Text Me Back

19. What's The Deal Between You Two?

Eric was surrounded by his family as they sat down to have Skye's birthday lunch. He knew they all had questions and it was time to clean up the damage Claire had done. She had made it seem like things were a lot more serious than they were and he had to downplay that. He hadn't seen Florence since they'd kissed and before he could enjoy having her here he needed to clear things up – make sure they were on the same side of what happened. Their undeniable attraction was obvious and post kiss; Eric knew it had been inevitable, but he still had feelings for Jennifer and they didn't just go away after a few months of being single. Needless to say the confusion about his feelings was in full bloom and having his family stare him down at lunch certainly didn't help.

"So son," his father Burt started, "who is this Florence that Claire has been talking about?"

"She's just a friend I've been speaking to lately, nothing more." He looked right at Claire when he spoke.

"Is that why you're texting her every single day, smile when you talk about her and—uh—"Claire got cut off by Eric's foot connecting with her leg.

"She's just a good friend that has been helping me through my break up and now she's helping Anna by letting her do the score for her documentary."

"I think she sounds like a lovely young lady, sweetheart, and we all can't wait to meet her." His mother Debra announced.

After Skye's birthday lunch the rest brought out tons of board games, Skye's favorite activity, while Claire and Eric was stuck cleaning up. Eric washed and Claire dried and no words were spoken between them but he knew that his big sister rarely kept her mouth shut – why would this time be any different?

"Just spit it out Claire," Eric said tiredly after a few minutes.

Claire scoffed but eventually she glanced at Eric and opened her mouth to speak.

"What's the point when you're still lying to us and yourself," Claire started, "you tell us you and Florence are just friends but it's not true is it?"

Eric opened his mouth but then closed it again. He wasn't sure what the correct answer to that question was and since the kiss he'd been more perplexed than ever. Claire had always been able to call out Eric's lies and she had done it once more. If Eric didn't answer her now Claire would talk to Florence and that would be disastrous. So he decided to come, partially, clean.

"It's complicated Claire, okay? Florence and I are friends, I'm still very much in love with Jennifer but—"

"—you're still in love with Jennifer? The woman who barely came to any family functions the three years you were together? I haven't seen you smile this wide since...never actually."

"I'm not expecting you to understand it but it's the truth. I'd appreciate if you didn't talk to Florence about this, it wouldn't be fair to her."

"And what is fair to her? Stringing her along while you're pining for a woman that dumped you via text?" Claire exclaimed and wiped her hands on the kitchen towel while staring at him with judgmental eyes.

As they prepared to join the rest of the family Eric closed his eyes and shook his head,

"I'm not stringing her along Claire; she doesn't like me like that. Now can we please go celebrate your daughter, instead?"

*

"There's a car in the driveway; and it's a Mercedes!" Anna yelled from the living room.

Debra, Burt and Eric were in the kitchen preparing dinner but Eric quickly excused himself to get Anna away from the window and greet his friend in private. He wanted to prepare her for his family, not because they were bad people but because they were overwhelmingly nice– and too nosey.