Eric sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. ‘What was I thinking?’ Eric scolded himself. ‘How could I have let her go without a fight?’ The events of the past month ran through his mind.
Finding Greta’s mother, realising his feelings for Greta, being introduced to Prince Henry, Greta’s childhood friend outside of her boarding school life, the 3 coming back to Salem, and loosing Greta to Henry.
‘Why didn’t I tell her how I felt when I had the chance? I told her I was happy for her. But what if she hadn’t felt the same way?’ A million questions raced through his head, as he heard the phone ring.
Sighing he picked up the phone. "Hello," he said into the receiver.
"Hi Eric, it’s me," came a female voice from the other end. Eric would recognise that voice anywhere.
"Hey Greta, how’s everything?," Eric asked trying to sound normal.
"Everything’s great. I know it’s short notice, but Henry and I are having a party tonight to celebrate his moving to Salem, I think it might be a good way for him to meet everyone, and we’d like you to come," Greta said cheerfully into the phone.
She sounded very happy. "I don’t know Greta, I’ve been very busy lately," he said. the truth was that Eric had absolutely nothing to do. He was completely free, but he didn’t think that he would be able to stand going through an evening watching Greta in the arms of another man.
"Oh come Eric, please. For me? It would mean a lot to me if you could be there tonight," Greta pleaded.
How could he say no to her. "All right, I guess I’ll be able to make it," Eric said giving in.
"Great! See you tonight."
"C Ya," Eric said putting the phone down. How was he going to get through this evening? He thought burying his face in his hands.

Greta was in her new apartment getting reading for the party that night. Henry was a sweet guy. When she had met him that night in Paris a while after finding her mother, she had been completely charmed by him. He was not at all the same guy that she had played with when she was home from school, but a charming gentleman, although not as charming as…
‘You have to stop thinking about him’ she told herself. ‘I he had cared about you in that way he would have told you, not given you his blessing to be with another man’ Greta thought.
All was done with. She had come back to Salem with Henry and was happy with him.
‘Who are you kidding Greta?’ she said looking at her reflection in the mirror. ‘You want Eric, that’s who you’ve wanted since that night you had slept in his arms. Stop it Greta. Your not going to think of him for the rest of the night.’ Greta ordered herself taking one last look at herself. She grabbed her car keys off the bedside table and headed out the door to Henry’s new house.

Eric was in his car driving to the party at Henry’s, thought’s of Greta still running through his mind. He turned on the car radio only to hear the voices of 98 Digrees singing ‘If She Only Knew’
‘What if Greta only knew? What if she know how much I cared about her? Would she come back to me. But as the guys in the song say it’s much to hard to say. Do I risk the chance of being hurt again?’
From somewhere in the back of his head though he heard a voice telling him to go for it.
‘What am I to do?’ he asked himself as he turned into the driveway of Henry’s house.

Greta had her arm through Henry’s as they talked to Bo and Hope.
"I think I’ll learn to get used to this lifestyle. It’s a bit different from what I’m used to in Paris, but it’s all worth it for Greta." Henry said smiling down at Greta, as Greta smiled back.
‘If only it could be Eric standing next to me,’ she thought. On instinct she turned to the front door to find Eric walking in through the door, he looked up and caught her eye. They both looked at each other for a moment, but Eric broke the gaze, and smiled at her.
"I’ll be right back dear, excuse me," she said looking at Bo and Hope, as she walked to Eric.
"You look beautiful Greta," Eric said when she approached him.
"You look very handsome yourself."
"So, this a really nice house. A little big though for one guy don’t you think?" Eric said at a lose for anything else to say.
"Yeah well Henry is used to big. Would you like a tour?" Greta asked, wanting to be alone with him.
"Sure, why not?"
The two headed upstairs un-noticed by anyone but Princess Gina who was acutely aware of her daughter’s feelings for Eric.

"This is the master bedroom," Greta said leading Eric into a huge bedroom, decorated with antiques.
Greta was explaining to him about some of the antiques but he was too mesmerised by her beauty to hear a word she was saying. Finally exiting that room he was lead into a more feminine looking room, decorated with flowers, pastel coloured bedding, and a bit of furniture.
"Whose room is this?" Eric asked confused as to why Henry would need a room like this.
Greta was quiet for a minute but then replied "Mine."
Eric felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. He hadn’t realised that the relationship had gotten this serious in just a few weeks. There was no way that he could tell her about his feelings for him anymore.
"Well it’s kind of like my room. Henry want’s me to move in with him, but I told him that I’m not ready yet. I think that I still need a bit of time to get used to this whole relationship thing."
"Yeah, it’s good to take things slow, especially with a guy that you’ve only just recently reunited with again," Eric said relieved.
"Yeah," Greta replied looking as if she were thinking about something.
Eric walked further into the room. "This room has quite a view though," Eric said looking out the great big window on one side to the room. Greta walked up next to him.
"Yeah it is. So many lights. You can see the whole city from here."
Eric looked at her and impulsively asked, "Are you happy with him? I mean with Henry?" When Greta didn’t reply he began to apologise but Greta interjected.
"Henry is a great guy, but he’s different from the guys I’ve gotten to know. I know that he’s trying to adjust to normal life here in Salem but I can see it’s hard for him. He’s used to being formal, and polite all the time, sometimes it’s hard."
"Yeah but you haven’t answered my question, are you happy?" Eric asked again looking her in the eyes, resisting every temptation to take her in his arms and kissing her.
"Oh Eric," Greta said, looking at him as the moonlight fell on his face. "I don’t know."
Eric took her in his arms stroking her hair. It felt so right to hold her in his arms, as he felt Greta relax against him.
Greta pulled away slightly and the two looked into each other’s eyes again. Eric couldn’t resist anymore, he bent his head down to kiss her hoping that she would kiss him back.

