“Because I love her.” More gasps from the peanut gallery. Greg and Chase were no longer part of the conversation but it didn’t mean they’d leave the room. It wouldn’t surprise me if I looked to my right and saw them with a bag of popcorn, watching Max and I like we were the latest hit movie.
“That’s obvious but what else?”
“It’s obvious?” I questioned, tilting my head to the side in confusion. Did I look like I was in love? I had no idea what it looked like on me but I didn’t feel like I was acting any different.
“I’ve never known you to stop whatever it is you are doing for anyone, except your mother. When Melanie came back into town, your whole world stopped. I saw it, everyone saw it. You changed how you did everything for her. You made sure to show her who you were and you have given her all of you, even leaving your mother out in the process.”
“And she’d pretty pissed about it, too.”
“Shut up, Greg.” Max and I said in unison, before turning our attention back to one another.
“You may not have needed to say it to us that you love her because it’s clear.”
“I’ve not told her yet.”
“Why not?”
“Honestly?” I looked down at my hands, wringing them together. This is where I got stuck every night before falling asleep with Melanie in my arms. I wanted to tell her, craved to tell her, but I was so fucking scared. We were in a place where I knew we were perfect together and throwing those words out there would result in either her saying it back or the unknown. I was not ready for the unknown. “I’m scared.”
“You shouldn’t be.” Max leaned forward, placing a hand on top of mine. “I can tell she feels the same way.”
“You can?”
“I’ve never seen her like this, even when she was with Wade. The way she lights up a room when you’re in it or when I mention you and you aren’t there. I can hear it in her voice and I told you that made all the difference to me. Actually seeing it with my own eyes, there’s no damn way she doesn’t feel the same way. She might not say it but I know she does.”
“I want to give her the world, Max. I want her to feel comfortable enough to say it one day. I want her to know that I’ll always be there for her, no matter what happens. When she’s scared, I will be there to comfort her. When Amelia goes to middle school, high school, college, dates for the first time, I will be there for both of them.” I stood up, towering over Max. “I will be the man that Melanie never knew she needed after Wade. I don’t want to replace him in her or Amelia’s life but I want to be an extension of their family and have us create a life after Wade, not instead of Wade. That’s what else I have to offer, Max.”
“And that is why,” Max stood, his face mere inches from mine, “I’m giving you my blessing to do as you please. Ask her to marry you. Tell her you love her. Do what you have to do to make all of those things come true, Jack. Melanie deserves someone like you who understands exactly whatsheneeds and not what you might think she needs.”
“Wait. Really?” I stepped back, unsure if Max was being serious. I knew it took a lot for him to give his blessing for me to start seeing his sister but this was a huge step.
“I wouldn’t ask him to say it again because he might take it back.” Greg tried to whisper next to me but we all heard him.
“I won’t take it back because I know Jack is exactly what Melanie needs.” Max slapped me on the shoulder and brought me in for a hug. I wasn’t even sure the last time we’d done this but I was pretty sure it was in college when we were drunk.
“I just hope she can see it, too.” Max whispered the last part to me so the guys wouldn’t be able to hear. My heart sunk a little because I knew he was right. As much as this blessing meant to me, Melanie had to be ready for this, too.
I took a deep breath, thinking about how I was going to have to step into the unknown because there was no other way to find out exactly how Melanie felt.
I had a ring in my bedside table, that had been there a week after Melanie had come back into town.
Now, I needed to figure out when I could give it to her but first, I’d have to tell her that I loved her.
Seventeen
Melanie maneuvered around my kitchen,preparing dinner, as I sat at the bar watching her. We’d been at my place for no more than ten minutes before Melanie had been adamant about wanting to make me this new recipe she found online. Something to do with chicken and bacon. Max and Alexa had taken Amelia for the night, giving Melanie and I some private time. After the conversation Max and I had today, I was grateful because it had given me the perfect opportunity to talk to Melanie about how I was feeling.
Now if I could just get any words to come out of my mouth, that would be great.
When I picked her up, there had been a lot of head nods, smiles, and a few grunts but no actual words. I’d kept playing out what I was going to say to her but each time I opened my mouth, nothing came out.
Melanie stood in front of the stove with her hair up in a messy bun. She had her tongue poking out of her mouth while she concentrated on cutting the chicken in front of her. It was adorable to watch her concentrate so much on one task. She padded over to the sink, her bare feet peeking under the long green maxi dress she was wearing. It felt like home having her here, seeing her in an element that she loved. I almost wished that Amelia was here with us but with how my brain was acting right now, if she was here, I have no idea what would spew from my lips.
I patted the front pocket of my jeans, a black velvet box shoved inside, where the engagement ring I’d bought Melanie rested. I wasn’t planning on proposing tonight but when I got to the house with Melanie, I put it in my pocket, hoping it might help urge me on to telling Melanie exactly how I felt about her. I was also using it as a beacon of good luck that she might tell me the same thing. I knew we’d only been together a month but damn it, this woman was my whole world and so was her daughter.
Melanie moved back to the stove and put the chicken in the pan, grabbing for a wooden spoon next to her. She stirred the little pieces to evenly cook them.
My heart thumped in my chest. The words that I wanted to say so badly sat at the tip of my tongue but I didn’t want to just spit them out. I wanted to tell Melanie why I was saying these words. The more I watched her, the more I wanted to say them. I had never told anyone but my family that I had loved them and now I was about to lay my whole heart on the line.
