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followsfrankiep · 2 months ago

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Don't Worry About Her (Eddie Brock x Reader)

GIF made by @rei-is-still-here 💕

Divider from @plum98

Summary: They always say, when a guy tells you not to worry about his girl best friend, you probably should. Izzy's wild and free-spirited nature has always contrasted with her best friend Eddie's quest for stability. Now that Eddie is engaged, he never expected Izzy to complicate things for both of them.

TW: SMUT, Unprotected Sex, Pity fuck???, P in V, Cream pie, Mentions of Abuse and Trauma, Explicit Words, Cheating, Minors DNI.

Word count: 7.5k

A/N: I AM SCREAMING. The amount of times I had to rewrite this chapter... FINALLY! My my my, let me just take a deep breath and pass out. 🫠 I feel so exhausted after writing this and I think I'll have a fever after 😂 It's ending soon so there's a flashback part you would probably think is so random but it's a gateway to the PREQUEL of this. THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE FOR EZZY (😂😩). Hope you fucking enjoy because I lost a lot of sleep and endured a lot of migraines just by writing this 💀 XOXOXOXOXXOOXOXOX

No pressure tag: @rei-is-still-here @potter-solomons @feveredvisions @tickettride @rach5ive @lovebydaylite @dreamygirli3

Previous Part

Part 8 - Line Graph

"You know what’s funny, Knight?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Every single time I think I’m done with that old bastard, somehow, some way, he just—"

"He sat in my goddamn apartment," Eddie muttered. "Sat there like he had the right to be there. Like he was just another guy stopping by to say hi."

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head again. "No apology. No explanation. Just him, sitting in my home, expecting me to sit across from him like none of it mattered."

Izzy had seen him all angry, pissed, frustrated, even the kind of irritation that simmered until it finally snapped. But this wasn’t just all that.

This was years of damage. She could feel her blood bubbling up as well, but she had to keep it cool since Eddie mattered more than whatever she is feeling that moment.

"He was never a goddamn father," he huffed. "You know what he was good at? Being a piece of shit. He made it an art form."

Izzy scoffed and sarcastically muttered, "Tell me about it."

Eddie let out another hollow laugh, shaking his head. "I thought he was finally out of my life, and then he just gets to be there because Anne thought it would be a good idea?"

"She doesn’t get it, Knight. She doesn’t get how much damage he did. How much of my life was built on making sure I never became him."

Izzy tugged him closer, shaking her head in disapproval, and sighed, "You are never going to be like him."

Eddie scoffed, turning slightly now, finally looking at her. "Yeah, Knight? What if I am? His blood runs through my veins after all."

She narrowed her gaze, meeting his, and smirked.

"You're more of my parent's son than you are your father's, Brock. Believe me."

And for a moment his shoulders dropped, just slightly. Izzy didn’t blame him for walking out of that apartment. Honestly? She would’ve done the same. No one asked him what he wanted—only her. She never saw him as someone that needs "fixing" but rather someone that needed to be heard. Eddie did not need to be alone and Izzy sitting there, staying close, wrapping herself around him was enough for him to power through the pain once more.

Izzy watched him, her fingers still curled loosely in the fabric of his hoodie. Eddie never let himself fully lean into being taken care of. He never let anyone think he needed someone—he scoffed.

“You really didn’t have to come, Knight.”

She froze for half a second, before slowly—pulling back just enough to meet his eyes.

Eddie already knew the mistake he had made.

Her gaze sharpened immediately, lips pressing into a thin line as her fingers tightened slightly against his hoodie. She looked thoroughly unimpressed. Yet, in her head, he had made it so easy for her again. She had been waiting for the perfect moment to lift his mood without being insensitive to his situation.

So, in true Isobel Knight fashion, she said,

"Oh, I didn’t have to come?" Izzy repeated, her voice flat, an eyebrow arching as she settled into the perfect opportunity he'd handed her.

Eddie exhaled, half-resigned, half-amused, pressing his palm against his face, because of course she was going to do this.

Izzy smirked—the kind that didn’t let him spiral in silence, didn’t let him sit in the wreckage just to convince himself he was built for it. One Bay Area breakdown between them was enough. No way in hell was she letting it be the only thing they remembered about this place.

“Oh, okay, Brock," she continued with her eyes squinting at him tauntingly, and tone exaggerated, dripping with sarcasm. "Next time you text me in the middle of the night, crying on a damn beach, after your fiancé invites the man who single-handedly ruined your childhood into your apartment, I’ll just ignore it.”

Eddie groaned, dragging his hand down his face. “Jesus—”

“No, no, I get it.” Izzy was fully leaning into it now. “You didn’t need me here, right? You had it all under control, sitting out here like you're filming a ridiculous movie scene, sobbing into the cold sand—”

“Oh my god,” Eddie muttered, but the corner of his lips twitched upwards because damn it, she was pulling him back again, whether he liked it or not.