Princess Gina stood with her good friend Lily, as Lily chatted away about some paintings she had seen in a museum back in Paris.
‘What could be taking them so long?’ Gina wondered.
She knew that her daughter cared for Eric very much, and she knew what it felt like being away from the one that you loved, but she didn’t feel right about her daughter being with Henry, but having feelings foe Eric. From the corner of her eye she watched as Henry walked toward her.
"Have you seen Greta?" He asked her.
"Uh, not I can’t say that I have. Did you need her for something?"
"No, nothing important, but she just disappeared. Maybe she’s upstairs. I’ll go see," Henry said as he turned around.
"Wait, I think that I saw her head for the kitchen, maybe you should try there," Gina said thinking quick.
"All right. Thank you," Henry said and walked to the kitchen at the other end of the room.
"Lily dear, will you excuse me for a moment?" Gina said, as henry walked away.
"Is something that matter?" Lily asked.
"No, nothing. I just need to check on something." Gina said walking to the stairs.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her daughter to have good judgement, but she knew first hand how the heart took over the head so easily.

Greta couldn’t think about anything but Eric as his lips touched hers. The kiss was sweet. Greta had never felt anything like the touch of his lips on hers. She felt his fingers in reach up and take out the pin that held her hair up. His lips moved down to her neck.
"Eric," Greta said.
As if by response his lips came back to her mouth. She ran her hands through his hair.
Henry’s kisses had never made her feel this way, ‘Henry!’ Greta’s mind screamed. She put her hands square on her chest and moved away from him.
"I can’t," Greta said looking down.
"What’s wrong Greta? When I kissed you, you kissed me back, why are you stopping? I care about you Greta, I care about you a lot." Eric had said it. Though not in the words he had intended but he had said it.
Greta looked up at him searching his eyes. She knew that he meant it. It was in his eyes.
Greta was about to tell him that she too cared about him when she saw someone come into the room from the corner of her eye.
"Mother!" Greta gasped.
"Henry is looking for you downstairs dear," her mother said looking at the two.
"All right," Greta said quickly pulling her hair up as neatly as she could. She looked at Eric one more time before she left the room.

Eric stood in the room with Princess Gina thinking about what had just happened.
"Eric I need to talk to you," Gina said.
"Ah, yeah sure," Eric said looking up at her.
"Do you care about my daughter?" she asked.
"How could you ask me a question like that. Of course I care about your daughter, I care about her very much," Eric told her getting somewhat defensive.
"Well than leave her alone. If you really care about her then let her be happy with Henry," Gina told him.
"Do you know what your asking me to do?" Eric asked looking her in the eyes now.
"Yes I do," Gina replied keeping her head high.
"How can you ask me to give up the woman that I love?" Before Eric knew it, the words were out of his mouth.
"Then why didn’t you fight for it at the beginning? Why have you waited until now to tell her, to pursue her? If you had loved her so you would have told her before, fought for her love, not send her in the arms of another man," Gina shot back at him.
"What have I done?" Eric asked himself sitting down onto the bed.
"Eric, I know that you love Greta but it’s too late now, she’s with Henry," Gina told him in a gentler voice.
"No it isn’t. I love her and I’m going to tell her exactly that, and if Henry decides that he won’t give her up, he’s up for a tough fight, because I’m going to win this one," Eric told her getting up.
"Eric I don’t…." Gina started off but was interrupted.
"Ms. Von Amberg, I know that you may think that I’m no the right man for your daughter and, but this is a fight that I will win," Eric said leaving the room.
Gina stood in the room a smile on her face. "Well my job here is done, let’s see what comes of it," she said to herself, as she too walked out of the room.

Greta sat back in the big couch in her apartment. Having changed into sweats and an old t-shit she felt a little at ease. She had left Henry’s party soon after the incident with Eric. He had been very disappointed when she had told him that a terrible headache had come on and she would feel much better if she went home. Henry had insisted that she take his room, or the room he had set up for Greta and come back down when she felt better. She had refused and told him she may come back to the party if she felt better. The truth was that she couldn’t face seeing Eric right now.
More than anything she wanted to run into Eric’s arms and kiss him as if there was no tomorrow.
‘How can you think about yourself, there is more than 2 people involved in this,’ she told herself thinking about Henry. It was apparent that he cared about her very much, she couldn’t brake his heart like that. But she wanted Eric so much.
‘After all he did say he cared about me very much. But was that caring he felt love?’ Greta asked herself.
She sighed getting up from the couch to go to the kitchen and fix herself a pot of coffee when she heard a knock at the door.
Greta sighed. "Who can that be now?" She walked to the door and swung it open.
"Eric!" she cried amazed to see him standing there. "What are you doing here? Aren’t you suppose to be at the party?" she said.
"I had some business to take care of," he told her. "May I come in?"
"Yeah, sure," she said moving aside to let him in.
"Greta we need to talk," Eric said turning to her.
"About what?" Greta asked knowing what was coming next.
"About us," He said. Eric took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "I love you Greta, and when you kissed me tonight I knew that you thought there was something there, you felt it too. I don’t care what I have to do to get your love but I will fight for it if I have to," he told her.
"But what I need to know first is how do you feel about me?" Greta looked into his eyes as he waited for an answer.

To be continued...

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