December 31 (New Years Eve)

“Because I…” Orlando paused, holding Erins eyes with his commandingly beautiful gaze. Say it damn you. “Bloody hell. Well the long and short of it goes something like this…”

Erin quirked a brow, glancing upward to meet Orlandos exquisite gaze. The glow of the halogen street lights behind him gave him an almost angelic, ethereal glow. Something tells me this is going to be more than I might want to handle, Erin thought to herself, transfixed. Orlando seemed to radiate an aura of sheer calm and precision as though he had planned something of immense proportion for just this moment. Time itself stood still and fate intersected with other, more ominous plans. Erins cell phone rang.

Orlando drew back a breath, pausing before his lips began to formulate the words he had fought his own doubts to finally say. The moment, still and quiet, had passed him with extreme prejudice and frustration.

Erin blinked, the ring of her phone bringing her back from her traveling thoughts and sheer fixation. “I can get it later, what is the long and short of what you need to say, Orlando?” A sudden sense of panic invaded her calm center and silently Erin cursed to herself.

Orlando dropped his gaze, glancing to the shine of the club signs on his polished shoes. The ringing tone was ominous and urgent, completely shattering his designs with a single blow. “Go on, love. That ring sounds pretty important.” His voice was testier than he would have allowed had his heart not been dashed to the ground where his moment of excitement should be.

“The call answer will pick up, just give it two more rings.” Erin cleared her throat, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife between them. Riffling through her purse, her fingertips searched desperately for the ringer silence on the cellphone.

“Really, love. Go on.” Orlando sighed, fumbling in his jacket pocket, bringing a cigarette to his lips.

Erin bit her lip with a growl and brought the phone up from the outer flap of her pocketbook. “Hello. Sean! Happy New Year to you. No, not yet. You must not be thinking of the time difference its only 10pm here.” Erin gazed up to Orlando.

Orlando dropped his eyes and began to kick at the concrete, his shoe pushing a long wasted cigarette butt on the cold beige sidewalk below him. He could feel his face tense, his muscles tightening as her lips formed intimately around that name. Sean.

With deft precision, Orlando flicked the barely used cigarette between his fingers, out onto the street. “I’ll be inside.” Without giving Erin a moment to react, Orlando slipped back into the club and out of her sight.

“Orlando, wait.” Erin called after him, grasping at the door he swung so tenaciously open. Her fingers gripped the edge of the frame before it shut her away from Orlando, completely. Keeping hold of the phone, Erin went in after him. “Sean, this is a bad time. Yes, Orlando is here. Happy New Year to you. Yeah, I will talk to you tomorrow. Alright. Look I am really sorry but now is just not a good time, I have to go. Yeah. Good night.”

Orlando tore through the crowd, his eyes barely seeming to blink as he waded into the throng. Shouldering people as he moved, Orlando could feel the rage within him boiling over like smoke from the crest of a volcano; his blood like molten lava slaking beneath the surface of his skin.. This is bullshit, this whole thing was nothing more than a pipe dream. I am a bloody god damn fool chasing a woman half way across the world…for what? To be made a gull. I have been nothing but a stumbling child, blinded by desire, to what end? To my own end. God damn it.

His eyes seething with loathing, Orlando smacked a hard palm on the chest of Viggo Mortensen, one of his most trusted mentors and confidants. Viggo looked up, narrowing his eyes until the recognition passed over him, his defenses instantly loosening. Viggo removed Orlandos grip from his shirt with cool, nonchalance. He could read the power and anger flashing through the cold dark gaze of his compatriot and instinctively followed him from the main room of the VIP section to a secluded spot on the balcony.

Heads were turning as the two passed through the crowd. The Fellowship drew together as if to prepare for adversaries far greater than their numbers or strength. Billy leaned back against the bar, his arm around Amy, with a knowing expression. Samantha looked anxiously to her younger brother as he passed like a wraith through the chaotic swirling lights. Her senses reading him, drawing from the wealth of years and experience, Samantha gathered as much information from his body movements as she could.

