“Yeah, when he got home and saw Devon’s car in the drive, he’d started to hope that I was there but since my purse and keys weren’t in the car, he couldn’t be sure. He walked in, saw me and Devon working on our paper, and I seriously think he thought there was something going on between us, which is just crazy.”
“Is it?” he asked. “Mel, you’re a beautiful and young woman. You’ve been married for almost six years to one man, and not only that but a man you married when you were seventeen. I’m sure Jordan’s afraid that you think you’ve been missing the real college experience like he had. Hanging out after class, going to frat parties, being a very young adult…”
“Why would I want any of that when I had something better with him and Tate? I’ve never been one to go to parties and I get way too bored if I just hang around doing nothing. I like being busy and I love Jordan.”
“And he loves you, which is the biggest issue for him I think. He sees you laughing and smiling with another man and he knows they’re bound to fall in love with you. Don’t deny it,” he said with a laugh. “You don’t realize it, but it happens. You’re so in love with Jordan and it shows in the way you interact with others. You don’t, for the most part, see how men look at you. You’re too comfortable in the way you look and the way you carry yourself to notice it unless they’re vulgar about it and that’s why they fall for you.”
“You’re being ridiculous Dwight, name one person…”
“Let’s see from just last semester there’s Keith, Lucas, Shawn, Adam, and Eric,” he said ticking off the names of the guys from her class.
She shook her head laughing as they hit the quad. “They were…holy mother of…”
“Mel?” he said as she trailed off and her face paled. He glanced up and saw the woman walking towards them. He turned back to Mel and caught her just before she hit the ground.
∞∞∞
“Mel, come on baby, wake up,” Jordan said quietly as he knelt beside her.
“Give her a minute, Jordan,” Dwight stated as he came back into his office with the bottle of water. He shot a glance towards the woman and clenched his jaw.
“She’s been out for ten,” he argued then cursed seeing her wince. “Hey baby, I’m sorry,” he whispered as the door opened again and Tate rushed into the room.
“What the…you!” he said spying the woman. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Is that anyway to greet your friend’s mother?” she said standing up, her hands on her hips.
“You’re not her mother. You’re just the bitch that walked out on her eight and a half years ago.”
“Tate,” Mel said as she struggled up from the blackness surrounding her.
“Mel-Mel,” he said sliding over beside her as Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t care if she called out to Tate first, as long as she was okay that’s all that mattered to him. “Easy Mel,” Tate added as she began to sit up.
“Sorry, I could have sworn…holy hell,” she gasped when she looked around the room and saw her. The darkness threatened her again and she fought it as Jordan brought her gaze to his.
“You scared the hell out of me baby,” he said brushing her hair from her eyes. “I was coming up to see if you were finished and then you were crumpling to the ground. If Dwight hadn’t been there…”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed ignoring the woman as she glanced around at the three men. “Really I am, I guess that’s the last time I skip lunch.”
“I think it was a bit more than just that Mel,” Tate said taking the spot beside her as she sat completely up and Jordan took the other side.
“What are you doing here?” she asked finally looking at her.
“Can’t a woman come to see her baby girl?”
“After eight years?” Mel scoffed. “Not likely, so what are you really doing here and how much money will it take to get you to leave?”
“Not everything’s about money Melinda, maybe I just missed my girl.”
“Were you missing me when you left in the middle of the night? Did you miss me at all in the two years after that?”
“Watch your tone Melinda,” she stated gruffly drawing herself up to her full five-ten height. “I’m still your mother and you will respect me. I will not have you speak to me like that you little ungrateful bit…”
“Jennifer!” Dwight shouted at her drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Shut up.”
“How did you…” Mel asked looking between them. “Oh my god,pleasetell me you don’t actually know her.”
“Oh he knows me honey,” Jennifer stated with a grin. “Knew me really well, didn’t you Dwight?”