She shifted closer, pressing her forehead against his shoulder just long enough to make sure he felt her there, holding onto him, keeping him steady, even as she mercilessly tore him apart with humor.

“I hate you, Brock,” she muttered softly.

Eddie sighed before tilting his head slightly, meeting her gaze with his eyes finally looking lighter than before.

“You keep saying that, Iz," he murmured. "I'm starting to believe you.”

She hummed and continued, “I hate you because you keep forgetting that a 'you' problem is a goddamn 'we' problem, Eddie.”

Eddie snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, it didn't exactly feel like there's even a 'we' left to consider lately.” He took a brief pause and glanced at Izzy who is now staring at the waves calmly splashing in the shore before he continued, "Didn't think you'd show up tonight, Iz."

Izzy scoffed, finally meeting his eyes again, leaning back slightly with the kind of smug confidence. “Never doubt me, dumbass. You and me against the fucking world, remember?”

For the first time that night, Eddie laughed with his heart beating like crazy. Damn, it was always her who could make him feel like the world is less revolting than it actually is. He shook his head, now in amusement, running a hand through his hair, finally breathing like the world wasn’t pressing down on him completely anymore. He glanced at her again sideways, tired but grateful.

“Thanks for coming, Knight.”

“Oh, now you’re grateful? I thought you didn’t need me?”

She can't help it. Once Izzy starts teasing, it never stops.

Eddie huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Shut up.”

The ocean was still crashing the shore in front of them, it seemed to have calmed down just like they did. San Francisco, that night, felt in sync with their emotions. For a moment, they sat in the comfortable silence until Izzy stood beside him, arms crossed, watching him, making sure he didn’t slip back into whatever hole he’d nearly drowned in.

“So,” she finally said, nodding toward the motorbike parked by the side of the road, “you riding, or am I?”

“You can’t even reach the ground on that thing, Knight.”

Izzy hummed, unimpressed. “I could try.”

Finally standing up, arms being tugged by Izzy, walking towards his bike.

“Come on,” he huffed, nodding toward the bike. “I’m riding.”

She smirked. “Coward.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, but didn’t fight her on it—just threw a leg over the bike, and settled into his seat. She followed, slipping onto the back without hesitation, fitting against him like she’d done a thousand times before. His chest tightened again when he felt the warmth of her arms wrapping loosely around his waist and the familiar presence of the sole person who had carried him through every damn storm he refused to admit he was drowning in.

Izzy tightened her grip just slightly, just enough to remind him she wasn’t letting go. Physically, emotionally, and everything else in between.

As he kicked the stand up, rolling away from the bay area, and away from whatever ghosts had followed him here—leaving with a lighter memory.

Then again, progress isn't linear.

Probably the thought of crashing the Knight's place again because of his paternal problems were weighing heavily on him.

The moment they got inside the mansion, Izzy practically forced him to eat before retreating back upstairs, careful not to wake her sleeping parents in the master's bedroom. She merely slipped away for a few minutes to grab extra towels, and when she returned, he was dimmed again.

It was obvious in the way his fingers fiddled together anxiously. She crouched down in front of Eddie who's lost in deep thoughts, sitting in the armchair in her bedroom.

"You need to shower, big guy." she said softly to Eddie who just sat there, staring at the floor.

It was easy to fall back into that dark pit inside your mind when the trauma ran deep. Izzy sighed and braced herself before reaching forward, pushing his hair back gently, her fingers sliding through the greasy, salty, sweaty strands. His breath hitched slightly at her touch, but he didn’t pull away.

“Come on, Brock,” she murmured. “Let me take care of you.”

And finally, he moved.

Izzy gritted her teeth, pissed off, as she stood to grab a set of his old clothes from the stash in her closet. She hated seeing him evidently spiraling. She knew those tears were not just pain and anger.

It was grief.

Eddie was grieving the loss of his "father," the only parent he had left—the one who was supposed to be his greatest defense but had instead become the source of his excruciating pain. And his fiancé, the person who had promised to stand in his corner, had pulled the trigger instead.

She knew he should’ve been anywhere but here, in her bedroom, looking at her like she was the only solid ground left after he had showered and gotten dressed. She didn’t stop him when he slid onto the mattress beside her, didn’t flinch when he shifted closer into her space, and didn’t pull away when his arms found her waist and he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Eddie needed that. Izzy definitely needed that.

Her arms curled around his frame, pulling him closer into the warmth of her blanket, making Eddie exhale so deeply it almost sounded like relief. She swallowed, shifting slightly, adjusting just enough for their legs to tangle. His body molded against hers like this was the only place he belonged tonight.

Her fingers brushing absently, instinctively against his back with his old T-shirt soft against her skin.