“Wonder what’s going on over there.” Lij piped in, sipping his drink with his opposite arm draped over Shannon.

“Piss an’ Vinegar, that boy is full of.” Billys thick Scottish accent dripped venomously as he watched Viggo and Orlando some distance away.

“A smart one doesn’t piss into the wind, you know?” Dom sighed, looking from Sam to Liv, who joined the fray, firing off questions as to the state of the situation.

“Anyone seen Erin?” Amy looked to Liv, grasping her hand and pushing through the crowd without pausing to hear the answer to the question.

“What in the hell was that all about?” Viggo raised a brow and replaced his normally placid demeanor with an aire of authority and wisdom. Almost kingly, Viggo seemed to grow in stature as Orlando drew his thumb to his brow, pacing wildly.

“Bloody fucking Sean…” Orlando loosed the name of his adversary like a curse, a whisper of curdled hatred. The mischievous, child like gaze Orlando cooed the world with was faded and replaced by pure blood lust and feral design.

“OB, slow down. Calm yourself. I cant talk to you when you are like this. Wait. Scratch that. I don’t think I have ever seen you like this.” Viggo studied him, leaning with his arm braced on the balcony. “Explain.”

Orlando braced both of his hands against the balcony, his eyes scanning the dance floor below them. Cocking his head to the side, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes betraying every rageful emotion like dagger slashes over a priceless painting. “I finally had a moment alone with her and he called.”

Viggo folded his arms in against his body, carefully considering his words for fear of adding fuel to the enormous fire raging in his friends eyes. “I see. So the moment was dashed and your pissed off about it?”

“Its more than that.” Orlando growled, exasperatedly. “Her voice, mate. She was so happy to hear him on the other end of the phone. Much happier than when she saw me, spoke to me. Its too damn late and all of this was for bloody well nothing.”

“Don’t you think your over reacting just a little, Orli? I mean, it was a friendly phone call and your blowing this way out of proportion.” Viggo studied him with detached yet sympathetic eyes.

Orlando stepped up against Viggo, his rage brimming over the edge of his lips. “Blowing this out of proportion? I bloody well love that woman and had every intention of telling her that now. Tonight. And then what? This happened. Looks like nothing, right? I am over reacting, right? No, Viggo. Your under reacting.” Orlando watched Viggo narrow his eyes, releasing his arms from his chest as he closed the step between the two.

“You are threatening to cross lines you wont want to cross. I am not Sean and you will not address me with the same tenacity. I will not tolerate it. Is this in anyway, unclear?” Viggo locked his jaw, shedding his calm demeanor for a feral almost crazy light deep within his eyes.

Orlando stepped back, shaking his head as frustration overwhelmed him, coupling with his temper. “Once again I cant do a bloody thing right, least of all keep my own counsel. I have to go, Viggo. I am sorry. Happy New Year, man.” In a flash, Orlando whirled around on his heels and pushed through the crowd toward the door before Viggo could stop him.

Amy and Liv tore through the crowd heading toward the outside corridor. Before they could reach the hallway, Erin emerged looking frantic and out of place. Nearly colliding with the duo before her eyes could adjust, Erin shuddered, bracing her hand against her chest. “Oh shit. You guys scared me.”

“Erin are you alright? Orlando just tore through here looking hell bent?” Amy grasped her best friends upper arms, as if to ground her in this world away from dangerous thoughts.

“I don’t know, I was just coming to find him. He ran off while we were outside.” Erin seemed to blink back to reality.

“What in the name of god is going on? Orli is never in that much of a hurry.” Liv took the olive from her martini glass, slipping it into the confines of her shimmering lips.

“I don’t know, ask him. He is heading this way.” Erin watched as Orlando pushed through the crowd, shouldering party goers out of his way without a seeming care in the world. He came up on the trio near the door and seemed to snigger, pushing by without so much as an eyelash of acknowledgement.

“Orli!” Liv called, grasping his arm before he could get away.

