Melody POV
It has been two weeks since the unfortunate incident happened at the Aderemi's mansion. I could still remember the sound of the explosion. It was so loud that I couldn't hear for a few seconds.
The tabloids spread rumors concerning the deaths of the two brothers. Some said they were mental patients and others said that they were attacked by terrorists. No one knows the real truth except myself and the rest of the Aderemi family. It was a tragic day and it was still fresh in my memory. The rumors spread by the tabloid affected DReam badly. Their stock rate plummeted. When Giovanni heard the news about the stock rate, he locked himself inside his room for a week and when he came out, he pretended he didn't exist. We never had any conversation after the incident. I knew he was hurting because he lost two fathers but I almost lost my daughter too and Lorena had refused to wake up. We were both hurting but I felt we shouldn't ignore each other instead we were supposed to be together and console one another.
On the Monday of the following week, Benjamin and George were laid to rest. Only the family members of the Aderemi's were allowed on the occasion. After the fire died down, the Aderemi's mansion was reduced to nothing but a pile of ashes. When their bodies were found, they were found in pieces but two hands joined together were found and they belonged to George and Benjamin. They stick together until their last breath. On the day of the funeral, Marissa was nowhere to be found and when I asked Lorenzo, this was his response.
"The incident shook my mother bad. She was admitted to 'Help' psychiatric hospital. " he admitted. "She went into the crazy mode two days after the explosion."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I questioned.
"Everyone is trying to accept that the explosion happened. I haven't been okay lately and I know you ain't fine too," he pointed to the bags under my eyes. He was right, I wasn't fine. "Try to get some rest Melody." He advised and walked away.
I decided to take his advice and rest. I needed it but I was going to do that once I make sure Giovanni was alright. When he was called to give a speech, he didn't look too well. His face was pale and he was trembling when he stood in front of everyone to give his speech. He looked around and when his eyes landed on mine, I smiled at him but he didn't return it and quickly looked away.
When he started his speech, he was finding it difficult to speak as I could sense that he was not okay. He was trying so hard to be himself but he wasn't good at hiding it from me. "Thank you all for coming," he ended his speech with that and quickly left the hall. Lorenzo was called to give his speech but I didn't wait for that as I rushed out to meet Giovanni.
"Giovanni!" I called when I saw him trying to enter his car. "Wait," I shouted.
He looked at me but didn't say anything. "Why are you leaving? The funeral isn't over yet," I said but still, he didn't reply to me and it's got me pissed that I let out all the pains I've been building inside of me for the past two weeks. "What the hell is your problem, Giovanni! People die and that doesn't mean we have to stop being who we were before. I lost my parent when I was young but I kept pushing and when I thought I had lost you five years ago, I kept going because of my daughter. I didn't give up because the people around me were gone. You don't have to act like you are the only one hurting. I'm hurting too!"
Giovanni heaved a sigh and frowned at me. He looked to be pissed off. I could see the anger on his pale face and he looked like he was ready to unleash it but instead, he took a deep breath and entered his car. "Giovanni!" I shouted his name and tried to open his car door but it didn't budge. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. " I hit the windscreen of the car but still he didn't reply instead he just drove away leaving me in pain and confusion. "I am sorry," I cried out and sat on the ground. "I am sorry," I repeated until I couldn't say anything again.
"Melody!" I heard Lorenzo call my name a few minutes after Giovanni. He pulled me up and embraced me.
That was the first time Lorenzo and I ever got closer to one another.
"I don't know why he ignoring me. I just wanted to talk to him." I confessed and burst into more tears.
"He'll come around," Lorenzo sounded convincing but I find it hard to believe him. I was hurting and starting to get blinded by my emotions. Lorenzo helped me back into the hall and when the funeral ended, I rushed to the hospital after getting a call that Lorena had woken up.
I was happy.
When I got to the hospital, I met her laying on the bed with her eyes closed. For a while, I was sad that she could have fallen into a coma again until I called her name and she answered me. "Hi," I smiled at her when she finally opened her eyes. "I'm so glad you are awake," I said with so much joy.
"You don't hate me," Lorena said. "I lied to you, Melody."
