John had been trying to get in touch with Eric for the first month that Nubia was gone, but the phone just went straight to voicemail.
"John I wish you would stop calling that scumbag and come to bed."
"Deena he's still my brother. I'm worried about him. He's hasn't been answering any of my phone calls. Do you think I should go over there?" John asked with a worried look in his eye.
Deena sighed, "Look he was the one that treated Nubia like shit so now he has to pay the consequences for treating her like that, but if you want to check on him then you can do that."
"I just want to make sure he's okay."
"Okay whatever now come to bed."
**
Eric did nothing for that whole month. He just moped around the house.
He didn't go out, drink, do drugs, or sleep with other women.
He just laid on the couch because sleeping in the bed without Nubia was painful.
When Eric sat down on the couch, there was a knock at the door.
Eric didn't even bother getting up.
The he heard a muffled, "Eric open the door. It's John."
Eric huffed and got up.
"What?"
"Hey how are you?"
"Terrible."
John walked in and saw that the house looked a mess.
"Eric why don't you clean up or take a shower," John made a face.
"Why? Nubia isn't here anymore so I have no one to get cleaned up for."
"Look- "
"Have you talked to her?"
"Yeah but- "
"Is she happy? How was her birthday?"
"She actually looks very happy and her birthday was great because I went to her birthday party."
"Oh...Well can you give her this."
Eric handed him a medium sized envelope.
"What's this?"
"It's her birthday present from me."
"I don't think- "
"Can you just give it to her?" John saw the sadness and desperation in his eyes so he said, "Sure."
"Thank you. Why are you here?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay and clearly you're not."
"I wish Nubia would come back."
"Look Eric, she's isn't going to come back unless you make some changes."
"Like?"
"Okay? Like getting a job, stop doing drugs, and stop drinking. Small things," John said being sarcastic when he was saying 'small things'.
"Nubia always said she didn't really care if I got a job."
"Well maybe now it matters. Look I can help you get your life together, you're 27 years old, you need to get it together."