Thank you for the reviews.

Not really enjoying being back to normal. I think it would help if we were busy at work but I feel like I would get more stuff done at home rather than going to work at the moment... Not great when all you want to do is write but you can't.

O ye, of little faith... Maybe have some... Just a little...

Chapter Three
Tell Me What Is Going On

Rachel was surprised that she even accepted Eddie's offer of a drink as it was the last thing that she wanted to do. She wanted to get home and have another shower and drink enough wine that she could try and forget about what had happened. She really wished that Stuart hadn't turned up earlier. It made her decision to go for a drink with someone who wasn't going to be in her life in three months time even more bizarre.

"What are you drinking?" He asked her once they had reached the bar.

She thought about asking for something stronger. She hadn't drunk any spirits since she was Amanda, believing it better for her to keep to wine, if she was going to drink alcohol at all. Amanda drank vodka and Sambuca and did shots, Rachel, on the other hand, drank wine and was more sophisticated.

"Merlot please."

Rachel was surprised when he ordered a bottle and got two glasses. She didn't think that he was a wine drinker and, if she was being honest with herself, she could have drunk the whole bottle to herself.

They picked a quiet corner of the pub, hoping that if someone they knew came in, they wouldn't be noticed.

"Talk to me, Rachel."

"I don't really know what you want me to say." She said as she took a big mouthful of the drink that Eddie had just poured her.

"Something is wrong with you."

"Do you not think I hate myself for what I did when I was 17? The choice I made?"

"Maybe I did overreact."

"We were working well together."

"I just… I can't…"

"You can't picture me doing it. Eddie, that is because you know Rachel Mason. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. I see Amanda as a totally different person to who I am now. I've tried to distance myself so much from who I was. I felt… I felt like I had buried Amanda years ago."

"And today I realised that you probably relate more to some of the students than anyone in that staffroom."

"Dad left when I was five. Mum had a string of boyfriends after that. One of them did so much damage to her that she couldn't even leave the house. We had nothing, Eddie. A thousand pounds a week was an extremely attractive offer to someone who has never known that sort of money."

He looked down at the table and Rachel cursed herself for letting him in. She wasn't going to know him in three months time. He didn't need to know her sob story. She picked up her wine and took another gulp.

"But I don't think that is it. I don't think it is about me knowing."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I think that you would just be unpleasant to me, like you was on your first day."

"I wasn't unpleasant, you were."

"You came in, planning to change the whole way the school was run and riled up the two longest-serving members of staff."

"Don't really see your problem. Both Steph and Grantly are on side now and my plans are helping to shape the school."

"Your plans are the reason we have Stuart bloody Hordley snooping about."

His name caused her to get uncomfortable and she knew that Eddie had noticed. She knew he was going to ask again and she didn't know whether she could keep what Stuart had done a secret from him. He seemed persistent to know what was going on.

"He has threatened you again."

"Please, Eddie can you drop it?"

"You're not denying it though. Rachel, tell me what is going on. I might be able to help."

"Do you know how you can help? You can not resign. I haven't informed anyone yet. We could just shred the letter and we can forget about it."

She watched his brow crease.

"Why would that help?"

"As much as I don't like the fact that you know, but you do."

"Still not understanding."

"I have no one, Eddie. Not really anyone I trust."

"And you trust me?"

"I was getting to a position where I felt like I could trust you. In all honesty, I almost told you the day Stuart showed up. Because I couldn't deal with him telling you."

"The reason why you didn't want him hanging around." He paused for a moment. "Compromise time. I will stay. I will work out my difference over your past. But you need to be honest with me now. Tell me what is going on so I can help you."

She swallowed. He was going to get it out of her whether she liked it or not. "I… I haven't actually read your letter of resignation. I was planning on leaving until this morning. Stuart… Stuart came to see me, last night. I kinda hoped that it was you to tell me that you had thought more about it and you weren't going to resign. His behaviour… I have seen it so many times before. More times than I would like to admit."

"So he has threatened you again."

"Worse than that Eddie. It was more than a threat. I thought I had learnt. I thought I would never get into a situation like that again." She wiped away the tears. "It's happened to me too many times before. Backed into a corner and… used."

She wasn't focused on anything. Her vision wouldn't allow her to and the tears that were forming in her eyes weren't helping. She had bared herself open to Eddie and she couldn't even see his reaction.

"Rachel?"

She closed her eyes. It was easier than trying to look at him.

"In your office?" Eddie asked.

She nodded.

"I wish that you had told me earlier." He said with a sigh.

"What difference would it have made?"

"We could have come up with an excuse as to why you weren't in your office. I am sure Tom would have allowed you to use the Pastoral Care office instead of you using the staffroom. When I said that every member of staff has asked me what is wrong with you today, I mean it. Everyone has asked me. Everyone has been worried."

Rachel opened her eyes and looked up at him. The look in his eye was one that she had seen before and she thought she would never see again.

"Well, I was unsure about where we stood."

"So was I at the beginning of the day." He paused for a moment. "I know it is easy for me to sit here and say it, but I think you need to go to the police. If we can't get rid of him with the blackmailing, then maybe this will make sure that we never have to see him again."

"And again Eddie, it is going to be his word against mine."

"The school CCTV will catch his every move through the school. I'm not going to push it but it is something that I think you should consider."

Rachel was glad when he said that. Dealing with everything that Stuart was going to throw at her was bad enough without Eddie trying to get her to do the right thing.

"Will you be okay on your own tonight?" He said.

The concern in his voice was something that Rachel was still getting used to again. This was a man that just over 24 hours ago had told her that he couldn't work through what he had found out about her past.

"I… I… No."

"Then we will go back to yours, via mine."

"Eddie…"

"Don't tell me that I don't have to. I haven't helped things for you. But I am by your side."

"And 24 hours ago, I thought I had lost you."

"No Rach, I am here for you."

It was the first time that he had called her Rach and it was something that she found herself wanting to hear from him again. He poured the end of the bottle into her glass.

"I think you need it more than me." He said.

She gave him a small smile before she picked up the glass and finished it in one go. Not the sophisticated Rachel Mason that she wanted to portray but it was needed. Eddie even looked slightly impressed before telling her that they better get out of there.

As much as she didn't want to admit to herself, there was something about leaving a pub, slightly drunk, with Eddie Lawson that made so much sense.