"You lied but you made sure you protected me. I can never resent you, Lorena. " I confessed. "You are a friend, a mother and I finally found out that you are my sister. I am glad. " I told her.
"I never wanted to lie to you," Lorena cried. "I just wanted you to be safe. I am sorry. " she apologized and I hugged her and pat her on the back.
"I am sorry too. I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass for all those years. I'm sorry for yelling at you." I also apologized to her and we both stay in each other's arms for a few minutes. "Never jumped in to save me again."
"I'll do it over and over again. You are my baby sister. I'll do anything for you." She pinched my cheek like I was a little kid. "Where is hope? Don't tell me she didn't miss her aunty Lore?" Lorena searched around for Hope and when she didn't see her, she looked at me. "Did anything happen?" She asked.
I shook my head and before I knew it, I began to cry. "Is everything alright?" She asked again.
"Everything is fine. Hope missed you," I sniffed. "She always asked of you and I told her you went on vacation." I chuckled.
"That's cool. This also felt like a vacation too." She joked and we both laughed. "Why were you crying? Did something happen with Giovanni?" She figured it out. Lorena always figured things out easily.
"I... I," I couldn't control myself again as I burst into another round of tears. I am sure my eyes had turned red from all the crying.
"It's okay." She caresses my face and opened her arms wide for me to embrace. "It's going to be okay. "
I happily jumped into her embrace. "George was behind your attack but he is now dead," I announced.
"George? What happened when I went on vacation?" Lorena questioned.
I began to explain everything that happened the past few weeks to her. The attack, the explosion, and the funeral.
"Wow! I missed a lot."
"Yeah, you did."
"That serves George right but I feel sorry for his brother."
"Same here. I still can't help but think about that day "
"Everything is going to be fine. We are all going to get through this including Giovanni." She assured me and I believe her word. "You look exhausted. You should take a rest." Lorena advised.
"I am fine," I protested but I wasn't. My head banged as if I kept getting hit by a hammer. My eyes were begging me to close them and my heart was beating rapidly.
"No, you are not." Lorena refused to believe. "Go take a rest at home Melody and come back when you are fine. I can't look after you if you are like this. Who is going to look after Hope if we are both sick?" Lorena was right. I needed right so I agreed with her.
After I make sure she was okay, I left the hospital for Giovanni's apartment. It was silent when I got there, his car wasn't in the car park which means he hasn't come home yet. I checked up on my daughter who was sleeping peacefully on her bed then I walked into Giovanni's room. I didn't know why I was inside the room. I just missed him so much. I grabbed one of his shirts from his closet and sniffed it then I lay on his bed and draped the shirt around my body. I waited for him to come home that night but he didn't and then the rain started falling. While anticipating his return, I cried until I have no power left for more tears so I fell asleep.
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Giovanni POV
It happened again as it did five years ago. I was losing my sanity as a result of the explosion. I still didn't believe the explosion until I saw the hands of both of my fathers. I wanted George to suffer for all the pains he had caused everyone but I didn't wish they would die a cruel and excruciating death. It was too hard to believe. The explosion affected my mother's sanity and I made sure she got admitted into the best Psychiatric hospital in the country. The explosion also affected the stock rate of DReam and it affected my relationship with Melody. It was all too much for me to handle so I switched into the mute mode. I shut everyone off including my daughter. I was drowning in despair and there was no one to help me.
On the day of the funeral, when I was called to give a speech, I almost refused because Dennis who prepared the speech wrote nothing but lies in the speech. "George Aderemi was a great father and I must confess that I'll miss him and the legacy he left behind." I forced myself to spit out the huge lie. "My uncle was also a great man and he didn't deserve to die in such a cruel way," I added that one on my own. Uncle Benjamin didn't deserve to die such terrible death. "We'll miss them and I know they are both in a better place." I couldn't finish the rest of the speech as I was fighting back my tears. "Thank you," I ended the speech with that and rushed out of the hall.
I was angry at myself for saying such lies. When I reached where I parked my car, I opened the car door and just when I was about to enter, I heard melody calling me.
Giovanni!" She called, "Wait," she shouted and I turned to face her but I didn't say anything. "Why are you leaving? The funeral isn't over yet," she said. I couldn't reply to her because I was not in the right state of mind. I could say something that'll piss her off.
