Falling Capricorn (12 page)

“Do you wish I’d fall in love with you?” he asked. She mused over this interesting question. It seemed she was on autopilot.

“All the time,” she spoke with care, wistfully looking to the side. After a long moment of silence, she barely glanced at him. He had a surprisingly big smile on his face and a raised eye brow. He moved in. She held her breath as his lips came so close to hers. An inch…now a centimeter…his warm breath tickled her lips, then he let go of her face and stood back.

“Get some sleep.” He then retreated down the shore. She fell onto her knees and hung her head.

“Damn you,” was all she could say softly. Her cheeks were on fire, and she was smiling as the tears dripped to the sand. "Why does it have to be like this?" she lamented to the night. After a while the cold air got to her. She collected herself and returned to the warmth of their home.

Chapter 7

When Kat got home that night she went straight to her work books, kicking off her heels. This was getting way too weird for her. She was still not able to get over the fact that Eric was talking to himself like he was Joey. Was it something psychological, or was it something much bigger than that? She had heard of strange, otherworldly things like this happening in other places, historically. These cases were always open to argument and skepticism, however. She knew she had to see Eric and get to the bottom of this, before it ate her alive with curiosity.

She checked the time on her alarm with a heavy sigh. “Too late to go see him now. I will just have to wait until morning,” she decided and got dressed for the night. She would see him tomorrow, whether he wanted to talk to her or not. It didn’t matter to her, not one little bit.

When Kat awoke, she called Eric and announced she was coming over. He said he wasn’t feeling that well.  He said she should talk to him when he felt better. Kat was not deterred by his suggestion. She told him she was on her way and clicked the end call icon before he could object. She ignored his phone calls, driving on her happy little way.

Eric groaned as he called Kat for the sixth time. She still ignored his call. He didn’t want to talk to her. He got the uneasy feeling she would see through him. She was the only girl he had ever had trouble reading. He wouldn’t confess it to anyone, but sometimes her serious tone could be breathtaking, in a bad way.

“Are you okay Eric?” Roxie questioned him. She primped getting ready for the day wearing a nice black dress with a furry red jacket over it. Eric was in his sweat pants and muscle shirt, laying on the sofa with a blanket draped over him. He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t feeling very good, at all.

“No, I feel awful,” Eric said placing a hand over his face. When he spoke, the Voodoo book he was reading fell from his hand. He wondered if he really caught a sickness. or if it was Joey draining his energy. He shut his eyes from the pounding inside his head. Roxie leaned over him and gave him a kiss on his brow.

“You're probably sick because you didn’t take the jacket when I tried to give it to you. Who is laughing now Eric? You really should start listening to me. I am actually pretty wise, Eric. Did I mention I have common sense?” she asked mockingly. Eric rolled his eyes at her. She wanted to come up with a smartass remark but decided not to waste his energy on it.

“Isn’t there anything you can do to help me out here?” he asked.

“Well you took the pain-killers and medicine. There isn’t anything else I can really do for you, babe. I will take your spot at the art gallery though,” she shared with him. She stood up straight and went to leave before Eric grabbed her hand.

“Roxie, I know I don’t say this enough but… thank you,” he said, gripping her hand tighter.

“What would you do without me?” Roxie asked him in a cocky tone. He sighed in frustration. When he did compliment this woman or tried to say something nice, it always went to her head, or made her fish for more compliments than that just one.

“Probably lots of things,” he confessed. Roxie glared at him.

“Yes, how romantic. Thank you for that,” Roxie jeered. She grabbed her black purse and opened the door. “I will be back sometime this evening. Get plenty of rest,” she said before disappearing out the door, shutting it behind her.

“I wish I could,” he grumbled as he got up.

“What are you doing?” Joey asked him with a slightly concerned tone.

“Going to get dressed up; I can’t go into war without my armor. Also I’m going to plan my strategy against Kat. I can’t run aimlessly into battle against her like I can do for Roxie or Christen,” Eric breathed, coughing slightly.

“Are you calling them stupid?” Joey asked indignantly, not appreciating him insulting Christen's intelligence.

