Disclaimer : Nope. Not mine. The song during the flashback is "With or Without You". That belongs to U2.
Author's Note : Thanks for all your reviews. I really appreciate it. Well, this chapter is Eddie's point of view. The first idea that came to mind was to make him the bastard we all imagine him to be, but then, he can't possibly be a complete bastard all the time or else Cath would have never fallen for him in the first place. Well, this chapter speculates this thought along the idea of what he's like with Catherine and his daughter. There's also a flashback in this chapter.
Penny For Your Thoughts (Part IV)
EDDIE
I rang the doorbell again. The fourth time actually. I checked my watch. It was almost four in the afternoon. I had been standing there for ten minutes in the biting wind and rain. The lights were on, so where the hell was she?
I ran a hand through my soaked hair and walked around to the back of the house. And there she was. She was standing there in the middle of the backyard, arms folded across her chest.
"Cath?" Reaching out, I touched her arm, "I was ringing the doorbell for nearly fifteen minutes. Is everything okay? Where's Lindsey?"
"She's upstairs, taking a nap."
"Oh."
We stood there for I don't know how long in silence, listening to the steady rhythm of the rain. She knew I was waiting. I swore to myself I wouldn't leave without them this time. I would stand there as long as she would. Bottom line: I wasn't going until I got what I wanted. I let out a brief sigh.
"Look, Cath, you got 'em or what?"
"Yeah." She whispered. She reached into her coat pocket and drew out the cleanly folded papers, and handed them to me.
I took them from her and stuffed it into my own pocket.
"So, when do you think you'll be moving out?" I asked uneasily.
"I'm not."
For a moment, my voice failed me. Then, "What?" That was all I could make out.
"You heard me."
"It was part of the settlement that I get the - " I stopped short. I pulled out the divorce papers and stared at them. All the blanks that she was supposed to sign were still blank.
"You're the one leaving me, so YOU leave." She drew out another packet of papers and held them out to me. "Here. Have them signed by tomorrow."
"What fuck does this mean?" I spat out.
"It means I'm divorcing you. Not the other way around. You're the one who cheated on me. You're the one who took me for granted. You're the one who ran away from our problems. You're the one who wants a divorce. So now I'm giving it to you."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"The one thing I regret not doing for the longest time."
She didn't back down. She didn't look away. She just stood there, her eyes seeing through me. No fear. No fear at all. I swallowed. It felt like the world had turned its back on me.
"What about Lindsey?"
"We'll talk to her. We both will."
And we fell silent again. I was stripped of my power. And for the first time in some time, I...
"I'm sorry, Cath. Really. I am."
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything."
"I know. But I still am."
"Things change, Eddie, but it wasn't all bad. We both got Lindsey out of it."
"Yeah."
Someone knocked on the window at us. I looked up and saw Lindsey waving. I smiled and waved back.
"You can still take her tonight, right?"
"Yeah. I'll have her back here tomorrow afternoon."
"And the papers?"
"And the papers." I confirmed though hesitantly.
At that moment, Lindsey came running out into the yard toward me. "Daddy!"
I bent down and scooped her up into my arms. "Hey, Kid. You ready to go?"
"Yeah. What are we going to do today?"
"Well, seeing as how it's all rainy, I thought we could go watch a movie."
"Really? Which one?"
"Any one you want, Babe."
"Promise?" She grinned.
"You know I do." I smiled back. "Okay, give Mommy a kiss before we go."
Still holding her, I leaned her toward Catherine and Lindsey kissed her mouth.
"Bye, Lindsey. Have fun." Catherine said.
"Bye, Mommy."
And I set Lindsey down on the ground and handed her the car keys. "Get in the car. I'll be there in a minute, Linds."
"Okay. Bye Mommy." And she disappeared to the front of the house.
Catherine and I caught each other's eyes. A hint of reconciliation flashed in her subtle smile.
"So, I guess I'll - uh - see you tomorrow then." I said.
She nodded. "Right."
But I couldn't move. Something compelled me to stay another second.
"What?" She spoke.
I shook my head. "Nothing."
"Okay. Bye, Eddie."
"Bye...Catherine." And I left.
"Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Kid."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"How come we have to stay at this hotel? Why can't we go home?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but no answer would come. She looked at me expectantly. "Well, it's only for tonight, Linds."
"Okay."
"All right."
"Good night, Daddy." She said again.
"Good night."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Lindsey."
Within a few minutes, Lindsey was sleeping, holding the stuffed giraffe Catherine and I had given her on her four birthday. I turned off the TV and all the lights except the one in the tiny bathroom, leaving the door opened in case Lindsey woke up and got scared.
