GREENWICH OR GREEN WITCH?
MEL
The next morning, Mel woke up to Taylor sitting on her side of the bed. "Mel? Mel, sweetheart, wake up. Just for a minute."
Wiping the sleep from her eyes she looked up at him. "Mm?
"I gotta fly out to New York this morning."
"What? Since when?" She asked sleepily as she sat up. She glanced out the window. "It's not even light outside yet."
"I know, I got an early flight."
"I want to go, too."
He reached up and smoothed back her hair. "I'm just gonna pop in and come right back. I'll be back home tomorrow, I promise."
She felt the hurt rising in her and she couldn't suppress it. "But I don't want to be without you."
"It's only one night--"
"No. I want to go." She started getting out of the bed and pulling clothes out of the closet to pack.
"Hon, I gotta go in just a little bit--"
"I won't be long."
"I only bought one ticket."
"So buy another one." She stopped going through her clothes and she looked at him. "Unless you just don't WANT me to go. Unless you're trying to get away from me or something."
"No. That is so not even it, I swear. I have business I need to take care of."
"Well, that's okay. I need to buy my wedding dress. And since we're getting married in New York, I can just leave my dress at the condo, no big deal. See? We both have something to take care of there." Mel grinned and went back to packing.
Tay sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know what? You're absolutely right. Here, let me help you pack, we're running low on time."
Before she realized it, she had quit packing her bag and Tay was doing it all on his own. She found herself sidetracked with her own belly. "Guess what, baby?" She whispered softly as she held her stomach. "We're going back to New York. And we're going to ride in a taxi and have pizza and buy Mommy a new dress..."
Suddenly, Tay's hands were on her stomach, as well, as he stood in front of her. "You need to get in the shower so we can go. You can continue this conversation elsewhere, I promise. But we gotta get moving."
Mel scowled at Tay as she made her way to the bathroom. "Come on, baby. Daddy says we have to take a bath."
"A quick one!" He called after her.
Once she was packed and ready to go, Tay was already taking their bags out to the car and setting the alarm. "Tay, wait," she said. "Slow down. I'm hungry."
"Drive-thru," he said swiftly.
"But--" She glanced from the kitchen to him. Oh, no. Drive-thru would never do. She couldn't get what she wanted out of a biscuit. The drive-thru sucked. The drive-thru was the devil. "But, Tay--"
"Sweetheart. We HAVE to go. Now. We can swing through the drive-thru and I'll get you whatever you want. Anything. But we gotta go."
Mel huffed in defeat. "Fine. But I want one of those big breakfasts. With the biscuit and gravy and eggs--you know the kind you eat with the fork? And don't drive over any bumps while I'm eating."
"Yeah, yeah, got it, anything you want. Come on, we gotta go."
----------------------
A long, grueling eight hours later, Mel and Taylor finally walked into their East 38th Street Condo. Mel was exhausted but she wanted to go shopping. "I'm just gonna lay down for a few minutes," she said. "Come lay down with me."
"I want to. So bad, you have no idea. But I have somewhere to be in an hour."
Mel looked back at him, hurt.
"I told you I had business to take care of today."
"I know," she pouted. "I know."
"Look, I promise, when I come home, I'll take you out. We'll go on a date. I'll take you to dinner, see a show. It'll be great. Okay? I promise."
And with that, he was out the door.
Mel stood there and looked around the apartment. Taking a deep breath, she stood a little straighter and said to herself, "Okay then. Come on, baby. It's just you and me today. I knew this was what was happening today. Not gonna cry." Freshening herself up, she put on a coat, grabbed her purse, and headed out into the city.
Walking down the street in New York was nice. Sometimes she forgot how much she'd missed it. She gripped her hot cup of decaf coffee in her hand as she headed for her favorite pizza place. First thing was first. You couldn't dress shop on an empty stomach. Then the thought of an empty stomach made her giggle out loud. Her stomach wasn't technically empty. But the baby was hungry and big slice of New York pizza with tomato slices and extra cheese was steady calling her name.
She sat in the pizza parlor, savoring every bite of her slice. Tulsa had a couple good pizza joints, but they didn't have anything on New York. She tried to ignore the camera or two she witnessed out of her peripheral vision. Between being friends with Jason, being engaged to Tay, and going through the major split she and Tay had just been through, her name had made the tabloids more frequently lately than she had hoped. They hadn't officially announced the pregnancy yet, either, but it was slowly trickling through multiple forms of media and she knew it. Mel sighed and placed a hand on her stomach as she took her last couple of bites. At least they weren't swarming her or anything. She could at least be grateful for that.
The next stop was the dress shop. She decided to return to the same one she had dragged Isaac into earlier that year. She didn't think about it until the shop keeper looked at her curiously when she walked in the door. "Melody...Hanson? It's been so long, I'm kind of surprised to see you here." The lady glanced at Mel's stomach, as everyone seemed to do now, and back up at her.
