Find My Way Back [Eddie Munson x OFC]

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Steve's knee was bouncing up and down so fast that Robin thought he was about to start a fire between them from the friction of his jeans rubbing against her own pants. She put her hand on his anxious leg to stop him. Hospitals made her uneasy, too, but she'd never seen Steve so anxious in his life.

"Steve." Robin said as she grabbed his knee.

"Sorry..." Steve mumbled, lowering his head and running a hand through his hair to keep his nerves occupied.

The three of them had been sitting in the waiting room for almost three hours with no news on what was going on. Eddie was the opposite of Steve: unusually quiet and still. Robin didn't think she'd seen him move a muscle since they got there.

"You okay?" She asked, turning her head to face him and resting a hand on his shoulder.

Eddie stared ahead of him at the tiled floor with his hands clasped together, unresponsive to Robin's touch. "Fine." He said, keeping his eyes fixed in front him, unable to move.

Robin sighed, turning her attention back ahead of her, resting both palms on her knees. "I'm going to grab a coffee. Do you guys want anything?" She glanced back and forth between the two of them before rising to her feet.

Eddie kept his hard stare ahead, remaining motionless. Steve glanced up as Robin walked past him. "Get me one, too?" He asked and Robin nodded as she made her way towards the elevator.

An awkward silence fell over Steve and Eddie as they sat there with an empty seat between them where Robin had once been. Eddie could only stare straight ahead, unable to control the negative thoughts that swirled around in his head. He hadn't even been there with Priscilla but for some reason, he couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. What could he have even done? He wasn't sure, but he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for not being there to protect her.

"Hey, man." The sound of Steve's voice cut through Eddie's thoughts. "You okay?"

Eddie turned his head to look at Steve and pursed his lips into a tight line. "Fine." He stated coldly.

Steve stared at Eddie, letting another moment of silence pass between them. He could see this cold, hardened look in his eyes that he'd never seen from Eddie before. Eddie was always goofy, and energetic, and sometimes a little clueless. He'd never seen Eddie so lifeless and stoic.

Steve cleared his throat after a few seconds, attempting to break through the agonizing feeling passing between them. "Everything's going to be fine." Steve assured.

"And how do you know that, Steve?" Eddie quickly shot back. He glared at Steve for a moment before returning his gaze back to the blank, white tiles beneath his feet. His anxiety was running high. His hands were wringing together anxiously. He'd only ever felt this way about one other person in his life and he had refused to allow himself to feel like this again. Caring about people just gets you hurt in the end. So, why did he allow himself to care about Priscilla as much as he did? Now look at the situation he was in.

Steve swallowed hard. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down with the motion. He was trying to swallow his pride. He was trying to swallow his anxiety. He was trying to accept that he had lost again, but this time felt different. This time, it didn't feel like losing; it just felt like letting go.

"She loves you, Eddie." Steve finally said. "You may not see it. And maybe she doesn't even know it yet. But I see how she looks at you and it's not the same as how she looks at me."

Eddie remained silent. He allowed Steve's words to sink into his chest and dissipate into the very core of his soul. Could Steve be right? Or was he just saying this to ease the tension? Eddie couldn't even admit to himself that the feelings he had for Priscilla were the ones he used to wish he would have for someone someday. The love that Ruth and Wayne had shared that he longed for after seeing how fulfilling it could be, before it was taken all away. How could he ever believe that someone else could have those same feelings for him?