After Winter abruptly ended the call, Eric drank himself into oblivion, eventually passing out at the bar.
But before losing consciousness, he mistakenly called Agnes, thinking it was Winter, and slurred into the phone, asking her to come get him.
Agnes was startled at first, but the slur in his voice told her everything she needed to know. Without wasting a second, she rushed to pick him up.
"Careful, Eric," she murmured, helping him out of the car and supporting his weight as they made their way to his apartment.
She fumbled with the keys, finally unlocking the door and guiding him inside. Once in, she helped him to the couch and gently pushed him to sit. But the second she turned around, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with surprising strength.
"Eric—" she gasped as he pinned her beneath him on the couch.
His restless, glazed eyes locked on hers, burning with a fire she hadn't seen in years. There was lust there—but more than that, desperation.