“No. I am saying they easily fall for charm. This one does not. She doesn’t get swooned or sidetracked by sweet words. I have a challenge on my hands. I have to prepare for it.” Eric made it to his room and decided to get dressed in one of his Italian suits and comb his hair neatly. Kat verses Eric, who would win?

Kat was there within the hour. She stood outside the door, taking in a giant breath. She would need to observe every little detail. She could do it, but her only concern was that she would forget the observations if overwhelmed. She prepped herself. Once she was ready, she knocked on the door with a hard and firm hit. “Knock, knock.”

“There she is Eric,” Joey chimed inside his head. “How are you going to deal with her?” he asked. Eric sighed, shrugging as he headed to the door.

“Take her head-on in a calm way. I can’t think so complicated with her because she will see right through that, but if I deflect all her questions and keep a charming atmosphere, I’ll be fine,” he sighed softly. He reached for the doorknob when Joey added a comment.

"The word is 'we', Eric.  We will be fine."

"And if she does see through us and figure us out, well then, we are both screwed."

"... or maybe not,” Joey said cheerily.

Eric faltered for a moment before shaking what Joey said off. "Shut up, dick." He opened the door with a professional smile. He held his hand out in front of him like a perfect host.

“Oh please, do come in. Make yourself at home, Kat,” Eric spoke in a soothing and professional tone.

“So this is what Eric’s side job is. He’s a butler!” Kat joked as she walked into his house. Eric followed her in, closing the front door behind them. She looked around with a casual expression.

“Kat, what is it you wanted to talk about? I’m sure you didn’t come here just to make light banter,” he said, with a hint of disdain.

“I was wondering why you were speaking to ‘Joey’ in the bathroom at the gallery before revealing Christen’s artwork,” Kat said, getting straight to the point. There was no beating around the bush when it came to her.

“I obviously wasn’t ‘speaking’ to him directly.” Eric's voice was smooth as butter, though his blood was nearly at a standstill. Had he really been speaking to Joey that loudly? Did she even hear him talk?

“Perhaps not, but you are very good at impersonating his voice,” she said as she walked past the sofa, running her fingers over it. She sharply looked at Eric. He nearly lost all breath. He almost felt like she was seeing right through him. Could she see his soul and therefore see Joey’s? Her eyes scared him.

“She is rather intimidating for a blondie, isn’t she?” Joey questioned in his mind. His voice also had a slight tone of surprise and intimidation.

Eric thought, "Yes, she is, but that won’t stop me". He really wanted to mean that as well.

“What can I say? I miss him sometimes so I think of things he would say when I need advice. What is it you really want to know Kat?” Eric stayed as calm as he could, but Kat’s eyes pierced through his facade. Her lips curled upward.

“I want you to impersonate him again. Just use that same voice to say one sentence.” In her mind, she had already figured out her diagnosis for Eric; Split Personality Disorder. What she didn't understand was the reasons for the sudden outbursts. Eric stalled for a moment as Joey spoke to him.

“Let me come out and show her up,” Joey pleaded to Eric. Eric knew better than to do that, though. Joey's voice would be perfectly in line with what she heard, but the context would be completely different. She would easily notice, so he could not risk it.

“I can’t right now. I have to be in a certain type of stressed ‘mood’ for him to come out,” he explains. “Can I get you anything to drink? Anything to eat?” he asked, trying to be a good host. She glanced at him through the corner of her eye and smiled.

“Water would be good, if you have any,” she said. Eric walked to the kitchen to get her water and his beer. He glanced into the living room before walking into the kitchen muttering, “I think she bought it.”

In all actuality, she didn't buy anything. She could also hear his muttering with her sharp hearing. Once he disappeared into the kitchen, she started looking through his book shelf. She established that he was into the old religions of the world, and that art was a given. From some of the eclectic titles she surmised that Eric had some different views then most people. She turned back to the sofa and sat down. A book caught her eye on the ground. She spied the word "Voodouin" in the title. She picked it up with curiosity.

