1. Three Years Later: A Sudden Call
It’s been three years since Eddie last saw Hope. Life has pulled them in different directions, and Eddie has settled into a routine with work, though he’s never truly let go of the feelings that lingered after their first dance. Late one night, as thunder crashes outside and rain batters against his windows, his phone rings unexpectedly. The name “Hope” lights up his screen, and Eddie’s heart races. He picks up, barely able to believe she’s called after so long.
Her voice is panicked, trembling. She barely gets the words out, but Eddie understands. “He’s hurting me, Eddie. Please… please, come.” She pleads for him to come to her house. Without a second thought, Eddie grabs his keys and rushes out into the storm, his only thought to get to her.
2. Confronting Andre
Eddie arrives to find Hope’s boyfriend, Andre, furious, throwing things in a rage. Hope is huddled in the corner, visibly shaken, bruises already forming on her arms. The sight ignites a protective fury within Eddie, who confronts Andre without hesitation. The two men fight, a brutal struggle fueled by Eddie’s anger and Andre’s resentment. Eddie’s face twists with rage as he overpowers Andre, throwing him back. Finally, Andre retreats, spitting curses as he leaves, leaving Eddie and Hope alone in the aftermath.
3. Bringing Her Home
Gently, Eddie helps Hope to her feet, his hands shaking as he takes in her injuries. He quietly leads her to his car and takes her back to his place, where he tends to her wounds with tender care, wrapping bandages around her bruised arms, offering her water and painkillers. He makes her coffee and sits by her, watching over her as she calms down.
After she’s warmed up and taken her medicine, Eddie leads her to his bed and pulls the blanket up over her. “You’re safe now,” he whispers. He stays with her until she falls asleep, the storm continuing outside, its intensity mirroring the turmoil they’ve just escaped.
4. The Morning After
The next morning, Eddie is up early, preparing a simple breakfast for Hope. He brings the tray to her, setting it down on the table as she sits across from him, still visibly shaken but grateful. As they eat in silence, Eddie finally works up the courage to ask what happened with Andre. Hope hesitates but opens up, telling Eddie how she tried to end things because of Andre’s toxic, controlling behavior, but he didn’t take it well and started hurting her.
Eddie listens, his fists clenching under the table, but he forces himself to appear calm, offering words of comfort and support. The conversation drifts to the past, and Hope starts noticing something in Eddie’s gaze—a warmth, a depth that makes her pause. Suddenly, she asks, “Eddie… you came so quickly, like you’d been waiting. Do you… have feelings for me?”
Eddie tries to deny it, his face turning red, but he finally confesses the truth. He tells her about the night of their dance, how he couldn’t take his eyes off her, how everything around them had faded away. He’s vulnerable, opening up about feelings he’s buried for years.
5. A Growing Connection
As the conversation lingers, the shared silence between Eddie and Hope thickens, deepening with something unsaid, something that has been buried since that wedding night. Hope notices the way Eddie's gaze drifts over her, not with pity, but with the kind of raw, earnest attention that makes her heart beat faster.
Feeling the weight of his stare, she suddenly gathers the courage to ask, "Eddie... is there something you're not telling me? Do you have... feelings for me?"
Caught off guard, Eddie looks down, his cheeks flushing. He struggles to keep his voice steady, his fingers tracing circles on the coffee cup in his hands. "I... I've had feelings for you since that wedding," he admits softly, eyes finally meeting hers. "Since the moment we danced together. It was like... nothing else existed. Just you."
