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There’s a change in Eric after his visit with Channing. He doesn’t look so haunted when he got back to my house three weeks ago. I was still in bed and surprised when he snuggled up to me voluntarily. We’d lay there quietly for a while. I’m sure he didn’t tell me everything, but I knew Channing had forgiven him, and really that was as close as he was going to get to getting forgiveness from Jake himself.

He left a short time later and since then we’ve been talking and texting more, making plans and just keeping up with each other. We’ve had phone sex a handful of times. My pregnancy hormones have me climbing the walls and it’s so tempting to just get on a plane and ship the rest of my stuff, but I need my car.

Jase is going to drive out with me and Eric is paying for his plane ride back. The plan is to hitch a trailer up to the back of my SUV and haul everything out ourselves. What I don’t need immediately or won’t fit in storage at Eric’s house will go into a storage unit. I’m not bringing everything with me, including my clothes. A lot of my old stuff doesn’t fit anyway at this point.

At seventeen weeks my grapefruit is becoming a cantaloupe. I’m in the kitchen making myself dinner when I feel little flutters in my belly, like little butterflies moving around in there, or a jacuzzi with slow jets going. I stop and put my hands on my stomach.

“Hey, kid,” I smile down at myself and my eyes well up.

All I get are the bubbles, but I’ve never felt them before. It’s the coolest thing. I don’t want to move and scare Damian from doing whatever he/she is doing in there, but I want to call Eric and tell him. These are the things I don’t want him to miss. Even if he was here he wouldn’t be able to feel it like I do, but it won’t be long before Damian starts kicking and I don’t want Eric to miss that either.

I wait until the bubbles stop and then I reach for my phone to call him. It’s late afternoon in Los Angeles so he might not answer. I know he’s starting to do prep for the new movie and as soon as I finish unpacking I’m going to read the script. All I know is the title, Holding Back the Years. Eric is spending time with a prosecutor to get a feel for the job and so he feels comfortable in a courtroom since a big part of the movie is the trial of a crime boss/kingpin type of guy.

The call goes straight to voicemail so I assume he’s in court or something.

“Hey, Baby Daddy… I just wanted to let you know that I finally felt something today. Damian was blowing bubbles in my belly. It was the coolest, weirdest thing ever. You wouldn’t be able to feel it if you touched me, but he or she is moving around in there. Crazy, huh?” I start with the happy tears again. “Sorry, I’m fine. Just happy. Anyway, I just wanted you to know. Talk to you later.”

I hang up and set the phone aside while I finish cooking.

xXx

Later that night I’m lounging on my couch, watching TV, when my phone rings. I expect to see Eric’s name on the caller ID but I see Rasul’s name instead. I realize then that my cell phone could be a valuable score if my purse got stolen. I’ve got Eric and Rasul’s phone numbers, as well as Stan’s saved in my phone and I’m sure I’ll collect others as time goes by.

“Hello,” I say with a smile.

“Hello yourself,” Rasul says in that deep, raspy voice of his. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good. I’m just chilling out on my couch at the moment. I think I’m all done packing, finally, so I can just relax now until Jase and I go pick up the trailer.”

“That’s great to hear. How’s the kid doing?”

“So far so good. I felt something moving earlier, which was pretty cool.”

“So it’s been a big day for you.”

“Yeah, I suppose it has. How are you doing?”

“Good, I’m good. I found out they made a decision about the movie,” he says.

“Oh yeah? What’d they decide?”

“They decided I’m in.”

“Yes! Rasul, that’s awesome! Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” he laughs. “I think this is going to be fun to shoot. I get to film with a buddy and I’m playing a villain this time, so it’s exciting.”

“Absolutely. That’s so great. I’m excited for you. Does Eric know yet?”

“I left him a message. I think this’ll be interesting for both of us. Two powerful characters that are basically at war over the same woman… not too close to home, right?” Rasul chuckles and I do too, but it’s mostly for show.

Every now and then Eric asks how things are going with Rasul and there’s always this hesitation in his voice about it. I keep asking him if he’s really okay with Rasul and I being friends and he always says it’s fine so I’m not sure what the problem is. I don’t want them fighting over me or ruining their friendship because of me. I know how rare it is to find friends in Los Angeles, so I’d rather back down than drive a wedge between them.

“Are you guys… Did Eric say something to you?” I ask him.

“No,” he answers. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he someday gets his head out of his ass and figures out how awesome you are.”

I smile at that.

“Ras, Eric and I are friends but that’s it. He’s made it clear to me that he’s not interested in having a girlfriend, even me. I’m free to do what I want… Well, after the breakup is over with.”

