She’d gone silent on me before but nothing like this. Not when she called multiple times, tried to reach out and was now not answering her phone.
I grabbed my bag and ran from the office, taking the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. My truck was the last in the parking garage, beside our nightly security team. The peel out of my truck squealed through the garage as I made my way in the direction of Melanie’s house. I tried calling her again but this time it rang twice and then went to voicemail. Each passing mile had me more worried than the last.
Was something wrong? Did something happen to Amelia? I needed to make sure that they were both okay. I dialed Max’s number this time instead and the same thing happened, it rang twice and then went to voicemail. No one was picking up and my heart rate was accelerating as I pulled into Melanie’s neighborhood. My truck whipped into the drive of her place, right behind her car.
I wasted no time getting out of the truck and as my door slammed shut, Melanie's front door opened. She stood there in a pale pink pajama set with her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. I couldn’t tell until I moved closer that her eyes were puffy and it was evident that she’d been crying.
No words were exchanged when I reached out to Melanie and tears started to pour from her again. I scooped her into my arms, carrying her upstairs to her bedroom. Amelia was mot likely asleep and I didn’t want the chance of waking her up.
Melanie shook in my arms as her tears turned to sobs and her hands gripped my shirt tighter. I was still in my work clothes but it didn’t matter if she ruined the silk dress shirt or wrinkled my pants. She could ruin the whole outfit and I wouldn’t bat an eye. My arms tightened around her, letting her get out everything she needed to. I had no idea what was going on but I needed to let Melanie process how she needed to.
“Love,” I whispered into her hair.
I let my head rest against the top of hers, placing a kiss there as I started to move a hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her. The shaking slowly stopped and the sobs turned to sniffles until she pulled away and whipped any remaining tears from her face.
My hand came to her face, cupping her chin and forcing her to look me in the eyes. They were red and puffy. Where her eye color was normally a light grey, they were bright green against the red coming from her whites.
“I don’t feel like I deserve this.”
“What?” I questioned her blunt statement.
A tear rolled down from her eye and I whipped it away as she continued.
“I feel so guilty that I’m moving on from a life that was once my priority. It was once Wade and me every day, for so many years and then it became Wade, Amelia, and me. Then it all changed to just me and Amelia,” she coughed and sniffled as she talked.
You could tell she was trying to hold back more tears that were trying to break free.
“I know I have feelings for you Jack, everyone can see that as well but Amelia is starting to get attached and I have no clue what to do. What I once knew was now gone and my life is starting to turn into myself, Amelia, and you.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I asked, honestly wanting to know the answer. Wade had been gone for about a year now and it wasn’t like Melanie didn’t deserve to move on but I was trying to figure out what was holding her back.
“I just don’t understand how I went from being perfectly content with my life and how it was to now living without my husband and needing you every day. When you’re not there, I get sad and when I see you, my heart starts to race like it’s been waiting for you since the last time it saw you. I just don’t see how I deserve that when my own husband isn’t even alive for me to defend the love that I felt for him,” Melanie rattled off without taking a single breath.
“Melanie,” I leaned my head down, placing my forehead against hers, “you never have to fell like you can’t express the love you felt for your husband. He was yours for so many years and even though he’s gone, you don’t have to pretend like it never happened.”
“I don’t deserve you,” she whispered and our breaths mingled together.
“No one deserves anyone, love. I’m just happy that you’ve letting me be here in your life.” Melanie’s body relaxed against mine but it still felt like she was holding something back even though she’d opened up to me.
“Was there anything else, Melanie?”
I pulled away and looked down at her. She was staring at my chest, not meeting my eyes.
“Yes,” her voice was soft. I watched as a tear trickled down her cheek and splashed onto my pants.
“Talk to me, love.”
Silence fell between us as I waited for Melanie to answer me. Her fingers playing with the buttons on my dress shirt as minutes passed us by. I didn’t want to pry though. She was willing to open up to me in full right now and I didn’t want to spook her away.
“I tried to call you, Jack.” Her first words were something I already knew.
“I know, love. I’m sorry I didn’t answer you.”
“No,” she pulled away and finally looked up at me, tears welled up in her eyes again. “I tried to call you, Jack. Multiple times. You didn’t answer. You didn’t answer my texts. I had no idea what might have happened to you today.”
“I’m sorry, love.” My face fell at the sadness that was filling her face. “I place my phone in the drawer of my desk each day so that I don’t have any distractions. I never once stopped for food or to even go to the bathroom today. I kept working on a large project we received this morning and only stopped once it was fully completed. That’s when I saw your calls and messages. I tried to call you back.”
“I know you did.” Melanie’s face turned mad but I couldn’t tell if it was directed toward me because once again, she refused to look at me. “I need to tell you something, Jack.”