Orlando shrugged off Livs’ touch, pausing in mid stride. With deadly eyes he looked to Erin and cocked a half smirk. “Send my love, along with yours to Sean.” The inflection of his voice dripped toxic venom. Before either of the trio had a moment to rebuttal, Orlando tore out of the VIP section and down the hallway leading to the street.

“Holy fuck. What is going on?” Liv was wide eyed, glancing from Erin to the now vacant passage from the VIP area.

Erin seemed to shrink before Amy, her face going instantly sallow and quiet. Her eyes threatened to overflow with tears at the painful, bitter recroachment. The world was an instantly icy and cruel place for the instant his gaze fell upon her.

“Erin, honey, what happened?” Amy smoothed a tendril of her best friends burgundy mane which had been obscuring her face, from her eyes.

“Nothing. Besides Sean calling while we were outside. Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t do anything wrong. Its not my damn fault that Sean decided to call when Orlando and I had a peaceful moment to ourselves. Jesus Christ.” Erin stood on the defensive.

Amy embraced her instantly, sensing the tremendous amount of pain coursing through Erin at that moment. “Im not looking at you in a bad way Erin, neither is Liv. Sean just has shitty timing. I mean, Orlando came all this way for you. In fact, this whole thing was his idea. I just don’t get it.”

“I think I get it, loud and clear.” Liv grumbled, finishing off her martini. “I would go after him but he probably hopped in the limo and is long gone. Let me go talk to Viggo. Don’t you go anywhere, alright?” Liv leaned over, placing a soft kiss on Erins forehead while looking to Amy, sternly. In a breath, she slipped off into the crowd.

Erin sat back on one of the leather couches near the VIP entrance, looking up into the beautiful, comforting blue eyed gaze of her best friend. Wiping beneath her eyes, she shivered softly. “What did I do wrong?”

Amy plopped down beside her. “You didn’t do anything wrong, sweetie. For christs’ sake, you didn’t know Sean was going to call you at that moment, you know?”

“But what the hell would it matter, anyway?” Erin looked up, blinking rapidly to stop the fall of tears from the rim of her eyes.

“Because he has it for you, Erin. That’s why. Orlando Bloom has it for you so bad he is going crazy. Didn’t you see that feral look in his eyes, like a wounded tiger in the jungles of India? Oh, honey, don’t cry.” Amy enveloped her, patting her back as softly as a mother comforts a screaming, crying, newborn baby.

“Does this guy ever leave a room without making someone cry?” Lij sat down on the couch, on the other side of Erin. Softly, he braced his hand along her shoulder.

“Course not, lad. Wouldn’t be the way of a selfish boy if someone didn’t hurt as much as he.” Billy came up behind Amy, seating himself on the arm of the leather couch.

“Your getting the wrong picture of my brother, no offense, Erin. Orli might be a bit boyish and charming but he isn’t the type to revel in making a woman cry. When he is hurt, he just shuts off. It isn’t on purpose, its just what he does. Defense mechanism and all.” Sam leaned down on her haunches, placing a hand on Erins leg.

Erin looked up, meeting eyes so familiar, so like Orlandos. “But I didn’t do anything…”

“Sure you did, love. You just don’t know it. Most of us never do, when it comes to Orli. He hides much more than you might imagine. But save it to say he doesn’t get so uppity over little things. I think his feelings, for whatever he might have said or naught to you, are feeling a bit..compromised.” Sam nodded softly, her voice soothing and yet, strong.

“Piss an’ Vinegar.” Billy sighed, placing a comforting hand on Amys back. “What is it about love that brings nothin’ but crisis fer some, eh?”

Liv rushed over toward Viggo as he leaned along the balcony of the VIP upstairs at the New Years Eve Rockin’ Party. He was deep in thought, his eyes staring fixedly along a couple who danced closely together below him.

“Hey, you alright?” Liv slipped in against him, tilting her head softly to the side, sending a cascade of her mahogany mane against her shoulders.

