I'll keep you safe

Chapter 59

Rachel shot up in bed, screaming and drenched in sweat.

Eddie had woken up a few minutes before, having heard her twitching and whimpering in her sleep. He moved beside her, trying to calm her down. She was screaming and writhing against him, her breathing heavy.

"Rach, hey! It's me, you're alright- it's ok. You're safe" he soothed

He turned on the lamp on the bedside table so Rachel could see his face. She instantly fell into his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder. Eddie wrapped his arms around her, holding her trembling frame.

"You're ok, you're ok" he reassured

The sound of Eddie's heartbeat calmed Rachel's erratic breathing. The slow rise and fall of his chest brought her peace, calming her down significantly. She felt safe, knowing Eddie was there, that she wasn't alone.

"What was this one about?" He asked gently

Rachel shook her head painfully. She couldn't bear to re-live that nightmare. Eddie understood without her having to say. He kissed her forehead gently.

"Y-you were d-dead. S-Stuart had k-killed you... and Earl was with him" she blurted

Eddie sighed. Even though Stuart Hordley was rotting in jail, he still had this power over Rachel. It made Eddie feel sick.

He tilted her chin so her tear stained face was looking into his.

"It was just a nightmare, Rach. I'm not going anywhere. I promise" he reassured

Rachel nodded

"I saw something in Earl yesterday that reminded me of Stuart. His eyes, Eddie, they were cold and black, just like his. I expected Earl to be the one with the gun, not Denzil" she admitted

"Hey, listen, Earl isn't Stuart. He's just a kid with a few anger issues, Rach. We can fix that before it gets out of hand" he reasoned

She nodded, sniffling.

Eddie could tell there was something else playing on her mind. He could tell from the way she was staring blankly at the wall, from the way her body was trembling again.

Eddie wasn't wrong. Even though she was now awake, she couldn't get the image of the little baby or the puddle of blood out of her mind.

"Tell me what's on your mind" He asked gently, tucking her hair back behind her ear

"I can't stop thinking about the baby" she admitted, falling to pieces again instantly

Eddie pulled her closer to him as she sobbed, kissing her forehead gently in an attempt to comfort her. He knew how much the miscarriage had affected her, even though she wouldn't admit it. There were so many conflicting emotions tied into it. An innocent baby, conceived from rape, but a baby nonetheless, gone before Rachel even knew or had the opportunity to learn that she was pregnant, or to process how she felt.

It wasn't so much that the baby was Stuart's that bothered her. Eddie knew that she would have loved that baby regardless, if she'd been given the chance and had decided to go through with the pregnancy.

What bothered her was the fact that the opportunity to become a Mother had been just within her reach, before being ripped away from her. She wanted a baby, a child of her own. Losing the thing she had wanted the most had crushed her and haunted her nightmares.

"I know you would have loved that baby, had you been given the chance, Rach. You would be a great Mum"

She looked up at him tearfully

"You think so?" She checked

"I do" Eddie nodded

"And it's not too late for you. I think one of these days; you'll have a baby bump, swollen ankles and backache. And then you'll be walking round Rochdale, pushing a pram. It will happen, Rach, if you want it to"

"With you?" She asked hopefully

Eddie was a little taken aback by her response, but not in a bad way. Even though they were in the beginning of a blossoming relationship, they hadn't had, or talked about sex yet. Or their future in general for that matter. Rachel had been through a lot. Eddie wanted her to feel ready before they took the next step.

"If you want to" He nodded sheepishly

"I do" She smiled, kissing his lips gently

"Then when you're ready, that's what we'll do" he replied

She nodded

"I love you" Eddie whispered

She smiled lovingly at him

"I love you too"

They settled back into the pillows, Rachel still resting on his chest. He stroked her hair softly until she fell asleep, before turning the light off and closing his eyes too.