“Speaking of, when is that happening so I can ask you out already?”

My cheeks flush and I say, “Probably not until filming starts on the movie, but we’ll see. There’s no end date set.”

“Then maybe we’ll have to go on a lunch date one day. We can go somewhere outside of L.A. and it won’t be a big deal,” he says.

“I’d like that.”

“Good, then we’ll set something up after you’re settled,” he says.

My call waiting beeps and it’s Eric.

“Hey, Eric is on the other line. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Sleep well, sweetheart,” he says and it makes me smile again.

“You too. Goodnight.” I click over to Eric. “Hello, there.”

“Hey baby mama,” he says. “Our little guy’s moving, huh?”

“Seems so,” I say with a smile. “It was just like someone blowing bubbles in chocolate milk or something but yeah… it was pretty neat. How are you?”

“Good. Spent time with the prosecutor today. And Rasul officially got cast.”

“Yes, I heard. I was just on the other line with him. That’s pretty awesome you guys get to work together.”

“Oh… I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”

“It’s okay. We were pretty much done talking anyway. So how are things going with the prosecutor? Witness any Jack Nicholson moments yet in the courtroom?”

“No, it’s pretty boring actually,” he says.

“Damn.”

My phone chirps and there’s a picture from Rasul of the sunset in California and it makes me smile… and miss the west coast. Man did I not ever expect I would miss California. And, I realize, I miss Eric, too. That’s really fucking weird.

“Everything’s boring now without you around,” he says.

“Awww you’re cute. On the bright side only five more days and then you won’t be able to get rid of me,” I remind him. “Jase and I pick up the trailer the day after tomorrow and we’ll be leaving the next morning so I’ll be there soon enough.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he says. “I didn’t expect to miss having you around this much.”

“Same here. Rasul just texted me a picture of the sunset out there and–”

“Why did he text that to you?”

“I don’t know,” I shrug like he can see me. “I guess he just wanted me to see it. It’s beautiful. I’ll miss my front porch but I’m gaining a fantastic view from the hills so I can’t complain.”

I hear him take a deep breath and release it, and then he says, “Yeah, I’d say the view here is better.”

“Okay, what’s wrong? Anytime I mention Rasul you get all… I don’t know… weird on me,” I tell him. “I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and I don’t want to fuck up your friendship with him so if it bothers you that we’re talking I need you to tell me.”

“It’s not that it bothers me…” he pauses. “I don’t really understand why it bugs me. I think it might be a territorial thing. It’s not like we have the most conventional thing going on right now.”

“That’s an understatement,” I agree. “But he’s your friend and we’re going to be raising a kid together so I want everyone on the same page.”

“I don’t know what page I’m on right now.”

“Okay, well, then let’s work on seeing if we’re in the same chapter then.” I take a deep breath of my own and add, “Rasul asked me to go out with him after I get settled in L.A.”

“Before we break up?”

“Yes. Just lunch somewhere outside the city where hopefully no one will notice or they won’t think it’s anything other than friends having lunch.”

“So it’s more than just friends?”

“Honestly, I don’t know at this point. It could be.”

“So you might be dating my friend, but you’re pregnant with my kid, and fucking me?” he says.

“Like you said, it’s not conventional…” I trail off, suddenly feeling a bit like a slut.

“No, no it’s not. And I don’t really have a right to be upset about it.”

“But you are.” My heart sinks a little. Fuck, this is complicated. It wasn’t supposed to get complicated.

We are supposed to keep it simple and just raise our kid together because it’s the best we can do. It dawns on me that having sex with Eric is definitely part of the problem. Lines are being blurred and there are boundaries probably not being respected and a whole bunch of other psychological terms that are being violated or something that I don’t even know the names of. I just wasn’t expecting Eric to be the one to have these problems. Maybe if it wasn’t for Rasul I’d be right where he is. That’s something to think about.

Maybe Eric and I need to stop sleeping together.

“Yeah, but I don’t know why,” he says. “It’s not like I have feelings for you.”

I bite the bullet and suggest, “Maybe we need to stop sleeping together.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, maybe it’s confusing things for you like I was worried it would do for me.”

“It’s not confusing things. I need to have sex, Sookie.”

“Something is messing with you and the sex is the only thing I can think of if your feelings haven’t changed.”

“Please don’t make me go without sex,” he says. “It’s not the sex that’s messing with my head. Maybe it’s just that I don’t hate you anymore.”

“Maybe.”