And then she spoke:

“You know I hate him.”

He had known it all along, since his best friend had always been vocal about it, and tonight was just another instance.

“I don’t hate him just because of what happened tonight,” she continued.

Eddie was watching her now, his body stilling like he knew exactly where she was going with this and she held his gaze.

“I hate him because of what he did to you since we were kids, all the times you came to this house after he tore you down, after he made you think you were never gonna be enough.”

She wasn’t finished.

“I hate him because I had to watch you try to be everything for everyone else—stronger, wiser, fucking choose something you think is better, and never just be... Eddie.”

“And I hate him,” Izzy whispered, “because after all those years, he still managed to hurt you the same fucked up way.”

Eddie’s fingers dug into the fabric of her tank top, his forehead pressing against her shoulder, making her hand run slow against his back.

“He doesn’t get to ruin you, Brock,” she murmured. “Not while I’m still here.”

Her words unraveled his barely contained feelings inside his chest, every bit was screaming at him to do something. She was there for Christ's sake. What the hell is he waiting for. He would never hear those reassurance from anyone, except Izzy.

He adjusted against the pillows, shifting to sit up, then one of his hands slid to her back, the other smoothing along her thigh as he pulled her to sit on his lap like she was that easy to carry and flick around. He didn’t hesitate when he settled her against him. Her palms pressing against his chest, and his lightly stroking on both sides of her waist.

“…Why do you always do that?” he softly asked, his brows furrowed, staring at his hands on her waist.

“Do what?”

"Leaving me... Then acting like I didn't just spend the last month figuring out how to be fine without this."

“Eddie, come on,” she murmured. “You needed me.” She is trying to meet his gaze and continued, “I’ve never doubted what I’d do for you. Not once. Even if that meant staying away.”

Finally, she met his tired eyes but they weren’t avoiding her. And then—God help her—he pressed a slow, lingering kiss against her collarbone. She tensed, knowing for weeks she ended things to avoid this from happening, but that did not stop him from trailing more kisses in her skin, enough to let her know that he knew exactly what this was. She bit her lip, tilting her head back slightly, giving him more space, more access, because her body was aching for him as well.

“…Eddie,” she murmured, not quite stopping him, her hands slid to his broad shoulders.

He hummed against her skin, dragging his lips just slightly higher, brushing against the skin of her neck, making her swallow hard.

"You said you'd never doubt the things you'd do for me, Iz..." he breathed against her skin. "Prove it."

“Fuck. Eddie. I'm—”

The back of his fingers grazed her chest, feeling her hard nipples, and he stilled for half a second before his other hand slid inside the inseam of her shorts, instantly feeling how warm and wet she was for him.

“Izzy...” he murmured, “I missed you.”

Of course he did.

His two fingers dipped inside her, making her moan faintly as she instantly rolled her hips and sinking into him. Eddie watched how she let herself go, her eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed, barely containing her cries while he was moving his fingers inside her velvety walls he craved for weeks now.

"You're so beautiful, baby..." he whispered while his fingers worked deep inside her. He marveled at how she looked, all messed up and intoxicated like him. "You missed me too, didn't you?"

She should've stopped him. But she didn’t pull away, didn’t let herself react too much—just a whimpered nod because whatever Eddie needed right now, she wasn’t going to take it from him, letting him take his time.

His grip around her waist stayed firm, his fingers pumped in and out of her, curling inside her walls while his thumb fiddled with her clit. It was harder for her to conceal her moans when her senses went feral over him. His face buried in the crook of her neck, his exhales brushing warmly against her skin, slow, methodical, like he was memorizing this moment piece by piece. She swallowed, her walls clenching around his fingers, feeling her orgasm coil up inside her.

Eddie hummed low against her ear, "Cum for me, baby. Show me how much you like it." And then—just slightly—she felt the faintest nibble of his teeth against the skin of her ears. His fingers were thick and continuously probing inside her, god it felt so good that his other hand had to catch the back of her neck when she arched her back, while barely rolling her hips to his hand.

She moaned his name, telling him not to stop, her body was quivering feeling his thumb draw patterns on her clit. His mouth found her collarbones again, sucking and nibbling her soft skin while he continues to work her as she slowly loses her muscle control in his arms. Izzy was crying out his name and breathing unevenly, feeling her pulse rapidly speeding as something inside her twisted, her walls clenching on his fingers tighter.

Then finally...

Eddie's lips halted against her neck, a faint smile slowly forming when he felt her orgasm ripple from inside her and running through his fingers every time her body shivered, soaking his hands and her panties underneath. That smile meant satisfaction, longing, and vanity, knowing that this woman was only his to please. He slowly pulled out his hands, gently holding her waist again.

Izzy convinced herself that Eddie needed to blow some steam off by using her to fend off the guilt that was seeping into her mind.

