No Surrender | Eddie Munson

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Decoded

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: DECODED

IT'S NICE TO HAVE A FRIEND — TAYLOR SWIFT

Light pink sky up on the roof
Sun sinks down, no curfew
Twenty questions, we tell the truth
You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too
Something gave you the nerve
To touch my hand
It's nice to have a friend

——————

A sharp banging brings me to consciousness.

I try to roll over, finding that my movements are restricted by something around my waist. My eyes tentatively open. Sure enough, an arm holds me close. Soft breaths warm the crook of my neck.

Each attempt to free myself only tightens his grip on me. I try again anyway, manoeuvring an arm behind my back to tap his shoulder. "Ed? Eddie, wake up," I whisper.

He murmurs something incoherent and nuzzles his face further into my neck. My heart might just explode.

The knocking sounds again.

This time, it is loud enough to startle him awake. Yelping, he rolls back and disappears over the edge of the bed. "Shi—"

"Shh!"

I am quick to hide my embarrassment, pulling on a clean dress from my closet. I can hear him fumbling for his own clothes behind me. The sound only worsens my flustered state.

He slept over. He actually slept over. Of course, we have spent the night in his trailer a few times but never here and never in the same bed. The ghost of his touch lingers around my waist. I never want it to go away.

Toeing into my sneakers, I poke my head round the door. Hopper and Joyce are in the living room, caught up in an argument. Something about magnets.

I close the door as silently as possible. Eddie hesitates, balancing precariously on one foot with his pants half-on. The braid I weaved for him last night loosened in his sleep and dark wisps now frame his frown like vines. "What?"

"They're outside. Dad and Joyce Byers. They're right outside," I hiss.

Still confused, he awkwardly finishes getting dressed and catches the sneakers I throw to him. I tie his dinner jacket around my waist and start on the window locks.

Hands rest on top of mine, helping to pull the window open. He is right against me. His nervous chuckling fills my ears, his hair tickling my cheeks. Our efforts finally succeed with a sharp jolt and he steadies me with a hand on my hip. "Ease up, will you? Come on. You first."

I climb through. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I offer my hand out to him. He lands beside me. I start to walk but he grabs me without warning, yanking me around the corner to the back of the cabin.

Joyce is walking dangerously close to where we stand. Her gaze lands on my open window for a moment but she doesn't stop.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." My head thumps against the wall. Bringing it back a second time, I find something softer cushioning the fall. Eddie raises an eyebrow. Moving his hand away, he leans an arm against the wooden panelling above my head. His other hand sneaks not-so-subtly across my waist to pull me closer.

If I was having difficulty breathing before, it has only been made worse.

I'm feeling starry-headed again.

"Joyce! What the hell are you doing?" Hopper's voice causes me to jump.

Eddie stifles a laugh against his arm, meaning that his body leans even closer than before. I find my fingers fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt. They come to a sudden stop when they find that the top several have been unbuttoned, my touch spilling over onto the blood-drooling demon's head inked above his heart.