Chapter 7: Chapter 7

The call ends. Alex waits in the car while Peyton goes in the house to get Eric. Peyton smiles. "You okay?" Eric nods and then stands up slowly. "I didn't get much sleep but other than that I'm fine." Dani nods. "I had to stay with him to keep him from waking up anyone else in the house." Peyton looks sad. "It was that bad huh?" Eric nods. "Never again." Peyton smiles and nods. "Good. Come on." Eric follows Peyton to the car and gets in. "Where'd you put the boxes?" "In the garage at Aaron's. Just until its time." Eric nods. "Thanks so much Dani. Kiss." Dani kisses Peyton's cheek. "Go get my little girl. I want to see her before I go." Dani nods. When Dani comes back Melissa is in her arms. Dani sits Melissa in Peyton's lap. "Hey you." Melissa wraps her arms around Peyton's neck. "You're leaving?" Peyton nods. "I'm sorry babygirl. I got some stuff to do. We'll see each other again soon." Melissa starts to cry. "No! Take me with you!" Peyton looks at Dani. She smiles. "Ask mommy." Melissa looks at Dani. "Mommy can I?" Dani just chuckles. "Of course baby. Just let me get your seat." Melissa claps her hands. "Yay!" Peyton, Alex and Eric laugh. "You're so cute." "By the way AJ called while you were in the house. He said to tell you that he's waiting outside." Dani nods and then hurriedly puts the seat in the backseat of the car. Dani buckles Melissa down and then kisses her cheek. "See you later." Peyton nods and drives off. At AJ's. Peyton smiles as AJ gets in the back beside Eric. "Hello again." Eric smiles. "Hi." Melissa holds onto Eric's hand. Eric just smiles at her. Peyton makes a few turns. "So. Have you got any questions for me?" Eric looks confused. "Like what?" AJ and Peyton both chuckle. "Dude I know you have questions. Ask away." Eric nods and clears his throat. "Are you older than P?" AJ shakes his head. "I'm about 200 years younger. Give or take." "How long have you known you were gay?" AJ chuckles. "My entire life. Just felt closer to men than women. Ever since I was about a month old." Eric nods. "I see." "How about you?" Eric shrugs. "I'm not sure. I felt the attraction before I met Peyton and their friends but I didn't know what it meant. I guess it was when we started hanging out with the football players. That's when I realized it was not just a phase." Peyton smiles. "So I was right." Eric nods. "I used to have a crush on Sean." "What made it stop?" Eric looks at AJ and then looks away. "When I saw a guy that was way hotter than any guy I've ever seen." Peyton smirks. AJ just chuckles and pats Eric's leg. "I get what you mean. It's happened to me too." At the restaurant. Everyone orders and waits. "So how do you feel admitting what you just did in the car?" Eric looks at Peyton and then covers his face with his arms. "Embarrassed." AJ moves Eric's arms away from his face. "Dude it's okay. There's no need to be embarrassed. I felt relieved and relaxed the first time." Peyton smiles. "Same but I don't count." Melissa plays with her necklace while waiting. "Peyton?" They look over at Melissa. "Yes?" "What's wrong with Eric?" Eric looks at Peyton and then at AJ. Then looks at Melissa and smiles. "Nothing is wrong. He's okay." "But why was he sad?" Eric puts his hand on Melissa's hand. "Just missing someone." Melissa looks at Eric. "I'm sorry you're sad. Kiss to make you feel better?" Eric leans in close to Melissa and she kisses his forehead. Eric smiles. "You're right. I'm much better now." Melissa smiles. "Yay." A few minutes later the food arrives and everyone is eating. Melissa is the last to finish. "Peyton?" They hum. "Are you going anywhere else today?" Peyton smiles and nods. "Got some shopping to do." Eric helps Melissa down and holds her hand as the group leave the restaurant after Peyton leaves money on the table. Once all in the car. "Can I sit in the cart? Please?" Peyton shakes their head. "You can go up on my shoulders if ya want." Melissa claps her hands. "Yes!" They all chuckle. Alex lifts Melissa up onto Peyton's shoulders. "Yay! Eric look. I'm tall!" Eric looks up and smiles. "I see that." Alex pushes the cart around the store and places things in the cart that her and Peyton need. A couple walks past and smile. "Hey Peyton." Peyton smiles at the couple. "Hey guys. Long time no see." "I'll say. How long has it been? Ten,twenty years?" "Around there. Pardon my rudeness. Ally,Sean this is my fiance Alex, her brother Eric and the one on my shoulders is Melissa." Ally and Sean smile. "Nice to meet you." "You as well." Sean looks over at AJ. "How's it going AJ?" He shrugs. "It's going. I didn't know you were back in the country." Sean smiles. "Can't know everything. You are my