I'll keep you safe

Chapter 55

"Lover's tiff, Lawson?" Steph teased as he walked over to the staff's table

"Shut it, Steph! Haven't you and Grantly done enough damage tonight?" Eddie snapped

"Ey! It wasn't me insulting the Headmistress! That was all him! Tom was just as bad too!" She argued, pointing and Grantly

"I don't care! You're both as bad as each other! Do you really think Rachel deserved that after everything she's been through recently?" Eddie shot back, looking at Steph more than Grantly

Steph immediately looked guilty. They had just been having a laugh, but she knew they'd taken it too far. Of course Rachel didn't deserve to be treated or spoken to like that.

"You're right I'm sorry Eddie, Grantly is too" she replied

Eddie sighed, looking at Grantly who didn't look the least bit remorseful.

"It's not me you need to apologize to. Grantly, I expect you to give a full apology to Rachel in the morning, or we'll have to re-consider your position at Waterloo Road, do you understand me? I don't tolerate verbal abuse toward other members of staff"

Grantly nodded silently

Satisfied, Eddie went up to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. As he looked around the pub, it seemed his colleagues were oblivious that Rachel had left completely and wasn't coming back. They seemed to have forgotten about the day's events too, their attention now on Grantly and Steph, who were getting ready to perform their version of "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" on the karaoke. He was annoyed with all of them for how they had treated Rachel. He wasn't sitting with them tonight. He planned to have his beer in a quiet corner of the pub, before going home to Rachel.

Even though he felt reassured by Rachel's kiss that they were ok, he couldn't help but worry about her. He didn't know how she was feeling, or what she was thinking. Even though he'd tried, he couldn't read her.

He was sure of his own feelings about the day.

The second he'd seen Rachel running back into the school, his heart had plummeted. It was a torturous 20 minutes of waiting, hoping for her to re-emerge unscathed.

She could've easily been killed, and Eddie would've lost her, for real this time. The relief he felt when he saw her step out of the front doors with a shaken Denzil next to her, had nearly brought him to his knees.

All he'd ever wanted to do was protect Rachel, to shield her from any further harm after everything she had been through. He wished she'd let him. He should have been the one to go back into the school, not her.

Beer in hand, he turned away from the bar, looking for a free table.

That's when he spotted Melissa, Rachel's sister. She was sat in the corner of the pub, alone, sipping a glass of wine.

A lot of things had happened today that had shocked him. Finding out Rachel had a sister was the biggest revelation. He didn't have the highest opinion of her either, she seemed spiteful. And besides, he despised anyone who had hurt Rachel, or had attempted to.

Even so, he owed her a thank you. Had it not been for her, the gun note wouldn't have been found.

With a sigh, he took his beer and walked over to her table. She looked up at him disapprovingly.

"Have you come to tell me to sod off as well?" She snapped

"No. But it would be nice if you could stop stalking your sister" Eddie shot back

Melissa rolled her eyes

"What do you want? I just came here to have a quiet drink; I didn't know Rachel was coming!" She whined