Janet was riddled with emotions on her ride home. Luckily, Sully knew better than to press her for details of what just went down at the airport. She stared out of the window at the trees whizzing by until they past the 'Welcome to Knight's Ridge' board. She closed her eyes and a tear slipped out from under her eyelid.
How could she have been so wrong about everything? What was worse is that she strung Jake along for so many weeks, letting him believe that marriage is what she wanted. What kind of a person does that? And yet, he was the one who chose to sacrifice his happiness for her. She didn't understand what she did to deserve such a wonderful man in her life. Moreover, she couldn't fathom why on earth she felt so strongly about a dolt who never expressed how he really felt about anything when she had a man like Jake loving her the way he did.
She shook her head cynically and laughed. Eddie. What a trip. She was convinced that he was more likely to drive her crazy than down the aisle. But… for all the reasons he got on her nerves… she knew that she couldn't ignore her feelings for him anymore. For them to withstand a strong, steadfast relationship with a gentleman like Jake, they had to be feelings worth pursuing. There was only one problem standing in her way; she wasn't going to make the first move. She never did and she never would. If any man was interested in her, she figured, he'd make it happen.
What if he's right? She wondered, what if Jake was right about Eddie feeling the same way about me? Not that he'd ever shown it explicitly. Her spirit convicted her, unless you count him giving up a lifetime opportunity to be on TV only to baby-sit me and look after me when I was hurt. Or the fact that he made me a birthday card and put some thought into my gift. I don't think Eddie's ever given a girl a present before. At least not one he wasn't dating…
"How you doing sweetpie?" Sully's voice tore into her thoughts and snapped her out of them.
She glanced his way and smiled weakly, "I'll let you know once my mind stops reeling."
Sully looked perplexed, "Are you sure you made the right decision? Jake was so good to you."
"Sully…," she began, looking at her old friend, "Jake and I… we would never have worked out. He's an extraordinary person. But… we were not meant to be." She didn't want to get into the specifics of her discussion with Jake. Especially the part about Eddie. That was something only time would reveal.
"If you're happy, I'm happy. How can I not be? I have my girl back with me," he smiled at her and it touched her heart.
"Oh honey. Who knew you were such a softie inside?" she teased playfully jabbing him in the shoulder.
He laughed and pulled into her driveway. "I'll tell you one thing for sure, I'm glad you left this place to me to sell. If you had taken care of that while you were here, you wouldn't have a place to sleep tonight," he winked.
"Tell me about it," she got out and looked at her house with fresh eyes. Less than a couple of hours ago, she didn't give this place a second glance as she got into the car to get to the airport. But now, she couldn't imagine ever leaving again. She turned to Sully who struggled to get her luggage out of his trunk and she rushed to his aid, "I got it," she said yanking the last piece of luggage out of the trunk.
Sully slammed the trunk shut and walked up to her, "You going to be alright?"
She smiled and nodded, not taking her eyes off her house, "Yeah, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Man, it felt good to say that.
"What makes you think you still have a job at the tavern?" he challenged and grinned when she shot him a look, "I'll see you at 7. Don't be late," he said giving her a hug, "Welcome back."
She watched as he got into his car and drove off. Sighing she began hauling luggage up the walkway onto the porch, and once she was done she didn't bother letting herself into her house. She took a seat on the porch steps and looked around at the quiet neighbourhood she'd grown up in over the last fifteen years. She couldn't get over how things worked out sometimes. Literally, two hours earlier she was leaving the very place she was looking at now, with no clue as to when she'd ever return to visit again.
One feeling that resonated with her very strongly was the light-heartedness within her. She felt like a boulder had been lifted off her chest and she could finally breathe easier. She hadn't felt that way in a very long time.
"Well this looks promising," Phil commented dryly, folding his arms across his chest as he studied the sight before him. Eddie was in a wife-beater and boxers, a blanket haphazardly strewn about him and his five o'clock shadow was coarse. He had been on the couch all morning glued to the TV, watching the home shopping network.
"Leave me alone," Eddie mumbled turning his attention back to the screen and reaching into the bag of Funyuns that lay on his stomach.
"Are you going to get out at all today?" Phil asked.
"No. Why, are you?" Eddie shot back.
"Very funny," Phil winced, "Eddie this isn't healthy. Get up, get out and get moving, man."
"You should write for commercials, Phys," Eddie said in a low rumble.
"Okay, I get it. Janet is half way across the country right now so you're staying at home and being a pill is supposed to get back at her, right?" Phil said sitting next to his friend.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Today's my day off. I can do whatever I like and I choose to watch the Miracle Blade demo, in my boxers, with a bag of Funyuns."
"Funyuns?" Phil repeated mockingly.
"Yes. It's Christmas in a bag. Now go about your business, will ya?" Eddie couldn't keep the gruffness out of his voice. Phil ought to have known that today of all days, he wanted to be alone. The last thing he needed was a pain-in-the-ass roommate giving him a hard time.
"Fine," Phil said exasperatedly throwing his arms up into the air, "It's your life. But if I were you, I'd start thinking up ways to move on, Eddie. You can't mop around forever. It's just not good."
"Thanks for the advice," Eddie replied, "But I'll be fine. Hey, could we use a set of knives that can cut through concrete?"
Phil rolled his eyes and shaking his head, he retreated to the garage to work on his car. If Eddie was going to be unproductive today, that was his choice. No reason he had to too.
Eddie silently cursed Phil because his nagging voice played like a broken record in his mind. He knew his friend was right. Staying at home wasn't accomplishing anything. It was time he started being pro-active about moving on.
