"So uh, that's that." I clicked my tongue and rocked back against the sofa. My pulse was quicker than normal and my skin felt ice cold, but I'd actually managed to get through the story without any major problems. I lifted my eyes to Eddie's face, tears were trickling down his cheeks and his hands were trembling. "Hey, why are you crying?" I asked, confused. Eddie opened his mouth but no words came out, he just threw himself at me, knocking me backwards onto the couch and cocooning me with his body. Laying there in my Eddie cocoon I felt warm and safe, completely shielded from the world. He wasn't saying a thing so I didn't either; a while passed before Eddie finally rolled off the couch, holding a hand out when he stood up, which I took. "He tried to fucking kill you...because of me," Eddie began saying but I immediately took his damp face between my hands and shushed him with a short kiss, telling him "No. Don't you dare. It had nothing to do with you, he did it because he was fucking crazy." Eddie's arms locked around me, "Rain - he hurt you to keep you away from the pool because I'd be there." He tried to argue but I pressed my hands firmly into his chest and shook my head, "Eddie listen - Billy was obsessed with turning me into a barbie doll, but he didn't like when that led to guys noticing me, so he constantly belittled me and hid me away." I sighed, "He also had a really fucked up infatuation with Hellfire, to be honest I think he was kinda jealous of you, and his twisted mind conflated the two."
A booming laugh erupted from Eddie, "You think Billy Hargrove was jealous of me?! That's the funniest shit I've ever heard." I folded my arms and leaned back, still locked in place by Eddie's arms as he continued. "The guy had the sweetest car, muscles on muscles, money pouring from his ears, and he was with you, how in the hell would be have been jealous of me." I frowned and looked into Eddie's eyes, "Because it was all fake. "The car was actually his dad's, he just let Billy drive it to look cool. Billy also didn't let himself eat a single carb or do anything other than lift weights, and he injected steroids. He had no real friends, everyone was either just obsessed with his image or afraid of him. His life was miserable." There was still doubt in Eddie's eyes so I continued, "You earned everything you have. You didn't give a shit about your 'image' or what people thought of you. Your friends actually liked you and had your back. You ate pizza every damn day in the cafeteria, you acted like your strange and weird self all the time, you didn't have to threaten people to make an impression. Billy was jealous of all that." For a second Eddie seemed pleasantly shocked, a small smile at the corners of his mouth, then a dark cloud settled on his face, "That just concretes what I said then, he tried to kill you because of me." My arms fell to my sides and I dropped my head as I said, "It's not about you Eddie, it was never about you. He hurt me every single day because he wanted to, he tried to kill me because he wanted to, and he got away with it." Eddie's face fell as he took me by the shoulders gently, "I'm sorry, you're totally right, it has nothing to do with me. He's a psychopath; he didn't get away with it though, sure he ran off but he's a wanted man and everyone knows what a monster he is." Eddie kissed my head, "He'd never return cause he knows he'd be arrested. Even if he did come back, you and me would be away from here immediately, he'd never get close to you." I let out a huge sigh, feeling my entire body deflate as I leaned into Eddie, wrapping my arms around his waist and nuzzling his neck, "Thank you, for everything. I've never felt this safe with someone before." Eddie responded by kissing my hair a few times and mumbling into my ear, "Onwards and upwards from here on out."