Erik & Lanie

by ChaShiree M.

  “I am in Moosehead with Ava and Kitty. I’ll be home later. Bye.” I look down at the phone in disbelief. Did she just hang up on me? What the fuck is going on?

  Lanie

  I cannot believe I hung up on my husband or that I lied to him, but I am at my wit’s end. I’m beyond pissed at this point. I watched as he walked into his office with a shit-eating grin on his face. He must be in a hurry to get to her. It seems as if I can’t get him to smile most days. Kileen can’t either.

  The fact that he’s calling me immediately after entering his office, makes me wonder if I might be reading more into this. Okay, yes, I am spying on him. In my defense, I had a good reason. But now I am not sure. I’m starting to think I am losing my mind if I am being honest.

  Why is he working the weekends? Why doesn’t he want to spend time with me? I hate that I am so unsure of myself right now. I’m not usually like this.

  When I get out of the car, I automatically check the car seat and remember Kileen is with her grandparents. I head into Missy’s diner for some coffee and the best pancakes I've ever had. The first thing I see is Hagen, my uncle-in-law arguing with Missy, the diner’s owner. I sidestep them and grab a booth. That's new. Everyone has had a sneaking suspicion that they've been secretly dating. Who knows though?

  I'm looking through my phone, while waiting on a waitress when I hear keys jangle, and someone sits across from me. I look up in time to see the good Sheriff take his Stetson off and sets it next to him.

  “What's up, Leif?” I ask. Leif Larsen use to sit next to me in homeroom, senior year.

  “Lanie. How ya been?”

  “Fine. You?”

  “Alright.”

  Our waitress, Cadi, walks up to the table.

  “Hey Lanie. Sherriff. What can I get ya?”

  “Coffee and a short stack with an order of bacon.”

  “I'll have the same but make mine with double bacon.” I roll my eyes. Everybody wants double bacon.

  “Coming right up,” Cadi says before leaving.

  “Did you need something?” I ask.

  “What can you tell me about Madelyn?” You've got to be fucking kidding me! Is everyone in love with this girl? She must have the best pussy in the tri-state area or something.

  “She's a nice girl. Good at her job.”

  “Is she seeing anyone?” My husband.

  “What?” He asks angrily.

  “Huh?” I ask confused.

  “You said she's seeing your husband,” he says a little less angry, but only a little.

  “I didn't mean to say that out loud. It's a small suspicion at this point.”

  “What makes you suspect that?” He asks, all cop like.

  “Little things, but nothing concrete. Don't tell anyone I said that. Please.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.” he says as Hagen and Missy get louder.

  I scream when something hits my head hard and bounces off hitting the window next to me, breaking it. It implodes for some reason, and the side of my face is showered with sugar and glass. The sugar gets in my eyes, and of course it feels like sand. What the fuck?

  “Oh fuck. I'm so sorry, Lanie. Are you okay?” Missy shouts from across the room. I hear running, but my vision is blurred.

  “Um, no.” Besides my head hurting like a motherfucker, my face is cut and bleeding. I know face wounds bleed a lot, but this seems like too much. I lift my hand to the rapidly rising knot on my head and touch it gently. It comes away with blood. Lots of blood. I gasp, causing Leif to hop up and lift me in arms.

  It feels wrong, someone else is touching me but there isn't a lot I can do about it right now. I don't think I can walk if I tried. He walks me outside. I'm crying, bleeding, and everything is gray except the sun. It's bright. Too bright, causing me to turn my face into Leif's chest. Suddenly, I hear Erik shouting. Erik. My Erik.

  “Lanie? What the fuck is going on? I thought you were in Moosehead.” I turn my head to look at him. I can feel the blood pouring out of body. That can't be good. My already slow heartbeat is slowing down even more. I can't see, but my eyes might be closed.

  “Oh baby. What the fuck happened to my wife, Larsen?” He demands.

  “There was an accident at the dinner,” Leif responds, but then everything fades to black. Is this death?

