Title: The Truth
Part: 1/1
Author: Wendy
Category: Others
Rating: PG
Copyright: 1999
"Hello?" Eric got up from Nicole’s bed and answered the phone.
"Hello, is Nicole there?" a woman with a rough voice said.
"Who is this?" Eric asked suspiciously.
"Nicole’s mother…I really need her help."
Nicole walked over to the phone. Eric walked to the other side of the room with suspicions in his eyes. Nicole talked for a couple of minutes and hung up.
"Nicole, that was your mother. How come you never told me that your mother was in trouble?" Eric asked.
"It never really came up…"she trailed off.
"It never really came up? I’ve asked you time and time over about your family, but the only that I got out of you is that Taylor is your sister. What else are you hiding from me?"
"Eric, you know that I’d never hide something from you," Nicole protested.
"Then tell me why your mother was asking for your help and you just told her that it wasn’t the time to talk about it," Eric said, raising his voice a little.
Nicole thought of an answer for Eric. "She’s just going through money trouble, you know that."
Eric wasn’t convinced about Nicole’s short explanation, but he went along with it. At least for the time being.
"Hi, Taylor, can I talk to you?" Eric asked at his office as Taylor entered.
"Yeah, sure," Taylor answered with uncertainty in her voice.
"Can you tell me a little about your mother and Nicole’s past?"
Taylor had a puzzled look on her face.
"Well, you see, she called last night and I think that Nicole is hiding something from me," Eric explained.
"I don’t think that I should be the person that you talk to about this…" Taylor trailed off and walked off to his desk.
"That’s the thing though, Nicole doesn’t want to tell me," Eric pleaded once again.
Taylor thought for a moment and just went for the truth. She couldn’t stand to see Eric so disturbed over Nicole. But before Taylor could start, Nicole walked in and interrupted the two of them.
"Did I interrupt something?" Nicole asked intentionally.
"No, as a matter of fact, I was just about to leave," Taylor excused herself.
‘Good time, Nicole,’ Eric thought.
"So, how about dinner tonight?" Nicole asked.
"Yeah, sure. Let’s just go to Salem Place," Eric suggested.
"Yeah, I’ll see you at seven," Nicole replied and left his office.
‘I have to find out
what’s going on with her,’ Eric thought to himself and
went back to his work.
Nicole had arrived at Salem Place at 6:30, thinking that she would get some shopping done. Maybe get something for Eric.
Suddenly, someone pulled her aside.
"What are you doing here?" Nicole yelled in a low whisper.
"Well, you wouldn’t talk to me over the phone, so I had to come see you in person," Nicole’s mother replied.
"Eric was there. And haven’t I told you to never come to Salem? I want to start over and I sure as hell don’t need you here around me, bringing up my past," Nicole exploded to her mother.
"Well, I just thought that you would like to know your father is out of prison. He came out about a week ago. But apparently, there is no good time to tell you about it. He’s out for you, Nicole, for what you’ve done."
"Mom, please, there’s no way that he can come back and prove after all this time that I was out on the blackmarket selling drugs. It’s been six years. And besides, I’ve moved on with my life. Eric is my life now."
"Not if you don’t face your past. How can you live like that? Lying to the man that you love?" her mother said.
At the same moment, Eric appeared behind some bushes.
"Eric? I can ex—"
"Nicole, save it. I heard everything that you two were just talking about. How can you do this to me. Lie to me about something so important," Eric said and turned around to leave.
Nicole started to run after him, but it was no use as her mother held her back. "You don’t deserve a guy like him, Nicole, you don’t." With that, her mother left as well. Nicole remained there standing and just stood there crying.
"Eric, wait!" Taylor called out when she saw Eric rushing to his car.
"Go away!"
"What’s going on?"
A tear fell from Eric’s eye. "I found out about Nicole’s past."
Taylor just stood there silently.
"How could she just not tell me about something like that? How could she?"
Taylor went to hug Eric. "Everything is going to be okay."
"Taylor, you’re the only one that I can count on," Eric looked straight into Taylor’s eyes and gave her a passionate kiss.
When the two of them pulled apart, it was like they’ve been together forever. They both got into Eric’s car and pulled out of the Salem Place parking lot to head over to Eric’s apartment.