In the dark, I took a pen from the desk drawer and removed the papers hidden under my jacket. I stepped out of the hotel room and into the night without closing the door. I walked up to our car that was parked right outside the room under a streetlight. I stood there, flipping through the papers on the hood of the car.
I glanced through the ones I had presented her. Then, hers. I sighed and without another moment's thought, I tore up mine into two. I wouldn't take the house. I didn't want her to be unhappy. And that's the truth.
So I went through the papers she had given me, and signed every blank she had marked with Xs. Edward Willows. Edward Willows. Edward Willows.
FLASHBACK
She was stunning. She immediately caught the attention of every guy in the French Palace with that simple, sly smile of hers. Her eyes were a fiery, sharp blue that seemed to look through everything.
See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you...
Her body seemed to float like it were a mere reflection on water. And it wasn't promiscuous. It was dignified, graceful, experienced.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you...
And she didn't even have to be dancing.
With or without you
With or without you...
She was proud. She looked like the kind of woman that wouldn't let anybody step on her. She looked intelligent. She looked like she could do so much more than exotic dancing.
Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you...
Though her smiles really were genuine, she looked unhappy. No, not just unhappy. She seemed inwardly plagued by her personal demons, whatever they were. Everyone's got them, but she seemed caged.
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away...
After a few nights, I screwed up enough courage to say something. Anything.
My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose...
"Hey, would you like to dance?" What an idiot I was.
"Wasn't that performance up on stage enough for you?" She smiled mischievously.
"No - I mean - I meant - "
She laughed softly as she stood up from the bar stool at the counter. She brushed pass me and whispered into my ear, "I know what you meant."
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away
With or without you
With or without you...
She led me to the middle of the floor. Still smiling furtively, she situated my right hand on her waist, and held my left. And slowly, we swayed with the music.
"By the way," She said, "I'm Catherine."
Her perfume was intoxicating.
"I'm Eddie. Eddie Willows."
"Nice to meet you, Eddie."
"Likewise."
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you...
END FLASHBACK
We did fight a hell of a lot. But she was right. It wasn't all bad.
I stared at the last blank of the packet of papers. And in self revelation, I sighed, realizing I was going to miss her. A lot. No doubt about it. It was the end of an era.
Edward Willows
[End Part Four of Six]
Author's Note : Thanks for all your reviews. I really appreciate it. Well, this chapter is Eddie's point of view. The first idea that came to mind was to make him the bastard we all imagine him to be, but then, he can't possibly be a complete bastard all the time or else Cath would have never fallen for him in the first place. Well, this chapter speculates this thought along the idea of what he's like with Catherine and his daughter. There's also a flashback in this chapter.
Penny For Your Thoughts (Part IV)
EDDIE
I rang the doorbell again. The fourth time actually. I checked my watch. It was almost four in the afternoon. I had been standing there for ten minutes in the biting wind and rain. The lights were on, so where the hell was she?
I ran a hand through my soaked hair and walked around to the back of the house. And there she was. She was standing there in the middle of the backyard, arms folded across her chest.
"Cath?" Reaching out, I touched her arm, "I was ringing the doorbell for nearly fifteen minutes. Is everything okay? Where's Lindsey?"
"She's upstairs, taking a nap."
"Oh."
We stood there for I don't know how long in silence, listening to the steady rhythm of the rain. She knew I was waiting. I swore to myself I wouldn't leave without them this time. I would stand there as long as she would. Bottom line: I wasn't going until I got what I wanted. I let out a brief sigh.
"Look, Cath, you got 'em or what?"
"Yeah." She whispered. She reached into her coat pocket and drew out the cleanly folded papers, and handed them to me.
I took them from her and stuffed it into my own pocket.
"So, when do you think you'll be moving out?" I asked uneasily.
"I'm not."
For a moment, my voice failed me. Then, "What?" That was all I could make out.
"You heard me."
"It was part of the settlement that I get the - " I stopped short. I pulled out the divorce papers and stared at them. All the blanks that she was supposed to sign were still blank.
"You're the one leaving me, so YOU leave." She drew out another packet of papers and held them out to me. "Here. Have them signed by tomorrow."
"What fuck does this mean?" I spat out.
"It means I'm divorcing you. Not the other way around. You're the one who cheated on me. You're the one who took me for granted. You're the one who ran away from our problems. You're the one who wants a divorce. So now I'm giving it to you."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"The one thing I regret not doing for the longest time."
She didn't back down. She didn't look away. She just stood there, her eyes seeing through me. No fear. No fear at all. I swallowed. It felt like the world had turned its back on me.
