Chapter 17
Sabrina and Tim had been gone for about an hour. Tasha stood in front of her bedroom mirror taking off her jewelry and trying not to think. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed, fall into a dreamless sleep, and forget about everything.
Eric came into the bedroom taking off his shirt. Obviously, he had a different idea and planned on staying over.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Finally, I’ve been dying to have you to myself all night.”
She looked at him through the mirror, “You made that pretty obvious.”
Eric dropped his arms from around her waist. “Here we go.”
“Eric, would it kill you to be nice to them?”
“Well, yes. As a matter of fact it would. Sabrina is a bitch and Tim thinks just because he has money that he’s better than me. Those are your friends not mine.”
“In all the time we’ve been dating, I’ve never been rude to anyone you’ve introduced me to regardless of how I felt about them. I do that out of respect for you.”
Eric raised his voice, “You want to talk about respect? Why the hell is Tim answering your door like he’s your man? Why does it seem like you spend more time with him than me?”
Tasha tried to quell the guilt bubbling up inside of her. She couldn’t look him in the eye and prayed he didn’t notice.
“Eric, how many times are we going to argue over Tim? We’re just friends.” At least that’s what they had been before tonight. “He answered the door because I was using the bathroom. And they’re my friends, of course I’m going to spend time with them.” Although, from this night on, she had to make sure they were never alone again.
“That’s just it! You don’t spend time with them…you spend time with him. She’s always off doing whoever she’s doing and using you as a cover.”
Tasha stuttered, “That…that’s not true.”
“Right, tell that lie to someone who believes it. How many times have you put me off because you and Sabrina were supposed to be doing something, only she cancels because of work and you end up with Tim? How about too many to count!”
Guilt had kept Tasha from returning fire but now it was her turn. “So, is that what you’re doing…cheating?”
Eric waved her off, “Now you want to talk crazy.”
“I’m a lot of things Eric but crazy is not one of them. So, let’s talk about someone putting the other person off. You do it to me all the time! How many times have I planned an evening for us and at the last minute you’ve cancelled or better yet just stood me up? Try too many of those to count! Or, the many broken promises you’ve made to me? And while we’re spilling our guts…how about we’ve been dating for more than two years and I still have no idea where this relationship is going?”
Eric actually looked guilty, “I’ve told you…I’m trying to build a career. I’m not ready for that type of commitment.”
“Apparently not, but it’s okay to play house with me when it’s convenient for you without any regard to how it makes me feel?”
“So what, what are you trying to say? Or better yet, what are you trying to get me to ask because I won’t be forced into doing something I’m not ready for.”
Before tonight, Tasha had hoped Eric would propose. Now, she was relieved he hadn’t especially after finally experiencing that thing she’d always known was missing from their relationship. The realization that the man who made her feel like no other was married to her best friend, made her chest hurt.
All the fight in her evaporated, “That’s just it Eric…I don’t want to force you to do anything. I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed.”
*****
Tasha was exhausted. Lately, she hadn’t been sleeping well. Typically, she dreaded going to work but today she was willing to go anywhere and do anything to take her mind off of what happened between her and Tim. She kept replaying it over and over in her mind and he kept showing up in her dreams.
Work hadn’t been much of a distraction especially today. She’d been sitting at her desk looking at the same information for the last fifteen minutes.
She was having a harder time than usual focusing. It had been two weeks since the incident. Ever since it happened Tasha made sure that there was no more time alone with Tim. But, what she hadn’t realized was how much a part of her life he’d become.
They used to talk on the phone every day and hung out at least a couple of nights a week. Since then, they’d only had contact once, last night at a Sales Marketing event for Sabrina.
Seeing him again tore the scab off of how much she missed him. Not only did she miss him but even though she tried to ignore it, fight it, and deny it she’d come to realize she’d fallen in love with him.
He’d been calling and texting like crazy but Tasha refused to answer. Luckily, Sabrina’s schedule had been so crazy that she hadn’t made anymore plans for them to all be together.
Eric had made some valid points. She had spent too much time with Tim. Their friendship had turned into something else entirely before she even knew it. She’d broken the cardinal rule and slept with her best friend’s husband. That made her the lowest type of person. She’d railed against those kinds of women her whole life. Now she was one of them.
If she just focused harder on her relationship with