Getting out of his spot on the couch, he went upstairs to his room and saw his box of high school memorabilia strewn on his bed. Trying his best to ignore all of it and went to his closet to look for something.
"When will you be back?" Phil asked following him out of the house, a worried expression cast across his face.
"Phys, I'm going fishing. I'll be back when I get something," Eddie explained and then felt bad when he saw the expression on Phil's face. "A couple of days tops."
"You know most guys get drunk when they've been dumped," Phil called after him.
"And how productive would that be," Eddie called back. He had a point. Eddie was pushing thirty, it was time he handled things more maturely.
"Okay well… have a good… whatever this is. Bring back some trout," Phil said going back into the house.
Eddie looked after him as he loaded up his gear and got into the Ute. Phil could hold down the fort himself for a while. Meanwhile Eddie had to get out of this funk he was in.
Janet came into her house and the mere sight of the boxes that had been packed only two days ago stood before her. She was instantly put off by the sight of them. She trudged into her bedroom and left all her luggage there. With a sigh, she looked around at how barren the room looked without her bed in it. Without warning, her tears began to pour. She slumped down against the wall and cradled her head in her hands. She missed Jake. She missed his little girl; there was no doubt about it. With everything packed up, she couldn't even smell his cologne anymore.
But how could I just go on lying about us? We just weren't going to make it. It was going to fall apart sooner or later.
But the nagging thought that she'd just given up her only chance for a family wouldn't stop gnawing at her.
A couple of hours later she sat in her bedroom, her back against the wall and the doorbell rang.
She went to answer it and knew what was going to come next.
Pizza Girl gasped, "I thought there would be a mistake in the delivery address because you're not supposed to be here!"
Janet nodded, "I know, there's been a slight change of plans. How much do I owe you?"
"12.95," Pizza Girl replied still in shock.
"Thanks," Janet replied and closed the door behind her. That was it. The whole town was going to find out. Or at least Phil, and then Eddie by extension.
She walked back into her bedroom and took her spot on the floor. Feeling a little thirsty, she went into the kitchen and rummaged through some of the boxes before she found some Merlot in one of them. Taking the whole bottle with her, she went back into the bedroom and took her spot again.
"Pizza and wine – this is the life Janet Meadows," she said uncorking the wine and taking a swig of it.
Her thoughts travelled back to Eddie finding out about her. What would he have to say about it? Would he be happy to see her or was he going to be a total jerk all over again?
Well he's gotta find out sooner or later, so whenever it happens, I'm not going to be phased by it, she decided taking another swig of wine and then another.
The incessant rapping on the door caused Phil to knock over his Lego model of the Death Star as he made a dash for the door, "Where's the fire?" he started to yell but stopped when he saw the vision of beauty before him. Pizza girl smiled coyly.
"Aren't you gonna invite me in?"
Without a word, Phil gestured inside and she followed, "I thought you were working tonight."
"I am. But this was too huge to let it go without telling you so…, here goes," Pizza Girl began, "Janet's still in town."
Phil chuckled and touched her forehead, "Are you standing too close to the wood burning oven again? Those coal fumes… I warned you about them…"
"Yes. But that's got nothing to do with this, Phil. I just delivered a pie to her house. She's still in town."
"But that's impossible," Phil replied in disbelief, "She's in Washington now. That's where her fiancé is."
"I don't know what to tell you except that the lady whose house I just came from, is very much still in town and she ordered a pie with the works on it," Pizza Girl said in one breath. "Do you think Eddie knows about it?"
Phil's eyes widened and then changed to whimsical humour, "No. No he doesn't. I would give any amount of money to see the look on his face when he finds out though."
Pizza Girl grinned, "Physical Phil Farmer, how devious can you be?"
"It's not like I could get in touch with him even if I wanted to. He just took off on a fishing trip this morning. You can't get any reception up at Cooper's Pond." Phil had a satisfied smirk on his face, "Guess he'll just have to find out when he finds out."
Eddie drove back to the Ridge, after seven long hours at the lake. Not only did he not catch anything but he wound up more bummed than when he was at home, with Phil bugging him.
He couldn't get her out of his head. Now more than ever he regretted letting her go. If only he'd told her how he felt while she was still around. What a moron, he thought glumly. Who am I kidding, I gave her that envelope and she probably opened it and laughed. She could have changed her mind then but she left anyway.
Lost in thought he drove past her house, which looked like it was in darkness. He pulled his truck over and turned off ignition. Since no one was living there anymore and no one was expecting him back for another couple of days, he figured he may as well go in there and enjoy being as close to her as he possibly could.
He got out, walked up the porch steps, and reached under her doormat for the emergency key he knew was hidden under there. He unlocked the door and walked in, slamming it shut.
Janet woke up with a jolt, a chill running down her spine. What the hell was that noise? She got up quietly and stood up. Reaching into one of the open boxes, she pulled out a hair dryer. Janet figured since it looked like a gun, the intruder would think it was a gun and leave her house.
She inched her way closer to the bedroom door and peered out. No one was in sight.
Eddie looked around for the light switch but every which way he turned he seemed to be bumping into boxes. "OW! Son of a…" he cursed clutching his head. He picked up the lamp post that smashed his leg and hobbled around a corner with it.
Without looking up he slammed into something… someone… hard. Both the attacker and he screamed out loud, he held the lamp post over his head in self-defence, and the attacker seemed to hold a gun like object over their head. The attacker reached out and flicked the light switch on.
Eddie's expression was one of utter shock as his eyes swept over Janet. "What're you… What're you doing here?" he yelled still terrified by their encounter.