Mel blushed. "Um, I'm still Banks. But I'll be Hanson soon."
"Oh...that's right, your wedding is any day now!"
"Um, it--sort of. It's been...rescheduled."
The lady smiled knowingly. "And you need an alteration."
"I need an entirely new dress."
The lady looked confused. "You don't want to just alter the one you have? It's such a gorgeous dress."
Mel shook her head. "Nope. It's a different wedding and I want a new dress."
"Well...okay...we have a gorgeous selection of maternity wedding dresses, I think you'll be impressed."
Mel let out a silent sigh at the term 'maternity.' She missed her body so much. She missed her old wedding dress and how it had fit so perfectly and how even Ike said he would marry her in that dress--and Tay had never even gotten to lay eyes on it.
Just like the first time, it took her no time to select her dress. She took one look at the third dress that was presented to her and knew right then and there that she had to have it. The shop keeper smiled. "Well, look there, it even has your 'something blue' on it."
Mel smiled. "Yeah. It does, doesn't it?"
The dress was gorgeous. And simple. And perfect. It was white chiffon with a blue satin sash and off-the-shoulder capped straps made of lace, the detail of the lace blending into the strapless neckline. The same lace pattern littered the bottom of the dress and onto the small train.
"It still needs a few adjustments. And by the time your wedding rolls around, a few more. Why don't we just leave your dress here and then you can come by when it's closer to your wedding and we'll have it altered for you all at once?"
Disappointed that she would have to leave her dress at the shop, she figured it only made sense and she paid for it and made her way back down the street. She smiled to herself anyway, as the dress shopping had been relatively quick and painless. No muss, no fuss. That was how she preferred to shop.
Her stomach decided it was dessert time and she was craving an ice cream cone. Sure, the fall breeze gave off a slight chill but her logic told her it could only keep her cone cold while she worked on it!
Happily, Mel walked down the street with the ice cream she'd stopped for. She figured she'd walk a little before catching the cab back to the condo, partially because she missed the city and partially because she didn't really feel like spending all that time cooped up in the cab.
Stopping at a garbage can to throw her used napkins away, she found herself saying softly, "Ice cream's all gone, baby. It was good, wasn't it? Now we're gonna go back to the condo and Daddy's gonna take us to hear some music and you'll love it, I promise."
Turning around, she figured maybe she'd been talking a little louder than she thought she was because several pairs of eyes landed on her and she felt herself blushing in embarrassment. As she turned to walk away, she bumped belly-first into a tall blonde who looked annoyed by the mistake until she looked up in her face and recognized her immediately.
"Uh, Drew," Mel said in surprise. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"Mel. Hi..." Drew's voice trailed off when she took one look at Mel's stomach. "Wow. You're, uh..."
"I know," Mel laughed sheepishly, hugging her coat tighter around her.
Drew raised an eyebrow. "Is it Taylor's?"
The blood drained from Mel's face. She was stunned by the question. How could someone ask such a thing? "Yes. Yes, it's his."
"Are you sure? Because the whole world saw you coming out of Jason's hotel in Chicago over the summer. There are pictures everywhere. And if you were to do the math, well then...you know...And don't pretend you don't wish it was his, either."
Mel's jaw dropped. How could she say these things? Why was she being so hateful? What had Mel ever done to her? They used to be best friends. Best friends forever. And then she goes off to Hollywood and--it was like she turned into a completely different person.
"That's not true," Mel objected. "He was in the hospital, I was making sure he was comfortable after he was discharged. He's only my friend. That's all. You know that. Tay and I are getting married soon. I never slept with anyone else."
Drew smirked. "Of course you are. You sure he isn't marrying you to distract himself from the fact that he knows that might be Jason's baby, too?"
Tears sprang to Mel's eyes. "NO," she replied firmly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "No. Tay loves me. You know he does. He knows this is his baby. It IS his baby. And he's happy and he's excited--"
"Uh-huh. Well, I sure hope you have one hell of a prenup drawn up because when that baby comes out with dark skin and dark hair, Tay's gonna need it."
With that, Drew was gone.
Mel stood there, frozen, in the middle of the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to let Drew get to her, but she couldn't help it. She didn't understand what was wrong with her, why she didn't fight back. Why didn't she give Drew what was coming to her like it was in her nature to do? Why did she allow Drew to stand there and bully her? Was it her hormones? Did pregnancy make her more sensitive?
And then she thought about Drew's words and she realized she'd never thought about her pregnancy that way before. Did Tay believe Mel? That all she'd done with Jason in Chicago was kiss him? Did he truly have doubts that their baby was his? If he did, he'd say so, right?
