Thank you for the reviews.
Now, this isn't really a change. More of me delving into their thoughts and feelings and I suppose... this chapter kinda mirrors chapter 18 (Series 4 Episode 2)... only just seen it now.
Series 4 Episode 10
Rachel couldn't stand it. She couldn't believe what had just happened. The argument that had erupted between her, Melissa and Eddie was still playing in her head. The one thing Melissa was right about was it was all out in the open now.
It's me or her.
As much as Rachel wanted Eddie to choose her, she knew that he had to choose Melissa. As much as it broke her heart, that was the right choice for him. And as much as Melissa had lied and deceived them, she was still the one that he had chosen to begin with. He couldn't wait for her to be ready, so he chose the next best option.
Although, she did sort of tell him that there was no them at the beginning of term.
Rachel made her way as quickly to her office so she could and grabbed her jacket and bag. She could come back over the holidays to finish off the paperwork. Or she could even finish it when she got back at the start of next term. It wouldn't hurt.
What hurt her was the fact that all of this could have been avoided. It could have been avoided if she had been a little more honest with Eddie, rather than just turning him down. It could have been avoided if Melissa had come to her with her bigamy. Her and Eddie could still have been heading to the Caribbean.
Right pair of sisters they were. Always ignoring their problems. Just like their mum.
There was only one destination for her now. To get to her car as quickly as she could and get home. She could spend the holidays talking it out to Philip. He would probably tell her off for being the cause of his mum and Eddie getting close but she could take that from her nephew who knew her better than her sister.
Poor Philip. Having to carry around his mother's secret.
It was what Rachel was most angry about. She could see why Melissa wanted to keep it quiet but to silence her own son who just didn't want her to get into trouble, Rachel didn't quite think that she could forgive Melissa for that.
She got the keys to her car out of her pocket. She just wanted to put the day behind her. It had been a bad day all round. She knew that there was a bottle of wine waiting for her when she got home. It was definitely needed.
She threw her bags in the boot before she made her way around to the drivers' door. It was only then that she heard his voice.
"Rachel!"
She turned to see Eddie standing there.
He hadn't chosen her, had he?
Before the words even left Melissa's mouth, Eddie knew what she was going to say. Before she had even said the words, he knew who he had chosen. For him, there was no contest. There was the sister that was about to marry to him, making him an accessory to her bigamy, or there was the sister who continued to amaze him every day with her strength and kindness.
"It's me or her."
He knew Rachel was going to leave, the question or statement gave her the opportunity to leave the situation he could tell that she wanted to leave for a while. He waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps any more before he spoke.
"I can't believe you."
Melissa started to laugh. "You know, everyone has always prefered Rachel to me. The older sister. The more responsible one. The only time I got any of that attention was when she decided to pimp herself out. She says that she did it for me. So that I could have everything I wanted and more. So that we could eat and have a roof over our head. She could have done that without doing what she did."
"So you are jealous of her?"
"I was left to pick up the pieces. Mum thought it was best if I went to live with my grandparents, to try and shield me from the backlash that Rachel brought back. I still felt it. I was blackmarked by the rest of the family and it obviously got about. Nice when people see you sister in the newspaper and then start putting two and two together. 'Melissa, your surname is Fenshaw. Any relation to Amanda Fenshaw?' All the boys asking whether I was the same and how much I charged. She got to run off, start a new life. Turned up years later as Rachel Mason rather than Amanda Fenshaw. A teacher rather than a hooker."
"She did what she thought she had to do at the time. You could have helped."
"I was 14 when she was arrested, Eddie. How much was I meant to have helped out?"
"I know plenty of our kids that are doing paper rounds in year 7."
"You have, haven't you? You've chosen her."
"How long have you known?"
"That you loved her. When you couldn't tell her about us. When you asked if I could do it sensitively, because she was still vulnerable. When I said she had her wrapped around her little finger, I meant it. You would do her bidding without a second thought."
He knew the question would come soon as to why he started dating her. He couldn't allow it to get there and he was realising that he was running out of time to say to Rachel what his choice was. There was no point arguing with Melissa. Their relationship was over.
Without a second thought, he started jogging down the corridors, only just hearing the door to the front of the school closing. He had almost left it too late. He pushed open the door to see her opening the door to her car. She hadn't gone just yet.
"Rachel!" He shouted.
She looked shocked as she turned to him, like she didn't believe that he would choose her. He made his way down the steps and to her. There was only one thing that he could think of doing to make her believe that this was his choice. That he chose her.
He felt like she was going to say his name but, before she could, he cupped her face and kissed her. The shock of the movement was still there but she relaxed into it, grabbing his jacket. His hands made their way down her body while hers made their way up his. Having Rachel Mason in his arms and kissing her was better than he could have ever imagined.
He didn't want to pull back when he did but he felt like it was the right time to end the kiss.
"I think we have a lot to talk about." He said.
"I think we do."
There was a crazy part of her that thought that Eddie might have chosen her. She was the fun one. She was the carefree one. But Melissa let Eddie go when he left her. She had to. She had told him to choose and he had done.
He just hadn't chosen her.
Melissa didn't really know what to do with herself and as she made her way towards the exit, she saw them. Her heart broke as she watched them kissing, not really believing that Eddie could move on that quickly.
But then it hit her.
He had never loved her because she wasn't her. He just loved her because he couldn't have Rachel. Because she was the next best thing. The determination and stubbornness was the only thing they had in common. Is that what Eddie saw? Is that why he started the relationship with her?
Her hand went to her stomach. Something else she was going to tell him about. Something that might have swayed his decision.
Maybe his thing with Rachel would be short-lived. Maybe, if she took some time away to get herself back together, they might be sick of each other. Maybe, when she came back, he would choose her. And their baby.
Maybe. Just maybe.