“Worried but yeah, overall I am alright.” Viggo exhaled the smoke from his cleverly hidden cigar.

“What happened just now, with you and OB?” Liv leaned back, watching Viggo with patient eyes.

“He has his knickers in a twist over that girl. Erin is so damn wonderful…” Viggo sighed.

“I hear a ‘but’ coming…” Liv trailed off, taking the cigar from his hand and drawing in a puff of the heady smoke.

Viggo turned, taking the cigar back from Liv as she let the smoke drip out from her shimmering lips. “There is no ‘but’ coming. Just simple logic. They aren’t meant for each other, they aren’t made to be together. Its like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together. You cant jam the pieces and still make the pretty picture on the box.”

“That’s a pretty heavy assumption to make. That isn’t like you, Viggo.” Liv glanced to him, concernedly.

“Its just what I see. I cant change the course of the future and all I can see is a train wreck for the two of them. It’s a damn shame. You know I love Orli. He just doesn’t do well against outnumbering odds, no matter now cool he plays it. From jump, this entire situation has been an uphill battle against those kind of odds. And then there is Erin. What a tremendous woman she is. I am wondering if what Orlando fears isn’t truth. Maybe Sean really is a better mate on that puzzle than he is.”

Liv lowered her eyes, gazing at the floor, lost in thought. “That would be a damn shame, when so much feeling is at stake.”

“Orlis’ heart is in the right place but I think he knows it too, or at least, he is coming to know it. Either way, the sea is stormy and unpredictable and the rocks are uncharted and threatening to breech the hull of this ship.”

Liv thought for a moment, feeling the heaviness of Viggos words play through her mind. With a sad smile she braced a gentle hand along his arm. “Do you ever run out of analogies?”

Viggo smiled thoughtfully. “No, not really.”

Liv leaned over, resting her temple against his bicep. “Come on, lets get everyone together and try to levy the load. The air is too heavy for a New Years Eve celebration. Erin and Orli will pull through this or pull apart. Either way it works, lets make this a night to remember. How many more will the fellowship have to share in, together. Time is ticking away, Viggo. Lets let the clock run out with a bang.”

Viggo smiled softly. “You always have an upside to things, Liv. If only you were a few years older or I were a few years younger. Imagine what we could accomplish as a team.”

“We are a team and that isn’t going to change when the tide turns. Lets rally round the troops and get this thing underway.” Liv laughed softly, taking Viggo by the hand and leading him toward the gathered fellowship.

Orlando slid into the confines of the limo, resting his head as his mind raced in a thousand different directions. He could not remain in the club, no matter how he wanted to. He needed time to think and time, as always, remained elusive and precious.

Turning his convoluted eyes to the window, Orlando watched a world gripped by ice and snow whirling past his line of sight. It is amazing that any thought, any heart can survive the winters test of desolation and barrenness. Yet, everything looks so peaceful and serene. Such calm is deadly. Sweet Heaven, Why does my heart wager such malcontent, such pain and anguish. Am I in the winter of my own soul or do I hide in my desolation, afraid that what I surmise might be truth?

Orlando pounded the soft shaft of his knuckle against the frozen limo window. The resounding thud rang an icy melody through his heart. I am running at the first test of my heart. Damn it all to hell. Why does no counsel soothe me? Why do I seek to flight instead of fight? When you love, is it not an eternal symphony..a deadly dance where once can lose his soul? The Devil shows himself by the pale moonlight and I have become him…full of anger and vengeance. Tonight is the memory, is this what I will draw away from it all? Regret…Regret is knocking at the door of my soul frozen and crying out to the concept of love. Love…is forever.

Orlando pieced his thoughts together with a heavy heart. His conflict was as heavy as concrete settling in a baking summer sun. I am drowning and my lungs are heavy, laden with the cement of my fears. Raking his fingers through his thick mane of dark mahogany tendrils, Orlando tried to gather his shattered thoughts.

With a knock to the drives window, Orlando lowered the glass at the command of his fingers. “Once more around the block and then bring me back to the club.”