Mel began to panic. Right there on the street, she began to panic. She could barely hold the phone still in her hand long enough to call Taylor. She needed him. She needed him now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TAYLOR
Taylor's meeting ended sooner than he thought it would. Kari met him there with the events director of the building and resolving the issue hadn't been as big a deal as he thought it would be. That was, not after he shelled out considerably extra cash to further secure the wedding date.
He had planned to go over more wedding details with Kari while he could and he answered his phone once they stepped outside the building. "Hey, sweetheart," he smiled into the phone. "Did you get your dress?"
"Tay, I need you. I need you now, where are you?"
Tay's heart suddenly pounded at the sound of her voice. She sounded scared. Hysterical. "I'm in Brooklyn. Baby, what's wrong? What's the matter?"
"Brooklyn? What the fu--that's too far away. I need you now, Tay, please."
"Are you at the condo?"
"No."
"Where are you?"
"I don't know," she sobbed.
Tay's eyes were already darting around for the first cab he could find. "Calm down," he said to her as he hailed one and got in the back seat.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Um--just head to Manhattan." Then he said to Mel, "Calm down. You know this city like the back of your hand. Look around, tell me where you are."
"Um...um..." Her panicked voice said. "Greenwich Village. How the hell did I end up in--oh yeah. I like the ice cream here."
"Okay. That's good," he said. "How far are you from Washington Square?"
"Um...not far."
"Okay. Good. Meet me at Washington Square. I'm coming as fast as I can, okay?"
When Tay hung up with Mel, the driver said to him, "Buddy, I'm not sure how fast this is gonna be--"
"It has to be. I don't have a choice. My pregnant fiancée is out there in hysterics and I need to get to her. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I got little ones at home, too, you know."
Tay actually didn't know and at the risk of seeming heartless, he didn't care. Twenty minutes too long, the cab pulled up to Washington Square and Tay shoved the fare and the tip into the driver's hand and he darted from the vehicle.
It didn't take him long to find her. She stood in the middle of the arch in her long, tan coat, and when he called her name, she shuffled quickly to him and threw her arms around his neck, bursting into tears. He stroked her hair and held her tight. "What's wrong? What happened? I'm here, everything's okay."
She pulled away, resting her hands against his chest. "I didn't do it," she said hysterically, shaking her head. "I didn't do anything. When I saw Jason in Chicago, all we did was kiss and I told you about that. Nothing else happened, I swear to you!"
Not exceptionally thrilled to have the reminder, he had to know how all this so suddenly came about. "I know," he said assuredly. "I know nothing happened. Where is all this coming from?"
Mel sniffled. "I bumped into Drew on the street a few minutes ago--"
"Great..."
"And she saw I was pregnant and she said that there are pictures everywhere of me leaving Jason's hotel in Chicago and that the only reason you're marrying me is to distract yourself from the possibility that the baby might be his, but I swear to you, there's no way in hell it's his, Tay, I swear to you I never slept around on you!"
Her run-on sentence caused fresh tears to flow and he hugged her again. "I know," he said gently. "I know none of what she said is true. I know you're faithful. I know you love me."
"I do love you," she said, her voice muffled in his jacket. "I love you so much."
After that, she didn't say anything else. She sobbed and she sobbed. And the more she sobbed, the more livid Taylor grew. How dare Drew? How dare she? Who in the hell would purposely upset a pregnant woman like that? Especially one who used to be your best friend? He had to do something about her once and for all. He just didn't know what.
Since he had gotten out of his meeting early, and it was obvious that he was getting no more wedding planning done with Kari today, he suggested to Mel that they go back to the condo so she could rest before they went out--if she was still up for going out. She nodded in agreement and Tay hailed yet another cab to take them to Murray Hill.
------------
After Mel had fallen asleep, Taylor found himself on the balcony of the condo with a clove cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He hadn't smoked one in awhile. However, right now his nerves were so shot, he had to have something, and he didn't really want to drink before he took Mel out later that night. And so he smoked.
He held his cell phone in his hand and he tapped his heel on the ground, the ashtray bouncing on his knee. What the hell was he going to say? He had to say something. He had to do SOMETHING. This had gone on long enough and today--the way he found Mel in Washington Square--that was the last straw. He wasn't going to allow his fiancée to be bullied and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Drew be the one doing the bullying. She had been just as much a part of his family's life as Mel had and what she was doing was completely wrong.
The truth was, when he hit the button on his phone, he didn't expect her to answer. He expected to leave a nasty voicemail. Or something. He really didn't know. So when she answered, he was caught a little off guard. "Gotta admit, I'm kinda surprised you answered."
"I would say I'm kinda surprised you called, but I'm really not," she answered.
"I thought we were friends, Drew?"
"I mean--well--"
"I thought we were family? Or--at least we used to be. What changed? Why do you hate us so much all of a sudden?"
