Chapter 30 - Desolation

"Time to get up," Timo burst into Eric's bedroom. The bed was in a mess, but he wasn't there. "Got up already?" Timo opened the bathroom door, but he wasn't in there either. He was certain he hadn't seen Eric downstairs, so he made his way over to Charlotte's room.

He knocked on the door. "Charlotte, is Eric in there?"

No response.

Timo listened closely and could hear a quiet sob. "This can't be good," he slowly opened the door to Charlotte's bedroom. "Charlotte, what's wrong?" He knelt down beside her bed and looked up at her. "Charlotte," he lightly touched her arm, and she jumped.

"I'm sorry," she wiped her tears away, but they kept coming. "Ugh, it won't stop."

"Why are you crying? Talk to me." He stood and took her phone out of her lap. It was open to Eric's text to her.

"What?" Even Timo didn't see it coming. "How could he? You took him in when he had nowhere to go, and this is how he repays you? I'll destroy this pig... but where could he go? His room looked untouched. This doesn't make any sense..." Timo's eyes widened. "Of course... it had to be him," venom touched his words. "That's the only thing it could be. There's no way he'd run away otherwise. That man loves you too much to run away otherwise."

"What are you talking about?" Charlotte took a deep breath. "Damn, I never expected to cry like this..."

"Dean, that vile piece of scum! It had to be him. We knew he was close to having it all. If Eric is gone, I can only assume it's because of him."

Charlotte nodded and let out a deep sigh. "Why can't he leave me alone? Dean, I'll make you pay for this somehow," she clutched the blanket.

Timo dialled Eric's number on Charlotte's phone.

"The person you have called in unavailable right now," the message played.

"Of course, he turned off his phone. Ugh..." Timo shook his head. "That idiot."

"I'm sure he thought he was doing it for me." Charlotte took her phone back and pulled up a photo of Eric and her from their date. "He's too sweet for his own good."

"Should I hunt him down and drag him back here?"

"No, not yet. There are things to be done before he can come back here, assuming he even wants to come back with all the trouble I've caused him."

"I don't understand you sometimes, Charlotte. I've seen you be a commanding CEO plenty of times, that no one would assume has a soft side, but with Eric, you've been completely..."

"My softer self? Yes, because he brings it out of me. At first, he was someone to take care of—"

"I'm pretty sure that's what drew you in," Timo chuckled. "He was like a lost puppy abandoned on the side of the road, waiting for someone to take him in. Even though he left for now, I will say he is loyal like a dog, too. But one thing bothers me about leaving him out there alone."

"Oh? He is a grown man; he should be okay for a little while at least."

"Have you forgotten? He has no family, seemingly no friends, and if he's avoiding you, no job to pay for a place to stay. It also didn't look like he brought anything with him. He likely did it all under pressure, and thus, had no plan."

Charlotte gasped. "Are you saying he's out there lost, alone, and with nothing to help him survive? What about the credit card I gave him?"

Timo raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think he'd use that now? He's trying to cut everything off at once. Why else do you think he left empty-handed?"

"Crap." Charlotte rubbed her face. "That also means he won't accept help from me right now, even if I found him."

"I guess we'll just have to hope he's well and do everything we can to bring him back home."

"I guess it's finally time to face off with Dean."

Eric sat at a random bus stop all night, his mind going in circles. Char... It had only been hours, but he missed her more than he could've ever imagined. Ugh, how do I even know if Dean will hold up his end? He looked at the money Dean threw at him. I'd hate to use his money, but need somewhere to stay, food, a shower, and at least another outfit.

His stomach growled as soon as he thought about food.

I can't even turn on my phone to look for the cheapest hotel around. It's not like I can rent somewhere with no job. Maybe I should buy a tent and go live in the woods. Eric shuddered. I don't think I could survive out in the woods.

Eric looked at the map up on the bus station and spotted a library nearby. Should be able to use a computer there, and at least my clothes have dried.

It only took ten minutes to walk to the nearest library, and luckily, it was already open for the day. He got a few odd looks on his way in and assumed it was because his suit was dirty.

At one of the computers, he looked for the cheapest hotel, and then at job listings.

I'm not qualified for any of these.

"Eric? Is that you?" a familiar female voice called out to him. She rushed up to him. "It is you!" She lunged at him to give him a hug. "I thought you were dead! No calls, no texts, nothing. I haven't seen or heard from you in so long I assumed the worse." She took a deep breath and backed away.

"Karen... I'm sorry about that. Life was a bit hectic for a while there, and now I'm out of a job and home," he shrugged.

"A home?" Her brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I'll figure something out somehow. Anyway, what are you doing at the library early in the morning?"

"I was returning a book and taking out a new one. And don't try to distract me. I don't have a spare bedroom, but you can sleep on the couch until you've pulled your life together a bit."

Live with another woman? "Thank you, but I can't accept that."

"Jobless and homeless, and you still don't want my help?" Karen sighed and sat down in the chair beside him. "Fine," she huffed. "You don't have to use my couch, but I do know someone who's looking for help. It's a minimum wage job, but you can probably start today or tomorrow. As for a place to stay, there's a cheap but clean motel I know of." She brought up a map on the computer. "Here, it's not too far away either."

"Thirty a night? That is cheap. Are you sure there're no bugs and dirty sheets?"

"Last time I was there, everything was clean. It doesn't come with food, but there is a TV in every room, and free wi-fi."

"Do I want to know why you know all this?"

Karen shook her head. "No, you don't need to know." If he wasn't going to confide in her more than necessary, she wasn't going to either. "So, do you want the job?"

"What is it?"

"Cashier at the flower shop. You'd have to help a bit otherwise, but that's the main part of the job. It's around here," she pointed at the map.

"A flower shop?" Eric nodded. "I think that should be doable."

"I'll let my uncle know you'll be showing up today. Just tell him your name, and that I sent you." Karen ripped a piece of paper off the corner of her notebook in her bag. "This is the name of the place, location, and my number if you need anything." She slid the paper on the table to him. "I hope this'll at least help you get onto your feet soon. I've got to go."

Eric stood when she did, gripping the paper. "Thank you, Karen, and I'm sorry it's been so long since we've talked."

"Yeah, yeah, just make sure it doesn't happen again. Let's talk soon." Karen headed off.

A new start... This is going to be rough.