Jordan Confronts Eric With the Truth

Time passed. Enough to where, after Eric confiscated the pills, he went to work.

Jodie woke up a few times during Eric's workday, but wasn't pushed overboard enough to take more painkillers than he needed. He was lucid enough to know that he might be approaching some point of no return.

He was looked after, in terms of his meals, by Lauren during the aforementioned workday. And at around dinnertime, Eric was back.

Jordan kept wondering when he should bring up the full extent of his predicament to Eric, and even tried to catch Eric's attention in the dining room, but he kept saying, "Not until we get to the bedroom, babe."

Eric had a long day, but wasn't going to be completely insensitive.

Jodie didn't like it, but couldn't bring himself to get too bold. Eric was a big dude.

Eventually, Jodie went to the bedroom, and thinking of the prospect of not being able to tell Eric even then, he began to cry not-so-silently. It couldn't be heard in the hall, until Eric got very close to the door.

The latter burst in without a second thought, at that point.

"Jodie," he said, "have you been hiding something from me?"

"Oh, how can I begin to explain it?" she replied with her face in her hands.

Eric sat next to her. "Jodie," he said, "if this is about the fact that you're trans," Jodie became silent, there was no more crying at this point as he realized he had had enough, while Eric continued, "just tell me. We don't nee-"

"And where is that coming from?!" Jodie said, "How could you possibly think that this is the real me?"

"Oh come on, Jodie, Tiffany came by with your meds from the office."

Jodie was becoming more enraged. Janet, that fucking bitch.

"I'M being FUCKING BLACKMAILED, ERIC!" Jordan said, "Okay, can you get that through your head? One of the women I work with, fucking Janet, she told me if I didn't take those pills, she'd tell the boss I was male. She also made the consequences very clear!"

Eric fell silent in shock. He did remember, faintly, but still remembered, how sh- he said he had to play a part.

How did that slip through his mind? How could he possibly fail to bring that up to Jordan, his best friend and the very person who said it, to ask what he meant?

"Okay," Eric said, "This makes a lot more sense now... But when you said consequences... What exactly did Janet 'reveal' ?"