"Tay, I don't know, I don't--I don't--"
"There's gotta be something for you to be acting the way you are. Nearly outing Zac in that magazine, telling blatant lies on Jason and Mel. I just don't understand it. And I'm not happy about it. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting here right now trying really hard to keep my composure."
"Then why the fuck did you call me?"
Tay wasn't lying when he'd said he was fighting for his composure. He wanted to be civil about this. He really did. He had hoped that would be the approach to take. But he should have remembered from past experiences that that hadn't worked so well. "Because, goddammit, Drew, nobody can figure you the fuck out. Everything is great and everything is normal and then next thing anyone knows, you're running off to Hollywood and upsetting my pregnant fiancée in the middle of goddamn New York City! Now I can deal with you talking shit about me or Zac, or hell, even Jason. But you've gone too far with Mel. Especially when she's going into a panic attack at five months pregnant in the middle of the street where I can't get to her. That's where I cross the line. Now, please, tell me, once and for all, what in the FUCK is your problem?"
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME, TAY!" Drew suddenly screamed into the phone. "I WAS SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH YOU! AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH JASON! I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THE FAIRY TALE!"
Tay held the phone away from his ear and his eyes widened. Was this it? Had she finally fallen off the deep end? "The--the fai--the what? What in the hell are you talking about?"
"Before we met you," she said, her voice calming, but still hysterical. "Before I knew about your little--history with her--it was supposed to be me. *I* liked you. *I* wanted to be with you. And Mel was supposed to end up with Ike and that's the way it was supposed to work. And Ike liked her at the time. Did you know that? It would have worked! We had a plan. We had a pact! And then YOU went and fell in love with HER and you fucked it all up!"
Without thinking, Tay found himself asking, "Ike liked Mel?"
"That's not the point!"
Tay was taken aback by her words. Was she--was she hearing herself? Seriously? "Drew, that's the craziest goddamn thing I've ever heard."
But she wasn't finished. "And then there was Jason. When I asked Kevin to find another guy to go out with us that night at the club in New York, I meant for him to find a date for ME. But, no. He was all, 'I'd be more comfortable if I was hanging out with you because I know you' and all that shit, so I gave in. But *I* was supposed to get Jason. He was supposed to fall for ME, not HER!"
"Are you hearing yourself? You were stuck up Zac's ass the entire time, where would you have ever found time to even be attracted to Jason? Or me, for that matter? None of this is adding up."
"Jesus, Tay, it's not really that hard. Zac was a sure thing."
Tay thought his eyes would fall out of his head. "Do WHAT?"
"How could you be so blind? I stuck around with Zac because--" She sighed. "Fuck it, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
"You fucking--you fucking nearly ruined my brother's marriage! You lied to him! He loved you!"
"You know you liked it that night on the bus--when you and Mel broke up--when you and I--"
"I'm pretty sure I was probably--fucking on something or something. Honestly. I'm pretty sure I scored a substance or two from a couple of people during that time period--"
"It should have been us. You and me. We would have been good together."
"Are you serious?"
"I've always been into you."
Fuck. Tay needed another cigarette and he'd only brought one outside. No fucking way was he taking this conversation indoors. He probably did need to drink after this. This was a level of crazy he never thought he'd find himself on. "I love Mel. I've always loved Mel. There's never been a day in my life where I haven't loved her. I'm sorry, Drew, but you and I would have never happened."
"How would you know? You never would give us a fucking chance."
"Are you fucking ser--I was with Mel, I didn't have any interest any anyone else, much less you!"
"You married Natalie."
"Mel wasn't in the picture then!"
"I could have made you happy."
"Seriously, Drew? You seriously wanted her life? You wanted the burdens she's carried? I put her through hell. Her husband fucking fake-died on her and Jason only got caught in the crosshairs. Then she miscarried, she left me, and I ended up in the nuthouse for a couple of months. Is that the life you really wanted, Drew? Because while she's going through all this, you're sitting up in your sprawling mansion in the Hollywood Hills with your billionaire director husband, making passes at yet ANOTHER man who doesn't love you behind your husband's back. Yeah. I haven't forgotten about that little text exchange when you tried to get in Jason's pants, either. Then you go and slander his name in a fucking international magazine. I don't understand it."
"Yeah? And what does she do? Drama. It's drama all the time with her. Something's always happening, something's always upsetting her. And yet she gets two--TWO men who will spend the rest of their lives fighting over her and I'm sitting up here with a man who barely even knows when I'm in the house."
"Can you blame him?" Tay spat out of his mouth. "Honestly? Can you blame him? Who wants to be around someone who does the shit you do? You only brought this on yourself, Drew. And once upon a time you were my friend and we were family, but not after today. No way. You've made your bed, now you can lie in it. This is what's going to happen from here on out. I'm going to an attorney. I'm having you served. And if you ever utter a single word about Mel or me or our unborn child--or even Zac or any other member of our family--if our NAMES even come out of your mouth--I will make that shit so goddamn public that it will have lasting, detrimental effects on your reputation and NOBODY will hire you. Not even your own, clueless husband. You got that?"
