Part Four.
Part Four.
David wanted to know what he was doing here. Erika was the one person besides Suzanne who could make him go crazy. Hell, even Suzanne couldn’t do that to him. He knew Erika since middle school, when he was just a nerd who was in love with the popular girl. He’d spent his whole high school life trying to get her to like him.
Their freshman year of college, they ended up in the same college, and since the dorms were co-ed, they also ended up in the same dorm. Erika had a breakdown one day, and David was the one that was there for her. That night, he ended up falling in love with her, and he thought she truly felt the same way when she asked him to stay with her forever. His head wasn’t clear, and he agreed.
They dated for five months until Erika decided that she didn’t need him anymore. She changed her phone numbers, moved into an apartment and avoided him at all costs. He finally reached her one day, and she was bitter in speaking with him.
“I don’t want you anymore, David,” she’d said.
“What do you mean you don’t ‘want’ me anymore?” he’d replied. “What am I? Your bitch?”
“Yes, indeed. Bye!” she hung up and they never spoke again. He drowned in his own misery for months until he met Suzanne. He never understood why he was attracted to her. she looked so much unlike Erika. And she was so different. Erika was in control, mean, and had the confidence of the most beautiful woman in the world. Suzanne was the nicest person he’d ever met. She didn’t even think she was beautiful. A year and a half later, they were engaged. He thought, at twenty-three, he was too young to be getting married. But Suzanne got him stop thinking about Erika every second of his life. To him, that was the greatest thing anybody could ever do.
Then one day, she calls him, and says she wants to reconnect. He knew Erika long enough to know what she meant by ‘reconnect’. He could have said no. He could have made up some sort of excuse. But he didn’t, and he didn’t know why. Today, he was going to ruin his life. Today, he was going to cheat on the woman he was engaged to with the woman he loved. Today, he was going to be controlled, and he’d never see her again. What a shame.
His thought were interrupted by Erika’s voice. He looked up and saw her in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Any other man might think a woman needs to dress up to look good, but bless his soul, not Erika. She looked so goddamn sexy like that, with her hair in a messy bun, and her curves accentuated by her outfit. His body hardened and put his hand on his legs, as to prevent her from noticing.
“Anything you’d like to eat?” she asked as she started walking toward him. She began walking toward her kitchen and he followed, taking clumsy steps.
“I really don’t mind,” he answered her. “I’ll eat whatever.” He pulled out a cushioned chair from the red oak kitchen table and sat down on it. He watched as Erika reached up into the cupboard to take out a pan. She turned around and smiled at him. She had a beautiful smile.
“I hope you chicken salad burritos,” she said. “I’ll be making the tortillas myself.” Never before had Erika offered to cook for him. Maybe she really did care about him.
“I thought you didn’t know how to cook,” David said. He had to do something to keep his mind off his urge to rip her clothes off and make love to her.
“A lot of things can happen in two years,” she replied, putting the pan on the oven. She turned to face him. “I think we should talk about everything that happened between two years ago and now.” Her jade green eyes pierced into his. He inhaled for a brief moment. He shrugged.
“You didn’t want me anymore. You ignored me. I gave up trying to get what I couldn’t have.” He looked at his feet.
“You didn’t try hard enough,” she said in a saddened tone of voice. “You could have had me if you wanted me bad enough. But obviously, you didn’t.” He quickly brought his head up.
“You have to be kidding me. You have no idea how much misery I was in when you left me.” He wanted to cry. He blinked his eyes constantly to keep his tears in.
“You have no idea how much misery I was in.” Erika walked to where David was sitting. She sat on his lap and put her head on his chest. He began to shake.
“I love you, Erika,” he said without thinking. “I always have.” Erika brought her head up to look at him.
“Oh, David,” she said, before putting her mouth on his. He held her waist and eagerly kissed her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he stood up with her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around hips as he walked out of the kitchen toward her bedroom. He pushed her body into his as he held her with one arm and opened the bedroom door with the other.
As soon he stepped inside, he dropped on the bed and climbed into it.
“We’re not allowed to do this,” Erika said breathlessly. “You’re engaged.” David slid her t-shirt over her head as he began to kiss her temples.
“I don’t care,” he said, his hands desperately trying to take off Erika’s sweatpants. “I love you, and now I know you love me too, and I’ll leave her for you.” She unbuttoned his cotton shirt and passed her hands through his dark blonde hair. He began to take his pants off, and Erika did it for him.
“David,” she whispered into his mouth.
“I know,” he whispered back. “I know.”
There was only one thing for Erika to conclude. David had known exactly what he was doing, and was happy to do it too. I love you and now I know you love me too. Those words rang through her mind. But she didn’t. She didn’t. She turned her gaze to his naked body lying in her bed. It was two o’ clock in the afternoon, and she was in bed with a man she hadn’t spoken to in two years.
His phone rang three times. He was going to have some explaining to do to his fiancée. She stroked his forehead. She did miss him. But not in the way he’d thought.
“Oh, David,” she said quietly. “You should know me better by now.”