A/N: It's been a while ...
Here is the second and final part. Some lines are like those of ep 10. Thank you for the lovely reviews!

Please enjoy.

A Dangerous Illusion

One shot.

I want you more than anything in this world. I thrive on the attention that you flourish me with. I force myself to love you so that she cannot have you. I swear that I am not jealous. You will be mine and I will be yours, you can trust me on that one. I am committed. I love you.

I love you, but I am not in love with you. Devastation ripples through me as I am unable to give myself to you fully. My heart lies with another woman. A courageous, beautiful soul. She is damaged but not broken. I want to love her only. I am sorry.

I am sorry. I am more in love with you than you'll ever know. Please understand that my love for you is pure, but also tainted. I cannot burden you with such baggage. I'm afraid to allow you to love me. I am terrified of my vulnerable state. I am petrified of not being enough.

Four words. Four words that she hoped he wouldn't say. Tears flooded in her eyes and she made a sharp exit towards the door, not before however he grabbed her wrist. She looked down and kept her eyes firmly locked at his hold of her.

'Stop doing that!', he exclaimed. She could feel his eyes burning onto her and within an instant she regretted bringing hers to meet his. He tightened his grip, and it wasn't to hurt her, but more so she couldn't break free. He was desperate for her to listen.

'Stop pushing me away, Rachel. That day of the gun incident. Outside the pub .. I went after you, again. I saw you getting into Melissa's car', he explained. A thousand memories swarmed her, and she brought herself back to that day. The frustration, anger and hurt of that very moment.

'What?', Rachel could hardly suppress her shock. He'd gone after her again, and she'd been none the wiser.

'I came after you, to tell you that I don't care about your scar. I came to tell you!' Sadness echoed in his voice. She desperately wanted to reach out and comfort him. She wanted him.

'I'm sorry, I can't-', Rachel attempted to withdraw herself from the situation. Her feelings were to not come first and instead her head would rule her heart.

'Don't fight it, Rach. Not this time. I'm in love with you.'

I'm in love with you.

Why did she suddenly feel a warmth ripple inside her? Why did her tears want to forcibly pour? Why did this very man keep fighting for her?

She took a few seconds to compose herself and let out a defeated sigh. Turning herself to face him, she regretted the motion instantly. Their eyes locked, and suddenly her heart felt tight, almost stopping her from escaping any breath.

'Eddie, you're engaged to Melissa', Rachel whispered. She gave him a small smile and hoped that he would leave. She felt emptiness and felt a lump in her throat as she gracefully stood back and awaited him to let her go, but he, however, did not.

'I want you.'

Running furiously after his mother, Phil wondered if what he had done had been the right decision. His loyalty to her had always come first. That's why he needed to confront her in front of Eddie. He needed her to understand her actions were more serious that she thought.

As he turned the corner, he could see her outline vanishing further down the corridor. Slightly breathless, he bellowed to her, 'Mum, mum sorry alright.. but Eddie, he needed to know.'

Barging her way into the cooler, she found them. Together. Her sister and her fiance, together.

'Melissa .. I .. Eddie-', Rachel scrambled furiously to find the words. She looked at the hurt in her sister's eyes and snatched her wrist from Eddie's grasp. Unbeknown to her, Eddie's heart ached at not only the interruption but the loss of physical contact.

'I need to speak with you .. in private', Melissa hissed as she witnessed Rachel pulling away from him. Her fiance. Eddie was hers. Her eyes travelled between the pair of them, scorning like a teacher would to naughty school children.

'I-', Eddie could hear the panic in Rachel's voice. He took a step forward, almost as if he were putting himself in the firing line and protecting her from the anger that Melissa was ready to launch.

'I've told her', Eddie's words hit Melissa like a tonne of bricks. Of course he had told her.

Silence. There was an uneasy atmosphere, and nobody could figure the right words to say. The silence lingered for a while before Rachel broke the ice.

'You lied to me, Mel. Phillip, the poor kid, you can't expect him to carry a secret like that around-', Rachel didn't have time to continue, before Melissa jumped in unable to bear the ongoing finger-pointing.

'I know! I know alright!', Melissa exclaimed as she brought both hands to her head in frustration. She steadily brought her anger down and instead disgust ran through her tone as she addressed him.

'I'm guessing you've told her something else too?', Melissa glared at Eddie. He was sure he knew what she had meant. Rachel looked at them confused and she was unsure what they were talking about.

'That he's in love with you', Melissa spat. Rachel looked on naively at Melissa.

'Or that he's never stopped loving you', Melissa continued. She kept a dark glare burning onto Rachel, and the hate was evident.

'That day I picked you up. He was running after you. It's obvious that he wanted you.'

There was resentment and Rachel couldn't believe that she had been the only one to have not seen Eddie that day. She stood paralyzed as she desperately tried to digest everything.

'If you knew I loved her then why did you agree to marry me?', Eddie asked bewildered.

'Because I wanted you to love me like her. I wanted you to be crazy about me too', her words and tone sharp and Melissa was like a possessed woman who wouldn't give up her man for anything. She forced herself to him and blocked his view of Rachel.

'Well, I guess now you have a decision to make Eddie ..', Melissa began before dramatically pausing.

'It's me or her'

She flew down the corridor, her heels clattering furiously. She needed to escape. She needed to hide. She was not ready to face this.

Love was complicated. Love was dangerous. Love was Eddie.

Quickly scattering to collect her belongings, she kept a weary eye out for the very people that she wanted to escape from. Her hands shaking in fear and her tears threatening to fall at any moment. The next few seconds became a blur, and she pushed open many doors and briskly escaped down many corridors before she could see the end. She let out a sigh of relief as her hand pushed open the final exit and she closed her eyes for a few moments before reality hit. There he was. Standing by her car, blocking her every chance of rejecting him again. He was still fighting for her.

One step. Her heart raced, and she was unsure what would happen.

Two steps. For the first time in his life, he had prayed to God that she wouldn't turn her back. He was unsure if his heart could take more rejection.

Three steps. She was ready. She was allowing herself to finally give into him.

They found themselves surrounded by silence. Then, without warning, four words escaped her.

'I love you too.'

She was not selfish nor unkind. She was making herself happy. She had gracefully given them their moment all whilst she suffered. Now, it was her turn. Eddie had saved every inch of his heart for her, and she was finally ready. His romance with Melissa had been a lie. He'd been deceiving everyone, including himself. It had been a mask to disguise his loneliness. The consequences, however, had been a dangerous illusion that could have cost him his happiness.