So she exhaled slowly, pressing another quiet, grounding hand through his hair, before finally, gently saying his name.

“Eddie...”

He didn’t pull away. Instead, he lifted her up, swiftly yanking away her pajama shorts and soaking panties from her, bucking his hips up and kicking his sweatpants off, then placing her back to his lap. Pumping his cock with his hands soaked with her juices, the other one gripping and lifting her ass up, dragging her entrance near his cock.

"Yeah, Iz?"

Every fiber in her being was aching, her pussy throbbing seeing how hard he is for her, her last bit of conscience fighting with her body. She held his shoulders, pushing herself away slightly before he could enter her.

"Don't you feel guilty doing this to Anne?"

Eddie looked up to her and smirked, his hand was still working on his cock, dragging his tip leaking of pre cum, along her slick folds, making her lose all sense of rationality left in her body. When his tip found her entrance, his both hands grabbed both cheeks of her ass, and said,

"One of us will be sleeping with guilty tonight, baby." He confided. "But sure as hell, it's not going to be me."

He slammed her down with a tight grip on her ass, entering her fully. Izzy let out a groan and arched her back, grinding on him, forward and backward, repeatedly, keeping him deep inside her. His head tilted back her head board, groaning while he's reminded how good she was at riding him.

"Oh god, Eddie... fuck. I missed you so much."

"Mmm.. That's it. That's my girl." Izzy looked down at his smug face when he called her his. "No one comes close to you. Fucking no one." he hissed.

His hips bucked upwards, meeting each of her thrust, driving deeper inside her. Over and over again. His hand hooked in the back of her neck, pulling her closer to his face, capturing her sweet pomegranate tasting lips he hadn't tasted for a long time in a deep kiss, hands tightening his grip so she couldn't pull away. Izzy was not thinking anymore and her emotions fully took over.

Izzy held him by his muscular shoulders, inhaling the whiff of his sweat mingled with her floral-scented body wash he used. God, he smelled like she owned him. Eddie Brock was hers. Fucking hers.

She was still riding him, pushing her forehead against his to give space for her uneven breathing for a few seconds until Eddie leans in to taste her again. His lips trailed down sloppy kisses to her jaw, her neck, to her collarbone, then to the mound of her breast, his large hand easily popped her bouncing tits out of her Tank top, sucking and nibbling on them alternately. Her hands slid to the back of his neck, her nails grazing on his nape gently while he's devouring her chest.

"Mmm.. you feel better now?" she purred. "Use me, big guy... I'm entirely yours to ruin."

How quickly Eddie shifted from being gentle and romantic to this rough, head spinning, and sloppy fucked up man when he heard Izzy say she was his.

"Use you? You sure about that, baby?"

He pulled away from her breast, meeting her half-lidded gaze once again. He brushed her hair back but only to wrap her bundle of hair in one hand, tugging it back, making her gasp and arch her back again.

"I'm fucking obsessed with you, Izzy. Did you know that?" he snarled, guiding her hips with one hand, syncing each thrust with hers.

"Yes... yes, Eddie... I know... yes." she moaned, feeling the muscle in her stomach tensed up.

He didn't want it to end, but fucking her raw after a long time had him edging out already. He is deep inside her when she felt his cock twitch.

"See what you're doing to me, baby? I just want to fill you up right fucking now." he growled, capturing her lips once again.

Izzy could taste their shared breaths, his tongue sliding along hers warmly. His plump and hungry lips refusing to leave her even after the taste of her lip balm was long gone as she melted into him like she always did, fingers twisting into his hair, breath hitching, meeting him with equal need.

She was overwhelmed by the loud thump inside her chest. For sure this isn't just a rush by having forbidden sex with her engaged best friend, it was more. She wanted more of Eddie and he was fully giving it to her.

She rolled her hips, grinding her stimulated clit on his bushy pubic bone continuously, sending waves of pleasurable shocks throughout her body, feeling another coiling inside her stomach. His hands found her ass again, guiding her pace, bucking her hips up and down his cock.

"Mmm... god..." She breathed through their kiss as her warm juices gushed out and coating his cock as she climaxed.

"Fucking hell... I'm fucking close too, Iz." Eddie let out a pleased hum, still ramming his twitching cock inside her, holding her ass tighter as her legs fumbled from her orgasm. "Look at me, baby... look at me while you take it." he grunted.

His hips collapsed in her bed again, pushing her down his pulsating cock, filling her up with ropes of his thick and hot cum. Izzy gasped, her eyes half lidded and fucked out still meeting his. Her brows knitted, feeling each of his releases, mixing with hers, and some even seeped into her inner thighs. His hands moved to grip her waist, pushing her deeper, seeing Izzy bite her lip down while he ensures every last bit coated her walls. Eddie pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her forehead against his, catching their breaths.

"Are you okay?" He asked, chest still heaving.

