Chapter 17: Chapter 17

MELODY

“Mel, everything okay?” Jake asked, rubbing his eyes.

I shook my head. “Can I sleep with you?”

“Yeah, come.”

I walked inside and crawled under the covers and curled into a fetal position.

I tried to keep myself from crying, but when Jake held me from behind, I couldn’t control myself, and a sob escaped from my lips.

“Mel, you want to talk about it?” he whispered in my ear.

“No, please just hold me till I fall asleep,” I said through hiccups.

“Of course.” He pulled me against his chest, and I let my eyes close and faded off into sleep.

I woke alone in bed. After a few minutes, Jake came in with black coffee and gave it to me. I took it from his hand.

“Thanks,” I said to Jake. He sat beside me.

“Are you okay?” he asked. I could hear the concern in his voice. I knew he was protective of me, but he also knew I didn’t cry. I hated crying. I had always said people who cried were weak.

“I am okay, Jakey.” I gave him a small smile. It took a few minutes to convince him I was okay and that I was feeling emotional due to PMS.

Yeah, you know why my family was weird. We could talk to each other about everything, whether it was about sex or PMS.

I avoided Xavier at all costs. After breakfast, we hit the road for our home. Portland.

I drove my own car, but because I was high on emotions, Jake tagged along with me. Xavier and Lisa were in their car, and Mom and Dad were with Nick in his car.

Jake asked a different question every single minute so. He couldn’t get any clues about why I’d been sad last night, but I was a born liar, which I was not proud of.

I didn’t lie to people to hurt them, I lied to them because I didn’t want to hurt them. I’d started lying when seniors used to bully me in high school due to my height. I’d been an ugly and fat girl.

I’d never told my brothers when I’d come home crying, because they would have gotten into fights. I’d made a different excuse every time they’d asked.

After two hours and twenty minutes of driving, we were finally home—my home, my heaven. Jake helped me to carry my boxes.

As I entered my room, I looked around. Everything was in the same place it had been when I’d left for Boston. Nothing had changed. I settled in my room. I took my phone out and clicked on Dan’s name.

After three rings, he answered, and I put the phone on speaker.

“Hey, baby girl,” he answered. I could picture him smiling.

“Hey, Dan. Missed your girlfriend?” I asked, teasing him.

“You have no idea, darling, how much I missed you. I jerk off thinking about you and your naked body,” he replied.

I laughed. “Dan, my phone is on the speaker!”

“So what? You’re my girlfriend. I’m allowed to talk about how her boyfriend fantasizes about his girlfriend when he’s jerking off in the shower.”

“Do you want me to fantasize about you, baby?” I asked seductively.

“Fuck yes!”

I laughed so hard. “You won’t believe what happened yesterday,” I said.

“Did you orgasm in front of everyone, thinking about me?” he asked, laughing.

“No, you idiot! They thought I was pregnant.” I told him what had happened yesterday.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe they thought you were pregnant,” he said, laughing, and suddenly, he got serious. “But Mel, don’t you think we should at least give them one grandbaby?”

“Fuck you, Dan,” I said, laughing.

“I’m waiting for the day, baby, when you do fuck me, and I’ll fill my seed deep inside your womb to give grandbabies to your parents,” he groaned.

“Gross. Don’t talk like that.” I shuddered in disgust. He was laughing so hard I thought everyone in his house heard him.

A few minutes later, I felt light, talking to him after being stressed for the whole night.

After saying goodbye, I hung up and stepped out of the bedroom. Xavier was standing outside my room. I couldn’t read any emotions on his face.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to tell you we’re leaving tomorrow for the beach house,” he growled.

My body burned under his gaze. I could feel my nipples puckering under my tank top when his eyes paused at my breasts, and his mouth turned up slightly, knowingly.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said and crossed my arms to hide my erect nipples.

He grabbed my hand roughly and glared at me. I winced. “Next time you talk to your boyfriend, don’t talk on the speaker,” he hissed.

My eyes widened in panic, and my heart dropped to my stomach. I didn’t know how much he’d heard or what he’d heard.