A Melwood Story

/chapter eleven/

A Melwood Story
Chapter 11

Chris

It's Monday. Melissa will be at work today and I can't help myself from being excited. Work days with Melissa are ten times better. She just makes everyone around her happy. Including me. Guilty.

"Nya!" I yell from the door. "Let's go! I don't want to be late!"
Within a few seconds, she comes tearing around the corner with miss matched socks and bright pink leggings.
I almost say something about it before I think better of it. That won't get me to work any faster.

I tell her to sit down on the floor so I can help her put on her shoes. It'll take at least ten more minutes if I don't.

We end up arriving two minutes early. I have no clue how that happened.

I see Melissa getting out of her car as I'm helping Nya out of her car seat.

"Hey!" I say.
She looks up, startled. "Oh, hey."
"How are you today?"
"Not good," she admits as we walk side by side to hair and makeup.

I adjust Nya in my arms. "Why's that?"
"Swollen feet. Headache. Not good."
"That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't good."
"Hope it gets better soon."
"One would hope," she says as I open the door.

Melissa

I'm slowly entering the constantly miserable phase of this pregnancy. Everything hurts. It hurts to walk and talk, occasionally. Which sucks. Absolutely sucks. It's the one day of this week I have to work and I'm perpetually miserable.

I just want to have these babies. I don't want them in me anymore please and thank you.

I'm sitting in hair and makeup, reading when my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I take it out and look at the name of the caller. Blake. I almost answer it when I remember what he did. Leaving me. He doesn't deserve whatever he needs so badly that he needed to call me for.
I set my phone down on the vanity in front of me and look back down at my book, which is lightly resting on my baby bump. Deep breath. Everything will be fine. Just fine.

My phone starts ringing again. I lift my hand slightly. I push it back down. He walked out on you and your babies. He doesn't deserve your attention. A voice in my head tells me. What if he's hurt? You can't leave your babies totally fatherless. No. Don't answer.

The phone stops ringing. Thank goodness.

It starts ringing again. Luckily my hair is done this time, so I get up off my chair and leave the hair and makeup trailer to go back to my own.

I give in. Picking it up, I answer, "hello?"
"Melissa?" His voice sounds dry and corse. "Is that you?"
"Yes..."
"Are you okay?"
"Doesn't matter to you."
"Yes," he groans. "It does. Okay? Look, I'm sorry for leaving. I had to."
"Had to?" I ask.
"I can explain later. I left the keys to the in Los Angeles. When will you be home?"

Oh no. He can't be back. No no no no no.

"Not for awhile," I breathe.
"Could you take a break and let me in?" he asks.
"No."
"Melissa..." he trails off.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm busy and won't be home for awhile. Go back to Los Angeles."
"I came here to see you."

Sure he did.

"I'm not sure if you remember the last time you saw or talked to me, but I'm pregnant."
"I know. I remember."
"I don't want to see you or for you to see me."
"What do you mean?" he asks.
"You know what I mean."

"I needed a little time to think. Now I'm back and I'm ready to be a father."
"No..." I start. "It's too late for that."
"Melissa..."
"No, Blake. I'm twenty-seven weeks pregnant. Your time to be there for me is over. There's other people in my life that are willing to be supportive that aren't you."
"What're you saying?" he asks.

"Just go back to Los Angeles. I'll use some of the divorce money to ship your stuff down to you."
"Divorce?" he asks. "Melissa? What the heck?"
"I don't suppose you thought we would stay married after you walked out on me like that."
"I thought you would at least give me a shot," he says. "Just give me a shot."
"I don't want to get hurt by you again. It was too much the first time. I don't want to go through that again," I tell him. "It's not just me anymore."
"I didn't mean to hurt you, okay. Trust me."
"I'm not sure I can."

"Look," he says. "I'll go back to Los Angeles and when the baby is born, we can organize the divorce. Maybe you'll be thinking more clearly then."
"I'm thinking clearly now Blake," I say. "Trust me."
"You can't possibly be."

"I am. I don't want you around my child. Not now, okay?" I tell him. "Give me time."
"Alright. I'll leave," he says. "But I'll be back soon."

I take the phone away from my ear and hang up.

Chris

Once Melissa leaves the hair and makeup trailer abruptly, I finish up and follow after her a couple minutes later. Nya by my side.

I hear loud talking, so I go back to my trailer with Nya for ten minutes before I decide to check again.

No loud talking now. I knock on her door. "Melissa?"
"Yeah?" She opens the door. "Oh, hi," she says when she sees it's me.
"Hey," I say, my voice small.

"Hi, Nya," she says with a wave.
Nya lifts her hand and waves back slightly.
She looks back at me. "What's up?"
"You just left hair and makeup without a word, so I was wondering if you were okay?"

She glances around me. "Come inside."
"Alright." I help Nya up the stairs then I follow.

Melissa sits down on the couch. "Blake called."

—
a/n

thanks for all the love on this story!
-El