Izzy gave him a faint nod, still processing what happened. "Mm-hm... you?"

"Much better now that I'm where I'm supposed to be." He said, hands running gently up and down her back.

She pulled back just a little bit, searching his eyes, and gave him a warm smile, saying, "Keep talking like that, Brock, I'll start to think you're in love with me."

But he is. He goddamn is.

Too tired to talk anymore considering his long night, Eddie didn't respond. He kissed her again softly. He let his head rest against her pillows while his hands slid and eased against her waist as exhaustion settled, eyes shutting, and breath syncing with hers. It was a conversation he'll have with her in another time. For now, they both deserved to rest.

The first hints of dawn crept through the window. She should get up, think about what came next, and how she was going to explain this to her parents waking soon.

She shifted carefully, plopping beside him, pulling the blanket up over both of them. It felt strange—like home has never felt this comforting before. It did. But beside Eddie, it was different. Completely forgetting that she shouldn’t have let herself slip back into their affair but had anyway.

So she let herself close her eyes, just for a little while longer until the morning forced her to face it.

Anne barely glanced at the time as she stepped into the Life Foundation lobby. She hadn’t planned on coming here so soon or crossing the boundaries of her firm’s involvement in this case just yet, but after the night she had endured—and an awkward morning with Carl Brock—she couldn’t just sit around in their apartment.

Eddie ignored every single call she made, leaving her alone with Carl. Not a single message or heads-up about where he had gone the night before.

She found herself sitting and waiting outside Carlton Drake's office to work on the lawsuit she's been handling for him just to take her mind off the guilt she was carrying.

“Anne Weying?”

She met the curious gaze of a woman dressed in a lab coat.

“Yes?” Anne replied carefully.

The woman smiled slightly, tilting her head. “You’re Eddie Brock’s fiancée, right?”

Anne nodded in confirmation.

“I’m Dora Skirth. I work in Life Foundation’s research department. I’m waiting to speak to Carlton too.”

They exchanged a brief handshake when Dora settled down beside her and spoke again:

“I didn’t believe it when I heard Eddie was settling down.”

“Why’s that?” Anne’s brow furrowed slightly.

Dora looked like she was bracing herself to what she's about to tell. “We go way back,” she admitted, crossing her arms loosely. “Dated, actually.”

“You dated Eddie?” Anne repeated with her eyes blinking twice.

“Yeah. College. Back then, I thought he was the kind of guy you could actually build something with—at least until I realized what I was competing against.”

“Competing? With who?”

“Izzy Knight.”

One of the qualities that constitutes Eddie Brock is his Loyalty. Even during college, everyone saw it including his friends Mark and Dale, and Eddie's own girlfriend then, Dora Skirth. They met during a party during the last day of sophomore year where Izzy, yet again, forced her best friend to attend, a time in which their friendship was purely platonic. Dora was a biology student who Izzy introduced to Eddie as part of her playing cupid, and fortunately they hit it off.

That party was the first night Izzy did not have her emergency contact to take her home. Instead, Eddie was back at his dorm already banging Dora out of her mind.

Nothing was wrong with her. She was a sweet and smart girl, had long wavy black hair, glasses, and has a rocking body. She often appeared reserved in front of other people, but was not that different to the other horny college girls.

The problem did not lay with Izzy at this time...

She did not look at Eddie Brock as more than just her best bud, but that doesn't mean she did not rely on him as much. The first few months of Eddie and Dora were a such a blast.

She thought this was it. He was the guy.

What made it harder was how oblivious Eddie and Izzy both seemed to be about their dynamic. To them, it was just the way things were. Their relationship was so well-known that the first time Dora got ditched by Eddie was when they were supposed to meet her parents for dinner at a restaurant. She had reminded him repeatedly throughout the week, knowing her folks were looking forward to finally meeting the guy she was serious about. Dora was already at the restaurant with her parents when Eddie was almost an hour late. He called a couple of hours later, apologizing for blowing them off because Izzy had gotten sick and couldn’t make it home, so he had stayed to take care of her in his dorm.

Ultimately resulting to their first break up.

They got back together at some point later. Eddie reassured Dora that she had nothing to worry about—Izzy was just his best friend. She believed him and resumed dating.

To let her into his world more, Eddie brought her along to their group’s usual after-class taco nights with Mark, Dale, and Izzy. But it quickly became clear that the boys were far more fond of Izzy than they were of Dora, adding more fuel to fire.

Date gone wrong emergencies, Knight family dinners, late-night study breakdowns—Izzy always called, and Eddie always answered. The pattern repeated itself so often that it became a cruel joke to Dora.

Whenever Eddie bailed on her, she automatically knew what, or better yet, who the reason was. It was so natural for the two of them that neither even questioned it. Izzy had no clue and didn’t see how he dropped everything for her, nor noticed the way his gaze lingered, even the way his eyes softened whenever she laughed.

