Hi everyone, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews on my last chapter, they really do mean a lot.
Hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you guys think :)
As Eddie glanced around the oh so familiar hallway, he couldn't help the heartwarming memories that seemed to flood over him, despite the alarming situation he had been pressed with. Apparently having succeeded in not drawing attention to himself, Eddie scanned the surface of a nearby cabinet, hoping to find something, anything, to defend himself and ultimately Rachel. His eyes eventually settled on a rectangular photo frame - initially, Eddie felt uneasy to consider utilising one of Rachel's much loved objects as a defence mechanism. At the end of the day though, he wanted to protect the woman first and foremost, and best case scenario, Eddie wouldn't require the item's assistance at all. Swiftly removing the enclosed picture so as not to damage it, the man glanced at it briefly before smoothing it out on the dark wooden surface. It was impossible to ignore the way his mind was captivated by not only Rachel's beauty in the photograph, but her radiating happiness also. He longed to make her that joyful, much like he once had.
The male voice of Christopher Fenshaw was the phenomenon to rip Eddie from his reverie. Shaking himself out of it, he concluded that now was not the time to dwell on such matters; Rachel's life was hanging in the balance, and the clock was ticking.
….
One sound Rachel would recognise anywhere, was her front door opening; no matter how quiet or discreet. Her mind couldn't comprehend how Christopher hadn't noted this slight noise, however she was certainly glad of his ignorance. Convincing herself she wasn't hearing things, as an alternative, Rachel began to ponder on who could be entering her home. Drawing her thoughts to a close, she considered that there was only one possible explanation: Eddie.
Rachel's initial instinct was to warn him, in any which way possible, given her current situation. What if he hadn't noted the differing atmosphere? How would this situation escalate, if Eddie simply entered her living room, presuming all was well?
Subsequent to these thoughts, the woman mentally told herself to get a grip. She hadn't heard a knock of any sorts, something which Eddie had always asserted himself to in the past. On top of this, his possible presence was eerily silent, as if he planned to time his entry just right. Added to her rationality, Rachel's earlier wonderings didn't fail to set in; this man was clever and calculated, a sensible strategy would have been decided in his mind, one way or another.
"How's that nephew of yours?" Christopher snarled, ripping and tearing Rachel's hope apart bit by bit. As well as his tone, it stuck in her throat to think her brother wasn't considering Philip as his nephew also. For Rachel, it truly highlighted the extent of this man's evil.
"He's your nephew too you know," she decided to prod Christopher slightly with her comments, in an attempt to provoke some sort of reaction. At the same time though, she was well aware of the continuous presence of the sharp blade, lingering a little too close to her leg.
"I want to see him," Christopher's tone was sharp, careless, and if possible, Rachel disliked him slightly more for it. She was more than positive, that his apparent willingness to meet Philip was an attempt to tear her world apart, rather than fix his own.
Inhaling significantly, Rachel somewhat composed herself, straightening her taut body before prizing her own lips open.
She wasn't given a chance to respond.
The door flung open, and presented both her, and Christopher with a rather disgruntled Eddie Lawson.
….
Eddie was well aware of his heartbeat thumping wildly in his chest, and the sweat lingering on his palms, making having a grip on his established weapon somewhat difficult. Seemingly though, this didn't stop his eyes from scanning the scenario playing out in front of him.
It was Christopher who happened to be directly in Eddie's line of sight, so it was decided his eyes would be set on Rachel's brother first of all. It was strange. When pondering on the man, Eddie had envisaged nothing more than a male version of Rachel in appearance. Now though, with reality intensified, the exact opposite was true.
Perhaps the only similarity being their hazel brown orbs, having the ability to draw anyone in at any given moment. Everything else differed, from hair colour to the stance of the two siblings, Eddie found it hard to pinpoint distinct relations.
Once again crashing him back down to the present day, the man in question's voice rang disconcertingly in Eddie's ears, "wow, you seem to be popular today sis ... or is this just, one of your clients?"
This caused Eddie to return to his pivotal focus: Rachel. Time was precious if he was going to pull her out of this unharmed, it was of the essence. Granted, Christopher's words had stung Eddie, however judging by the way Rachel's lips quivered in reaction, they had shaken her state to the core. Once again, present matters averted Eddie's mind to the past, and the man's harsh words allowed Eddie to contemplate a similar encounter with Stuart Hordley. Only one thing acted as a barrier for Eddie's actions to resemble those of that day with Stuart - the glistening piece of metal that was undoubtedly, a knife.
Catching Christopher unawares, and crucially, a step away from Rachel, Eddie knocked the man's right arm abruptly. Consequently, the object was shifted to the opposite end of the room; now leaving nothing in Eddie's way.
Almost momentarily, his fist collided with Christopher's cheekbone before the man even had a chance to respond to Eddie's prior actions. This knocked him for six, sending the brother tumbling downwards, before landing in a satisfied heap on the carpet. As if on cue, heavy footsteps were incoming, soon recognised as the police. Two officers charged at the perpetrator imminently, bringing the beginnings of new movement to a standstill. Whisked away in an instant, it seemed Christopher couldn't help but glare at his sister in the form of a threat, before stopping to spit in Eddie's direction, merely commenting "you'd better hope she's worth it, eh?"
It seemed the remaining officer had noted the intensifying atmosphere between the two adults as the room fell silent, since she muttered something to the effect of, "I'll give you some space. When you're ready to answer some questions Miss Mason, you'll have to head down to the station."
Rachel nodded her brief thanks in response, in turn shifting her gaze to Eddie's, and their eyes were entrapped for the first time following his arrival. Unconsciously settling the picture frame on his lap, Eddie returned his full focus to the woman in question. Her orbs envisaged a brewing storm: dark, billowing clouds of conflicted feelings, fighting their way through the wind that bombarded. A lone tear fell down Rachel's flushed cheek, only stopping at her jawline to gently drip off the edge. Hesitantly but meaningful, Eddie brought his right hand up to make contact with Rachel's tear stained cheek, in turn, brushing her cheekbone with the most tender care.
To his surprise, Eddie felt a hand spread across his own, before relishing in the skin on skin contact he so often craved. "Thank you Eddie," Rachel spoke in a whisper, mumblings barely audible, as she grazed her thumb over several of his knuckles. Upon fumbling in his brain for the right words to say, Eddie reckoned that no utterances were quite fitting in this moment, and believed his silent support was what Rachel currently desired. Later, the pair could delve into any area of discussion that took their fancy, presently though, each other was all they truly needed.
Shifting from her face, Eddie's hand manoeuvred towards Rachel's upper back, momentarily scooping her up in an embrace. She clung to him tighter than he'd imagined, hands curled perfectly around the collar of his jacket, Eddie in turn, grasping a sense of security in the fact she was now safe, in his arms.
Positions never shifting, it wasn't long before the comfortable silence was lifted by Rachel's considerate comments, "you should be getting back to the hospital Eddie. Isabelle, she - she needs you," stutter still lingering, her breaths were evidently shaky, which only reinforced Eddie's thought process leading to his next response.
"There's no way I'm leaving you Rachel. Never again."