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Chapter 7: "Burning Bridges"

The dull roar of conversations and utensils hitting plates could be heard throughout the restaurant. It was unusually busy for a Thursday night, but Erik and Holly didn't seem to mind. The only things concerning them were enjoying each others company as well as their dinners. A lone lit candle flickered between them, reflecting a soft light off of Holly's pearl necklace.

"Humor me, Cooper," Holly said. "Why did you want to meet up with me again? I thought you were too busy for a social life, let alone one person."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "I'm not THAT busy, you know. I still haven't heard back from the production team, so as far as I'm concerned, I don't have the part yet." He took a sip of his wine. "That means I have a little more free time than you give me credit for."

"But traveling all the way up here to Hartford? Come on, Cooper." Holly tapped a finger on the table. "I'm not as clueless as you think I am." She raised an eyebrow of her own. "There's an ulterior motive to all of this, isn't there?"

The raccoon make a 'Tsk Tsk' sound. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?" He put his fork down and stared at her for a minute. "Ok, Holly. You caught me. There is indeed another reason for me coming up here to see you."

Holly raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I knew it," she said smugly. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "I can read you like a book, Erik. Now tell me...why are you REALLY here?"

Erik closed his eyes and smiled. "All right, but just so you know, you asked for it." He pushed his chair out and stood up, keeping his eyes closed. Holly, meanwhile, sat up, as a puzzled expression grew on her face. Calmly, Erik opened his eyes and lifted his wine glass and a fork in the air. He then began to ring the glass with the fork, gaining the attention of every patron in the restaurant. As the dull roar of the room dissipated to silence, Erik made his move. "Everyone, I have an important announcement to make." He took two steps in front of the still seated Holly and slowly kneeled down onto one knee. Some of the patrons gasped, knowing what was about to happen next. Holly's mouth began to open in shock, and her eyes began to glass over with tears.

"Erik..." she whispered, "Are you doing what I think you are doing?"

Erik simply looked up and smiled. "Holly, I've realized now that you are more important to me than any part in any show on the face of the Earth. You mean more to me than life itself, and I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you by my side from this moment on." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Immediately, Holly began to cry in pure joy. Erik just smiled and continued as he opened the box, revealing a diamond engagement ring. "Holly Elizabeth Rose, will you marry me?"

The silence in the restaurant was deafening as everyone waited for Holly's answer to his proposal. Slowly, Holly stood up, tears running from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Yes," Holly said almost silently. She took a deep breath and said it again louder. "Yes. Yes I will, Erik."

Everyone around them cheered and clapped as Erik delicately put the ring on Holly's quivering finger. He stood up and held her close. "I love you, Holly."

Holly cried in sheer joy and buried her face into his chest. "Oh Erik, you've made me the happiest girl on the face of the Earth! I love you too!" She clutched him tightly as if she would fall if she let go.

Erik looked down at her head and smiled. "You're so beautiful tonight, darling. I want to look into those beautiful blue eyes of yours. Will you do that for me?"

"Anything for you, Erik," she said. She took her head from his chest, opened her eyes, and looked up...

What met her eyes was the dull red glow of the clock on a nearby desk. Holly quickly sat up and looked around herself. She couldn't see too much in the dark hotel room outside of what was dimly lit from the alarm clock. Small streams of light from outdoor lamps leaked through the curtains and onto the floor. Holly looked again at the clock, which read 4:48am. Flashes of her recent dream raced through her mind, causing her to feel her left hand for any signs of a ring, hopelessly hoping for something to be there. Realizing that nothing was there, she sighed in defeat. "It was too good to be true," she said to herself.

Holly swung her legs around, got out of bed, and went over to the bathroom sink. She turned on the light, much to the dislike of her eyes. She winced at the sudden light change, giving herself some time to get her eyes adjusted to everything. She grabbed a glass from the counter and poured herself a cold glass of water to drink. As she did, she could hear Erik snoring on the couch. Holly couldn't help but giggle at the sound. "I'm impressed," she said quietly. "Cooper's quite the heavy sleeper." She took her drink of water, but she kept the light on as she walked over to Erik.