She didn’t realize that when Eddie rushed to her side, it was instinctive. It happened over and over. Big moments. Small ones.

The common denominator among Eddie’s former girlfriends was that they all realized he was loyal—but not to them. His loyalty, undisputedly, belonged to Izzy.

Every single one of them eventually asked the same question: "Is it me or Izzy?"

Poor girls did not stood a chance. His answer never wavered. So eventually, even Dora had to admit defeat.

When they broke up for good, he was devastated—and he couldn’t even tell his best friend why. Do you remember the first time Izzy and Eddie kissed at a party, right after he had broken up with his girlfriend?

Yeah. That was it.

That night, Eddie finally realized why most of his relationships failed. It was because they weren’t her.

It doesn't matter what time it is or if the weather in San Francisco is fucked up again, Eddie Brock will always show up for her.

And now, she's doing the same for him.

Hearing those words were uncomfortable, making Anne force out a short and breathy laugh while shaking her head. “Well, Eddie’s hardly her type. Izzy’s dating Drake.”

Dora just gave her a knowing look, like she had already predicted Anne would say that. Denial.

“That’s what I heard too,” Dora admitted. “But word around the company is they went out, sure—except she left early. And Eddie picked her up that night.”

Anne’s smile faltered.

She barely processed Dora’s expression before her own mind started filling in the gaps, before the pieces lined up on their own. She felt her face start to burn up while the cold realization creeps in.

Izzy left early. Eddie picked her up.

And suddenly, she was back in that moment—that night, when Eddie had come home just before dawn, moving like someone who was worn out and tired yet did not mind at all, looking like something within him was settled. He brushed it again with some excuse of a case he's been handling that's finally working out on his favor and she naively accepted that excuse.

Dora exhaled lightly, studying Anne now, taking in the way her shoulders tensed, the way she blinked too quickly. She felt sorry for her, knowing what it must've felt considering she's been through that as well.

“Hey—sorry,” Dora murmured softly. “I shouldn’t have said it like that. It was just some rumors circling around. And if it were true, Eddie's probably acting as her chauffeur again."

Even Dora didn't believe the word she just said.

Anne took a deep breath to compose herself, shaking her head, and forcing her smile back into place. “No, it’s—” She let out a shaky breath. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t.

Because she brushed off Carl’s comments, dismissed his smug remarks about Eddie and Izzy, chalked them up to some petty spitefulness.

However, Dora wasn’t Carl.

Dora Skirth was just another person from Eddie’s past, casually confirming what Anne had spent months ignoring. It was almost unfair. After all those years, would Eddie Brock still choose Isobel Knight over his goddamn fiancé?

Is it fair that even Anne has to question where his priorities lie?

A door opened down the hall, and they both instinctively glanced toward it, watching as a young assistant stepped out, tapping away at a tablet before glancing up at them.

"Mr. Drake will see you now."

Anne inhaled sharply, nodding. Stealing one last glance at Dora before following the assistant inside, pushing the thoughts down, locking them away until she had to decide what to do with it. At least she's got an idea where Eddie ran off to last night.

Izzy barely slept. The next morning, she purposely waited for her parents to wake up and get downstairs, telling them all about what happened.

“How is he?” her mom asked out of concern.

“Still asleep.” Izzy muttered, her mind kept replaying the amount of times Eddie made her cum last night and right now, he was still tangled in her sheets.

Her dad exhaled sharply, shaking his head like the entire situation sat wrong with him. “What the hell was Anne thinking?”

Izzy glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her—just staring down into his coffee like it held an answer for something neither of them could fix.

“She wanted them to fix things.” Her mom answered calmly, knowing her husband can be protective over their kids

Her dad scoffed. “Carl Brock doesn’t fix things.”

Neither Izzy nor her mom argued with that. He was right. Mr. Knight took on the paternal role for Eddie while they were growing up. The former military man was obviously more sensitive to the topic since he did not just offered help given the circumstance, he raised him to be a Man. It takes a man to raise one with stability, loyalty, and earned respect which Eddie never had from his own father.

Her dad finally looked at her, eyes sharp, serious. “You got to him before he did anything reckless?”

“Yes, dad." His tensed shoulders barely loosened with her answer, but it was enough to tell her he needed to hear that.

“You did the right thing bringing him here, honey." Her mom said and reached for her coffee.

Izzy nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

She didn’t know how today was going to go, whether Eddie would go back to his apartment and let himself face what happened or just let things be for a while.

All she knew was taking care of Eddie wasn’t even a question, even if it meant going against her own words to give him comfort last night, and letting herself do something she wasn’t sure she should have.

Her parents watched her zone out and think deeply, like she was holding something back, but they didn’t ask.

And thank God for that.