"You're all talk, Tay. That's all you've ever been."
"Oh, no. Not this time. This time it's a promise. You've fucked with my family for the last time."
And with that, he hung up the phone and let out a breath. Had he gotten his point across? Had he settled anything at all? Had he even done the right thing? What else could he do?
--------------
Making his way back inside the condo, Taylor went to the bedroom and leaned his shoulder against the doorway, watching Mel sleep. He made a point to tell her she was beautiful more frequently now, but he realized he hardly ever made the effort to actually sit back and appreciate it. She had issues with her own body right now, and he understood that. But she really was everything any man could ever ask for in a woman, inside and out. And as she lay there, curled up on her side with the thin throw blanket tossed over her, sleeping soundly, beautiful as she was, he realized that he'd been taking her for granted lately. That he'd been so caught up in the wedding and the pregnancy lately that he'd forgotten what it felt like to date her, just to date her. To take her out for the sole purpose of spending time with her and--well, maybe showing her off a little. To dote on her and be proud of her. To take her to dinner without a purpose. She deserved it. She deserved a night on the town. And after the day she had, he was going to see to it that it happened.
He kicked off his shoes and gently climbed in the bed beside her, lifting her shoulders and tucking himself underneath her. With that motion, she stirred and she looked up at him sleepily. "Tay? Have you been smoking?"
He nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I have."
"Hm," she said, settling back down. "Smells good."
He grinned, amused, and looked down at her. "Yeah?"
"Mmhmm. I told you I like that stuff."
He kissed the top of her head and stroked her arm lightly. "You still wanna go out tonight?"
"I wanna know why you were smoking."
Damn. Not off the hook, after all. Tay sighed. "I want you to relax, okay?"
"Starting a sentence off like that isn't very relaxing."
"Just lay there and let me talk to you. Listen to me. Just listen."
"Okay..."
"I just got off the phone with Drew."
He felt her body tense up instantly. "Maybe I should have made you promise," he said.
Mel sighed and he felt her body relax once again. "Fine. I'm still sleepy anyway, so. I don't have the energy to yell at you right now."
"Thank god," he muttered. Mel elbowed his ribs and he laughed. "Anyway, yeah, so. I called her--"
"YOU called her."
"I said just listen."
Mel huffed against his body again and he twirled her hair around his finger. "I wish I could tell you I had an answer for her--her weirdness, but I really don't. I know for a fact a lot of it--well, most of it, really--stems from jealousy. She's jealous of you for--I don't think she's very happy at the point in her life she's in right now."
"Why should that make her jealous of me?"
"She said some things that kinda surprised me, honestly. I'm sure none of it's true, but she just--caught me off guard, I guess--"
"What did she say?"
"It's not really important. The important thing is, I told her--"
"No. What did she SAY? Do I not deserve to know why she suddenly hates me so much?"
Tay sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He didn't even want to say it out loud. "Um...she apparently has...feelings? For...me...?"
Mel's body tensed up once more. "What?"
"It started as you were teenagers? I guess? She said something about some kind pact? And that you liked Ike...?"
Mel finally sat up and turned around, looking into his eyes. "That's stupid, that was teenager stuff. It was--that was before, we were fans before I realized you, you know, became who you became...and stuff. Yeah, I had a crush on Ike. But only in magazines. When you and I...I don't know, reunited or whatever, hell, nobody banked on things turning out the way they did. I thought I lost the little neighbor boy, I had no idea he'd turn out to be you. And, yeah, we had a childish little 'pact' but then reality set in and--seriously, she's pissed over that? What about Zac?"
He narrowed his eyes in thought. "Um, the words 'sure thing' came up? I mean, the whole thing's pretty fucked up, really. She's pissed because she was supposed to be Jason's date that one night--"
"Oh please--"
"And she's apparently jealous that...I just don't think she's happy where she is."
"I don't see why. She got everything she ever wanted. Attention, money, an acting career...I mean, what the fuck more did she want? You? Jason?"
"In not so many words..."
Suddenly, Mel's voice grew quiet. "I couldn't even fight back."
"What?"
"Today. On the street. When she said the things she did. I couldn't even fight back. Something in me wouldn't allow it. I didn't even stand up for myself, I just stood there and took it. And then I cried. Like a goddamn pussy, I stood there and cried instead of giving it back to her. That's not me. Why did I let her do that?"
"Maybe because you're finally letting your guard down," Tay said gently. "Maybe you're finally feeling like you don't have to fight for your life anymore. Maybe you're finally happy and content and--maybe deep down, you don't feel so much animosity anymore. Maybe you're free."
