Eddie's POV:
"Who is Tabitha Goodwin?" Ripley asks again, her voice strained and I try desperately to think.
I'm drawing a blank and I can't even put a face to the name. My head swims as I try to remember.
"I don't know." I finally say, my voice riddled with confusion. "I don't think I've ever met a Tabitha."
Ripley actually snorts at that and I can tell she is growing angry with me. But what the hell did I do? She laughs almost disbelievingly into the phone and I remain quiet, hoping maybe she will enlighten me.
"A girl just showed up at our house and said you are her boyfriend," Ripley chokes out and my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline in shock. "She said you two have been dating for the last four months."
"I don't even know a Tabitha," I insist, completely out of sorts. "And even if I did, I would never cheat on you. Don't you know that?"
"All that I know is I was having a pleasant afternoon when suddenly this girl shows up at our door asking for you, her boyfriend. I played it off, but why does she know our address, Eddie? She said she was checking on you since you weren't playing at The Hideout tonight and she talked as if you two were close."
"Hun, I promise you I don't know anyone by that name and I have never cheated on you. Don't you trust me?"
"I want to, but this entire thing has confused me. If you don't know her, then how does she know you. Why did she say you two have been dating for four months? The whole thing is suspicious. I mean, we found out we were pregnant four months ago. Did you realize you didn't want to deal with that or to be with me?"
"NO," I practically yell and the line grows silent.
"No," I repeat. This time my voice is quieter, but still just as stern. "I would never think that. I love you. You're my girl and I'm beyond excited that we are having a baby together. Ripley, please. You're being silly."
"I'm being silly?" She asks incredulously. I swear I can hear the rage in her voice. "How would you feel, Edward? If someone showed up at our door and demanded to see me. What if they claimed they were my boyfriend? How would that make you feel?"
She's yelling at this point. I feel almost frantic as I listen to her. I'm still so unsure what the hell is going on, much less what to say.
"Ripley, calm down," I urge. "I can't talk to you when you're like this."
"Then I guess we are done talking," she huffs and I sit like a fish out of water, my mouth working, but no words come out. "Why don't you call Tabitha and tell her the jig is up? Have a nice night, Munson."
The line clicks off and I'm left listening to the loud tone on the other side. Shock and rage rip through me and I pull the receiver away from my ear to dial our number again. The line is busy and I can't get through. I throw the phone down on the bed before I follow it, plopping down on my back. I stare up at the ceiling and try again to remember anything useful.
Who the fuck is Tabitha?
*******************************************************
Ripley's POV:
I hang up the phone and immediately call Chrissy at Steve's. Tears are streaming down my face as I wait for someone to answer.
"Hello?" Steve calls cheerfully over the line and I take a sharp inhale. All of my emotions surge through at the sound of his voice and I cry loudly into the phone.
"Ripley?" He asks, concerned. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Chrissy," I manage to get out in between sobs and the line goes silent for a moment.
"Hey honey, how'd it go?" Chrissy asks and I wail loudly. I plop down on the sofa and cry into my hands, unable to help it.
"We'll be over in fifteen," Chrissy says. "Just hang tight."
We hang up and I curl up on the couch, clutching a throw pillow to my chest as I try to calm down. Bean kicks around in my stomach as if to ask what is going on and I place a protective hand over my bump.
Chrissy, Robin, and Steve show up quite quickly and they stroll inside, not even bothering to knock. I jump up from the couch and fling myself at Robin and Chrissy, wrapping my arms around their shoulders and sniffling.
Robin pats my back affectionately as they guide me back to the couch and sit me down. Steve looks wildly uncomfortable by all of this emotion, but his eyes are warm when they meet mine. He stays by the door, giving us space and I appreciate him all the more for it.
"Where is her card?" Chrissy asks and I point to the coffee table. She picks it up and exams in carefully.
"Tabitha Goodwin?" She asks chewing on her lip. "I feel like the name is familiar."
"She graduated with my class," Steve says suddenly from the corner and we all turn to look at him.
"You know her?" Robin asks before she rethinks her statement and rolls her eyes. "Of course you know her."
"She was in a few of my classes, but I never went out with her. She was a bit of an odd ball. When I dated Nancy, she was around a lot since her and Barb Holland were friends. Nancy would invite Tabitha to hang out with both of them so she wouldn't be left out."
My eyebrows furrow at this information. So Eddie has been dating someone that is friends with Nancy? I've been to the Wheeler house at least a dozen times over the last few months to either pick up Max and El after movie night or to get Eddie following a campaign. I know Nancy and I aren't necessarily close, but what about girl code?
"I'm telling you this girl is kooky," Steve says, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. "She would always be muttering to herself and she drew the strangest pictures in her notebooks. I think Barb and Nancy pitied her and that's why they let her hang out with them. Otherwise, she would have been a loner."
I think of the girl I saw on my front steps. She was confident and pretty. I can't imagine her behaving the way Steve described. I shake my head and they all look down at me.
"No, I think we are talking about two different people," I insist. "The girl that was here was gaudy and confident. She didn't seem like the type to not be popular."