Because Izzy wasn’t ready to name whatever she had done.

Not long after, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs until emerged into the dining table, running a hand through his bed hair, shirt wrinkled from their last night's activities, and his eyes still exhausted but better than it was before. He sat next to Izzy who was already halfway through her breakfast, gauging what's about to unfold. Her mom instantly walked up to his side, sliding a freshly poured cup of coffee to his hands before wrapping him in a warm embrace.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Izzy's mom murmured.

Eddie blinked, caught off guard for half a second before clearing his throat, gripping the mug with both hands. “Uh—yeah. Yeah, I’m—”

Her hand lifted, carefully threading through his hair, fussing like she had done since he was a kid—grounding him like he had nothing to worry about. Eddie swallowed hard, exhaling through his nose, nodding slightly, accepting the familiar affection and warmth given to him by her parents.

Home.

"You should stay, son. Take the guest room. It's always been yours." Mr. Knight offered, giving him a steady gaze he can't say no to.

Before he could even give an answer, her mom gave him a light squeeze and said, "Besides, our annual barbecue will happen tomorrow, you're not about to miss that, Eddie. The aunties are raving about talking to you."

Eddie froze, coffee halfway to his lips, before narrowing his eyes at Izzy, who was barely holding back a laugh. In this mind, he could barely survive his best friend's chaos alone, but the whole pack of Knights tomorrow?

The aunties...

Interrogations...

Backhanded compliments about his upcoming marriage—which was currently on the rocks.

A full twenty-four hours before he had to survive their unfiltered remarks and relentless curiosity.

He sighed, shaking his head, muttering, “I hate this house sometimes.”

Izzy snorted, finally breaking into laughter. Hearing the sound of that made his heart flutter crazy again.

Eddie might’ve been exhausted and avoiding everything outside this house, but staying?

He wasn’t about to say no to that.

Boy, they're in for another ride.

Anne's car pulled up a short distance near the Knight mansion later that day. Her fiancé still wasn't responding to any of her calls and texts, and based on her brief encounter with Dora and Carlton, she found herself looking for answers as to where Eddie Brock might went. She wanted her instincts to be wrong, just for once.

But there he was. In the driveway. Helping Mrs. Knight out of the car, while Izzy and her dad got out as well, looking like they just came back from grocery shopping.

His crooked smile.

It looked like nothing bad has ever happened to them. Like he hadn’t had a huge fight with his bride-to-be. Dora was right. Eddie had always ran back to Izzy, and Anne was just painfully watching from the sidelines.

She saw how the parents already went inside the mansion, leaving Eddie and Izzy to carry all the grocery bags inside, laughing and sharing affectionate glances to one another. It's not like she was seeing anything more beyond their usual smiles and giggles, it wasn’t anything Anne hadn’t seen before, but she is seeing clearly from another perspective.

He looked at his best friend differently. His shoulders were relaxed, his goofy grin, the fine lines creasing from the outer corners of his eyes, and the way he naturally slung his arms around her shoulders, and she leaned into him as they entered the mansion door.

"Oh shit. Can I have the keys to dad's car? I forgot my popcorn." Izzy said as they stepped inside, making Eddie chuckle and reach for the car keys inside his pocket and tossing it to her.

"You make it sound like it's an actual emergency, Iz." He said, making his way towards the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"But it is, Brock! I'm telling you. That popcorn got me through some tough times. Be happy that I'm even sharing it with you!" She shouted while walking towards the car.

Izzy popped the trunk open and pulled out the familiar tub of popcorn, shaking it slightly, pleased that it was still full. The last thing she needed was a half-empty container after spending half the ride bragging about it. She barely had time to turn toward the house before a voice cut through the quiet evening air.

“Izzy.”

She froze.

Anne stood a few feet away, having already stepped out of her car, walking towards her with her arms stiff at the sides. Her expression wasn’t angry—no, that would’ve been easier to deal with.

Instead, it was tired. Worn. Like she had spent the entire night crying, thinking, and waiting for the last bit of patience she had left to slip between her fingers.

Izzy blinked, shifting her stance, still holding the damn tub of popcorn like she needed to protect it from the havoc radiating from the woman in front of her.

“Annie.” she said, hesitating, scanning Anne’s face, trying to read whatever had just cracked open between them. "What are you doing here?"

Anne exhaled, shaking her head in disbelief, pressing her lips together. She can't believe she was acting like everything was normal. She huffed a bitter breath, refusing to be fooled. "I saw Eddie go inside. Tell him to come home with me."

Izzy adjusted her grip around the tub, forcing her voice into something lighter. “Annie. He's hurting. You can't force him to go home. Not with Carl—"

"Carl’s right, isn’t he? Eddie is not just a best friend to you. You’re something else entirely. Don’t you lie to my face, Izzy." Anne cut her off, taking a step closer to Izzy, her eyes sharp.