Mel looked at him, tears filling her eyes. "Tay," she whispered.
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I could never apologize enough for putting you through the things I've put you through. I love you so much, Mel. Nobody should have to go through what you've been through. I just--I pray every day that you're in a better place now and that I'm making you even remotely as happy as you make me."
She searched his eyes for a moment before she leaned over and kissed his lips, her hands finding the collar of his shirt and gently gripping it in her fists. Gradually, she tightened and tightened the material in her hands and the tighter she gripped, the deeper the kiss became. As he reached up to take her face in his hand, her wrists twisted and he felt her knuckles against his chest and she gripped his shirt and, knowing her what her next move was going to be, he grabbed her wrists and his eyes snapped open, breaking their kiss. "I love when you do that," he smiled. "I really do. But I actually need to keep this shirt."
Mel smiled sheepishly as he released his grip on her wrists and instead of ripping his shirt open like he knew she wanted to, she nimbly unbuttoned his buttons, making sure every one of them stayed safely in place. He sat up on the bed and helped her fold the shirt down off of his shoulders and before he could return the favor, her body was already against his as she took his neck and his shoulders in her mouth.
The way her lips and her tongue touched his skin made his entire body tingle and he couldn't help but close his eyes and let out a breath. Letting his hands drift downward, he lifted the bottom of her shirt and she suddenly stopped kissing him and jerked her shirt back down. Narrowing his eyes at her in confusion, her eyes read a hint of fear and it caused him to let go of it. He wasn't sure how that reaction made him feel. She hadn't had any problem being naked in front of him before. Hell, she was just naked in front of him this morning. So what was wrong now?
He tucked her hair behind her ear and asked softly, "Is everything okay?"
Hesitantly, she whispered, "I just don't want to take my shirt off."
"But you're so beautiful," he objected.
She shook her head slowly. "I don't want to."
He sat up straighter in the bed and looked at her. "Mel, we don't have to--"
Mel's eyes hardened immediately. "What, you suddenly don't want to fuck me because I won't take my shirt off?"
Tay was shocked by her sudden change in attitude. "That's not what--"
"You know what, that's okay," she said, getting out of the bed. "I need to get up and walk around anyway."
"Where the hell are you going? Get the fuck back here," Tay argued. He hated being so direct, but this was getting old. He was tired of the mood swings, he was tired of being pushed around, and he was tired of her pregnancy being an excuse for her to do and say whatever she wanted.
"No," she objected, matter-of-factly as she crossed the bedroom. "You can't order me around like that."
Tay glared at her, a familiar feeling rising up in him. A feeling he hadn't felt since--well since before she got pregnant. Standing from the bed, he warned her, "Don't you dare leave this room."
She stopped and turned her head, eyeing him as if it were a challenge. "Or else...what?"
"There is no 'or else.' I just told you, you weren't walking out that door. And that's it."
She raised an eyebrow and headed for the door anyway. "Hmph."
Swiftly, he crossed the room in front of her and reached over her head to slam the door shut. Mel stopped abruptly and turned around, glaring up at him. "Well, look at you, thinking you're something."
"You're starting to piss me off."
"I'M starting to piss YOU off? Surely, you jest."
"It's your attitude. Your mood swings--"
"I'm pregnant--"
"THAT. That's all you ever say, like you have some kind of disease. You're carrying a baby, it doesn't give you a free pass to just be however you want, whenever you want."
"However I--?"
"Now, dammit, this is what's going to happen. You took off my shirt. You got me all hot and bothered. And, goddammit, you're gonna finish what you fucking started. You got that?"
Mel stood a little straighter and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"
Tay nodded. "Yeah."
Before he knew what was happening, his back was forced against the door he'd just closed, her arm pinned across his chest just under his chin. Unable to help himself, a smile crept across his face. "I've missed this."
"Then do it," she commanded through her teeth. "Stop being so goddamn scared of me and fuck me already. I'm not fragile, I'm not gonna break."
He searched her eyes for a moment, spying the savage nature of them, and he was turned on instantly. He grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her arm off of him and then reached underneath her hair and took a fistful of it, pulling her head back and taking her neck in his mouth. Without wasting a second, his free hand was all over her body in a desperate attempt to touch every part of her, not wanting to miss a single inch.
Releasing her hair, his hands made a second attempt at removing her shirt, only to be met with the same reaction as before. His eyes hardened in annoyance. "No. Take it off. All of it."
She obeyed him but she wasn't moving fast enough for him. Eagerly, he took over the duties himself, stripping her down in record time, and grabbed her by the hair once more as he backed her toward the bed. Before he had an attempted to lay her down, her fingers were on his belt buckle and, in one swift move, slid the entire leather belt from around his waist and the look in her eye as she performed the act nearly made him come in his pants.