The driver nodded his response and followed the command of his passenger. I don’t know what I am doing anymore. I am starting to get the feeling I never knew, that all of this was chance blowing in on the wind. But I cant leave like this, my heart wont let me. Even now, the war is waging. My mind wants my body to move in one direction, my heart the other. So, either way I go, I lose. Bloody hell.

Liv and Viggo rejoined the entourage gathered around Amy and Erin along the far side of the expansive VIP chambers.

“Hey, we all know some Orli is a little emotional, even if Erin isn’t blurting it all out. But, it is New Years Eve and we can not let it slip away like this.” Liv gave a tough yet endearing smile as one of the many waitresses for the VIP room brought over a tray of tequila shots with a salt shaker and cut up lemons. “Now, the clock is ticking down, so here is a plan Viggo and I came up with, off the cuff. We have a bunch of shots here, which some of you alcoholics have already spotted. Shoo!” Liv laughed, pushing both Lij and Billys hands from the tray. “Come on, listen to the plan first. Alright. Two shots each, back to back…but the catch is, you have to name something you love and something you hate. So, are you all game?”

“That was a mouthful, even for you, Liv darlin’. Care to repeat that in slow motion.” Dom laughed with a smile, instantly falling back behind Sam to avoid the infamous elbow.

Liv stood, placing her hand on her hip, looking dejected. “Alright, just watch and copy.” Her deft fingers poured a bit of salt on the skin between the thumb and index finger. Taking the shot in the opposite hand, Liv continued, “I love my teddy bear, Barnum, that I have had since I was 4months old. I still drag him out of my suitcase and sleep with him when no one is looking.”

With the declaration stated, Liv brought her hand to her mouth, licking off the salt and instantly drowning back the tequila shot. Placing one of the cut lemons into her mouth, Liv shuddered with the sharp taste of the spirits. Salting up her skin again, she hoisted another shot and continued. “I hate working out, I don’t care who thinks I am fat.” She imbibed the spirits, making a sour face, much to the delight of the gathered ensemble. “Everyone got the idea?”

“Alright, which one of you crackheads thought this one up?” Lij laughed hysterically. Viggo let his elbow fly, sending Lij off of the arm of the couch and damn near into Erins lap. “Okay, Viggo. You have definitely been hanging out with Liv too long.”

“Just for that, you drink next.” Viggo laughed.

With a sigh, Lij followed the same steps of preparation, holding his drink in the opposite, unsalted hand. “Umm..well, I love my old, dog eared copy of The HunchBack of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.” He drew the drink back hard, following with the customary lemon before continuing. “I hate getting up at 5am to have prosthetic feet put on when half the time they don’t show up on film. I think Sean has the total count somewhere.” Lij completed the ritual and named the next victim. Shannon.

Shannon followed the guidelines and before drowning the shot back, stated. “I love having the opportunity to spend my New Year with all of you guys, especially Lij.” Scrunching her face at the sharp taste of the salt, lemon and tequila, she continued. “I hate tequila.” The fellowship broke out with laughter as she took the next shot. Shannon named Dom.

Following the others, Dom made preparations. “I love a good strong cup of Columbian coffee in the morning.” After drowning his taste buds in lemon and salt, Dom reset himself. “I hate this damn game.” Before he took the shot, he slid further behind Sam to avoid the potential elbow from either Viggo or Liv. The next victim was called forth, Billy.

Orlando stepped back into the VIP room, his dark sable eyes scanning the crowd to find the entire group together, gathered around one of the comfortable leather couches. A host of shots were placed on a tray before the group, several drained glasses were littered about, swimming in chewed lemon rinds. Drawing closer under the guise of darkness, Orlando lit a cigarette and listened.

“Alright bastards, lemme show ya how this is done, Scotts style.” Drowning his skin with salt, Billy flung the lemon half into the shot glass. “I love a hot summer breeze under me kilt, first light of the mornin’.” Billy broke with tradition, taking the second shot in his hand without drinking the first. “I hate that I only have two hands, or I would show ya all how to drink yer weight in spirits.” With that, Billy downed both shots simultaneously, ending off with the bit of lemon placed firmly against his teeth, never using his hand to place it there. His smile was wider than the peel. “Now, that’s a good time. Amy, darlin’, yer up.”

