*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ

"Eric, wait!!"

My heart is beating like a jackhammer. There's articles of clothing flying everywhere and I watch as Eric packs up his things, furiously.

His back is turned to me as he is crouched over the bed, ramming all his belongings into the case thrown on it.

"Will you just hear me out for a minute?" I plead, my voice hoarse and barely audible. 

My chest aches and I'm borderline tearful as I reach out to touch his shoulder. But Eric shrugs me off so hard that I stumble backward bumping into a nearby wardrobe.

"Ouch!" I wince, rubbing my elbow. The dull pain in my leg from yesterday revives itself as I place pressure on my right foot to brace myself from falling down.

Eric spins around to catch me. 

And that's when I see it; the fear and remorse in his eyes. Along with the hurt. 

"Melanie! Oh, God-  I'm sorry!" he gushes, apologetically. 

I shake my head quickly to let him know I'm alright.

I do my best to find his gaze instead, "Eric, you have to believe me... I was just trying to talk to Jungkook. It wasn't what it looked like!"

Eric takes a deep breath in. 

He plants his hand at the side of my head, his strength shaking the wardrobe as his eyes fixate on me intensely. 

My breath catches in my throat thinking about all the things I should have said and done before it all came down to this.

Eric's strength must have been too much for the wardrobe because just then, there's a low sliding sound that forces us to both look up, quickly followed by a sack of leather falling unexpectedly on top of our heads! 

Its varied contents explodes everywhere.

"My purse!" I exclaim,"Oh no!" 

I scramble to gather up the scattered bric-a-brac but all time stops when a small, cylindrical bottle comes to a rolling stop at Eric's feet.

He picks it up quickly and examines the label.

"Pre- natal vitamins?" He drawls out slowly, his brows knitting together questioningly. 

"Well, that's odd!" I sputter with a breathless laugh feeling like I might just pass out.

The look of confusion on his face turns to shock then transforms to elation as the thoughts slowly settle in his brain. His eyes twitch about in their sockets and I can see him practically lining up the information, and stacking up every clue in a nice, neat row as he tries to make sense of what's happening in the moment. 

I can see the burgeoning lightbulb forming and bracing myself for the inevitable, I immediately place a cautious hand on Eric's chest, swallowing hard. 

His eyes are swimming with indiscernible emotion.

"Melanie, are..... are you pregnant? "

His unsure and expectant gaze breaks my heart in two. 

I don't know what else to do but to nod my head, 'yes'.

Eric grabs my face and kisses me hard. Passion and joy overflowing from him as I slowly die inside.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he smiles against my lips as I stiffen underneath him.

When he takes note of my frozen, less than joyous state, Eric draws back in silence.

"..... is it mine?"

"Eric!" I croak out his name, eyes pleading as my fingers wring the fabric of his T-shirt inside my fists. I hope he'll understand.

I feel so desperate, unprepared.

Eric's mouth twists sorrowfully down at the corners, reading in between the lines.

"Is it mine?" He repeats lowly in an almost scarily calm manner.

".....no," I sniffle pathetically, "The baby isn't yours."

 I can't do anything but bow my head in sadness and humiliation.

"I was going to tell you. I wanted to tell you for a long time but I just didn't know how...." 

Eric gently unfurls my fingers from his shirt. 

"Please let go of me, Melanie." He says in a feeble, soft voice and I release his shirt.

The pain of disappointment descends like a dark shadow over his countenance.  His jaw flexes in annoyance bordering on anger and I get it, I totally do because this mess isn't his fault. It's mine.

Hot tears race down my cheeks one after the next, falling into my lap.

I've never felt more pitiful. 

If I wasn't such a chicken and had told Eric the truth sooner- an awkward and awful reveal like this could have been avoided. We could have maybe worked something out? Eric was always good like that, a keen problem solver and able to always look on the bright side. 

I reach out a hand to touch his but he pulls away quickly causing me to sob even harder. 

What had I done? Everything that I'd built between us was gone, just like that. And because of no one other than my ex. Why had I hurt the man who loved me and thrown all of what we had away for the one that didn't?

Jungkook's hold on me was like a curse. I'd walked right into his trap, he was probably over there in his room right now, laughing at my demise.

My insides turn and twist with regret.

Eric rises to his feet and re-commences packing his things.

He carries on in silence. The room is filled only with the momentary sniffle or strangled sob emitted from my corner of the bed chamber. 

I decide not to stand in his way as he rolls his suitcase to the door. 

Eric pauses with his hand on the doorknob but doesn't bother to turn around and look at me. I can only imagine the raging whirlwind of emotions that he's keeping pent up inside because I can feel them too.

"I'm really sorry Eric. I never meant to hurt you." I tell him in a faint whisper.

He stands there in silence for a long time. Unable to move or speak- there's no doubt in the world that Eric really cared about me.

"You're not who I thought you were, Melanie."

 I sob even harder into my hands at his harsh words. 

"I really didn't mean to keep this from you -" 

"Melanie, save it! I saw you two yesterday. Its clear there's some unfinished business and I don't want to be in the middle of it."

Silenced, I let out a small hiccup.

"Eric you're not in the middle! I chose you...I want to be with you."

"Its seems like you already chose Melanie," Eric throws a disdainful glance at the bottle of vitamins still laying on the floor. "Guess I didn't win that race either.." 

He lets out a short, mirthless laugh, then pushes the door open. 

