Text Message to Eddie

[Jude Sheffield]

When Eddie turned away, it was all it took to make Jude's tears fall. It was a steady stream and her chest started heaving a little. She pressed the sleeves of Eddie's hoodie to her face and turned. This had turned into a complete disaster. Why did she think she can handle falling for this boy? He was way too good to be true. She suddenly felt utter hatred for the girl who broke his heart. Jessie. The ex. She never should have been his in the first place. She just ruined everything even though she wasn't here anymore.

Eddie turned back to her and she tried her best to wipe away the tears. She shouldn't even be this upset. Sure she was starting to fall for Eddie, maybe she already had, but that didn't mean she should turn into a blubbery mess right in front of him. And besides...didn't he just say being friends wouldn't work? That he wouldn't be able to stop himself from holding her hand or kiss her? That was hope, wasn't it? She thought it was.

She gathered up her courage for a different reason now and before she could overthink her next move, she slid across the bench and turned him around forcefully. "Then don't keep yourself from doing those things." She said with a shake of her head. Cupping his cheeks in her hands she bit her lower lip for just a second before placing a quick but soft kiss on his lips and pulling him into a hug. "It's stupid of me to even suggest it. I don't want to be your friend." She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. She just hoped Eddie wasn't going to push her away.

"I hate Jessie and what she did to you. I can't promise anything right now but I swear I am not going to be her. I am not going to repeat her mistakes. I like you a lot, Eddie. I really do. And if I start becoming Jessie, I promise you I'm going to hate myself for doing it. And...and if I start showing signs...promise me that you'll tell me. I don't want to lose you. Not even as a friend." She blurted everything out without a pre-meditated thought and prayed against all odds Eddie didn't push her away. And of course that popped out of her mouth. "Don't push me away..." she said in a small voice.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

The thub-sub of Jude's heart could be felt through her entire body, and Eddie had no doubt that his heart equally gave him away. He hoped so, as he currently didn't have the words to respond to Jude. Instead, he kept his arms wrapped around her, squeezing her tight. Her arms seemed to fit right underneath his, as if the two were made for one another. Of course, there were a million other tiny things that Eddie could read way too far into to convince himself this was right, and no doubt in the days ahead he would be keeping his eye out. It was no less terrifying a thought to be with this girl than it was before, but it was also starting to be equally scary how much Eddie thought the risk might actually be worth it.

Of course he didn't want to be hurt. But perhaps he wouldn't be, at least not like he was before. Sure, if they started dating there would be fights and arguments. They may break up and get back together and break up again. But what if this girl ended up being the one? Eddie hadn't thought of that before. He was too scared of being hurt to even hope for himself. And he had treated Jude like a complete ass, and she still wanted to be with him?

He pulled out of the hug, but kept the girl in his arms. “I'm so sorry,” he apologized. His voice was heavy, serious. “I was just so caught up in my past that, you know...” His mind raced for the right words, but he was no poet. “I just didn't want to mess this all up. I don't want to hurt you, and I promise I'll try really hard not to. I mean, we'll always have to work together to make this, well, uh, work.” He paused, and took a deep breath. “But I want to be with you, Jude.”

He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face and smiled. It felt good for him to admit that, both to her and to himself. But now that he had, the real world was starting to creep back into the picture and Eddie realized that standing there in his soaking wet shorts and t-shirt, he was getting quite cold. “So how 'bout we go be together somewhere a bit warmer? My house is kinda far, but I know my parents aren't home.” The offer was innocent, Eddie wasn't thinking about sex right now. He did want to kiss this girl more, but he also just wanted to sit on a couch somewhere with her, maybe under a blanket watching some cheesy romantic comedy that starred Paul Rudd. “Or, you know, anywhere not wet!”

[Jude Sheffield]

Eddie wasn't pulling away and Jude finally smiled, dabbing at her eyes. She wasn't ready to look into his big blue eyes and confront the present. At least not yet. She wanted to be in this moment for a long time. But he pulled away and for a moment she was disappointed, then she lit up when he didn't seem to let her go.

She listened to him word for word and a smile couldn't help but appear on her face. It was funny that the boy was a lead in a play but he seemed to struggle with his words. Jude found it cute. But then again...she couldn't help but have a tiny thought at the back of her head that this was temporary. He had already charmed then disarmed her once. What was to stop him from doing it again?

He seemed so sincere though and Jude saw it in his eyes. Maybe she should just let go of her own insecurities as Eddie seemed to be doing. With a little sigh of relief at his words, Jude smiled and nodded. "I want to be with you too, Eddie." She said happily. "I can't promise to be perfect and I really can't promise to know everything because...I've never done this before. Probably why I kinda messed it up just now..." she chuckled nervously, recalling the whole Eddie pushing away. She still didn't know the real reason of course, thinking it really was her fault and not because Eddie had other things on his mind.

She shivered when Eddie moved to push her damp hair away from her face. His smile made her smile even wider. This boy was going to break her heart without even trying, she knew it. His next words made her laugh and agree as it hit her that they were still trapped in the rain. "Well we don't have to go to your place. My house is nearer and my parents aren't home either. You can borrow some of my dad's clothes. I don't think he'd mind. You must be freezing!" Jude rubbed her clothed hand up and down Eddie's bare arms. Her offer was equally innocent. She wasn't expecting anything more than PG-13 happenings in her house. Not even with her parents being away!

"Tell you what, I'll bring the car nearer since I'm the one with your hoodie. And get an umbrella. Okay?" She nodded before he could even protest and pushed down the hood of the sweatshirt and smiled to Eddie. "I'll be right back!" She grabbed her semi-wet shirt and dashed out into the rain to get to her car. She jacked up the heater and drove closer to the shelter. Reaching back, she blindly groped for the umbrella that had always been present in her dad's car for as long as she could remember. She braced herself and went out in the rain with the umbrella.

Once she hit the dry shelter, she shook her umbrella and held her hand out to Eddie. "Okay let's go." She was just too happy at the moment that everything that came out of her sounded like there was an exclamation mark at the end. She was entering her first relationship and with a nice guy at that. She had to be one of the lucky ones...