I don’t know what the answer is here. The bullshit thing is that I get the feeling that Eric’s got a double standard working in his head. Because I’m having his child I should somehow be loyal to him when I know for a fact the second we’re ‘broken up’ he’ll be fucking anything with a skirt and a pulse. But I should stay celibate. I doubt he’ll admit that he sees it that way, but the things he’s already said point in that direction. He can’t have it both ways.

“So then what do you want to do?”

I sigh and say, “I don’t know. I don’t know what the answer is here, Eric. I like that we’re friends now and the sex is great, but it’s not going to last forever and we have a kid to think about. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Rasul but there might be potential there so… I don’t know.”

“Then how about we sleep on it for now?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” I’m sad now. I don’t like being sad. It’s a slippery slope to Waterworksville and I’m so done crying.

“Alright. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Yep, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Sleep tight.”

“Night,” he says, and hangs up.

I look at the picture Rasul sent me and I know I’m just a few days away from having countless nights to view the sunset just like the one he sent me. I guess now I need to figure out if I want to watch it happen with Rasul or my baby daddy.

EPOV

Over the next few days I think a lot about what Sookie said to me. I really, really don’t think it’s the sex that’s got me feeling the way I do. I think maybe it’s more protective instincts than anything. Plus, like I told her, maybe it’s just that I don’t hate her anymore.

I don’t even want to entertain the thought that it’s the sex, so I don’t. Because that would mean Sookie means something to me like a girlfriend would. There’s no way I’m going there. She’s my baby mama, my friend, and nothing more.

But then why would I have a problem with her dating Rasul?

It hurts my brain to think about it, so I don’t. We’ll figure it out when we see each other, and I know she’ll want to have sex with me so maybe that’s all we need. Phone sex is awesome, but it doesn’t cut it.

Sookie and Jason pull up to my house around noon, and I go out front to greet them. It’s crazy how happy I am to see her. The first thing I do is pull her into a hug, then put my hand on her growing bump.

“Holy crap, he’s getting bigger.”

“Yes he is.” Sookie puts her hand on mine. “I expect he’ll be kicking any day now.”

“I hope I’m there for it,” I say.

“Me too,” she says, and smiles up at me.

“It’s good to have you back,” I smile, and hug her again.

“It’s good to be back. Mostly I’m happy we’re done driving. I think my butt might be permanently numb.”

“I’ll help you out with that later,” I whisper in her ear.

“Yeah I bet you will,” she says, and kisses my cheek before pulling back.

Jason steps forward and extends his hand to me. “Good to see you again, Northman. Nice place you got here.”

“Thanks Jason,” I smile and shake his hand. “I’m glad you brought her out to me.”

“It’s what brothers do,” he says humbly.

“Brothers hoping to scam on hot female celebrities,” Sookie adds under her breath.

“Oh I see,” I laugh. “I hope you won’t be too upset that you’ll be moving Sookie’s stuff the whole time instead.”

“Nah, it won’t take that long. She doesn’t have a whole lot in there,” Jason says.

“Yeah, I figured it would be easier to just buy new stuff and most of my clothes don’t really fit me right now so I didn’t see much point in bringing them with me. By the time I fit into them again I can make a trip back to Louisiana with the baby and go through everything to see what I want to bring back and what I want to leave there for when I go home to visit,” Sookie explains, and Jason grins.

“See? Plenty of time for us to go sight seeing,” Jason says, and puts his arm around his sister.

Cockblocker.

“Sorry Jase, Sookie and I will have so much… unpacking to do.”

Jason and Sookie look at each other with twin expressions and then burst out laughing.

“Yeah well… don’t ‘unpack’ too rough or she’ll go into early labor,” Jason says, and Sookie slaps his arm.

“You watch yourself, mister,” she says. “Come on inside and I’ll show you around since Eric has the manners of a billy goat.”

Jason smiles smugly at me and follows his sister into the house.

I roll my eyes, but follow them in. Instead of going with them on the tour, I head out to the guest house and open it up so we can carry stuff in. When I find them again, Jason’s mesmerized by my living room TV.

“I want one of these,” he says in a voice full of awe.

“Jase, you’d need an addition onto your house to fit one of these.”

“Dad’ll help me build it,” he says, and looks like he might actually try to hug my TV.

“Maybe I know what to get you for Christmas now,” I grin.

“You’re gettin’ him a niece or a nephew,” Sookie says.

“Sook, I can’t mount a niece or a nephew on my wall and watch the Superbowl from across the street on it,” Jason reasons and Sookie rolls her eyes. “I can’t wire it for surround sound and invite the fellas over for action night.”