Thanks to the faint lighting, she could see the humorous sight of the raccoon sprawled out on the couch. She noticed that the blanket he was using got kicked off and was hanging off the edge of the couch. Tapping into her maternal instinct, she took the blanket and tucked Erik back in like a child. Holly simply stood there for a minute and watched him sleep peacefully. A warm smile crept across her face as she kneeled down beside him and moved some strands of hair from his forehead. As she did, more images from her dream, and also from the past night's events, rushed across her mind. Holly took a deep breath and leaned in closer to Erik. Softly, she kissed his lips with a lone tear in her eye. Erik groaned in his sleep and tossed around a bit, snapping Holly from her trance-like state. She giggled again at his childish mannerism and stood up once more.

After looking over her shoulder one more time, she turned off the bathroom light and returned to her bed. As she got herself comfortable and rested her head on the fluffy pillows, she couldn't help but sigh. "It's amazing what that boy does to me," she said. She shifted her body around and closed her eyes. "After all, it's only love..."

***

"Aaron, did you pack up everything from the bathroom?" Kerri said from the other end of the room. She continued to fold her clothing and place them into her suitcase, waiting for a response from her husband.

"I'm pretty sure I've got everything," he finally replied, "seeing as though I'm actually IN the bathroom, and I don't see anything else that we own."

"Well, did you check the drawer in there?"

Aaron groaned loudly and leaned his head out of the doorway. "Come on, Kerri. I checked everywhere. Trust me on this one." He ducked back in and finished cleaning up. "Besides, shouldn't you be waking up Sleeping Beauty by now?"

Kerri looked over and saw a cocoon of bed sheets on the other bed. She could see the pile rise and fall rhythmically, knowing that somewhere in there was Brittany. "But she looks so cute in her little nest, dear!" Kerri pleaded jokingly. They both shared a laugh. "All right...I'll get it over with."

"I can hear you both," a muffled voiced sneered. Kerri jumped in surprise. In a flourish of covers, Brittany revealed herself to the couple. She rubbed her eyes and reached for her glasses on the desk. "Honestly, could you two be any louder when you pack?"

Aaron walked out with a plastic bag full of items. "Go back to sleep, and we'll let you know," he said with a grin. Kerri giggled softly, while Brittany just shook her head and sat upright. "We need to check out of the room in less than an hour, Brittany, so let's get a move on."

"I'm on it, Aaron," Brittany answered. "It shouldn't take me more than ten or so minutes to get dressed and packed." The rabbit rushed into the bathroom and closed the door to get changed. As she did, Kerri and Aaron finished their own packing.

"Do you want the bathroom stuff in your suitcase or mine, Kerri?"

Kerri looked up. "Toss 'em over here. Most of it is mine, anyway." Aaron tossed the bag over to his wife and placed the last of his clothes in his suitcase.

"So, did you enjoy yourself on this little vacation?" Aaron asked.

"I'd say so," she answered. "I think even YOU had fun this weekend, Aaron." Her husband laughed and nodded in response. "I thought so. Granted, we could've done a bit more if we didn't also have to keep tabs on Brittany, but oh well. We can always have our own vacation without her."

Aaron zipped up his suitcase and placed it next to the door. "I didn't think that Brittany was that much of a nuisance," he said. "Besides, it was her idea in the first place to come out here. So if anything, we should thank her." He hugged his wife close. "But you do prove a valid point...it would've been nice to have some more alone time than just yesterday morning."

"Oh, you..." Kerri giggled. She squirmed out of his embrace and tapped his nose. "Just be happy that she doesn't live with us." She then closed her own suitcase and walked over to the bathroom door. She knocked twice. "You just about done in there, Brittany?"

As if on cue, the door opened, and Brittany emerged. "Actually, I am," she said smugly. "Just give me a moment, and I'll be completely ready to go, ok?" She walked over to her suitcase and stuffed her pajamas into it. In one swift motion, her suitcase was shut and zipped up.

"Wait a minute, didn't you unpack at all?" Aaron asked.

