A different kind of 'waking up together' story this time…
44. INSANITY
"Eddie."
He's not sure he slept much at all last night. For obvious reasons. And even afterwards, when she was asleep, he just couldn't take his eyes off her. Then the sky had started to turn grey outside and the streetlights had gone off. He had drifted off, not overly concerned. They could wake up late. Perhaps cook breakfast together, and-
"Eddie!"
At first, the sharp shaking of his shoulder leaves him frowning. Opening heavy eyes he finds her leaning over him. What a wonderful sight. Perfect. All he's ever wanted…He reaches out a languid hand and tucks some of that beautiful, shiny, strawberry loveliness behind her ear. Marvellous. A wonder.
"Hello, gorgeous."
He was hoping for a dreamy smile to remedy his heavy eyes. He doesn't quite get it. Her lips are agape, face pale. The compliment, or attempt at flirting slides over her head, and she states the obvious.
"Eddie. You stayed the night."
"Oh."
Her face says 'devastated'. Not quite what a guy wants to see the morning after the first night of…the first time for…after they had…
"So I did."
At this, she gives a frustrated but stifled groan, jumping off the bed and pacing the bedroom floor. When she speaks it is with an almost comical hiss. Through bared, gritted teeth.
"You need to leave!" He frowns at her again, "Right now!"
He has seen her in states such as these before, frantic and wringing her hands. But those times had involved guns and blackmailers and awkward, unsolicited confessions about love.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
She raises her eyebrows in surprise, as if he should know. As if it should be obvious what had her in such a panic. As if he should be panicking too.
"Philip is going to be up any minute. You need to get out. Right now. Oh god I think I'm going to faint-"
He almost laughs. He almost gives a sigh of relief.
"Hang on, what exactly is the problem?"
"Philip!"
"He's not a kid, Rachel. Do you honestly think he'll care?"
"I just don't want him getting a…shock…after everything."
He glances momentarily from her slightly reddened cheeks to their surroundings of her bedroom. Both of their clothes are strewn and draped over various items of furniture. Perhaps most noticeable is her underpants, dangling precariously from the bedside lampshade, one of the few things that remained upright on that particular surface. They had intended to be discreet. But honestly he doesn't think he could be blamed for getting carried away. She was the most beautiful woman in the world after all. He had still assumed that things would start off gently, soft, slow. Yet the more he looks around the more the memories flood back.
And they had been anything but tender.
He winces.
"You honestly think he doesn't know already?"
She looks at him with one final heavy and despairing sigh, before she starts foraging for his clothes and throwing them at him. A pair of boxers to the face.
"Maybe he's got someone in his room too."
For this he is awarded a poignant, headmistress look.
"He hasn't."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'd just KNOW."
Odd, he thinks, that this sixth sense applies only to Rachel and not her nephew…but before he has the chance to voice it, somewhere down the landing, a door clicks open.
"Oh my god."
Rachel's eyes widen in panic.
"Quick! The window."
She's joking. Surely, she is joking.
"Sorry?"
"Before he goes downstairs, Eddie! Now!"
He'd fantasised about how this morning would go. A lot. The image of her standing at her open bedroom window, gesturing for him to jump from it had categorically not featured.
"This is insane."
Nevertheless, under her desperate stare, he staggers back into his clothes. He thinks she'll come to her senses if he dangles one leg out.
She doesn't.
"Go! Now! There's a ledge, just-"
"Rachel, this is insanity-"
"Okay. Bye!"
"What if I fall?"
"You won't. Go!"
"When can I see you agai-"
"Just GO."