Chapter 44b – Tina’s POV

God it’s so hot out. It must be at least 90 degrees out there. Jesus, but it’s so much hotter in this room. I still can’t believe that people here shut everything down when it gets a little toasty. That’s a tad dramatic. Well, at least I got the rest of the day to myself. I start to change out of my clothes when there’s a knock on my door.

“Tina, are you in there?” I hear Eric on the other side of the door. We haven’t really said a word to one another since he picked a fight about Bette and I stormed off. In fact the last words I said to him on the phone were to ‘fuck off’. Still, maybe he’s come to his senses and wants to apologize.

“Come in.”

“Hey.” He says sheepishly. “Tina,” he starts giving me the full Porter puppy dog eyes. Usually I find it irresistible in both of the Porter twins, but today I can’t get past that fight. He hesitates for some reason, just looking at me. It’s confusing. “Tina, do you think you can put a shirt on or at least a bra? It’s a little distracting.” I had forgotten that I was changing when he knocked. It’s so hot, I hadn’t even noticed.

“Ok.” I simply say to him, not letting him off of the hook, while putting on a t-shirt and sitting on my bed. He takes a seat on the bed as well, but not quite next to me.

“Look, babe. I’m really sorry about the thing with Bette the other day. I just…I don’t know, it’s a sense I get from the two of you that…” he sighs, clearly struggling.

“That what, Eric?” Maybe what he saw could shed some light for me about what is happening between Bette and me.

“I can’t put my finger on it, really.” Damn. “You both exchange a look and things change. I almost feel like the third wheel when she comes around. And it feels pretty shitty.” Wow that’s almost exactly what Alice said to me yesterday. I guess in all of my confusion, I haven’t made space to really put myself in his shoes.

“I’m sorry you feel that way babe.” I say stroking his hair. In this heat his short hair is curled a little tighter and noticeably frizzier. “But you know that nothing has happened between us, right? I wouldn’t do that to you.”