As he fiddled with the button on his pants, she wrapped his belt around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him again, the naughty visual of the leather instrument in her hand causing him to feel like he wasn't moving fast enough. He wanted her. Now.
When she finally bumped into the bed and stumbled onto it, he wasted no time lifting her leg and letting it rest over his shoulder as he wrapped his hand around himself an inserted himself inside her. He let out a groan as he watched her face at the first stroke and the ecstasy that was written all over her face as she tilted her head back stroked his ego and nearly made him smile, except that he didn't want to ruin the moment.
As he fucked her, he heard some of the filthiest terms she had probably ever said, fly out of her mouth and admittedly, the more she talked, the better he liked it. Moments later, when it was all said and done, and after he'd kissed her, he rolled over on his back next to her and smiled, his chest heaving to catch his breath. "Holy shit," he breathed. "That was hot."
"You could have roughed me up a little more," she responded.
He looked over at her and smiled. "Sweetheart, I promise, as soon as the baby is born and everything is back to normal, I will shove you into walls, choke you out, and leave marks on you in places you didn't even know you had. Okay? But for now..."
Mel stood from the bed and snatched her clothes up off the floor, heading to the bathroom. "Where are you going?" He asked her, sitting up.
She turned and glared at him. "I told you I didn't want to take my shirt off." And then she disappeared through the bathroom door, slamming it behind her.
Tay sighed and ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. Just like that, they were back at square one.
----------------------------------
Alternate Jason chapter: http://tyamwedding.weebly.com/the-heros-heroine-alternate.html
MEL
The next morning, Mel woke up to Taylor sitting on her side of the bed. "Mel? Mel, sweetheart, wake up. Just for a minute."
Wiping the sleep from her eyes she looked up at him. "Mm?
"I gotta fly out to New York this morning."
"What? Since when?" She asked sleepily as she sat up. She glanced out the window. "It's not even light outside yet."
"I know, I got an early flight."
"I want to go, too."
He reached up and smoothed back her hair. "I'm just gonna pop in and come right back. I'll be back home tomorrow, I promise."
She felt the hurt rising in her and she couldn't suppress it. "But I don't want to be without you."
"It's only one night--"
"No. I want to go." She started getting out of the bed and pulling clothes out of the closet to pack.
"Hon, I gotta go in just a little bit--"
"I won't be long."
"I only bought one ticket."
"So buy another one." She stopped going through her clothes and she looked at him. "Unless you just don't WANT me to go. Unless you're trying to get away from me or something."
"No. That is so not even it, I swear. I have business I need to take care of."
"Well, that's okay. I need to buy my wedding dress. And since we're getting married in New York, I can just leave my dress at the condo, no big deal. See? We both have something to take care of there." Mel grinned and went back to packing.
Tay sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know what? You're absolutely right. Here, let me help you pack, we're running low on time."
Before she realized it, she had quit packing her bag and Tay was doing it all on his own. She found herself sidetracked with her own belly. "Guess what, baby?" She whispered softly as she held her stomach. "We're going back to New York. And we're going to ride in a taxi and have pizza and buy Mommy a new dress..."
Suddenly, Tay's hands were on her stomach, as well, as he stood in front of her. "You need to get in the shower so we can go. You can continue this conversation elsewhere, I promise. But we gotta get moving."
Mel scowled at Tay as she made her way to the bathroom. "Come on, baby. Daddy says we have to take a bath."
"A quick one!" He called after her.
Once she was packed and ready to go, Tay was already taking their bags out to the car and setting the alarm. "Tay, wait," she said. "Slow down. I'm hungry."
"Drive-thru," he said swiftly.
"But--" She glanced from the kitchen to him. Oh, no. Drive-thru would never do. She couldn't get what she wanted out of a biscuit. The drive-thru sucked. The drive-thru was the devil. "But, Tay--"
"Sweetheart. We HAVE to go. Now. We can swing through the drive-thru and I'll get you whatever you want. Anything. But we gotta go."
Mel huffed in defeat. "Fine. But I want one of those big breakfasts. With the biscuit and gravy and eggs--you know the kind you eat with the fork? And don't drive over any bumps while I'm eating."
"Yeah, yeah, got it, anything you want. Come on, we gotta go."
----------------------
A long, grueling eight hours later, Mel and Taylor finally walked into their East 38th Street Condo. Mel was exhausted but she wanted to go shopping. "I'm just gonna lay down for a few minutes," she said. "Come lay down with me."
"I want to. So bad, you have no idea. But I have somewhere to be in an hour."
Mel looked back at him, hurt.
"I told you I had business to take care of today."
"I know," she pouted. "I know."
"Look, I promise, when I come home, I'll take you out. We'll go on a date. I'll take you to dinner, see a show. It'll be great. Okay? I promise."
And with that, he was out the door.