"What the hell is your problem, Giovanni! People die and that doesn't mean we have to stop being who we were before. I lost my parent when I was young but I kept pushing and when I thought I had lost you five years ago, I kept going because of my daughter. I didn't give up because the people around me were gone. You don't have to act like you are the only one hurting. I'm hurting too!"
I heaved a sigh and frowned at her. She was right about everything but she doesn't know how I felt so she had no right to judge me. I wanted to reply but it would do more damage so I just took a deep breath and entered the car. "Giovanni!" She shouted and tried to open my car door but it didn't budge because I locked it.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you. " She hit the windscreen and I was tempted to open the car door but I just drove away like a coward leaving her to cry on the ground.
I was a coward for leaving her but it was the best thing to do. I drove around the street for an hour and when I was tired of doing so, I went to the beach. I yelled at the sky and sea for being unfair to me. I lay on the sands on the beach and stared at the sky. I continue to yell at the sky because I was the only one on the beach at that time. I blamed myself for everything that had happened. I didn't know how long I lay on that sand but for the first time in three weeks, I had a peaceful time. When it got dark, I left for my house.
I got home at 2 in the morning. I didn't know that I had spent a long time on the beach. The ambiance didn't make me realize that time was far spent. The house was quiet when I entered. I first went to my daughter's room and saw her sleeping peacefully then I walked into Melody's room but she wasn't there. I was scared when I didn't see her.
"Where could she be?" I thought as I looked around the house. I was feeling tense when I couldn't see her anywhere and just when I was about to call Dennis, I walked into my room and met her sleeping peacefully with my shirt around her. I smiled at the sight of her and then turned to leave the room cause I didn't want to disturb her.
"Franklin!" I heard her call when I reached the entrance of the room. Is that you?" She inquired.
I quickly rushed to her side and hugged her. "I am sorry," I burst into tears. "I am sorry," I repeated over and over again. Melody didn't say anything instead she hugged me tighter and also started crying. After the breakdown, I began to explain the reason why I acted the way I did. "I was hurt and couldn't control myself."
"I was hurt too, Giovanni. We were both victims of the same circumstance but I kept pushing on." Melody responded.
"I am sorry. I'm...." I could finish the word as I continued to cry.
"You should have come and leaned on me. We have each other Giovanni." Melody reminded me.
"I am sorry," I apologized
"It's fine. I'll always be by your side." Melody assured me and I embraced her.
"Can we start all over again?" I requested. "I didn't get the time to say this," I paused and looked into her eyes. "Back then, all I ever wanted was a family to who I will come home. A wife that I'll cherish and love forever. I thought I'll never have any but I never realized you were very close to me. Due to our family issues, we were years apart. I want to make up for those times. I want to hold, touch, and care for you. I want to replace the old and painful memories with new ones. I love you Melody Davis Aderemi. Please be mine again." I confessed.
Melody gasped in surprise and then looked into my eyes. My heartbeat as I anticipated what she had to say. If she says no, I'll understand that it was her decision and if she said yes, I'll be glad. "I love you melody," I said again and pulled her closer to me. "Please be mine," I stared at her plump lips and then looked at her face before I leaned in to kiss her. Our lips move in rhythm. Melody responded well and I took the time to deepen the kiss. I broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "I love you," I said again but yet she didn't say anything.
"Giovanni," she finally said and my heart reacted to it. "I love you too." That's a response that made me the happiest man on earth. "I have always loved you." She confessed.
I squealed like a little girl and quickly covered my mouth when I realized what I did. "You sounded like a girl. " melody commented and I pouted then she burst out laughing. "Can I see your scars from the fire?" She requested and I flinched a little. I had never shown anyone my scars ever since the fire happened but I was ready to make an exception for her. " it's okay if you don't want to show me." She said but I shook my head and pulled off my shirt. She gasped when she saw the scars. I know it looks hideous. "I love your scars," she confessed and I knew she was telling the truth. "I love you."
"I love you. " I responded and leaned in to kiss her again. I was happy she loved my scars and accepting me made me happier. That's the night we were both drowned in love and we became one. We finished what we couldn't on our wedding night.