  Erik

  If it wasn’t for my uncle Hagen calling and telling me that he saw Lanie’s car pull up, I would still be at home waiting on her like a fucking moron. I was about to ask him if he would make sure she stayed there, when I heard Missy start yelling at him and vice versa, he started yelling back at her. I hung up the phone, grabbed my keys, and walked out the door.

  On the way there my cock is throbbing and panting. Knowing Kileen is with my parents, I plan to take my wife home, fuck the shit out of her, and right whatever the hell has gone awry. I take a deep breath as I park the car and get out. As I am about to walk across the street to get to the diner, I see her sitting in a seat talking to someone. Looking across from her, my eyes automatically see red. What the fuck is she doing having…. anything with Leif? Fuck. The fact that he is the sheriff means shit. He is a MAN. A man that is not ME!!!

  The muscles in my back are twitching, preparing for battle. I feel like a fucking lycan right now. My bodies reaction is to transform into something I don’t even recognize. I have every right to be upset but getting into it with the Sheriff is probably not the best idea. Fuck. Being in a situation where I can do nothing does not sit well with me. I am not built this way. But the last thing I want to do is cause a scene. The decision I make is to walk down the block and cool down before I go in.

  I am about half way down the block when I start thinking to myself, fuck the Sheriff. And fuck Jail. Everything I am going to do to him, he deserves. Everyone in this damn town knows who she is to me. They also know to stay the fuck away. He broke the fucking rules.

  Turning around, I start heading back in the direction of the diner when I see him carrying her out of the door. I swear, someone wants to see me loose it. His fucking hands are on my woman.

  “Lanie? What the fuck is going on? I thought you were in Moosehead.” I question. It is the first thing that pops into mind. My mind is trying to start with the smallest thing possible to keep from losing my shit. When she doesn’t answer, I address Leif.

  “What the hell are you doing with your hands on my wife, you son-of-a-bitch?”

  “Erik...”

  “Don’t fucking ‘Erik’ me. You dead motherfucker. She is supposed to be in Moosehead with the girls and here she is having a secret rendezvous with you? What the hell else am I supposed to think?”

  “Really Erik? That’s rich coming from you.” What the hell is that supposed to mean? I am about to ask him exactly that, while trying to extricate Lanie from his arms. But then I hear the moan.

  “Erik?” Lanie.

  “Erik, we don’t have time for this. Look at her!” I stop mugging him long enough to look over my wife and it’s then I see the blood dripping from her head.

  “Oh baby. What the fuck happened to my wife, Larsen?” Could I be any more self-involved? Way to go Jorgensen.

  “There was an accident in the diner,” Leif responds. “She got hit in the head with glass from a broken window.”

  “Hand her to me. I will hold her while you drive us to the hospital.” He nods and places her in my arms. My body physically exhales now that it is holding the very reason it breathes. We are in the car in record time. The ten-minute drive to the hospital feels like a lifetime.

  “Wake up baby. Come on. Lanie. Please wake up. What happened baby? Please be ok? I love you so fucking much. Baby. Wake up and look at your, Konnungar. Look at me my, Thrall.” I say desperately rubbing her face.

  I feel like I am in a nightmare. Her blood is falling down my arms burning with each slide and on my pants, taunting me like a clown in a haunted house. Walking into the hospital with my unconscious wife in my arms, I feel numb. Luckily, I know the do
ctor on call.

  “Morris. It’s Lanie. Please help her.” I say placing her on the gurney. My hand has yet to move from her face. I can’t bring myself to stop touching her. Making sure she is breathing.

  “Erik. You have to let me take her. I need to work on her and then I will come out as soon as I know something.” Reluctantly, but knowing I have no choice, I walk away from the gurney. Immediately my ire turns to and on Leif.

  “Start talking Larsen. What the fuck happened?”

  “I am not sure. Missy and Hagen were yelling, then the next thing I know something flies across the room and the window breaks. Afterwards, Missy is there apologizing and here we are.”

  As pissed as I am right now, I know Missy would never hurt her on purpose. As a matter of fact, I am…

  “Nephew! How is she?” I turn and am not surprised to see them both here.

