Sudden Response (EMS #1)(51)

As long as Joe was happy and safe he could do anything.

"You want to talk about it?" Nathan asked.

"Nope."

"It would probably help to talk about it," Nathan mused.

Eric turned his glare on his brother. "Oh? Really? Then I guess you'd like to get a few things off your chest."

The scowl Nathan sent his way was answer enough. He mumbled something before turning his attention back to the game. Good. He didn't want to talk about Joe anymore than Nathan wanted to talk about Caitlyn. As long as Nathan kept his ass close by so that he could manipulate the bastard into sending text messages to Joe for him then he didn't care if his brother was sulking or pissed. He had his own shit to deal with and didn't-

"She's not Joe," Nathan said softly, grabbing his attention in a big way.

"What?" he asked, frowning at his brother.

"I ended things with Caitlyn because she's not Joe," Nathan admitted.

"Oh, I see," Eric said slowly as his brain struggled to comprehend what Nathan said and when it did he found himself on top of Nathan and beating the shit out of him.

"Stop!" Nathan snapped, but he couldn't. He knew Nathan would be the better man for Joe and that he should just step back and wish him well, but jealousy was a bitch and currently had him beating the hell out of his brother.

The fight quickly turned into a wrestling match with Eric trying to get a few more shots at his brother while Nathan did his best to shove Eric off and get away.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nathan demanded as he shot an elbow to Eric's gut to get him off.

"You want Joe," Eric said, moving to throttle the bastard.

Nathan's horrified look gave him pause. "I don't want Joe!" he snapped, sounding disgusted and looking close to vomiting at the very idea.

"What the hell is wrong with Joe?" he demanded, pissed at that look of revulsion on Nathan's face.

"She's my sister, ass**le! Now get the hell off of me!" Nathan said, shoving him away so that he could get to his feet.

Eric got to his own feet, noticing the blood dripping from his nose for the first time. Well, it looked as though Nathan got in a few shots. Thankfully the man hadn't broken his nose, but it still stung like a bitch.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nathan demanded as he wiped blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"What's yours?" Eric demanded right back.

"You are!" Nathan snapped, looking ready to leap at him.

"What did I do?"

"Joe!" Nathan shot back, shoving a frustrated hand through his hair as he started pacing Eric's small living room.

"What about her?" Eric asked, wondering if Nathan knew what happened between the two of them.

"You're a f**king idiot," Nathan practically snarled.

"You want to explain that?" Eric bit out tightly as he took an aggressive step towards his brother. Between the bullshit at work, what happened with Joe and having to push her away for her own good he was in no mood for any more bullshit.

"You have a woman who is beyond perfect for you, loves you, and who would walk on glass for you and you don't even see it," Nathan spat out.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eric lied, wishing like hell they weren't having this conversation.

"Bullshit!" Nathan snapped, getting into his face. "You love her. I know you do and she loves you. I've seen the way you look at her. I know that the two of you have a connection that anyone would kill for," he said before muttering, "I would kill to have a woman who made me feel the way Joe makes you feel."

"How exactly do you think you think she makes me feel?" Eric asked, wondering how the hell they ended up here. He didn't want to have this conversation and was more than willing to go back to trading punches to avoid it.

"Whole," Nathan said, hitting the nail on the head and damn near making him stumble.

That's exactly how she made him feel. When she was around he felt complete, happy and at peace and when she wasn't around he felt lost. He hated being away from her and hated knowing that it was something that he would have to get used to it.

"I want what you're refusing to see," Nathan explained. "I want a woman that makes me feel complete, makes me happy and someone I couldn't imagine living without."

"We're just friends," Eric said lamely as he tried to ignore the ache in his chest. He missed her, wanted her and he was too f**king scared to go for it.

"Bullshit! She's everything to you and you damn well know it. While I would kill to have my own Joe you're throwing yours aside like it's nothing. What the hell are you going to do when she finds someone else? You don't think that will kill you to watch her with another man, knowing it could have been you?"

"Yes!" he roared. "It will f**king kill me to watch her with another man. Are you f**king happy?" he demanded, ignoring the look of pity on his brother's face as he scrubbed his hands down his face. "I'm not good enough for her. I wouldn't have the first clue about how to treat her."

"What the hell are you talking about? No one would ever treat her better and we both know it."

Eric let out a humorless laugh at that. "Really? What exactly are you basing this on? I sure as hell hope it's not based on how I treated all my old girlfriends because we both know that's exactly how it will be with Joe. I'll grow bored and it will be over and I'll lose her."