-girlfriend and I caught myself looking for signs of a womanly touch around the apartment.  I shook my head, remembering Ruby no longer lived there and slipped my shoes off at the door.

"So, what kinda movie did you want to watch?  How does a comedy sound?" Eric asked, eyes scanning his DVD collection.

"That would be perfect.  I don't think I could handle anything too emotional!"

I settled in on the couch, smiling to myself.  This was nice.  While it was obvious there was some tension between us, it seemed to be the good kind.  Eric hit play on the movie and took a spot on the couch next to me.  I snuggled in close to him and rested my head on his shoulder as he draped an arm around me.  We watched the entire movie that way and when it ended, he seemed reluctant to get up to turn it off.

When he sat back down, I turned to face him.  He truly was a beautiful man.  He smiled as he reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from my face.  I couldn't help but smile back.

"Emma, I'm glad we were able to do this.  I really like spending time with you, even though things are complicated for you right now," Eric spoke softly as he leaned in towards me.  His lips met mine gently, delicately as I reached up to cup his face.  We sat there kissing for what felt like hours, lost in each other.  Eric's hand traced a path up my thigh, around my hip before brushing against my stomach.  He jumped slightly and broke the kiss, glancing down at the swell of my belly.

"Oh, wow," he murmured, placing his hand flat on my stomach.  He seemed surprised by just how much my pregnant belly had grown.

"I know, I know.  I'm almost halfway there," I laughed, resting my hand on top of his.  We sat that way for a long time, my hand on his, his hand cradling my belly, small kisses punctuating our conversation.

My phone rang shrilly, breaking the spell between us.  I could barely make out what Kate was saying between sobs and assured her I was heading home now.

I gave Eric one more lingering kiss and apologized for having to rush out on him.  My phone continued to ring as I drove home and my worry for Kate grew.  She knew I wouldn't answer while driving and she had sounded desperate and distraught on the phone.  Something was very wrong.

Pulling in to a space outside of our apartment, I hurriedly grabbed my purse and headed up the walkway before dropping my keys in shock.

"Oh, my god."