"I guess there is only one way to find out," Chrissy says, smacking the business card against her palm. "We've got to ask Nancy."
We all pile into Steve's car and he drives us to Nancy's. He watches us with weary eyes as we bicker loudly amongst ourselves. I hope Nancy has some answers.
When we get to the Wheelers, Mr. Wheeler answers the door, looking over each of us with disdain.
"Hey, Mr. Wheeler," Steve says cheerfully. "We were hoping Nancy was home. We need to speak to her."
Mr. Wheeler's eyes scan each of our faces before he sighs heavily and swings the door open, letting us pass.
"Make it quick," he huffs, shaking his head. We start to climb the steps up to Nancy's room and he calls after us.
"Next time, just call her to your house. You have one, don't you? It's not like you all need to be here all the time."
We ignore him as we make it up the steps and down the hall. We knock at Nancy's door and we hear her moving on the other side before the door is flung open.
Nancy looks up at each of us, perplexed. Her hand slides off the door and falls to her side as she takes us in.
"What are you guys doing here?" She asks and Robin decides to play the mediator, grinning at her.
"We actually need a favor," she says pleasantly and Nancy's eyes narrow. "We were wondering if you knew Tabitha Goodwin."
Nancy bites down on her bottom lip and nods. She crosses her arms over her chest as if she is uncomfortable and my eyebrows furrow at her demeanor.
Chrissy moves forward to hand her Tabitha's business card and Nancy timidly takes it from her.
"Is this her card?" She asks and Nancy nods.
"Yea, she's worked at this salon since graduation." Nancy scrunched up her nose and hands the card back. "Why? What kind of trouble has she caused this time?"
"So she is a troublemaker?" Robin asks and Nancy nods enthusiastically.
"Oh yea," she says. "Barb and I befriended her our freshman year and it was one of my biggest mistakes. She's a wack job."
"She showed up at Ripley's house today and insisted she was Eddie's girlfriend."
Nancy's face falls slightly and she looks over at me with sadness in her eyes.
"As if he would ever cheat," Nancy huffs, shaking her head and guilt slices through me. How can they all be so sure of him while I am riddled with doubt?
Nancy gestures for us to come into her room and we step carefully inside. The room is girly and frilly, but I like how she has set everything neatly up. Nancy grabs her yearbook from her bookshelf and then plops down on the edge of her bed, flipping through the pages. When she finds what she is looking for, she turns the book to face us and we all crowd around it.
There in black and white is the girl I saw on my doorsteps. She's less flamboyant and her hair is in a normal style, but it's definitely her.
"That's her," I confirm and Nancy nods.
"Did she happen to say how she knew Eddie?" She asks and I nod.
"I'm assuming it's from his gigs. She said she knew he played Tuesdays at The Hideout."
"I'd be really careful of her," Nancy warns and a sick, worried feeling sinks into my stomach. "Tabitha has a nasty habit of becoming possessive and obsessed with men, even if they aren't hers. When I first started dating Jonathan, she changed her entire personality to fit what she thought he would like. She practically stalked him and made it difficult for me to be near him. She's not a good person."
"Do you think she could just be a stalker?" Steve asks and my eyes widen.
"It's a very real possibility." Nancy shrugs. "What does Eddie say?"
"He said he didn't even know her," I tell them and they each shoot me a mournful expression.
"My bet is she has seen him play a few times at The Hideout and became obsessed with him. She's probably made up some sick scenario thinking he was single and easy for the taking and she has convinced herself that she is already dating him because she is that delusional. She used to write Mrs. Jonathan Byers in all of her journals when we were sophmores. She even stole some of my photos of Jonathan and I together and she would cover my face with a picture of herself. She had even told her mom that they were dating even though he was my boyfriend. Her mom once stopped him in the grocery store to ask him to dinner at their house."
My stomach lurches and I feel like I am going to be sick. I don't know which is worse, Eddie cheating on me or a crazed stalker fan. I'm definitely not thrilled at the idea of her knowing where we live, either.
"She knows where we live," I say softly and Chrissy moves to massage my back.
"You can stay at my place for the next few days until Eddie gets back," Robin offers and I smile at her. The idea is tempting, but I don't want to impose. No, I need to see Eddie.
I shake my head and look up at each of them.
"Can one of you watch my cat for a few days?"
********************************************************
Eddie's POV:
"I don't even know a Tabitha," I tell Gareth for about the hundredth time since I met him at the hotel bar for a late snack. I still have to hit the studio tonight to re-record the vocals on one of our songs for the album. There was an issue with production and the audio was lost. It's the last song on the album and once I finish, we can finally wrap. "I don't even know how this chick knows me, much less how she got my address. I mean, what kind of bullshit timing is this. I'm not even home to set the record straight and now Ripley is pissed."
"Can you blame her," Gareth says around his fork and I sigh.
"No, I'm sure I'd be behaving way worse if some asshole came to our door claiming to be seeing her."
"Just try calling her again when you get back to the hotel. I'm sure everything will be fine."
"What's going on?" Jeff asks. He's finally joined us and is taking his jacket off as he settles into the seat on my other side.
