Because Eric too has treated Nicole horribly, and that's a real problem. He accused her of rape, he blamed her for everything, made her feel worthless. So I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, IF the writers do a good job (yeah, who am I kidding?), they could hit the reset button and start these two over again, this time, by having Nicole help Eric get over his own demons. And make Eric the truly great guy he once was, not this gloom-and-doom-boring-loves-to-wallow-in-self-pity-with-no-backbone man we last saw before he left. Oh, and make him Holly's father too, not Saint Daniel.