“Action night?” Sookie quirks an eyebrow.

“Yeah, when we watch guy movies. You know, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Rocky, the Godfather…”

“Oh, so you mean the night when Amy nearly gets testosterone poisoning with a side of brain damage,” she teases.

“Sookie, action night is very important,” I say. “We have our own version with Poker Night.”

“True. You know they wrest–” Sookie starts, but I cover her mouth.

“We play poker, and that’s that,” I say. “Did you know Sookie conned them out of five grand?”

Jason lifts an eyebrow at her and I let go of her face. She shoots me a dirty look before turning back to her brother.

“They didn’t think the little lady could play so I schooled ‘em,” Sookie says like it’s no big deal.

“And it was awesome.”

“I don’t know if the other guys think so, but I don’t think they’re ever going to let me play again,” she says.

“They might if you wear a bikini,” I shrug.

“Not with this,” she gestures to her belly, “hanging out.”

“It’s sexy.”

“Hardly,” she snorts.

“I’ll be right back,” Jason says and heads for the bathroom down the hallway.

As soon as he’s gone I pull Sookie to me and kiss her. She kisses me back and tickles my stomach before she pulls back.

“Hello to you too,” she smiles.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I left Bon Temps,” I say.

The fuck am I? I sound like a damn pansy.

“You’re sweet,” she says, and gives me a hug.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I tell her.

“I’m glad I’m here too. Want me to get rid of Jason?” she offers with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Doesn’t he have to help us lug your stuff in?” I ask.

“There really isn’t much there,” she says. “The stuff we packed in the living room and maybe a dozen other boxes besides. Nothing too heavy either.”

“Then what do you suggest?” I grin.

“What are the chances you could get Stan to show him around?”

“Gimme five minutes,” I say, and pull out my phone.

Fifteen minutes later Stan walks through the front door.

“My savior,” I say. “You’re not too busy today, are you?”

“No, not really. Why? Isn’t that Sookie’s car outside?”

“Sookie and I need you to take her brother out and show him around,” I say.

“Is she okay?”

“She needs a good hot dicking.”

“How are you famous?” Stan shakes his head. “Yeah, I can take him around. How long do you want me to keep him out of your hair?”

“Couple hours?”

“Ambitious,” Stan smirks.

“It’s all her,” I say.

Stan raises an eyebrow as Sookie and Jason come out of the living room.

“Stan!” Sookie hustles over to give him a hug. “How are you, sweetie?”

“Uh, good. Wow, look at you. All… baby,” he says, and she laughs.

“Yeah, the kid’s getting bigger. What brings you by?”

“Well Eric said you could use some rest after the long journey,” Stan says smoothly. This is why I hired him. “So I’m going to take Jason out and show him all the good stuff L.A. has to offer.”

“Who are you?” Jason looks Stan up and down.

“Stan Davis,” Stan extends his hand. “Eric’s indentured servant.”

“He’s cool, Jase,” I say. “He can probably show you where the hot tourists are, and you can totally name drop me.”

“I’m in,” Jason says.

“Careful, cowboy, Amy’ll beat your ass if you get frisky on her.”

“I’m in a different state so it doesn’t count,” he shrugs and gets a slug in the gut from his sister. “Ah! Dammit, Sook, I was just joking.”

“Yeah well, you make sure you keep your bits packed up right where they are or I’ll rat you out to Amy myself,” Sookie threatens.

“Better listen to her,” I say.

“Don’t I know it?” Jason rubs his stomach.

“You ready to go, Jason? We can take a drive up the PCH to get started,” Stan suggests.

“Yeah, sure. Sook, call me if you need anything.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m sure Eric will keep a good eye on me.”

“Yeah that’s not all he’ll keep on you,” Jason mutters and follows Stan to the door.

I laugh, and as soon as they’re gone I’m pulling Sookie towards the stairs.

“You in a hurry?”

“Are you kidding? I feel like I haven’t had sex in a year.”

“It’s been a month.”

“And it feels like a year,” I say, and as soon as we’re in my bedroom I start pulling off my clothes.

“You are in a hurry,” she snickers and then goes into the bathroom and closes the door behind her.

“What the hell?” I call out as I yank off the last of my clothes. “I need a quickie and then we can slow down.”

“And I have a baby pressing on my bladder so cool your jets!” she shouts back at me.

I sigh and take a seat on the bed to wait for her.

It takes a few minutes but when Sookie comes out of the bathroom she’s only wearing her underwear and a smile. “Okay,” she says. “Wow me.”

