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Now, are you ready for me to make this episode better? Because trust me, it was torture to watch it.


Series 4 Episode 7

Rachel could only look on in horror as Eddie opened the box and turned more towards Melissa. Any thoughts she had about their relationship fizzling out were gone and she knew that she had blown her chance with Eddie. She hadn't imagined that it would get to this stage so quickly. Maybe she was a little glad that it wasn't some big romantic proposal. Short and sweet, like she hoped their relationship would be.

"I suppose, er… Yes or no?" Eddie said.

There was a part of her that hoped Melissa would turn him down. The selfish part of her that she had been pushing away over the last few weeks while she watched their relationship unfold.

The other part of her wanted Melissa to say yes. Because it was Eddie. It would obviously make him happy. That was all she wanted. Eddie to be happy.

"Of course I will, you big idiot," Melissa said she dropped onto her knees and kissed Eddie.

The shock took a little longer to wear off and as everyone else started to clap, Rachel knew that she had to join in. Plastering on a smile, she started to clap and tried to build up the happiness that she should have for her sister and deputy.


We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

Steph's words had played over in her mind as well as Philip's bombshell about Melissa still being married to his dad.

She hadn't said anything to Melissa yet and she wondered whether she should. She knew how her sister could be. The only thing was, it wouldn't be fair on Eddie not to say anything.

And she had been particularly harsh to him recently.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

Rachel placed her head in her hands. She needed a solution. The problem was the only one she could come up with was to leave. Leave Eddie and Melissa to their happiness. The only problem with that was the school was her only source of happiness at the moment.

How could she give up Waterloo Road for them?

But she couldn't do it anymore. There would be a time when she was around Eddie and Melissa and her smile would slip and it would just cause an argument.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

She couldn't turn to Steph and say that so did she. She didn't protest because she wished that yesterday, Eddie had proposed to her.

Out of everyone, why did he have to choose her? Why did he have to choose her perfect little sister?

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

There was only one person that knocked on the door as sharply as someone just did and she looked up at Eddie with a sigh.

"What now?" She said, not really in the mood for anything that he had to say.

"The inspection next week? I thought you might want to talk about it."

"What can we talk about? All we know is that it is next week. We don't know what day it is."

"We still need to prepare for it."

"After yesterday, I think that no matter how much we prepare, there is going to be something that will happen that we wouldn't have thought of."

"Rachel… is everything okay?"

"I'm fine."

"It is about what happened yesterday. About me proposing?"

"No." She said before she tried to come up with the right words. "It was just a shock. I… didn't realise that things were that serious between you two."

"I did say I was deadly serious about Melissa."

Her heart broke a little more. It did whenever she was around Eddie. She could feel the tears that she hadn't allowed herself to shed build up again.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

"Actually. You are right. I can't do this anymore."

"Can't do what?"

"Watch as… as you and Melissa build a life together."

"Rachel…"

"Just don't Eddie."

"Well excuse me for wanting an explanation!"

"An explanation." She said as she stood up. "You deserve an explanation. I… I just can't give it to you."

"Why not?"

"Because you wouldn't like it."

"Rachel."

"Just leave it, Eddie."

She walked out of her office and, sure enough, he followed her. It made her glad that the corridors were empty. No stragglers about. Because the head and deputy having a full-blown argument wasn't what the school needed and it wasn't what the pupils needed to see.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

"Rachel!"

"Just leave it, Eddie."

He grabbed her arm and turned her towards him. She almost lost her balance and fell against his chest. She looked up at him, not being able to remember the last time they were that close. She knew he had drifted away from her. It was clear to see.

"Talk to me." He said.

"I can't do it, Eddie. I… I can't pretend to be happy for you anymore."

"Why?"

She pushed herself away from him. "Because out of everyone… Everyone in the school or Rochdale or… You choose her. You choose Melissa. And what… you've known her for six or so weeks and you get down on one knee and propose. And I get it, Eddie. I get why you chose her. I just… I only have myself to blame."

She wiped away the tears and took a step back as he tried to take a step towards her. He couldn't get close to comfort her or otherwise she would allow herself the luxury of believing that he still cared about her in the way that he did before the fire. She couldn't allow herself to believe that. That ship sailed when she pushed him away.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

"Rachel, you aren't making any sense."

"Typical man."

"You said that there was no us."

"Dear God Eddie. I know you are a maths teacher but… I just thought you knew me better. Before the fire you did. Before the fire, I thought you could tell exactly what I was thinking. Clear now that you've lost that."

"Because you keep pushing me out."

"I know! Which is why I only have myself to blame. You can blame me as well." She paused. "Don't worry. By the start of the next term, you won't have to worry. You can finally put your stamp on the place."

She left him standing dazed. She had to. She couldn't allow her heart to break any more.

We all had bets on that it would be you and Eddie that got it together.

So did I, Steph. So did I.


Eddie honestly didn't know what to do. He had spent the rest of his day in his classroom, trying to think of a way to sort out the mess. He had finally realised everything that Rachel had told him and the last thing he was going to allow her to do was to leave Waterloo Road. Not when he had tried so hard to save her job.

He thought about spreading it around the school and seeing what the other staff members or the students would do to try and stop it from happening, but he realised that it was probably up to him to change her mind.

Not that he knew how he was going to do that.

He stopped pacing his classroom and pulled open the door to make the short distance to her office. He knew she was in there. Because she was trying to avoid him as well. He didn't even knock as he walked into her office and shut the door behind him.

"Don't go."

"Eddie."

"I don't want you to go."

Rachel looked up at him. "Because that is going to change my mind."

"You didn't want me to go."

"This is different."

"Why… Why didn't you just tell me, Rachel? I would have let her down gently. We could have waited a bit. Sorted this out."

"Eddie, just forget I said anything."

"I can't Rach. How long have you felt like this?"

"Since Melissa told me that you were seeing each other. The truth is… I hoped it would fizzle out. That once the honeymoon period was over… it would be over."

"So when you congratulated me?"

"It was through gritted teeth." She paused. "I… I do want you to be happy Eddie."

"What about yourself?"

He watched her as she thought over his question. He added selflessness to the list of reasons why he loved her. Not that it wasn't already on the list. It just needed to be there twice. She was the most selfless person he knew.

"That doesn't matter."

"It does. I want you to be happy. I want to see you smile again."

"Eddie…"

"I mean it, Rachel."

"It's not going to change anything."

"Isn't it?"

"What you propose to Melissa and then the next day you break up with her? I'll get the blame for it."

He walked over to her and spun her chair towards him. He offered her his hands, which he was glad that she took. He pulled her up, making sure that she fell against his chest properly this time and before she could even argue, he kissed her. Rather than allowing her to tell him any more lies, he knew what her true feelings were when she kissed him back. If she was so adamant that this wasn't what she wanted, she would have fought him and pushed him away. But she didn't.

There were a few moments where she was in a daze before everything caught up with her. She tried to push him away but he wasn't going to allow it.

"I don't care what you say, Mason. You wouldn't have kissed me back if you didn't feel anything for me."

"And you are engaged to my sister."

"Let me sort that. Planning a wedding can be a stressful time."

"Eddie…"

"Let me sort it. I am the idiot."

"I don't think you can take all the glory."

"Maybe not. But you can't deny how right this is. Between us."

"Just think what could have happened if we had that drink."

"Maybe I would have proposed to you yesterday."

"Maybe." She said before she kissed him again.