For a minute, Izzy contemplated. If this woman going to insist for Eddie to come home, forcing him to suffer inside that apartment with his dead beat and abusive father, then there's no sense in holding anything back. Not anymore. The thought of him getting hurt again just for Anne to prove a fucking point got her riled up.

I just wanted to get my goddamn, popcorn. Izzy thought.

"What do you want to hear? The truth?" Her voice was smooth, unwavering, as she crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "Aren’t you a lawyer, Annie? What do you think?"

The horror in Anne's face was evident. She inhaled sharply with anger pressing against her ribs. She shook her head, as if trying to recalibrate, trying to take in the weight of it all.

"You’re actually admitting it. I can't believe it..." Anne muttered, "and you're not ashamed."

Shame was one of the things Izzy felt, if she was being honest. But none of that mattered now. She dragged a slow hand through her hair, amusement flickering briefly, but nothing playful. "What exactly do you want me to deny?"

Anne scoffed sharply, her nails digging into her palms. "He's getting married to me, Izzy! And you—hiding under the best friend title, making sure I do not worry about you pining on Eddie under my nose the entire time.."

Her breath hitched slightly, and when she spoke again, "For what? To feed your adrenaline-seeking frenzy? You think what you two have is real?"

Izzy finally moved, stepping toward her—unshaken. "I cant speak for Eddie. I could only speak for me. But let me tell you something, if you hurt him again, I'll make sure he will never run back to you."

The lawyer, who made a living from using her words to win in court, was stunned at Izzy's own version of confession. It stung more to know that what she felt towards her fiancé was not just a quick bliss, but a deep rooted real one.

"I tried to help you, Anne. Backing off is one thing I don’t mind." She exhaled slowly, holding her gaze. "What I do mind is when Brock gets hurt like this. I’ll make sure hell is bent to accommodate those who do that to him."

When she ended whatever relationship she had with Eddie a month ago, she was convinced that she was doing the right thing. She had wanted his engagement with Anne to work, to survive, even if it hurt her. She had no defense, no justification for herself. She had known her place as the other woman. The one who didn’t belong in the picture and had no right to ask for more.

And it had been painful.

But not as gut-wrenching as seeing him succumb to years of trauma, triggered by the very person she had tried to help.

Anne inhaled sharply, her posture rigid, fingers curling into fists at her sides. "You slept with another woman’s man, Isobel." Her voice cut through the air like a blade. "You’re a horrible, disgusting human. If anyone’s going to hell here, it’s you."

Disgusting. The word made Izzy chuckle darkly as she stepped closer, letting Anne feel the heat radiating from the anger inside her body.

She was done. She had convinced herself that stepping aside was the right choice, had believed Eddie deserved the stability she thought Anne could give him—until she finally realized the truth.

Anne hadn’t deserved her help.

She hadn’t deserved Izzy’s sacrifice.

And now, after everything, Izzy was done pretending.

Because stepping aside had never actually protected Eddie.

Isobel Knight was not going to make that mistake again.

"Now, Annie," she whispered tauntingly, "where’s the fun in chasing single men, huh?"

Anne’s expression twisted, disgust flashing across her face, her hands tightening into fists, as Izzy said—

"You're going to wait for Eddie, that is, if he comes home." Staring down at Anne with her dark eyes, feeling nothing but protectiveness, and continued,

"Now, get the fuck away from here."

And simply turned, walking inside the mansion, holding unto the tub of her popcorn, shaking off what had just happened like it wasn’t even worth her time.

When Anne Weying drove away, tears forming in her eyes, gripping on the steering wheel tighter. Her chest was heavy with pain, thinking to herself that she should've had known. Again, she felt like it wasn't fair considering she spent years with him, agreed to marry him, yet the moment Izzy strode back to his life, he never had to choose.

In the last twenty-four hours, Eddie Brock had managed to put Izzy through a series of emotional ups and downs she normally wouldn’t even bother dealing with. She never claimed to be great at handling big emotions—she had spent years perfecting the art of dodging them entirely. The old Izzy would’ve booked a flight out of the country the second she saw the situation dipping—find a distraction, pretended none of it mattered, and drowned herself in a whirlwind of impulsive decisions just to avoid sitting with feelings she didn’t want to name.

But the new Izzy?

The Izzy who had spent the last day watching Eddie unravel, stared Anne down in the driveway, admitted something she never had before, and let herself say the words out loud?

She wasn’t running anymore.

No, she was going to plop down on the couch next to Eddie, shove her legs across his lap, and share this damn tub of popcorn with him while they watched some ridiculous movie neither of them would actually pay attention to until it prompts 'Are you still watching?'.

Fina-fucking-ly, after years of dodging, teasing, and pretending—she wasn’t afraid of where this was going.

Next Part

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