Fix You ~Completed~

Act Nine

I was halfway to the apartment when a car stopped beside me. "Damn, you walk fast!" Eddie's familiar voice called. I nearly ran into a post I was so jolted by the sound of him speaking to me. He was in a black truck, idling beside me against the curb. "Your legs are probably swollen from that speed walking. Let me give you a ride?"

"Why?" I asked, giving him an incredulous look.

"So I can apologize for jumping to conclusions. I was only trying to be a good friend, you know," he reasoned, unlocking the door.

Honestly, if it were anyone else, I'd have said no.

I opened the door and jumped in beside him, my eyes located on the dash. Eddie had a Moody Blues CD in, playing "Nights in White Satin" at a low volume. I assumed he kept it quiet so we could talk, have a little heart to heart. That's what he wanted.

"You can't be mad that we're afraid for you, Clem. I get that you're defensive over Kyla. I'd be defensive over Gale too if our situation was anything like yours."

"It's not. You and Gale are just friends. Kyla is all I have. He's all I've ever had, okay? It was just Kyla! Before I met him, I was all alone! We met in middle school and he took me in because I had nothing! So, don't you dare try to make him a bad guy! Kyla is..." I choked here. Quickly, I brought my hands over my face. I didn't want Eddie to see me cry.

His hand came up and touched my knuckles. Gently, he caressed me, drawing my hand down. I didn't stop him when he took my sleeve and rolled it down. "I can tell these must be self-inflicted," he whispered, eyeing the cuts that Kyla had kissed the day we got together. Eddie was courteous and didn't touch them. "These bruises, though-"

"I fell down the stairs," I muttered. Lie, lie, lie.

"Does Kyla hit you a lot?" Eddie wasn't buying it. He was smart.

I wanted to lie, I wanted to protect my Kyla, but I was too tired. I didn't want to keep lying. I wanted to tell Eddie everything. I wanted someone to know everything. "Not often," I said, my voice barely audible. "He only does it if I do something wrong or he's out of his mind."

"'Out of his mind?'" Eddie echoed, his eyes closed.

"He likes to drink and smoke weed. At least, I think it's weed. I don't know the difference between weed and any other drug," I admitted with a shrug. Eddie let out a sharp sigh and opened his eyes to look right into mine. "It isn't that bad. I'm tough. I can put up with a few taps."

"Clem, any man that loved you would never leave these ugly marks on you!" he hissed.

"I think they're pretty," I stammered, pulling my arm away. Eddie thought they were gross. He probably thought that same about me. He probably didn't like to have friends like me; friends who were so far in the dark they couldn't even remember what direction the light was.

"Come stay with us." He took my arm again, his thumb pressed against the palm of my hand. "Clem, I'm begging you. I don't want you with him."

I'm begging you.

Nobody had ever begged me for anything. I begged Kyla and that was about it. I begged him to love me and he did. Wait, no. I begged him to pretend to love me.

And he did.

I shook Eddie's hand off mine and gave him a tiny smile. "I'm okay," I lied. "Really, Eddie. He doesn't do it that much."

"Even doing it at all is too much," he informed me with a sigh.

I frowned. "Eddie, have you ever been in a relationship?"

"I've been in a few," he responded. "Why?"

"Did you love any of them?"

"No." He rubbed the side of his neck. "Why do you ask, Clem?"

"You can't possibly understand this then. You don't understand how I feel about Kyla. You don't understand that I need him."

"No, you think you need him. He isn't all you have anymore, Clem. You have me and Gale. We're your friends. We care," he stated, leaning across the console. Our faces were too close together. I wanted to shove him back and run away like I'd done before, but I couldn't because Eddie had his arms around me. We were hugging, my head in the crook of his neck, and his rested against mine. I let out a jagged breath and shut my eyes. "If he lays a finger on you, call us the minute it happens. We'll protect you. I'll tear that asshole a new one."

"A new what?" I asked, trying to joke.

Eddie laughed, but it sounded more like a hiccup. I let myself smile a little, mostly because I felt good. Despite what we were talking about, despite the fact I think Eddie was crying and I was definitely crying, I felt good.

I felt, for the first time in a long while, cared for.