Stay with me, let's just breathe (Eddie Vedder FanFic) | Completed

Chapter 17 - Price

- Your total is 17,99$ 'mam. - I looked at the olderly woman that was standing in front of me to pay for her sunglasses, two blouses, a mug with a happy sheep on it and some rad kid's sneakers.
Things had gotten quite weird after that gig yesterday. Phillipa didn't come to work this morning and I haven't seen Joe or Patrick since then, which makes me think that they are still with him or don't want to tell me what happened. I was going to pick up Eddie and Jeff at the record label when i was done with work since Stone had taken off with the car without saying when he could pick them up. But right now things were just messy.
I didn't get much sleep last night because of all the questions in my head, so I was done with happy sheep mugs, flower blouses and kid's sneakers.
- Please change stations and save my life Cassie... go unbox some things, I'm sweating like a pig back there... - Robert's voice sounded close to my ear before I realized his ask for help was more imperative then anything. He hated unboxing things in the sun in the back of the shop, but since the storage room was getting modified we had to do that type of work outside. I didn't actually care if I was going to spend the next hour carrying boxes in the sun, so I let him have the register.
- All yours! - I told him while walking away into the backdoor. Opening it I saw a large truck full of boxes with clothes and donated objects, so I spent the afternoon doing that. I didn't know if I was going to know the full truth about what happened that night or not, or why I was being interrogated buy the cops, or why the fight in that party happened between Eddie and Patrick, but my head was exploding with theories.
Late in the afternoon I helped Robert close the shop and since Phillipa wasn't there to give a hand and Mr. Davies had taken the day of to celebrate his son's birthday we were beyond tired.
- You seem distant, Cassie... - Robert pointed out the obvious.
- I am. - I admitted - I don't know what the hell is going on actually...
- Problems with Eddie ? - He asked putting his shirt in his waist.
- No, not that, Eddie and I are alright. - I smiled, thinking that at least that was certain.
- Is Phillipa in it too? Is that why she missed work today? - He asked this time taking his car keys and putting them in his back pocket.
- Yes, I guess so. I haven't seen her since yesterday when some fucked up things happened. - I closed the shop's door and stated walking to my brother's car with Robert by my side.
- I guess you girls are in some weird ass business, hum ? - He smiled to try and left up the mood. I appreciated that, it was always nice talking with him, he reminded me of a mix of the cheerful Chris and the charismatic Layne.
- You wouldn't guess, belive me! - I smiled at him, opening the car door. His car was parked next to my brother's, so he got in and shouted "Take care of yourself and Phillipa, ok? I don't my co-workers murdered my the Italian mafia, alright?". Next he took of in high speed waving his hand in goodbye through the window. Funny guy that Robert.
I drove off from the shop and in about 15 minutes Eddie was sitted in the passenger's sit.
- How are you, beautiful? - He kissed my cheek and smiled at me tenderly.
- Processing. - I asked, leaning to give him a proper kiss.
- Joe was here earlier you know?
- Joe ?
- Yea, he told me to meet him at your house as soon as you arrived. - He told me when I started the car.
- So Joe's back, hum? - I asked, thinking he just wanted to see if I was alright.
- And with Patrick. - Eddie changed tones. - Your brother said he wants to come clean about what happened.
That was unexpected. Patrick wanted to tell what happened? The truth? Or something made up?
- Dying to hear it. - I anwsered rolling my eyes.
- Yea, I'm curious too. - Eddie turned up the radio and put his hand above mine.

