Can we love again?- A Reddie Short Story

Chapter Two

"Please tell me he hasn't taken the key to your office?" Eddie huffed

"He has" she nodded

"For goodness sake Rachel! How are we supposed to get out of here?!" He cried

"I don't know Sherlock, you figure it out!" Rachel snapped, sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands

"How the hell did he manage to get the key in the first place?!" Eddie questioned

"He must have taken it when I came to get you. I told him to wait in my office" she shrugged

Eddie scoffed

"You left him unoccupied in your office?! Rachel, are you stupid?! You've just had a go at me for leaving him unoccupied in the cooler, when you left him unoccupied in your office!"

"Yes I know, I'm a hypocrite Eddie, rub it in my face, have a go at me, I don't care! Maybe if you'd seen my email and come up to my office straight away, I wouldn't have had to leave him!" Rachel shot back, glaring at him

Eddie rolled his eyes at her tone. She was being incredibly immature and unprofessional.

"Are you just going to stand there? Or are we going to do something about this? Please tell me you have a spare key on you?" Rachel huffed

Eddie knew immediately that he didn't. He knew where it was in his classroom. It was locked away in the third drawer of his desk, buried under some paperwork, alongside some other keys. He never carried it on him because he never needed it.

Rachel could tell by the look of dread on his face that he didn't have it. He didn't even have to say anything. She sighed in frustration.

"You idiot! How many times do I have to tell you to carry spare keys around with you?!" Rachel snapped

"And I shouldn't have to tell you to carry your keys with you rather than leaving them around, but here we are!" Eddie retorted

She glared at him.

"Yes, blame it on me, that's fine!" She mumbled, rolling her eyes

Eddie sighed. She was being impossible and he couldn't understand why. And it wasn't just today; she'd been like it from September to now. And he was tired of it.

"Rachel, why are you being like this?" He blurted angrily

"Like what?" She questioned, her gaze burning into him

"So... snappy and... rude" he replied

"I am not!" She shot back defensively

"Yes, you are! You've been like this since September! I don't know what I've done wrong! You were the one who wanted to break up!"

"Why are you bringing that up?! That has nothing to do with any of this!"

She was wrong; it had everything to do with it.

"Yes it does, Rachel! You've been like this since we broke up! And I want to know why!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU HERE!!" She screamed

A deafening silence filled the room. Rachel turned away from Eddie to prevent him from seeing the tears in her eyes. But it was too late, he'd noticed them straightaway.

He sighed, walking over to her tentatively. Gently, he placed his hand on her arm. She flinched, pulling away from him instantly.

"Why didn't you say if you were uncomfortable with me coming back?" He asked

"I couldn't just leave you in the lurch, unemployed, Eddie. It wasn't fair" she explained

"I just can't stand it, Eddie. You, Melissa, and your little baby. You come in every morning and all I can think about is that you've been with her, when you should be with me. I thought I could do it, I thought we could work together, but I just don't think we can"

Eddie processed her words carefully. What she was saying wasn't the truth. He'd tried to tell her over and over again, had tried to start the conversation, but she'd just pushed him away. This time she was going to listen.

"The baby isn't mine" Eddie admitted