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Chapter 21: Greetings From Paris

Simultaneously to waking up, a flood of thoughts entered Rachel's mind. Whilst sleeping, she hadn't been able to escape the worries about the Philip and Melissa situation. Was Philip truly okay? What if this was all an appetiser for Melissa's return? Rachel shook herself internally, she couldn't ponder on negative outcomes or scenarios. Warmth passed through her as she realised that Eddie had taught her to have that mindset. Without him, she would have been coping far worse with the way that Melissa was intruding on everything. Seemingly, recognising the weight of Eddie's arm draped across her waist only reinforced this. In an instant Rachel's irrational musings were replaced with his kind and loving words. She turned in Eddie's arms slightly, hoping not to wake him, and buried her face into his chest.

Rachel attempted to eradicate all anxiousness from her brain. Yet it was then that a reminder seemed to hit her. Although it wasn't necessarily a dissenting one. Perhaps it would relieve a bit of the tension. Either that or send her mind into overdrive.

Philip had mentioned his mum saying a card was in the post. Rachel hoped that the card or stamp, or even a return address could give them some clue surrounding Melissa's whereabouts. She gathered that it would perhaps put her mind at ease. But maybe that was dependent on the location.

The soft feel of Eddie's lips brushing across her forehead had Rachel alerted to the fact that he was now awake. She looked up at him and they shared a warm smile. With that warm look, almost all of the trepidation Rachel felt had vanished. Despite the uncertainty, Eddie was here with her. And she was wrapped up in his arms.

"The card from Melissa, that Philip mentioned. I'm going to go and check if it has been posted."

Eddie moved his hand around so that he could gently rub Rachel's upper arm. His tender grip on her didn't loosen. He was worried about her. Everything was obviously still playing on her mind if Melissa was her first thought when waking up.

"Are you okay Rachel?"

There was a silence after Eddie spoke. Rachel's eyes remained on his and he scanned her features. Anything to work out what she was currently feeling. She looked slightly taken aback by his questioning. Maybe Rachel had just been anticipating an okay. Eddie watched as her eyes softened just before she answered. He hoped that she was going to open up to him, like she had done many times in the past week or so.

"The whole thing just seems… odd. It's not like Melissa to be considerate. The Melissa I know wouldn't have sent Philip a text yesterday… and certainly not a card. She has to be planning something."

Eddie sighed. He couldn't deny it, what Rachel had said was something that had also been on his mind. It was utterly out of character for Melissa to think of others without a hint of malicious intent. And why did she act as if everything was normal in the text?

Despite this apprehension, Eddie knew that he couldn't let it show to Rachel. It would only panic her further. All in all though, this would probably be difficult when she could read him just as well as he could read her.

"Maybe she felt guilty. To leave Philip like that and then not even text on his birthday."

Rachel shook her head, "I don't think so Eddie. I… I want to think that, but with what I know about Melissa… it… it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe not. Maybe not right now. But we will figure it out Rachel, we always do."

She brushed her fingers across his jawline clumsily, before stretching up to plant a sweet kiss on his lips. Rachel knew that this conversation wasn't over, but Eddie had reassured her once again.

Eddie's loving touches and calming words seemed far too attractive to venture downstairs just yet. Checking the time to see that it was 7:30, and with it being a Saturday, Rachel didn't see why they couldn't spend another thirty minutes or so wrapped in one another's embrace. Well, maybe to sooth her racing thoughts about Philip's birthday card. But in short, Eddie seemed to do that for her, and she was immensely grateful.

Only when Rachel heard Philip's light footsteps on the landing did she part from Eddie's arms. She didn't want Philip to have to open the card alone, if it had been posted. She knew that he would only sit and worry about it, and how he was going to mention it to her. Eddie followed closely behind Rachel, with a supportive hand on the small of her back.

"You didn't have to get up yet you know," Rachel turned with a smile, to be met with a look of adoration from Eddie that had her breath catching, "wouldn't want to drag you out of bed on a Saturday. I do enough of that on weekdays."

They both laughed now, stopping as they reached the top of the stairs, "what and not have you to cuddle into? Never," he paused for a moment to take in Rachel's expression, "plus… I want to be there, to support you, if this card has been posted"

All laughter ceased for a moment, as their chuckles returned to smiles. Rachel rubbed a thumb gently across Eddie's cheek, and leant up to repeat her earlier gesture of a tender kiss. Barely giving him a chance to respond, Rachel turned and began her journey down the stairs. All with the knowledge and reassurance that Eddie was closely behind her.

The second part of Rachel's sentence had gotten Eddie's mind working. I do enough of that on weekdays. It all just seemed so natural for them to be sharing a home together, even when they weren't officially living together. Eddie seemed to recall only going to his house once or twice at a push in the past twelve days or so. Even then, it had only been to pick up post or some fresh clothes. Everything seemed so perfect that it was almost subconscious for them to spend practically every moment together.

Maybe once the uncertainty with Melissa had settled down, Eddie would broach the subject of moving in together with Rachel. He didn't want to push her. Eddie couldn't risk pushing her away like he idiotically did at the beginning of the school year. He vowed to never be so foolish again. Yet his gut instinct was telling him that Rachel wanted this too, and just maybe… she was ready to take that next step.

Eddie had been so consumed by his own thoughts that it hadn't registered that Philip and Rachel were exchanging words. At least not until Rachel placed a hand on his forearm.

"Eddie have you seen this?" Rachel asked once she had his attention, bringing what looked like a card closer to him so that he could hold it.

"Greetings from Paris? She can't be serious…" Eddie opened the card as a photograph fell out onto the floor.

"Oh she's deadly serious," Rachel commented, crouching down to pick up the picture and examine it.

The Eiffel Tower was in the distance, with Melissa…

"Hang on a minute. That's not just Melissa in the photo," Eddie said, stepping closer to Rachel and Philip.

"You're right. It isn't… but who on earth is that?" Rachel questioned, glancing between both Philip and Eddie.

The two people were quite a distance away, so it was fairly hard to get a proper look at the second person's face. She could just about make out the person's dark hair and the shape of their face. Rachel was certain they were male. Then it hit her. Maybe Melissa hadn't been using her 'new man' as a provocation.

"Her new man," Philip spoke, mirroring Rachel's thought exactly.

Exasperated, she glanced up at Eddie. His expression was just as baffled as her own. Rachel could almost instantly feel the anger setting in. Why was it that Melissa was still able to affect her in this way? How could she interfere in her life so meticulously?

This card was supposed to put Rachel's mind at ease, but it had done quite the opposite. She didn't really know what she had been thinking, her life could never be this perfect for more than a week. Yet as Eddie draped an arm across her shoulders, Rachel allowed a part of herself to believe that everything would turn out just fine. Everything would always be okay with Eddie by her side. She intended to have him in her life forever, that wasn't something that she would entitle Melissa to meddle with.