The agony in his voice ripped through me. His beautiful eyes had darkened and his face grew older in mere seconds. This was not a time of his life Eric wanted to live with. He wanted to forget and move on. And as much as the investigator in me wanted to know all the details, Eric was my priority now. I wouldn’t let him hurt any longer.
“You don’t have to say anymore,” I said. “But you’re a brave man, Eric Waters. And for what it’s worth, you’re one hell of ahero.”
“I’m nohero...”
“Shut up. This will not change my mind. Did you risk your life for others?”
“Yes, but...”
“Then you’re a hero.” I regarded the horizon before pointing forward. “Look, it’s about to touch the trees.”
We watched the sun go down in silence. Once the night took over, I felt the tiredness set in. After a quick shower I lay down in Eric’s bed, thinking about the thousands of things he could have witnessed. I’d seen a lot in my life – my brothers had told me a few stories as well. Yet I was sure that each thought and each story would never compare to what Eric had experienced. I tossed and turned in bed that night partly because I feared to fall asleep. I was afraid that the man whom I’d been hunting, John Huntz, would eventually turn tables on me. That was my fear. Once it passed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Eric and how much I wished I could curl up to his body and sleep in the comfort of his warmth, where we could both forget ourwoes.