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “I am so sorry, Erik. I don't know what happened. I picked up a container and was about to fling at your uncle when it flew out of my hand. I would never hurt her or anyone in your family.”

  “I know Missy.” She begins to cry leaning against the wall.

  I can see the indecision on Hagen’s face and then the moment he decides the hell with it. He walks over to her and though she is tense in his arms initially, she eventually boroughs into him and sobs. I want to tell her I know it was an accident, but I feel it best to let my Uncle console his wife.

  “Erik.”

  “Morris. Is she ok? Can I see her?”

  “She is ok. She has suffered a severe concussion and as a result lost consciousness. She is awake but groggy. And she is going to have a migraine for at least a week. I wouldn't leave her alone during that time. Nor would I leave her with the baby. She’s received ten stitches, which will need to be removed in about ten days. If all else checks out, she can go home in the morning. You can see her now.”

  There are no more words needed, I head straight to the room she is in. Fuck everything else. I am done playing around. I know I was trying to surprise her, but something between us is broken and I am done pussy footing around it. It is time to get things back to the way they have always been.

  Times up my little, Thrall. Your, Konnungar is back!!

  Lanie

  My head feels as if it’s going to explode, but all in all I’m fine. Waking up in the hospital was surprising and weird. One minute I was at the diner talking to Leif and the next I am getting stitched up. The doctor was here, but now I’m all alone. I hate being alone. I try not to freak out, but thankfully Erik bursts through the door seconds later. He looks...relieved to see me.

  “Konnungar,” I say before I can stop myself.

  “Thrall, you scared the shit out of me,” he says coming over to my bedside. I shiver involuntarily. He tries to touch my hand and I pull it back.

  “Melanie Rose Jorgensen, what the fuck is going on? You pull back from me. You won’t let me make love to you. I am at a loss as to what’s wrong and can’t fix what I don’t know is broken.”

  “I need some space,” I say slowly. Even as the words come out, I don’t mean them.

  “Over my dead body, baby,” he says. Thank God. “Now tell me what is going on.”

  “I haven’t been feeling great.”

  “So, you lied to me about going to Moosehead to eat a meal with the fucking Sheriff?” He asks calmly.

  “I was going to Moosehead, I swear. But I got hungry. Then he sat down to talk to me.” I respond.

  “Afterwards, the owner of the restaurant throws something that ends up flying at you and shatters the window?”

  “That about sums it up,” I say. “Can we go home now?”

  “I’ll check with the doctor. You will be glued to my side until you are feeling better.”

  “Okay,” I say as he leaves the room. My phone rings and looking at the screen, I see that it’s my sister. Thank God. “Kensie?”

  “What’s up? I got your weird text earlier, but I was in class. Sorry.”

  “I need you, Kensie. Can you come home? Please,” I beg.

  “Of course. I’ll drive home now. I can be there in six hours.”

  “Thank you Kensie. I love you. Drive safe.”

  “Love you too,” she says before hanging up.

  When Erik comes back in with the doctor, I set my phone back down. His eyes widen a bit when he sees it.

  “Alright, Mrs. Jorgensen, you are all set. A nurse will be in shortly to discharge you,” Doctor Morris says.

  “Thank you,” I say. As soon as the doctor leaves, Erik turns to me.

  “Kensie’s coming home,” I say before he can say anything.

  “Oh, that will be good.”

  “Mrs. Jorgensen?” A nurse asks peeking her head in.

  “Yes.”

  “Alright. No driving until the headache subsides. See your primary care physician to remove the stitches in ten days.”

  “Okay.”

  “Here is a prescription. It’s safe for your baby. I’ll have your husband sign this and you are out of here.”

  “Thanks again. Wait, what baby?” I ask confused.

  At the same time Erik says, “You’re pregnant?”

  “Your chart indicates that you are two and a half months pregnant. Did you not know?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You’ll need to follow up with you doctor there too then.”

  “I will,” I respond. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. Prior to this we were fucking like rabbits.