"Not really," Brittany said. "I just pulled out what I needed from my suitcase on a daily basis. It makes things a lot easier when it comes to packing or leaving with a short amount of time. I think it's a rather good idea, don't you?"

Kerri looked over and smiled. "She's got you there, Aaron."

All Aaron could do at that point was sigh in defeat. "Well played, Brittany," he admitted. He made his way over to the bed and sat down. "All right, are we sure we have everything now?"

Brittany was the first to look around the now cleaner hotel room. "I don't see anything," she declared. "I know I have everything of mine packed." She stood her suitcase upright and pulled up the handle. "I'm ready whenever you two are."

Aaron looked over to Kerri, who smiled and nodded at his glance. He nodded as well and stood up. "Well then, let's head back to Pittsburgh. I'd rather not get caught in any major traffic on I-80...we all know how bad that highway gets later in the afternoon."

"Be happy it isn't Sunday," Kerri said. "The Steelers were home yesterday."

"Oh Lord..." her husband groaned. "Talk about a total cluster-screw." The trio laughed at Aaron's recollection of the last time they had driven through Pittsburgh just after a Steelers home game. "On that note, let's go, ladies." Aaron walked through the door first, followed by his wife.

Brittany grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it through the doorway and into the hall. With her other hand, she reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone. While trailing her friends, she scrolled through her contact list, located Erik's number, and dialed. Anxiously, she waited to see if he would answer.

***

A mix of vibrations and a popular song woke Holly from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and rolled on to her other side as the music continued. "What the Hell is that noise...?" she groaned under her breath. She propped herself on one elbow and looked at the clock, which read 9:37am. Her eyes scanned the room and saw the source for the unwelcome noise. It was Erik's phone, which was left on the dresser. The light from his phone blinked for a few more seconds before turning off and sending the impending call to voice mail.

Holly stretched and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before standing up and stretching again. With the exception of her dream, she felt refreshed after a much needed good night's sleep. She looked over to the couch and saw the familiar sight of a completely knocked out Erik. The doe grinned and watched him sleep for a few seconds before shifting her attention to the dresser. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a yellow shirt and jeans to wear for the return trip home. Unconsciously, her eyes drifted over to Erik's phone which sat just a few inches from the edge. 'I wonder who it was...' she thought before picking the phone up carefully.

The phone's main screen lit up, revealing the notice that there was a missed call from an unfamiliar number and a voice mail from the same caller as well. Holly's eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar number. "Who is that?" she asked quietly. Suspicion and curiosity got the best of her, and she touched the screen where it prompted her to dial the voice mail number. She held the phone to her ear and heard the automation tell her that there was one new message. After a short beep, the message began to play.

"Hey, Erik. It's Brittany." Holly raised an eyebrow at the sound of her voice. "It's just after 9:30. My friends and I are checking out of the hotel right now, and I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up one more time before I left. No worries, though. I had a wonderful weekend with you, and that's all that matters." Both eyebrows shot up her forehead, and she looked over to the still sleeping Erik while the message finished. "I'd love to meet up with you again soon. Give me a call back when you can. Take care, my Phantom!"

Holly stood in shock as the phone prompted her to either erase or save the message. Quickly, she pressed the button to erase the message and hang up the phone. Her tank top and pajama shorts were thrown across the room as she got dressed quickly. An infinite number of 'What if...' scenarios flooded her mind, with each one just as ambiguous as the last. They all seemed true to her in her mind, which only frustrated the doe even more than before.

In a jealous haze, she dropped the phone back on the dresser sharply. An audible slam could be heard, which caused Erik to stir on the couch. Immediately, Holly looked over and cursed under her breath. She intently watched her companion to see if he would wake up. After less than a minute, he appeared to go back to sleep. Holly sighed in relief and continued to go about getting ready to pack up and leave.

Her mind kept going back to what was heard in the message. She replayed certain parts and began to doubt everything that happened last night. 'Was that kiss meant for me or her?' Holly thought. 'Drunk or otherwise, someone had to have been on his mind when he did that...' The doe was unable to realize how close her foot was to the corner of the dresser as she thought, and the next thing she felt was a sharp pain as she stubbed her toe. "Rrrrr...fuck...!" she hissed. Immediately, she covered her mouth and looked over to the couch again. This time, she wouldn't be so lucky. Erik began to stir and awaken, much to her dismay. Holly groaned in defeat and sat back down on the bed. "So much for being quiet," she said to herself. She sighed and watched Erik stretch and slowly sit up.

