Personal | Eddie Munson

Chapter 19

Saturday, 11am, Meredith's Apartment

In the next week, we had barely left my apartment.

Monday night, after the elevator incident, Eddie had stayed in my arms on the couch until 11pm when he decided to go home. The next day, at 10am, he was back in my arms, only in my bed because I wasn't ready to get up when he let himself into my apartment. When I eventually got up, we decided to go to the bookstore so he could pick a book for me to read, which was only right given the book I gave him the day before.

It was pouring with rain again, so much that I thought it might thunder, but the umbrella ended up being a great hiding place for Eddie on the busy streets of New York. I had rushed into Belle's bookstore to make sure it wasn't busy, and with it being a Tuesday, it wasn't. Belle welcomed us in, and Eddie stepped in shaking his head like a dog as he shook the rain from the umbrella, even though his head wasn't wet. I introduced Belle to Eddie, and she was starstruck. She took a moment to compose herself while Eddie picked a book. It didn't take him long to find the section he was looking for, scanning the shelves as he knew exactly what he was looking for. He found it and presented it to me proudly.

"Lord of the Rings?" I laughed, "Really?".

"Lord of the Rings used to be my favourite book of all time. Still is. This is what you're reading next" he was passionate and set on his decision.

I huffed, taking the book from him, and going to pay Belle. "I see you chose not to listen to Jess' advice when she warned you about New York guys" she whispered, Eddie out of earshot as he wandered back over to the books. I giggled, "We're just friends". She smiled, taking the money I handed her just as Eddie wandered back over. "Thanks, Belle. I'll see you soon" I said. "Thanks, Belle" Eddie repeated, and I'm sure she was close to fainting as we walked out of the door.

We navigated the streets back to my apartment, so we avoided the busiest areas, but people still knew who he was. People whispered and pointed, and I was sure he felt as uncomfortable as I did until I payed attention to what he was saying – rambling passionately about Lord of the Rings and how much he hopes I will like it when I read it, just staring down at his boots as he walked, not even noticing people noticing him. He talked about it the whole way home, and I listened, actually feeling excited to read it.

We got back to the apartment, and that's what we did. I read Lord of the Rings, and he read Pride and Prejudice. He left again on Tuesday night to sleep at his own apartment.

We hung out again Wednesday, reading and listening to music. I cooked for him. I made spaghetti but forgot to stir it in the pan, so it burnt and stuck to the bottom. I would consider myself to be an averagely good cook – someone who was able to make spaghetti any other day, but it was inedible, so I ordered a pizza. The meal knocked him to sleep on the couch, meaning I had to wake him up and drag him to the bedroom to go to sleep there instead.

I felt he had been avoiding sleeping overnight at my apartment now we were trying this secret thing, not because anyone would find out but because maybe it would change something. And while this wasn't the first night he had ever stayed, it was the first night he slept comfortably, in his underwear rather than all of his clothes like last time and slept with me in his arms like he had been afraid to last time. He slept with his nose nuzzled into my neck as he held me, he traced his fingers up and down my thighs, drawing little shapes and letters I couldn't figure out. He snored just as he did last time, but his breathing felt slower, more relaxed. I found myself holding my own breath just to clearly hear him breathe, just to feel his fingers trace my skin with more feeling, just to reassure myself that I wasn't dreaming, and this was real.

I had woken up before him the next morning, so I creeped out of bed to make coffee, knowing we had work today. Dusty stayed in bed with him, curled up on my pillow next to Eddie, when normally Dusty would be darting round the kitchen at the smell of me making my morning coffee.