“Voodoo Eric?” she questioned. She opened the book and skimmed the pages. There were English translations written in pen all over the place. She raised an eye brow. Kat wondered if these translations about voodoo were related to Eric's strange behavior. “So this is what helped spark that split personality? I’ll poke around that,” she concluded, putting the book on the table. She sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs. She rested her hands on her knees as Eric came back with their drinks.

“Here you go Kat,” he said as he handed her the bottle of water. She took it with a nod of her head.

“Thank you darling… so I see you are into the art of Voodoo?” she asked, eyes moving to the book. Eric’s eyes followed, as well.

 Eric broke into a cold sweat. He decided to try and play it off like he didn’t know much about it, which deep inside killed him to even consider.

“Not really. I was just reading it. You know I am a collector of ancient texts and grimoires but that doesn’t mean I necessarily know very much about them or believe in them.” He shrugged his shoulders as he talked.

“Oh, of course not. Then again, I never made a reference to you believing it; just that you are interested in it,” she raised her eye brow as she watched him. He went on the defense so quickly. She mused that this must be where the center of Eric's disorder pulled itself from. “You know, interestingly enough, Voodoo has been said to bring back the dead in various ways. One way bears a great resemblance to the mythology of zombies. Another way is the possession of a live person into which spirits enter,” Kat said to show off her knowledge about the religion.

“She’s on to us Eric. Your plan isn’t working out too well now is it?” Joey questioned Eric’s methods, the cold sweat now becoming warm. Not only from Joey’s comment or from Kat’s straight intelligence, but also his fever which had increased from the sudden stress he was putting on his body.

“Excuse me, I don’t feel too well,” he muttered, heading to the bathroom. Kat watched Eric lumber to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Kat sneaked over on her tip toes after a minute, hearing what sounded like two voices. She kneeled down and pressed her ear to the door.

“She is not on to us. She is just trying to make it seem like that. Calm down and relax,” Eric voice flowed with reassurance like the water that flowed from the sink once he turned it on. He splashed his face, trying to cool himself down. He looked up at the mirror as water dripped from his bangs. It was not his reflection he saw, but Joey’s. Joey wrinkled his nose at what he said.

“How isn’t she on to us?” Joey questioned Eric. Eric was more intelligent than that. He knew he was very observant. If he could see she was close to figuring them out, then Eric must know this as well. How could Eric act like it was no big deal? Joey was more freaked out than Eric. Perhaps that’s why Eric didn't feel at all nervous. The emotional and soul connection that linked the two friends together was starting to blur the lines of differentiation. The strange magic was causing the one who never lost his cool to actually begin to worry.

“She just asked if we were into Voodoo, nothing more and nothing less,” Eric’s charming words rang through the bathroom over the sound of the running water. "NOT that I had a CHOICE in the matter..." Eric added with a scowl.

“But your blunt and defensive replies have caused suspicion. Let’s add that you went directly to the bathroom to avoid her. Now she really knows something is up. Just be honest with her. Tell her what happened,” Joey suggested to Eric. Eric thought and shook the idea right off.

“She’s logical Joey. I’m sure she won’t believe that by doing some ritual, you came back to life,” he said with disdain. He imagined a few sarcastic and mocking things Kat would say if he just came out and told her.

“Then again, she studies world religions and philosophies. I’m sure that Voodoo is not going to cause her to be simple-minded and ignore all the research, time, and effort she put into her studying. You really shouldn’t make assumptions about people like that,” Joey said with hope. 

“Just shut up, Joey,” Eric demanded as he turned off the water. He opened the door and blinked to see Kat sitting in front of the door.

“I heard everything,” Kat stated loudly from behind the bathroom door. Eric's eyes widened becoming the size of basketballs. No way, had she been listening this whole time. He briefly panicked.

“You were eavesdropping?” Eric growled. How dare this woman come into his house and wiggle her way into his personal life. “You know what? Get out of my house before I call the cops on you for trespassing.”

“Yes Eric, that is the best way to solve this problem,” Joey ran his mouth with disappointment. He always thought Eric would handle problems better than this. Kat raised a single eye brow at his reaction. She caught him red-handed, though she guessed she shouldn’t have expected anything else.