"What about Lindsey?"
"We'll talk to her. We both will."
And we fell silent again. I was stripped of my power. And for the first time in some time, I...
"I'm sorry, Cath. Really. I am."
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything."
"I know. But I still am."
"Things change, Eddie, but it wasn't all bad. We both got Lindsey out of it."
"Yeah."
Someone knocked on the window at us. I looked up and saw Lindsey waving. I smiled and waved back.
"You can still take her tonight, right?"
"Yeah. I'll have her back here tomorrow afternoon."
"And the papers?"
"And the papers." I confirmed though hesitantly.
At that moment, Lindsey came running out into the yard toward me. "Daddy!"
I bent down and scooped her up into my arms. "Hey, Kid. You ready to go?"
"Yeah. What are we going to do today?"
"Well, seeing as how it's all rainy, I thought we could go watch a movie."
"Really? Which one?"
"Any one you want, Babe."
"Promise?" She grinned.
"You know I do." I smiled back. "Okay, give Mommy a kiss before we go."
Still holding her, I leaned her toward Catherine and Lindsey kissed her mouth.
"Bye, Lindsey. Have fun." Catherine said.
"Bye, Mommy."
And I set Lindsey down on the ground and handed her the car keys. "Get in the car. I'll be there in a minute, Linds."
"Okay. Bye Mommy." And she disappeared to the front of the house.
Catherine and I caught each other's eyes. A hint of reconciliation flashed in her subtle smile.
"So, I guess I'll - uh - see you tomorrow then." I said.
She nodded. "Right."
But I couldn't move. Something compelled me to stay another second.
"What?" She spoke.
I shook my head. "Nothing."
"Okay. Bye, Eddie."
"Bye...Catherine." And I left.
"Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, Kid."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"How come we have to stay at this hotel? Why can't we go home?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but no answer would come. She looked at me expectantly. "Well, it's only for tonight, Linds."
"Okay."
"All right."
"Good night, Daddy." She said again.
"Good night."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Lindsey."
Within a few minutes, Lindsey was sleeping, holding the stuffed giraffe Catherine and I had given her on her four birthday. I turned off the TV and all the lights except the one in the tiny bathroom, leaving the door opened in case Lindsey woke up and got scared.
In the dark, I took a pen from the desk drawer and removed the papers hidden under my jacket. I stepped out of the hotel room and into the night without closing the door. I walked up to our car that was parked right outside the room under a streetlight. I stood there, flipping through the papers on the hood of the car.
I glanced through the ones I had presented her. Then, hers. I sighed and without another moment's thought, I tore up mine into two. I wouldn't take the house. I didn't want her to be unhappy. And that's the truth.
So I went through the papers she had given me, and signed every blank she had marked with Xs. Edward Willows. Edward Willows. Edward Willows.
FLASHBACK
She was stunning. She immediately caught the attention of every guy in the French Palace with that simple, sly smile of hers. Her eyes were a fiery, sharp blue that seemed to look through everything.
See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you...
Her body seemed to float like it were a mere reflection on water. And it wasn't promiscuous. It was dignified, graceful, experienced.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you...
And she didn't even have to be dancing.
With or without you
With or without you...
She was proud. She looked like the kind of woman that wouldn't let anybody step on her. She looked intelligent. She looked like she could do so much more than exotic dancing.
Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you...
Though her smiles really were genuine, she looked unhappy. No, not just unhappy. She seemed inwardly plagued by her personal demons, whatever they were. Everyone's got them, but she seemed caged.
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away...
After a few nights, I screwed up enough courage to say something. Anything.
My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose...
"Hey, would you like to dance?" What an idiot I was.
"Wasn't that performance up on stage enough for you?" She smiled mischievously.
"No - I mean - I meant - "
She laughed softly as she stood up from the bar stool at the counter. She brushed pass me and whispered into my ear, "I know what you meant."
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away
With or without you
With or without you...
She led me to the middle of the floor. Still smiling furtively, she situated my right hand on her waist, and held my left. And slowly, we swayed with the music.
"By the way," She said, "I'm Catherine."
Her perfume was intoxicating.
"I'm Eddie. Eddie Willows."
"Nice to meet you, Eddie."
"Likewise."
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you...
END FLASHBACK
We did fight a hell of a lot. But she was right. It wasn't all bad.
I stared at the last blank of the packet of papers. And in self revelation, I sighed, realizing I was going to miss her. A lot. No doubt about it. It was the end of an era.
Edward Willows
[End Part Four of Six]