She headed toward the bathroom, leaving Eric stretched out on her couch, one arm draped dramatically over his eyes.
The shower was exactly what she needed after the strange day and evening. The hot water helped wash away the dust from work and the confusion from the restaurant.
"This is ridiculous," she said to herself as the steam filled the small bathroom. "I'm twenty-six years old, and I'm babysitting a drunk millionaire."
But even as she said it, she couldn't shake the image of Eric's face when he had asked not to be alone.
There had been real pain there, something deeper than just too much wine.
She took her time, letting the hot water work out the tension in her shoulders and trying to process what had happened at the restaurant.
"He kissed me," she said aloud to the shower walls. "Actually kissed me. And it was..."
She paused, remembering the moment.
"It was everything I thought it would be."
She was just reaching for her towel when she heard the bathroom door open.
"Eric?" she called out, her voice echoing off the tiled walls. "What are you doing?"
"I got lonely," came his voice from behind her.
Hailey chucked. "I told you I'd be right back!"
"You were taking forever," he said, and she could hear him moving closer. "I thought you might have drowned."
She rolled her eyes. "In a shower? Really, Eric?"
"It could happen," Eric said defensively. "People slip all the time."
Hailey had wrapped the towel around herself and was turning to face him when she saw his expression.
His eyes were unfocused, looking at her but somehow not seeing her at all.
"Eric?" she said uncertainly. "Are you okay?"
His hands trembled slightly as he reached out, his fingers brushing against her shoulders.
"You look..." he started, then stopped, his voice catching.
Eric began kissing her shoulders and neck, his lips trailing along her skin with desperate hunger that took her breath away.
"Eric, you can't just..." Hailey began, but her words were lost as he gently turned her around to face him.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her hands coming up to rest against his chest. She could feel his heart racing beneath her palms.
His eyes were still unfocused, and he rested his head on her shoulder as if he was suddenly exhausted.
"I miss her," he whispered, so quietly she almost didn't hear it.
"Miss who?" Hailey asked, though she had a sinking feeling she already knew.
"Victoria," Eric said, his voice rough and barely audible. "I miss Victoria."
Hailey's heart clenched, but before she could respond, Eric lifted his head and looked at her again, his expression confused.
"But you're not..." he started, then shook his head. "I don't understand."
"Eric, you're drunk," Hailey said gently. "You're not thinking clearly."
"I know," Eric said, his voice rough and barely audible. "But I can't stop thinking about you. Why do you have to be a virgin?"
The question caught Hailey off guard.
"How do you..." she started, then stopped. "I never told you that."
"You didn't have to," Eric said, his hands coming up to frame her face. "I can tell. The way you react when I touch you, the way you look at me..."
"Is that a problem?" she asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
"No," Eric said quickly. "God, no. It's just... it makes this harder."
"Makes what harder?"
Instead of answering, he kissed her again, and this time there was nothing gentle about it.
This was raw need, desperation, something that felt like it had been building for weeks.
"I wouldn't mind," Hailey found herself saying against his lips. "Giving it up for you, I mean."
The words came out before she could stop them, surprising them both.
Eric's response was immediate and intense.
His hands tangled in her damp hair, and he kissed her with a hunger that made her knees weak.
"Are you sure?" he asked, pulling back just enough to look at her. "Because once we... I can't take it back."
"I know," Hailey whispered, surprised by the certainty in her voice. "I'm sure."
"This isn't how I imagined it," Eric said, looking around the small bathroom. "You deserve better than this."
"I don't care about better," Hailey said. "I care about you."
What followed was a blur of sensation and emotion.
Eric's hands were gentle but urgent, his touches reverent despite the wine clouding his judgment.
The bathroom tiles were cold against her back, but Eric's warmth surrounded her, making her feel safe and desired and utterly overwhelmed.
"Are you okay?" Eric asked afterwards, his voice clearer now, as if the intensity of the moment had sobered him somewhat. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Hailey said, though everything felt different now, as if some fundamental part of her had changed. "I'm okay."
"You're shaking," Eric observed, his arms tightening around her.
"It's cold in here," she said, though they both knew that wasn't entirely true.
They eventually made their way to her bedroom, Eric helping her with a gentleness that stood out sharply against the urgency of a few minutes before.
"Are you going to regret this in the morning?" Hailey asked as they settled under the covers.
"Regret you?" Eric said, pulling her closer. "Never."
"Even though you're drunk?"
"I'm not that drunk," Eric protested weakly.
"Eric, you gave yourself walking instructions earlier."
"That was just being cautious," he said, but she could hear the smile in his voice.
"And you tried to take a nap in my hallway."
He winced. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"You also overpaid for dinner by about fifty dollars."
"Money well spent," Eric said firmly. "Best terrible dinner I've ever had."
Despite everything, Hailey found herself laughing. "It really was terrible, wasn't it?"
"The worst," Eric agreed. "But the company was perfect."
"Even when I was trying to get you to leave?" she asked, still laughing.
"Especially then," Eric said. "You take care of people. I noticed that about you."
"Is that why you wanted to come here? So I'd take care of you?"
Eric was quiet for a long moment.
"Maybe," he admitted finally. "Is that selfish of me?"
"A little," Hailey said honestly. "But I don't mind."
"Why not?"
"Because," she said, settling against his chest. "Someone should."
Eric's arm tightened around her waist, and she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her back.
"Go to sleep," she whispered. "We'll figure everything else out tomorrow."
"Promise you'll still be here when I wake up?" Eric asked, his voice already heavy with approaching sleep.
"Where would I go?" Hailey asked. "This is my apartment."
"Smart ass," Eric mumbled, but she could hear the affection in it.
She drifted off to sleep with his warmth surrounding her, unaware of the complicated emotions that would follow.
---
Morning came too soon, filtered through the thin curtains of Hailey's bedroom window.
She woke slowly, gradually becoming aware of the weight of Eric's arm across her waist and the steady sound of his breathing.
His face was turned toward her, relaxed in sleep, and she took a moment to study his features without feeling self-conscious about staring.
His hair was messy and falling across his forehead, and there was a softness to his expression that she rarely saw when he was awake.
In sleep, Eric looked younger, more vulnerable, and Hailey felt a surge of tenderness that surprised her with its intensity.
She felt like she was living in a dream with Eric. Everything seemed perfect, magical even. She thought she had found something real, something that would last.
She didn't know it was actually a nightmare.
She had no idea that the person sleeping so peacefully beside her, the person she was already falling in love with, would be the one to destroy her life.