cousin after all haha." AJ nods and smiles. "Right. Always the jokester and/or the trickster. You haven't changed." Sean laughs. "So true. Love ya dude. See you around Peyton, Alex, Eric and Melissa." They all wave as Sean and Ally walk away. Eric walks a few steps behind Peyton. "So how you know them?" "I met Sean at one of AJ's kick ass parties. As for Ally. We met shortly after I left Switzerland. She was on the same plane as me and her seat was next to mine. We just started talking and then boom. Friendship bloomed." AJ smiles and scratches the back of his neck. "You thought my parties were kick ass?" Peyton chuckles and nods. "Of course my dude. You threw the most awesome parties." Eric smiles and shakes his head. AJ just looks away. Peyton chuckles. "Dude! Control yourself." "Right. Sorry." The group walk around the store. About half an hour later Eric and AJ are helping Alex and Peyton put the groceries in the car. Once they're all in the car, Peyton and Alex go put the cart back. Melissa keeps bouncing up and down. As Alex and Peyton get in the car. "Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss!" Eric blushes while AJ just laughs. "It's okay. You can if you want to." Alex, Peyton and Melissa all cheer. "Kiss kiss kiss." Eric groans and then puts one of his hands on AJ's neck and kisses him. Peyton, Alex and Melissa whistle. Well Melissa tries to. Instead she just claps her hands. "Yay!" Eric and AJ giggle a bit while they're kissing. Once they pull apart. AJ smiles. Eric smiles back. "Well that was intense." AJ chuckles and lets out a small breath. "You're telling me. I've never felt it be that intense." Eric looks shocked. "Really?" AJ nods. "Don't get me wrong, Peyton was awesome but you." AJ whistles. "Damn." Eric nods. "Wait what? You and Peyton?" AJ nods. "Yep." Eric looks at Peyton in the mirror. "Peyton?" Peyton smiles. "It was during a game of spin the bottle. Oh by the way. I'm like you but I'm just more into women." Eric nods and then puts his hand down on AJ's. "I think it might be the opposite for me. I'm not 100% sure though." AJ clears his throat. Peyton puts up a finger. "Not with her in the car AJ." He nods. "Right." Melissa yawns. "Are we going back to my mom now?" Peyton chuckles. "Yes babe. You ready for a nap?" Melissa yawns against Eric's shoulder. "Yeah." "Okay princess. We're almost there." Melissa nods and starts to dose off. Eric smiles and moves so Melissa can fully lay her head on his shoulder. By the time Peyton pulls into Dani's driveway, Melissa is past out. Peyton exits the car quietly and then opens the back door. They then lift Melissa up into their arms after undoing the belts. "I'll be back." AJ, Alex and Eric nod. Peyton brings Melissa up to her bed and tucks her in. They kiss Melissa's forehead. She wakes up. Peyton smiles. "I gotta go okay?" "Okay. Love you." Peyton and Melissa hug. "Love you too babygirl. Go back to sleep." Melissa nods and doses off again. Peyton smiles and moves a piece of hair out of Melissa's face and then leaves. Dani and Peyton hug after Dani takes Melissa's seat out. "See you when I see you." "See you when I see you." Peyton gets in the car and drives off. "So what am I doing? Am I dropping you off with AJ or are you coming home with us Eric?" AJ and Eric look at each other and Eric shrugs. "I guess I'll go with AJ." AJ smiles and nods. "Okay then." "Or if you're not comfortable with that we can go someplace else." AJ shrugs. "I don't care where we go. I just remembered that my ex is at my house for a bit until he gets his life back together." Peyton smiles. "You guys can always just come hang out with us and if you want to be left alone then you can go in Alex's room." AJ and Eric nod. "Okay." "I'm down with that." Peyton nods. A few minutes later Peyton pulls into the driveway to Aaron's. Later on. Alex giggles. "Damn those two are really going at it." Peyton chuckles. "I know. Gonna have to change the sheets before going to bed tonight." Alex just laughs. "Yep." Eric comes up the stairs and grabs a water bottle. Peyton and Alex smirk as he walks past them. Eric stops. "What?" "Need to hydrate?" Eric smiles. "Yeah. Oh by the way. AJ says to tell you that we never went near your guys' bed. Decided to hang in my room. Tootles." Eric goes back downstairs as Peyton laughs. Alex just giggles. "My brother is turning into a nerd." Peyton nods. "Yep. Time for bed?" Alex yawns and nods. "Yep." Peyton nods and turns off the TV. Peyton and Alex go to bed after brushing their teeth and plugging in their phones. The two go to sleep. Around 4 am. Peyton goes upstairs and sits on the couch while having a blood smoothie. Peyton's phone vibrates. They look at it.