His fleeting smile certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Trish cherished it the short time it lasted, remotely pleased with herself for provoking such a response from her otherwise uneasy friend. She could tell he was tense, but why he was seemed to evade her. Needless to say, it had her worrying more than ever, which was something pretty impressive for Trish. She tended to internalize just about everything, so worry became second nature where her mates were involved. This was different though. She couldn’t quite make out why, but she did perceive that much. In all the years she’d known Ed, he had never been so serious for such an extended amount of time. It was a rarity indeed when Trish couldn’t pull him out of a slump. This was foreign territory for her, and she didn’t like it one bit. As exciting as change could be, this wasn’t something she perceived as an acceptable one.
The few seconds of relief she’d felt by seeing his smile only faded back into concern when Ed released his hold on her. Once again she felt vulnerable and rather useless. Ed moved to the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands as he refrained from contact with her. In an attempt to keep herself composed, Trish pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She was feeling nauseated all over again, and as much as she hoped to push it aside and just throw her arms around her friend again, she knew this wasn’t the time for such things. He had distanced himself for a reason, one Trish hoped he’d just come out with sooner rather than later. She couldn’t fix it if he wouldn’t allow her the chance.
When Ed abruptly got up from the bed and began pacing the room, Trish took it as her opportunity to dry her silent tears that still threatened to fall. She didn’t want him to continue to see her in a state of complete loss, knowing well enough that would make his situation more unbearable, whatever his situation was. Once she’d wiped her face off on her sleeve a few times, Trish shifted her attention back to her best mate. She hated seeing him like that. It was almost like watching an agitated, caged animal after being snatched from his natural environment. Unnerving to say the very least! Trish chewed on her lip anxiously as she waited for some sign he’d come around, and was somewhat relieved when Ed took a seat on the bed again. The fact he was making eye contact was a positive sign, but Trish recognized too well the anxious way he rubbed his face. She tried to remain calm for his sake, but everything within Trish was starting to get worked into a state of panic. Trish straightened her legs out on the bed again, shifting back against Ed’s pillows in an attempt to make herself appear more at ease. Within seconds of her moving, Ed placed a hand over hers. That was fortunately all it took to bring more peace back to her, however little that peace was. He began to speak but stopped rather abruptly again, and Trish nearly opened her mouth to encourage him to continue. She was glad she didn’t, however, because it was followed by precisely what she needed to hear.
Ed and Trish had said they loved each other before, so it wasn’t exactly something that had her reeling. She figured it was just his way of preparing her for whatever else he had to say. Little did she realize this time he meant more. When Ed smiled, it did confuse her. It was almost as if he wasn’t planning on continuing. Surely he had something massive to thrust on her judging by the way he was acting. Trish’s eyes remained glued to his, and when he didn’t speak for a few more seconds, she lifted her fingers that were beneath his hand to link them with his. “I know, Boner. I love you, too. Nothing you have to say will ever change that,” she assured him. With that, Trish decided to move closer to Ed again, partly because the distance made her feel sick and partly because she wanted to drive home she meant exactly what she said. Keeping her hand in his, Trish shifted herself around to sit on the edge of the bed near him. Then she brought her other hand over on top of his, looking back to Ed once more. “Tell me what’s on your mind."