“I needed asynonym for happy that started with an F,” he admitted.
“Well, I’m notsure happy is an option right now,” I said with a sigh, stuffing down theoverwhelming need to cry again.
“We’re gonna getyou there. We’re gonna get both of us there,” he promised, stroking my cheek.“You need to promise you’re gonna feel your feelings, okay?”
“I’m not used tofeeling my feelings in public, Court.”
“I get that. Butyou don’t have to feel them in public, honey. Just with me. I’m gonna catchyou. I promise. You are safe with me. Always.”
I cupped hisface. “God, I feel that, honey. All the way to my soul.”
He smiled.“Good.”
“So you’ll comehome with me?”
“Yeah, baby,I’ll come home with you. I gotta fill Hatch in on what’s goin’ on, but itshouldn’t be a problem.”
I nodded. “Thankyou.”
“You’rewelcome.” He kissed me. “Now, it’s time for me to fuck you then feed you.”
* * *
Train
“Are you sureyou’ll be okay?” I asked for the tenth time, pulling the two cases of beer fromthe trunk of our rental car.
“Would you stopit. I’ll be fine,” Melody said. “You keep forgetting, I know half of the peoplein there. Doom is literally family.”
“It’s not somuch the family part of family night I’m concerned about. What if there arepeople there we don’t know?”
“Then we’llmeetthem,” she pointed out.
“And what ifthey freak out when they see you?”
“You think Ihaven’t been in that situation a million times before? Jesus, Nash you’restarting to sound like me.”
“I know, but Ijust don’t want you to feel like you have to beMelody Morgantonight.We came to Savannah so you can be yourself and heal in quiet seclusion.”
Melody stoppedme as we reached the front porch of the clubhouse. “I love you, and I love thatyou’re so concerned about me, but I promise you, no one here is going to bat aneyelash over me,” she said. “Now kiss me, then we can go inside where you’llsee I’m right.”
I did as I wasinstructed and leaned down for a deep kiss. “We could also get back in the carand drive back to your place,” I said.
Melody smiledand opened the front door, stepping inside to an immediate barrage of
“Hey, there rockstar!” and “Oh, my God. I can’t believe it’s you!” The clubhouse was acacophony of applause, cheers, and whistles.
I grabbedMelody’s arm and pulled her back through the door and back onto the porch.
“See!” Ihollered. “I fucking told you,” I said, pointing wildly at the door.
Melody laughed.It was the first real laugh I’d heard from her since Puddin’s death.
“What’s sofunny?”
“They werecheering for you, dummy,” she replied with her million-kilowatt smile.
“What?”
