Tristan’s POV
The sun had barely pierced through the grey clouds when Eric arrived. He wanted to see Elona, and I’m glad that he’s here. That kid had a loyalty streak I admired, maybe too much for his own good. I opened the door, letting him in with a nod. He looked tired and drained, like he hadn’t slept properly in days.
Elona was resting in my bedroom, finally getting some color back in her cheeks after everything. I didn’t want to wake her. I needed to have this conversation with Eric first. “Hey,” I said, motioning to the lounge. “Make yourself comfortable. I want to talk to you.”
He stepped inside, his manner of walking was slow, his shoulders slouched under the weight of something heavier than just exhaustion. He looked like someone who had walked through a fire with nothing left to burn. He sat on the far end of the sofa, hands folded in front of him, eyes darting once toward the hallway before he met my gaze. “Is Elona okay?” he asked with concern.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “She’s resting. For once.” He nodded and looked down.
I sat across from him, elbows on my knees. “How are you doing, Spook?”
He blinked slowly. “Spook?” His lips curled on the side with what I just called him. He shrugged. “Fine.”
“No, you’re not. Don’t give me that answer.”
He chuckled bitterly. “Old habits.”
“I want to talk about Cris,” I said gently.
His eyes shuttered for a second, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “Of course you do.”
“You two were good together. At least, I thought so. What happened?”
His throat worked, and he looked away, toward the window. The light caught on the sheen in his eyes, and I knew this was going to hurt him. “I loved her, Tristan,” he said finally. “Not teenage-crush kind of love. Real love. The kind where you see your life folding into someone else’s without even trying. She meant the world to me.”
My chest tightened. Eric had always been like a son to me. Seeing him like this... it was painful.
“But she cheated on me,” he whispered. “And not just emotionally. Physically. I walked in and found them. In her bedroom...in her bed.”
I inhaled sharply. “Fuck.” I muttered.
He laughed hollowly. “Yeah. That’s about right. And the worst part? She didn’t even try to deny it. Just stood there. Silent. Like she was sorry I saw it, not sorry it happened.” I ran a hand through my hair, stunned into silence. “I tried not to hate her,” he continued. “I even told myself maybe I deserved it. Maybe I wasn’t enough. But no one deserves that.”
“No one does,” I agreed. “Especially not you.”
He shook his head, his voice quieter now. “Then Elona… she needed someone. And David got her that apartment, but she was alone. I moved in for her. Not because I was over Cris or that I hate David right now. But because Elona’s my friend. And I couldn’t let her drown alone, especially since you two were still apart.”
That hit me harder than I thought it would. Eric had put aside his own broken heart just to be there for someone else. I stared at him for a long moment, the weight of gratitude heavy in my chest. “I’m so damn sorry,” I said, my voice was rough. “You didn’t deserve any of it. Not from Cris, not from life. Not from David.”
Just then, Elona appeared at the entrance to the lounge. Her hair was loosely tied, her eyes still tired but clearer than they had been in days. She had overheard.
“I’m sorry, Spooky,” she said, her voice like a gentle echo. She walked over, sitting beside me. “I didn’t know everything. I’m so sorry you had to go through that… and still chose to be there for me.”
He smiled at her. “I will do anything for a true friend.”
She reached out, squeezing his hand. “You didn’t have to, but I’m so glad you did.”
I looked between them, my heart twisting again. Eric didn’t just stand by her, he carried some of her weight when she couldn’t. That kind of loyalty was rare.
“You know,” I said slowly, “if you ever feel like that apartment is too much, if the memories are too loud, you’re welcome here. Always.”
He blinked at me. “You’re serious?”
I nodded. “As a heart attack. I have plenty of space. You will have your own room, your own space. No pressure. I hope that Elona will also take my offer to move in...when she’s ready.”
He gave a small smile but shook his head. “I appreciate it, more than you know. But… I need to go my own way now.”
I frowned. “Are you sure?” I disliked his answer, but I had to respect his wishes, too.
“Yeah. I’m starting at an agency next week. Just an intern for now, but they said if I prove myself, there’s room to grow. Comes with housing perks eventually. I need that, Tristan. To build something of my own.”
I nodded slowly. “I get it. I’m proud of you, Spook.”
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks. I just… I’ve been relying on people for too long. It’s time I learn to rely on myself.”
Elona looked like she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. Maybe she understood, too.
The silence that followed was comfortable, like a mutual understanding had passed between us. We were all a little broken. All trying to rebuild in our own ways. Eric stood after a moment. “I should head out. Got to prep some things for orientation. It’s great seeing you doing better.” He smiled at Elona.
“Thank you for coming around,” she said.
I stood too, I walked over to him, clasping his shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. And… Tristan?”
“Yeah?” He looked at me with something between gratitude and grief.
“Thank you. For treating me like more than just a kid. You’re a father to me.”
“You earned that. All of it.” I took him into my embrace, and I think he needed a hug. I pulled away, “Let me take you back to the apartment. It will storm soon.”
Eric nodded, Elona stood up and hugged him, but as he walked out the door, Elona placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her. The house felt a little quieter, except now thunder was rumbling and rain began to fall. “He’s hurting more than he lets on. He covers it up well. Please look out for him,” she said softly.
“I know,” I murmured. “But he’s going to be okay. He’s strong. Too damn strong to let this beat him.”
She was quiet for a beat. “You have always believed in him.”
“I see the best in people at times,” I replied, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Even when they can’t see it in themselves. Will you be okay here all by yourself while I drop him off? Do you need anything else from the apartment?” I asked.
“I will be fine, just make sure you come back here safe,” she smiled.
With that, I stepped out into the rain to take Eric to the apartment. I realized something... we all had our pain, but we also had each other. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to get through the worst of it.