“Come over here,” I grin.

“I’ve traveled enough. If you want it, come and get it,” she challenges.

I’m already hard and ready to go, so I stand up and back her into the wall before leaning down to kiss her hard. I was serious about needing a quickie right off the bat. In true Sookie form, she attacks right back.

My hand goes between her legs and quickly starts working her over. She’s already wet, but not enough for me to just slam into her like I want to. Her mouth moves down my neck to my chest and when she starts stroking me, she playfully bites my nipple.

I groan and slide two fingers into her, and in no time at all she’s moving her hips in time with my fingers. I know she’s ready, so I turn her around and pull her hips away from the wall. She arches her back for me, and I don’t hesitate to thrust all the way into her.

“Fuck!” I grunt. She feels so fucking good after a month of not getting her at all.

Sookie moans loudly and starts to move herself back and forth, swiveling her hips a little bit when she backs up. I grab her hips lightly and just let her do her thing. She knows what she’s doing and it feels fucking awesome. I have seriously missed fucking her. Jerking off in the shower is nowhere near as good as being inside her. Jesus fucking Christ.

“Fuck, I forgot how big your cock is,” she says, and pushes all the way back so I’m buried in her.

“Jesus,” I groan, and she does it again.

She keeps it up, leaning forward slowly, but then slamming back onto me over and over until finally I really grab her hips and start to thrust into her fast and hard.

“Oh god,” she moans and her fingers clutch at the wall but there’s nothing to grab onto.

I slap her ass and her pussy clenches hard and tight around me.

“Play with your tits, Sookie,” I instruct her, knowing it’ll help her along, and I reach around to rub her clit.

I need to feel her come.

“Oh fuck… fuck… harder, Eric,” she moans and pinches her nipples like I told her to.

I can feel myself getting close as I fuck her harder, but I’m determined to hold out until she comes. I rub tight, fast circles around her clit and her pussy starts to flutter. She’s close.

“Come for me, Sookie,” I growl in her ear. “Let me feel this hot, perfect pussy come hard all over my cock.”

She moans and thrusts her ass back toward me, fucking herself on my cock. I bite my lip and try to think of things less sexy than the sight of my cock disappearing inside her over and over. I can hear how fucking wet she is, almost as well as I can hear her ass slapping against me every time we thrust against each other.

“Fuck! Fuck!” she shouts and then her pussy grips me tightly, spasming as she comes.

My grip on her hips tightens and three thrusts later I can’t hold out anymore. My balls tingle and my cock swells and she’s still shaking with aftershocks when I empty myself deep inside her.

“Jesus,” I pant and shiver when I fall forward, bracing myself on the wall in front of her.

“Yeah,” she says quietly, still moving back and forth slowly.

“Are you trying to kill me?” I ask with a smile.

“No. If I was trying to kill you I’d move faster,” she says and turns her head back as much as she can to smile at me.

“Good point,” I say, and give her a kiss before pulling out of her.

“Need a nap?”

“I wish, but your brother will be back in two hours,” I say as I fall back onto the bed.

“You poor thing,” she says, and heads for the bathroom again.

“You say that now,” I call out to her. “Just wait until I’m done with you.”

“Thanks for reminding me to barricade my door.”

“You’ll enjoy every second of it, and you know it.”

She’s quiet for a minute and then Sookie starts to giggle. She walks out of the bathroom with her hands on her stomach.

“Bubbles,” she explains when she sees me looking at her funny.

“I wish I could feel them,” I smile.

She walks toward me and climbs up on the bed. Sookie grabs my hand and puts it on her stomach. “Feel anything? I can’t, but maybe you can.”

All I feel is the same bump I felt when she got here.

“No, nothing,” I say. “But that’s okay. I’m sure he’ll kick for me the first time.”

“Hopefully. I made an appointment with Dr. Vardamon for two weeks from now so I’ll make sure to let Stan know about it.”

“Already catching on,” I smirk.

“Well until Damian arrives he runs your schedule,” she smirks.

“I’m so not looking forward to no sleep.”

“Me either,” she sighs and curls up on her side next to me.

“We should get all the sleep we can now,” I say, and wrap my arm around her.

“I thought there was no time for naps now?”

“I meant in general now, not now now.”

“Oh,” she chuckles and shifts her head over so it’s resting on my chest.

I run my fingers through her hair and smile. It’s good to have her back, but I’m not totally sure what my contentedness means for the things we’re supposed to be thinking about.

I guess only time will tell.

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