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Being home felt weird, knowing that i would finally find out what happened that night I got arrested. Or maybe I wasn't going to find out, Patrick could just say a bunch of bullshit and we could take it, not caring since we were both so tired of that incident.
- Cassie... - I felt Eddie's hand touch my shoulder and embracing me in a hug - Een if this goes to nothing, I'm happy it happened, you know? Without all this mess we wouldn't have hooked up in that party, I wouldn't have been at the police station to get you, and maybe what we have didn't even started. - I felt him smiling when he's soft cheek touched my skin. - It's past, let's just move forward, you and me.
His words comforted me, and I was ready to hear whatever Patrick wanted to say, either it was the truth or not, I just wanted that subject to have an end. A car parked beside us and I saw Stone with Jeff, Mike and Dave, parking near the door.
- Family reunion, hum? - Mike looked at both me and Eddie, followed by the rest.
We entered the house and there was Patrick and Joe sitting on the big sofa, with Phillipa eating some cereal near the kitchen. No one was really looking comfortable, and all of us just wanted to get that over with.
- So, let's hear it then. - Stone looked at Patrick, more curious then mad. Phillipa handed me the bowl of cereal and I took a spoon full of chocolate cookies and milk and ate it. This was gonna be good.
He suddenly started:
- I didn't lie about arriving here to look for Cassie, and I did left my hometown to search for her - Patrick started speaking with everyone'seyes glued on him and his words. - But I did lie about when I arrived. I went to that Pearl Jam show at the pub because I was in town and wanted to lift up my mind from all the things that were going threw it. I was standing in a corner of the crowd right before the gig started and I saw Cassie, the girl who I was looking for all this time, my first love, my childhood friend, right there, in front of me. She was speaking to a guy who I guessed was the lead singer of the band that was playing and she just... kissed him. Just like that...
I couldn't belive what he was telling. He was actually there. No one else knew about that kiss besides me and Eddie so he had to have seen it. I rested my back into the wall and tried to focus on what he was saying.
- I fucking flipped! Who the fuck was that guy to kiss the girl I've been in love with for years!?
Eddie's face was tence, he wanted to punch Patrick right in that mouth of his, but he was tried to keep his calm, arms crossed, standing beside me. Patrick stood up at this point of the conversation, and he was getting agitated.
- I had to do something, I wanted to see that hole place, that hole band, that hole vision burn to the ground! So that's what I did! And I fucking did it well! - He started looking at all of us with a maniac expression on his face. That wasn't the Patrick I knew.
I glanced a look at the room and noticed that everyone was shocked. He was telling the truth, but it was a hurting feeling knowing that he did all of that.
- After that I didn't have to do anything! The cops were the one's who asked me questions, so I just needed to say that I was the fucking lead singer and that I saw who did it that they belived me! I mean, why wouldn't they? No one knew who the fuck that band was, I could say that I was the lead singer and the drummer at the same time that they would belive me!
The band was ready to kick his ass, I've never seen them so angry at someone. Patrick was getting furious, agitated, and he was loosing his shit.
- Of course I blamed you! - His eyes turned to me suddenly, making me jump off my feet. - How do you dare kissing that motherfucker in front of me!? I never stopped searching for you all this time! I did everything to find you! And you replaced me just like that!?
My heart sunked. I couldn't listen to that stupid rehearsed spetch anymore.
- How the fuck were you expecting me to wait for someone who I lost contact ages ago?! Do you really blame me for that? Or are you just trying to come up with excuses for your ragging madness?!
He started to look at me with fire in his eyes, his fist was rising and I was sure I was going to get punched in the face.
- You fucker! - Eddie's voice appeared loud coming from my left side and he launched into Patrick, help by Stone to try and calm him down.
- Were you going to punch Cassie !? - Stone asked him. No answer, just a disturbing look in  Patrick's eyes.
So in that moment I knew the truth. Why I woke up in a police station, why I thought that was Eddie who framed me, why Patrick appeared in my life out of nowhere, and why he and Eddie fought in that party. Now all my questions were answered, and yet I still couldn't belive it.
- I think that's enough. - My brother passed in front of me and told Stone and Eddie to take him to a room, the mood was getting beyond heavy and I was getting seriously disturbed. Patrick didn't say a word.
I was still in the same place, not talking as well. I saw them disappear into the stairs and thought that from that moment on I lost a really important person to me. My childhood friend and support through my father's rage and violence.
- Great talk, I guess. - Jeff said confused, making me an apologetic smile.
- You want to eat something Cass? - Phillipa tried to lift up the mood but I was devastated.
- Sure. Make something for the guys, I'll be down in a minute. - I tried to smile while I was heading to the stairs. I just wanted to lay down for a while, I was not filling my body the right way and my head was about to explode.
Before I opened my door I look to my left and there was the door where Patrick was with Eddie, Joe and Stone. I felt betrayed and empty. Not a good feeling. My hole being was sinking into the floor.
I opened the door and layed on the bed, trying to stay as calm as possible, but my nerves weren't helping. I felt too betrayed. I guess that was the price you pay for believing the same people, even after not knowing who they become after all.
My head was trying to figure out how to organize all that new information, but I guess I wasn't very successful because eventually I fell alseep and I ended up not eating whatever Phillipa was cooking.
I think she didn't took that to arshlly, since she woke me up all positive in the next morning.

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SO THERE YOU HAVE IT ! THE TRUTH ! I was really stuck into doing a good or a bad ending to this fire plot but I went with my original idea. For those who really liked Patrick im sorry :/ but this isn't the last chapter, there are more final revelations coming soon, so the Patrick matter my not be done yet, who knows ;)
Anyways, hope you like it :v there will be one or two more chapters coming, the final final ones !!
And I already have a new fan fic in mind ;)