  Erik signs the papers and helps me out of bed. My legs are like jelly, but they work fine. Once outside we get into Sven’s truck, because Leif drove us and was called to an emergency a few hours ago. We don’t say anything the whole way home. Erik thanks Sven and we go inside.

  “Where’s Kileen?” I ask, taking my coat off.

  “My mom has her until you are feeling better.”

  “Oh okay. I guess.” I miss my baby. “I’m going to bed.” I really can’t deal with this right now. I can’t believe that I’m pregnant and didn’t even realize it. How out of it have I been?

  “Rest up. When you wake up, we have a lot to talk about.”

  “We do,” I say dreading it. The longer it takes to have this conversation, the longer I can ignore it. But at what cost. My sanity. My heart. My love. How much more can I take?

  Erik

  Sitting on the bed staring at my wife, I am trying to imagine my life without her in it. The problem is…there is no existence without her. Knowing I could have lost her today makes everything that has been going on between us somehow seem so small. But the truth is it’s not. I don’t even know what it is.

  At this moment she looks peaceful, but somehow still immersed in pain. She seems to be resting now. If it were physical pain, I could do something about that. Or at least find someone who could. But this…this is emotional, soul churning, and bone deep pain. It is killing me, I don’t know what is causing it and how to stop it.

  Walking out of the room, I go into the kitchen and head straight for the fridge. I need a fucking beer. Popping the top, I sit on one of the chairs at the breakfast bar lamenting my choices. First, I start going over and over everything in my mind. Checking and rechecking if I did anything to cause the division. Finally, after revisiting the past year at nauseum, I decide I need a man-ter-vention. I’m calling in my brothers.

  “Erik, is everything ok? Your calling awfully late, or early depending on how you look at it.” He’s right.

  I should feel guilty about calling Bill at two in the morning. Especially with him having a young baby and all, but I can’t seem to find the guilt. It’s probably being buried by the panic of my life falling apart. I hear his wife Daisy say something to him. And he tells her to go back to sleep.

  “Yea. I’m sorry man. But I could really use you and the boys right now. It’s Lanie.”

  “I’m on my way.” I knew that would call to him. He spent 18 years of his life in a loveless marri
age. When he found Daisy, though she is half his age, we were all so happy. You could dance on top of the layer of love pouring off of them.

  I spend the next five minutes calling the rest of my brothers except Sven, because we still don't know where he is. Everyone else agrees to come once I say it is about my wife. She is the other little sister in the family. They all love her. What’s not to love? She is funny. Bright. Sweet. Kind. Selfless and she loves my family and our heritage as much as we do.

  I pull out the cooler and put the beer and waters on ice. Just as I am done making bowls of chips, they begin to arrive. I don’t want them waking her up, so I make it to the door and open it before they can ring the bell. After directing everyone to the basement, I spill the details of the past few weeks.

  “Fuck man.” Bill never fails to surprise me with his language.

  “I know, bro.”

  “I mean you and Lanie have always sort of been the good luck charm of relationships, besides mom, dad, and the grands. And you say you don’t know what happened?”

  “No clue mans. If I did, I would be moving heaven and earth to fix it.”

  “What about that postpartum stuff?”

  “Loki, I swear I thought of that first. But the thing is, from everything I’ve read and gpa said, they usually want nothing to do with their babies while they have that. She has been nothing but a great mom.”

  “Well shit. I don’t want to be the downer here and say some fucked up shit, but you did say she was having dinner with Leif. I mean, as much as I hate to voice it, maybe she is having an…”

  “Don’t fucking finish that statement, Torran. My wife would never cheat on me. You understand me?” My blood pressure rises thinking of another man touching what belongs to me. I would spend the rest of my life in jail after ripping the motherfucker to shreds.

  “Calm down, Brick. None of us believe that. Torran was only playing devil's advocate. Listen, the best any of us can tell you is to talk to her. Ask her straight out. No bullshit, what the hell is going on? There is no doubt in any of our minds that you two love each other. Miscommunications can sometimes be the root of all misgivings. Talk to her.”