Amy looked hesitantly to the shot as she salted her skin. “Here goes nothing. I love Scooby Do.” She took her shot. “I hate assholes that don’t have the balls to talk shit to your face.” Her words spoke a history of experiences with subtlety. Amy coughed as she took the second libation. Her words croaking as she named her prey. “Erin.”

A shadow moved over toward the group, hunkering back in the distance, surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke. Orlando watched the ensemble with detached, longing eyes. Somehow, he felt so outside of the gathering. This is no way to start a new year. My best mates, all the people I care about are close enough to touch, yet the wall is up. He watched as Erin set herself up for the game he was witnessing from the outskirts.

“Hmm. This is a tough one. I love the Prose and Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe but not as much as I love you guys. This one is for you, all.” Erin downed the shot, shivering from the bitter and instantly intoxicating taste. Her senses went into overload as she prepared for the next shot. “I hate..having my heart broken. Sam, your up.” There was an almost universal agreement amongst the group of so many different personalities. The one, of many, common threads to every persons tapestry..was having their heart broken. Not a delightful sensation for any human being who has been there.

Orlando felt a piece of his heart shrivel as Erins words crossed over him.

Sam felt the somber weight of Erins words as she took a deep breath. Salting her flesh, she looked up, meeting eyes more familiar than any. Eyes that so closely resembled her own. “I love a good adventure.” She followed tradition and continued. “I hate being proven right, when it comes to someone I love doing wrong. Oh, and I hate clowns, too.” Sam half cocked a smile. “Viggo, your up.”

Viggo lifted the salt shaker, sprinkling his flesh with the contents. Just then he felt a hand brace along his upper arm. “Mind if I take a turn, mate.”

Viggo smiled, softly. This is his only chance to make amends, for whatever end. Took you long enough to play the role of the hero, Orli. “After you.” Liv and Viggo exchanged glances with a sense of hopeful, yet fearful thoughts.

Orlando did not bother to salt his skin, his fingers embracing a shot of tequila, his eyes on the suddenly breathless Erin. “Since I have the floor, I have somethings I need to say before I partake in this little game. I want to apologize for my actions of late. Those of you who have been dealing with me understand what I mean. Especially you, Viggo, Billy. Sam. I have no intention of proving you right, tonight.” Orlando nodded to each of those he had named, dropping his burnt down cigarette and crushing it on the floor beneath his foot. He continued. “Well, with that out of the way, here is the long and short of it. I love…well, Bloody hell, I love you, Erin. I hate Sean because he can be more of a man to you than I have proven myself to me. And I hate myself for running every time I am tested. I hate what that animal did to you and I feel like its my fault. If things would have been different, if I would have been a man and taken responsibility for that night, you never would have run off. You never would have been hurt by his hands. Well, that’s it, the long and short of it. Cheers.” Orlando downed the shot, leaning over to set the empty glass on the table before the leather couch. His eyes never leaving Erins.

Erin blinked rapidly, trying to grasp her understanding around his words. She rose from her seat as though her body was commanded by some unseen force, much to the gasping delight of every person seated in the circle of the extended fellowship. Amy grasped hold of Billys hand, exchanging a confused and frightful glance.

Orlando watched Erin as she approached, absorbed in the fear and confusion flashing like wildfire within her dark brown eyes. Her lips were trembling as she stood before him as if she were unsure of her own hearing. “What? What did you say?”

“You heard what I said. Even if you don’t feel it back for me. Before I leave New York, you had to know that. It was the very purpose for my being here, to tell this to you. I needed you to know my heart, for whatever you might believe.” For wherever it may lead. Orlando cleared his throat, refusing to yield his will against her fathomless eyes which were alive with doubt and questioning.

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