"Some girl named Tabitha showed up at Eddie's house today, claiming to be dating him. She's got Ripley really upset." Gareth answers, looking around me at Jeff.
"Tabitha Goodwin?" Jeff asks, his eyebrows crinkling together and a concerned expression flittering across his face.
"Yea," I reply, shocked that Jeff knows her. "Who the hell is she?"
"She's bad news," Jeff sighs. "She used to go to school with us. She was just a year ahead. She's boy crazed. My friend, Clyde, from freshman year, was practically stalked by her. He wound up moving away because of it."
"So you're telling me that this girl is just some crazed weirdo?" I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. "And she now has my home address and my pregnant girlfriend is home alone?"
Gareth and Jeff are completely silent, just staring at me with pitying expressions.
"Damn it!" I bark, slamming my hand down on the bar. Gareth jumps and swallows what is in his mouth prematurely, making him choke. He coughs and sputters as I get to my feet and move away from them. Jeff moves to slam against his back as he takes a sip of water. I walk up to the bartender. She looks over at me with a smile, obviously thinking I'm coming over to flirt, but I don't have the time for her games and I'm not the least bit interested.
"Do you have a phone I can use?" I ask, annoyed and her face falls. She points towards the restrooms and I nod once in gratitude before walking up to the phone and dialing our home number. It rings and rings before clicking over to the machine. I try to call three more times. Each time I get the machine and I grit my teeth.
I walk back out to Gareth and Jeff and they look up at me, hopefully. I shake my head.
"No luck," I sigh. I reach a shaky hand up to push my hair back. "I'm not sure what else to do."
"Hey, listen," Gareth says, swatting my arm affectionately. "Head to the studio and get work done. While you're gone, Jeff and I will call the house and we will even try your uncles and Steve's to see if she wound up at either place. I'm sure she just needs some time to think."
I nod hesitantly. I know they are right, but I feel like my insides are turning inside out. I worry that this Tabitha chick is plotting something. I worry for Ripley's safety. But I also worry about us. Will I be able to convince her that nothing is going on?
I wave over my shoulder and thank the guys as I head out to the studio. I take a taxi for the short ten minute drive. I watch the city lights outside my window and I want desperately to go home.
I pay the driver and then head inside.
Joe, our new manager, is waiting for me in the lobby. He stands and smiles down at me.
"About time," he jokes. "I thought you might bail on me."
"Nah, man," I sigh. "Just needed to grab a bite to eat."
We head into one of the production rooms and our producer, Ollie, is already sitting in his usual chair behind the panel of controls.
"Alright, kid," Ollie calls as I take off my jacket and head into the booth. "Let's knock this shit out of the park so we can finally get this album on shelves."
I give him a thumbs up as I slap my headphones over my ears.
The track plays into my headset and I sing along. We do a few takes to make sure we have both the backup and primary vocals recorded. As I'm recording, a new song idea comes to mind and my fingers twitch at my side, desperate for my guitar.
"That's it, man," Ollie says into the speakers and I smile. "We've got what we needed. We can call it a night."
"Do you think we have time for me to record something new?" I ask and Ollie and Joe look at one another.
"Well, Ollie has to leave and I've got a conference call in the morning, Eddie." Joe calls over the intercom and my face falls slightly.
"He knows how to use the equipment," I hear Ollie say to Joe as they move to collect their things. "He can stay and record alone. He knows how to close up shop."
My smile returns as I leave the booth and step out into the live room. I grab a guitar off the stand and start to strum absently, trying to find the right rhythm.
"Night, Ed," Ollie calls as he leaves with Joe. I wave at them once before turning back to what I am doing. I find the right melody and move into the production area to click on the recording button before returning to the live room. I start to play the song that came to mind. It's a rock ballad and I feel my shoulders relax slightly as I lose myself. I'm about halfway through when I hear the adjoining door open. My eyes fly open and lift to see if maybe Ollie or Joe forgot something.
Ripley stands on the other side of the glass, her eyes sad as she looks up at me. I instantly stop playing and set the guitar down. She finds the door to the live room and she steps inside, closing it behind her. She's in the same clothes I had left her in and her blond curls look tusselled from the wind.
I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off.
"I'm sorry," she says and my eyes widen. "I should have trusted you, but I've been really insecure lately and I took that out on you. Even our friends knew better than to believe you have cheated on me, but I kept second-guessing everything."
"You could have called me back," I say softly. "You didn't have to drive all the way here."
"I had to see you," she says simply and my heart stutters in my chest. She looks so small and vulnerable and I hate that she has had to go through any of this.
"Come here," I say and her eyes darken as they burn into mine. She takes a tentative step forward and I can finally smell her perfume. The smell never fails to intoxicated me and I sigh deeply. She continues to slowly move forward, drawing it out and my body buzzes from the tension in the air. When she's only a few inches from me, she stops and tilts her head back to keep eye contact.
"Don't you ever doubt that I love you again." I tell her, my voice raw with emotion. "You're my one and I'm going to fucking prove it to you."
"How?" She breathes and I smirk, my eyes roaming her body once before lifting back to her deep blue gaze.
"Let me show you."