It hit her like a truck. The realization. 7:15am on the morning of her departure. Eddie's arm hung heavily over her, like even in his sleep he knew. She turned to face him, enjoying that little snore, and the puff he did every other breath. His bangs were stuck back, leaving his face open for her to memorize. He looked so serene. Not for the first time, she was struck be how handsome he really was. Of course she was biased, but he had really been blessed with such a nice face. She loved his eyes most of all, but they were closed, and she wasn't ready to rouse him just yet.

She slithered out of his embrace. Took a shower and tried to eat some cereal. Stared out the window til she heard a crash from the next room, and Eddie stumbled out the door.

"Rosie!" He sighed when he saw her. "I thought - I thought you left."

"I wouldn't do that." She rinsed the bowl and followed him back in, letting him stroke her neck as he shut the door. Falling back against his chest as he ran his hands over her in that slow, deliberate way that made her insides hum. It seemed futile, but he undressed her, knelt down to taste her, caressed her breasts as she whimpered half-heartedly. Rosie drew him up, unable to meet her end, and sat him on the bed.

She just wanted to kiss him, really. To commit his lips and his flesh and his hair and those damned sad eyes to memory. Hell knew when she would see them again. The rest was all… pretense. Grasping his hardness, guiding him into her, trying to use his shoulders as leverage, only to collapse down and just devour him.

"This is going well." He laughed, then choked, nuzzling her.

"So well." She responded thickly. Their tears added salt to the kisses. His fingers gripped her hard enough to bruise. Eddie was still embedded in her, and every now and again one of them tried to rock their hips. Pointless. Neither of them was capable of doing this right now, but they were both bullheaded, in their own ways, only giving up when he lost it.

Eddie gave a small sob. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Rosie wouldn't let him go. "I just wanted to feel you. It's not…not.."

"Not right." He petted her hair. "It's not fair."

She pushed their lips together. Urged for the millionth time: "Pack your bags."

"Rosie."

Clung to him and pleaded sorrowfully in his ear. "Come with me."

"Stop."

"Come with me. Please?"

He sniffed pitifully. Shook his head. That was it. She couldn't keep asking. It hurt too damn much. Rosie stood up and got dressed. Eddie followed slowly. He knocked on Wayne's door as she loaded the last few things into her trunk, so she could say goodbye.

"Take care, Uncle Wayne." Rosie hugged him.

He placed a quick peck on her cheek. "You too, Rosie."

Eddie took her hands, his face still wet. "Stay off the side roads."

"Ed -"

"I'm telling you! And get to a motel or something once it's dark. No sleeping in the car."

"I'll be fine!"

"I want you to be safe, Rosie. No dumb risks."

"Okay. I hear you."

"You promise me." Eddie demanded sternly.

"I promise."

Rosie tried not to look as she drove away, but allowed herself one last glance when she turned out of the trailer park. Bad idea. Eddie was standing in the middle of the gravelled road in his pyjamas, just watching. She closed her eyes against it, then stepped on the gas.

Eddie had been good, better than anyone she'd met over the years. She loved him with all her heart. But the further she drove, the more sour that feeling turned. Truth was she was angry. Angry at herself for leaving, at him for staying. Furious at this filthy backwater town for getting to keep him while she lost him. Furious again at herself for falling for him. She'd known she wasn't going to settle here. Had only set both of them up for pain.

The moment she hit the highway, she put her foot down, driving like a maniac away from Hawkins. She put in a tape and let her mind go blank, but every song on the damned album reminded her of Eddie. Rosie switched it out. Again. Again. Until her passenger seat was a graveyard of discarded cassettes. She turned on the radio instead.

"FUCK IT!" She bellowed eventually, hitting the wheel like everything was its fault. Eddie's face tormented her through whatever pop garbage was filling the car. No matter how far she drove, how long into the night, he followed. She went until the sun began to rise again, then pulled over at a truck stop and went to sleep in the back. Screw him, let him be mad. Not like it mattered any more.

"Eddie?"

He turned to find Max standing nearby. He had wandered out into the road after Rosie's car, still in his pyjamas. The gravel hurt his feet.

"Huh?"

"You good?"

"I…" Looking back at the dust settling from her rear wheels, he shrugged.

"She really left?"

"Yep." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "She really did."

Max stood watching with him a little while longer, then they both walked back to their trailers. Wayne was sipping on a mug of coffee, which he raised in salute on Eddie's return.

"Rosie get out ok?"

"Uh-huh." He couldn't make it to his room, so he stumbled over and fell onto the sofa. Wayne placed another cup on the table as he passed, and eased into his armchair. Eddie didn't really drink coffee, but it was warm and heated his chilled insides.

"She was a nice girl." Wayne said at length.

"The best." Agreed Eddie, clasping the mug tightly. "Uncle Wayne?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think I made a mistake?"

His uncle took a long drag of a freshly-lit cigarette, then offered the box to Eddie. "I know you did, son."

He inhaled. It had been a while since he smoked tobacco - Rosie couldn't stand the smell. He wasn't sure if he liked it any more. Spluttered a bit and stubbed it out in the ashtray. "I know."

"I still don't understand why?"

"The nightmares." Eddie answered. "They're still bad."

"Sleepwalking?"

"Yeah. I scared her…I don't know how many times I scared her. Wandering and rambling and pointing at shit that wasn't there. I figured I can't go anywhere til I get it under control."

"And the other stuff?"

Eddie put a hand to his neck. Recalling the sensation of a towel tightening around it. Wayne had found him before… "Not since I met her."

"And yet you just let her walk out that door."

"I can't do that to her. Use her as a quick fix for me - for my shit." He met his uncle's gaze. "She deserves better."

Wayne gave him a long, hard look. "I hope to hell you've been talking to the doctors, at least."

"I have. I will. It just…takes time."

"And how much time did you tell Rosie it would take?"

He bit his lip, shrugged. "Uh."

"You did tell her, right?"

Eddie finally choked: "I don't know how. How do you tell someone you're just fucked up? Especially someone like her."

"Rosie loves you, Eddie. I don't think I've ever seen anyone look at another person the way she looks at you, and you at her. I guarantee she would understand. She would wait as long as it took if you just told her."

"I really don't want to lose her."

"Then stop whining. Get on the phone. Call her friend. Tell them it's urgent. And as soon as you have a chance, lay it all out on the table."

He wished he could stop his lip from quivering, but Uncle Wayne didn't seem to mind. He never minded any of Eddie's blubbering. "And what if she doesn't want it?"