The Break (An Eddie Munson Story)

Chapter 50: Broken Hearts Don't Heal

A/N: Apologies for not updating in so long. Some things occurred that prevented me from being able to write. I hope this was worth the wait! I cannot believe it, 50 chapters already. I've truly lived writing this book, I really have. Even when inspiration was running thin. Don't worry, this isn't the end. There's still much more to tell before Eddie and Y/N's tale is concluded. I'm merely being wistful.

Content warning: Hitchhiking, attemped assault and trauma. Please read at your own discretion.

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The small amount of savings had only stretched so far and the petroleum in the car tank, even less. Eventually, you had abandoned the vehicle, opting to hitchhike the rest of the way. It had been a perilous journey, with every stranger's car you hesitantly climbed into, you had hoped and prayed that their intentions were not of the insidious kind.

You had mainly tried to flag down families travelling in a similar direction, even if they could only take you to the nearest town, it was still better than you walking for miles. There had been the occasional truck driver, who had been resting at the highway stops, whom had been kind enough to let you drive shogun in their cab. They had been harmless thankfully.

One had even given you a few bucks, so you could purchase a drink and something to eat. Heavens knew you needed it. Your supplies were far and few between, eating and drinking when the opportunity arose, was your only chance of not arriving at your destination with severe dehydration and kidney failure.

Unfortunately, not every stranger had shown you such kindness and generosity. There had been one instance...

Bile rose to your throat, as the hairs stood to attention on the back of your neck. Though the danger had long since passed, you could still recall her saccharine sweetness, as she had warmly offered you a ride but once you had been locked away within the vehicle, all pretenses had been dropped and the true monster behind the smile, revealed. You had been lucky to escape relatively unscathed, with only your jacket ripped at the sleeve and not lost your life. Apparently fighting demogorgons had provided you with enough training to fight off the human predators, that stalked the earth but that was not to point, you needed to be more vigilant and not let the same mistake happen again.

No, no, you admitted to yourself, you had been more than lucky. It had been an absolute miracle that you had not fallen victim to your own carelessness. If Eddie had known of your risky plan to leave Hawkins, he would have been horrified at your lack of regard for your safety. Most likely, he would have given you all the cash he could spare, to allow you to flee your personal Mordor and take refuge in a shire of your own choosing.

At the recollection of the brunet, you felt the knife of grief twist within your stomach. You missed him- truly, terribly and deeply. It was an aching pain, a wound where your heart had been and it yearned, that hollowed out place, for the person who had been the one to tear the love out of you. Perhaps part of you regretted your parting words but they had been said in anguished honesty. In that moment, in the shrapnel aftermath of your explosive argument, you had undoubtedly fallen out of love with Eddie.

During your travels, sorrow had only settled deeper within your bones, adding to the burdensome exhaustion to your weary frame, as you dragged yourself from pillar to post. The stages of acceptance, denial and loss cycled through your mind, as you watched the scenery mesh and mould into a completely unfamiliar landscape, so different from the greenery of Hawkins, that you had grown accustomed to, during your formative years.

Acceptance was not yet on the horizon for you, your mourning period was still in it's height and you were glad to wallow in your misery. Your mind often wandered, curious to know what Eddie was now doing with himself. Was he happier, now you were out of his life? Or was he still plagued with nightmares, of the things not seen but heard, as they went bump in the dark? You yourself had not known a restful nights sleep, since you had hastily packed your bag with practiced precision. Visions of horror played host to your dreams, every time you closed your eyes but what you saw, was not the decayed world of the upside down or the centric rows of demogorgon teeth. Instead, you relived your life with Eddie. The good, the bad- it did not matter- you would without fail, wake up with jolt and his name on your lips. You decided that the recollection of tender kisses, eating soup together and sleeping wrapped in his arms were far worse than the dreams of blood and your friends' screams.

Even as you dragged your aching feet forward, destination now in sight, you pictured the brunet's smile, heard his laugh ringing in your ears and could feel the gentle touches, as he traced your skin, while he thought you succumbed to a blissful unaware.

You knocked on the door. Three precise taps. One. Two. Three. This had greeted you with a chorus of raised voices, bickering about whose turn it was to answer the call. A ghost of a smile passed over your expression, as you heard that unmistakable voice call out, "Just a minute!"

You did not mind waiting, though you were hoping to soon take sanctuary out of the sun. Beads of sweat gathered on your back, as the rays beamed down upon you, a contrast to the rolling mist that surrounded your home on grey-sky days. The journey was over or at least, it was now put on a temporary pause. You would not stay long, not wanting to impose upon the residents that dwelled within the welcoming home.

At the sound of the door opening with a protesting creak, you dropped your bag onto the porch. Clammy grip no longer able to keep its purchase upon the worn strap. It hit the ground with a thud, as you came eye to eye with the one you knew so well. Those same irises widened in surprise and brow furrowed in confusion, as to how you had come to be so far from her. Your name fell from their lips with a quizzical, "Y/N? What are you doing here?" and you could not help but burst into tears.

Arms instinctively wrapped around you, as the weight of your sorrow finally took it's toll and you were no longer able to support yourself. You took to leaning heavily against the supportive frame, the tears now flowing in abundance and without an ending in sight.

No further questions were asked, those could wait until later. For now, you would be comforted, allowed to rest until you were capable of explaining matters, without your voice breaking mid-sentence and tears cascading down your face. And maybe, just maybe, with enough patience and understanding, your heart would begin to heal.