Playing With Fire

14

The next morning Jaime woke up on the livingroom sofa. She sat up, looking any signs of him coming home at night. Nothing. She walked through the apartment. Still nothing. She went back to the kitchen and got the coffee started. Suddenly there was someone pounding at their door. She hurried to open it „Patience-patience. Jesus!"

„There you are!" Michael rushed in.

„Yeah, here I am. In my home. I know, weird." she said annoyed.

„Something has happened!" he said and Jamie was already panicking.

„Layla was found dead in the bottom of the Chasm." he said horrified.

„What?!" Jamie said in shock „Oh my god!"

„Eric is needed on the spot!" he said hurrying and looked around „Is he asleep?"

„Eric's not at home." Jaime said sad.

„He left already?" he asked surprised, knowing he has been drinking a lot and not being on time.

„No, he didn't come home last night." Jamie said even sadder „We had a fight and he left."

„Well we need to find him, ASAP!" he said. Jamie nodded and started to grab her things „Just give me a moment."

They walked towards the bar, through Chasm where they saw Layla's body being lifted up from the bottom.

Sudden sadness washed over Jamie „Poor girl." she watched her body being placed carefully on the ground and crouched down to inspect it.

„Bag it up. I'm gonna find Eric." Jamie ordered and walked away. She hurried to the bar, asking the bartender „Hey, have you seen Eric?" but then she saw someones feet in the booth bench and said „Never mind." She hurried to him and looked at that pile of drunk sleeping.

„Hey!" she said slapping his thigh „Eric, wake up!" Nothing, she slapped him again „Eric, get up!" Finally he opened his eyes, groaning „Wake up, let me take you home." and tried to pull him up by his hand but he yanked it away „No, go away!"

„It's me! Wake up!" Jamie said again and he opened his eyes once again, this time recognizing Jamie. „Hey." he said and smiled to her, probably forgot what had happened.

„Get up! We need to go!" Jamie said and added „Something has happened."

„What?!" he said trying to get up and groaned, holding his head „Fuuuck.."

„Layla was found dead at the bottom of the Chasm." Jamie said trying to help him up.

„Oh shit..." he said when he finally got up „Poor girl."

„Yeah." Jamie said „I told them to bag it. The sooner we get the body to the autopsy the sooner we have answers."

„Thanks." he said and pulled her closer „Come here." She refused, placing her hand on his abdomen „No. You can't just act like an asshole and then just act like nothing happened." she squeezed her hand into a fist and bumped it gently against his abdomen. He looked at it, realizing that his charm wont work this time.

„So I drank a bit too much.." he brushed it off.

„A bit?" she asked surprised „Eric, you've been drinking for days!" Eric scoffed and walked to the bardisk and took a glass of water from the tap and drank it.

„You need to stop!" she said desperate and took his hand „I know things are.. really difficult right now, but we need to stick together and keep going. But we can't do it if you're drunk all the time." He looked her sad eyes and and felt the urge to hug her. He wrapped his arms around her, nodding "You're right." She hugged him back „I love you."