"God...I feel like a baseball bat just got acquainted with my head..." he groaned while rubbing his eyes. He squinted and peered around the room. Eventually, his vision cleared enough to make out where Holly was seated. "Good morning, Holly," he said groggily. He waited for an answer but received only silence from her. "Holly? Are you all right?" Still silence. Erik brought his legs over the edge of the couch and sat up. "Hey...what gives?"

"You're something else, you know that?" Holly said.

"What?" Erik said. He tilted his head a bit. "What are you talking about?"

Holly shook her head. "I should have known better. Why did I think that this weekend could go well for me for a change?" She stood up and walked back over to the dresser.

"Holly...what the Hell are you talking about?"

"How long?" she asked. "How long were you going to wait until you told me about her?"

Erik stood up. "About who?"

"Brittany," the doe spat out. She threw his phone over to him.

Erik looked down at his phone and then back to Holly. "Brittany? How did you-..."

"She called while you were sleeping," she said. "I listened to the voice mail she left you. You must have really made an impact on her if she talked about how wonderful her weekend was because of you."

"Wait..." Erik said. "You went into my phone and listened to my voice mail while I was sleeping!?" He tossed his phone onto the couch. "What has gotten into you, Holly?"

"Forget it...I'm done." Holly hastily emptied the drawers and stuffed her clothes inside her suitcase. "I'm done trying, and I'm done hoping. Why I thought anything would be different is beyond me." She zipped the suitcase and dropped it on the floor. "Don't bother with the reunion...I'm not going anymore."

Erik went over to Holly and held her arms gently. "Holly, knock it off. I don't know what the fuck you're getting at, but unless you tell me, I can't help you."

"I don't need YOUR help, Cooper," she sneered as she got herself out of Erik's grasp. "I have been fine on my own." Holly pulled her handle up on her suitcase, and she began to walk to the door. "You better call Brittany back," she said with her back to him. "I'm sure she's anxious to hear back from you..."

"Get over yourself!" Erik said loudly. He walked over to the doorway. "You've always been this way, Holly. Every time I have a friend that just happens to be a girl, you completely change. Even in high school, you would always hold it against me if I went and hung out with other friends; male, female, or both. It didn't get any better when you transferred here a few years back." Holly stopped dead in her tracks. "That's why you left for UConn again, isn't it? You couldn't stand the fact that you weren't my top priority."

"That's enough, Cooper," Holly growled under her breath as he kept going.

"If anything, you're the one that is something else. No other friend that I have ever had has been as neurotic as you. I care about you, Holly, but I don't take things as far as you do. Why is it such a worry if you aren't on my mind all the time?" Erik stopped right next to her. "Why do you care so much about who I know!?"

"That's enough, Cooper!"

"Stop acting like such a jealous and possessive girlfriend! We aren't an item...we never were!"

A loud slap echoed through the room. Erik's cheek burned a bright red after the contact made by Holly's right hand. His eyes were wide open is shock. An eerie silence filled the area for what seemed like an eternity. Erik slowly turned his head to look into Holly's tear soaked eyes. The words he wanted to say to her were caught in his throat, but the silence spoke volumes for the two of them. After staring into each others eyes for a minute longer, Holly turned around and opened the door.

"Don't remind me..." she said in a barely audible whisper. Without another noise, she walked through the door and down the hallway to the front desk.

Stunned, dumbfounded, and still feeling the sting from her slap, Erik sat back down on the couch. The words that he said continued to ring in his mind, and he regretted each and every one. He brought his hand to his cheek and felt the warmth of Holly's slap. As he felt the gentle throb, he thought back to the past fifteen years that the two knew each other. A lone tear began to fall from his eye and over his fingers.

"What have I done?" he asked quietly.

***

Next...Chapter 8: "The Center of the Shrubbery Maze"