The next day we were on the road and headed for Eddie's house. He was freaking out and stumbling over his sentences as he spoke, and Bev and I tried to get him to calm down.
We pulled up to his house and I looked out at it from the drivers seat. It was smaller than I imagined and I held back a comment about needing a bigger house for the woman inside.
"I can't do it," Eddie was looking pale and Bev tilted her head sympathetically.
"You can, you just have to go up to the house, knock on the door and tell her that you know about the other man."
"And don't let her push you around," I added.
He took a breath and got out of the car, looking back at Bev and I one last time, before walking up to the house. We watched him ring the doorbell and a few moments later the whale-woman opened the door. She was even bigger than I thought she was and I couldn't help shudder.
I could see that she was already arguing with him and I looked at Bev.
"You think we should go out and back him up?"
"Yeah, he looks like he's struggling," she undid her seatbelt and hopped out, and I did the same.
"Oh, is this your mistress?" The woman spat from the porch, "is this what you left me for the weekend for?"
"N-no, you know that's not true!" Eddie stammered, "you're the one cheating on me!"
"And how do you know that? Huh?"
"Owen said he saw you in the car with someone else, he saw you driving to the house-"
"Oh then I must be cheating!"
"And I saw your messages!"
She gave an ugly, patronising smile, "you're going through my phone now?"
"You left it open and you got a message, I didn't go through your phone," his voice was quiet and I knew he was slowly giving up the argument.
"Hey," I interrupted, "it's pretty clear that you're porking some other guy behind his back, why don't you just admit it and we can all move on with our lives?"
"And who the hell are you?" She glared at me.
"Doesn't matter, what matters is that you're lying to my friend and I want it to stop."
"Lying to him? He's accusing me of cheating when he hasn't even been here!"
I saw movement in the house out of the corner of my eye.
"Then you won't mind us coming in then?" I folded my arms and I saw her confidence falter.
"No, you have no business in my house."
"Your house?" I laughed, "do you actually pay the bills?"
"I don't have to justify myself to you," she growled, "I want you all to leave. Go back to your dirty little whore, Eddie. I don't give a shit."
Bev stepped up to the woman and she stood her ground.
"You know what, I've been told my whole life that I'm a slut, that I'm dirty, that I'm nothing but an object... and you know what? I don't give a fuck. You don't fucking know me, and even if Eddie was screwing me, it'd be a fucking upgrade from a piece of shit like you."
"Get off of my porch or-"
"Or what?" Bev snapped, "trust me, I've been up against stronger, scarier people than you. I'm not afraid to tear your hair out of your fucking head."
Eddie and I stood in shock as she sized Bev up, before backing down.
"Just get off of my property," she hissed, "I'll get your stuff out by tomorrow."
"This is my house!" Eddie squeaked as she shut the door in her face.
"Well that could have gone better," Bev sighed.
"Yeah, you could have beat the shit out of her!" I replied, "I didn't know you had it in you!"
"I'm done backing down."
Eddie turned to face us, "thanks guys, let's go back to the car."
We wandered back and I sat next to Eddie in the back.
He leaned his head on my shoulder and I rested my cheek against it.
Bev looked at us in the rear view mirror but said nothing as we drove back to Derry.