As it slams shut behind him, I jump at the noise, shivering. 

He's gone.

                                                             ***

"Hey what happened to Mr. Wallstreet? Is he gone?" Jimin whispers in my ear as I daze absentmindedly into the open flames of the campfire.

Its a little after noon and everyone is gathered for lunch. The irresistible scent of savoury hotdogs and smoky burgers permeates the open air.

After Eric left, I refused to pack up and leave too.

It would just make it obvious that something was wrong and then I'd have to explain what. 

In the wake of everything that happened this morning, i'm in no mood to do that either. I wasn't going to change my mind and spill the beans to Jungkook that easily just because Eric found out about my pregnancy.

Jimin scoots closer to me on the log we are sitting on with an inquisitive look on his face. 

"He had to leave on emergency business. He said to tell you guys goodbye." I say dryly.

"Really?" Jimin asks, an air of scepticism ringing through his voice.

"Really." I affirm sternly and get up to make myself a hotdog.

I slide the well charred wiener between the slit of the pillow-soft bun. My mouth watering as I dress the juicy frank with lashings of ketchup, mustard, mayo, onions and pickles! 

Oh yes, pickles!

I quickly add an extra spoon more over the top and a dash of hot sauce before I shuffle off to a Jimin-free zone where I can graze in peace.

In no time, I polish it all off with a can of ginger ale and try to slink inside, hoping to miss whatever outdoor activity Alyssa had planned for us today. 

A large warm hand catches me by the elbow as I'm about to escape back to the safety of the cabin.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

I'm a little shocked but not surprised to see Jungkook bearing down on me with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Jungkook, leave me alone. I'm tired."

"It won't take long...just....please? "

After this morning, all the fight has gone out of me.

"Fine... I'll give you ten minutes, then you can kick rocks! Understand me?"

Jungkook's face spreads into a grin and his head nods quickly, up and down. 

My heart does a sickening floppy thing. 

What is wrong with me?

"Walk with me...." Jungkook says and I follow him, dragging my feet.

                                                        ***

Lake Momo is quite pretty actually.

I finally get a moment to appreciate her beauty. Everything from the moment I got here has been so ....crazy. I've been constantly on edge about Jungkook and then so worried about Eric that I hadn't even taken the time to stop and smell the algae! 

I turn to Jungkook.

"So....?"

"So...."

His big chocolate eyes lock on mine and we both fold our lips together, failing to fight a sudden blurt of laughter. We always did that whenever things felt awkward in the past. 

There's definitely still a spark there. 

As much as I tried to stifle it—

It never went out.

"Mel, I don't want us to continue on like this..."

Jungkook chews on his bottom lip, shoving his hands in his pockets and swinging his body idly from side to side.

"Like what?" I ask.

A tiny smile remains on his face after the brief light hearted moment we just shared. 

It's cut the tension and I have to admit that it feels nice to not have the horrible stench of animosity hanging in the air between us for once. 

As crushed as I felt about Eric leaving, I can't deny a strange new feeling of an immense weight being lifted off of my shoulders.

"With you hating me..." Jungkook replies, looking out over the placid waters of the lake.

His small smile wavers and he looks down scuffing his shoe in the pebbles.

"Our past, our history with the wedding and all that...I know that sorry isn't good enough but I am truly sorry, Mel. I hurt you in a way that was callous and insensitive. You didn't deserve that."

"I thought that what we had was irreplaceable, Jungkook! I thought you loved me. More than anything, anyone!"

"I do.." He almost shouts, then throws a hurried look back at the campsite to make sure that no one was looking at us. 

"So why did you do it?" I blurt out tearfully, before I can really help myself. 

So what if somebody looked? They all knew about me and Jungkook so a random scene of us bickering off in the distance wouldn't surprise anyone.

This question has burned deeply within me for the last two years. 

I want an answer and I want it, now!

Jungkook gulps, nervously. 

Taking my hand he looks deep into my eyes and there comes that feeling. 

Like two, long lost souls finding their way back. 

Its magic. 

It always feels like magic when I am with him. My fingertips tingle. My mind stills in a dream-like state.

It's been so long. 

It's been too long.

"Things aren't as simple as they seem, Mel. I can't just give you a straight answer." Jungkook simpers, tightening his fingers around mine.

I jerk my hand away in displeasure.

"So, what? It's just....complicated. Is that it?" I sneer.

What a joke! 

I should have known that there was no deep, meaningful answer. No reason he could give that would make the stars align and everything alright again.

Jungkook's eyes immediately fill with tears.

"Yes it is complicated, Mel!" He grabs my face and my knees wobble unsteadily as I try my best to stand firm on the rocky shore of the lake. 

"So, so complicated..." Jungkook whispers, resting his forehead on mine. His nose and lips brush against me as he says those words and I close my eyes. 

I try not to let my legs give out at his touch again like they did that night, not too long ago. 

But it's hard.

Why did he have so much power over me?

He presses his lips on mine so softly. A light, feather kiss. A bestowment of an angel.

"Jungkook..." I whimper into his mouth.

"Don't say anything....just kiss me."

He's right. I won't say anything. 

I'll do!

I close my eyes heaving a bit breath and all my strength with it. 

I only open them when I hear a big 

Splash!

Jungkook's head emerges from underneath the rippling surface of the lake.

Did he really think he was gonna mess with my mind like that again? 

I don't think so!

                                                        *:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ

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                                               ✨BJF✨

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