Mel stood there and looked around the apartment. Taking a deep breath, she stood a little straighter and said to herself, "Okay then. Come on, baby. It's just you and me today. I knew this was what was happening today. Not gonna cry." Freshening herself up, she put on a coat, grabbed her purse, and headed out into the city.
Walking down the street in New York was nice. Sometimes she forgot how much she'd missed it. She gripped her hot cup of decaf coffee in her hand as she headed for her favorite pizza place. First thing was first. You couldn't dress shop on an empty stomach. Then the thought of an empty stomach made her giggle out loud. Her stomach wasn't technically empty. But the baby was hungry and big slice of New York pizza with tomato slices and extra cheese was steady calling her name.
She sat in the pizza parlor, savoring every bite of her slice. Tulsa had a couple good pizza joints, but they didn't have anything on New York. She tried to ignore the camera or two she witnessed out of her peripheral vision. Between being friends with Jason, being engaged to Tay, and going through the major split she and Tay had just been through, her name had made the tabloids more frequently lately than she had hoped. They hadn't officially announced the pregnancy yet, either, but it was slowly trickling through multiple forms of media and she knew it. Mel sighed and placed a hand on her stomach as she took her last couple of bites. At least they weren't swarming her or anything. She could at least be grateful for that.
The next stop was the dress shop. She decided to return to the same one she had dragged Isaac into earlier that year. She didn't think about it until the shop keeper looked at her curiously when she walked in the door. "Melody...Hanson? It's been so long, I'm kind of surprised to see you here." The lady glanced at Mel's stomach, as everyone seemed to do now, and back up at her.
Mel blushed. "Um, I'm still Banks. But I'll be Hanson soon."
"Oh...that's right, your wedding is any day now!"
"Um, it--sort of. It's been...rescheduled."
The lady smiled knowingly. "And you need an alteration."
"I need an entirely new dress."
The lady looked confused. "You don't want to just alter the one you have? It's such a gorgeous dress."
Mel shook her head. "Nope. It's a different wedding and I want a new dress."
"Well...okay...we have a gorgeous selection of maternity wedding dresses, I think you'll be impressed."
Mel let out a silent sigh at the term 'maternity.' She missed her body so much. She missed her old wedding dress and how it had fit so perfectly and how even Ike said he would marry her in that dress--and Tay had never even gotten to lay eyes on it.
Just like the first time, it took her no time to select her dress. She took one look at the third dress that was presented to her and knew right then and there that she had to have it. The shop keeper smiled. "Well, look there, it even has your 'something blue' on it."
Mel smiled. "Yeah. It does, doesn't it?"
The dress was gorgeous. And simple. And perfect. It was white chiffon with a blue satin sash and off-the-shoulder capped straps made of lace, the detail of the lace blending into the strapless neckline. The same lace pattern littered the bottom of the dress and onto the small train.
"It still needs a few adjustments. And by the time your wedding rolls around, a few more. Why don't we just leave your dress here and then you can come by when it's closer to your wedding and we'll have it altered for you all at once?"
Disappointed that she would have to leave her dress at the shop, she figured it only made sense and she paid for it and made her way back down the street. She smiled to herself anyway, as the dress shopping had been relatively quick and painless. No muss, no fuss. That was how she preferred to shop.
Her stomach decided it was dessert time and she was craving an ice cream cone. Sure, the fall breeze gave off a slight chill but her logic told her it could only keep her cone cold while she worked on it!
Happily, Mel walked down the street with the ice cream she'd stopped for. She figured she'd walk a little before catching the cab back to the condo, partially because she missed the city and partially because she didn't really feel like spending all that time cooped up in the cab.
Stopping at a garbage can to throw her used napkins away, she found herself saying softly, "Ice cream's all gone, baby. It was good, wasn't it? Now we're gonna go back to the condo and Daddy's gonna take us to hear some music and you'll love it, I promise."
Turning around, she figured maybe she'd been talking a little louder than she thought she was because several pairs of eyes landed on her and she felt herself blushing in embarrassment. As she turned to walk away, she bumped belly-first into a tall blonde who looked annoyed by the mistake until she looked up in her face and recognized her immediately.
"Uh, Drew," Mel said in surprise. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"Mel. Hi..." Drew's voice trailed off when she took one look at Mel's stomach. "Wow. You're, uh..."
"I know," Mel laughed sheepishly, hugging her coat tighter around her.
Drew raised an eyebrow. "Is it Taylor's?"
The blood drained from Mel's face. She was stunned by the question. How could someone ask such a thing? "Yes. Yes, it's his."
"Are you sure? Because the whole world saw you coming out of Jason's hotel in Chicago over the summer. There are pictures everywhere. And if you were to do the math, well then...you know...And don't pretend you don't wish it was his, either."
Mel's jaw dropped. How could she say these things? Why was she being so hateful? What had Mel ever done to her? They used to be best friends. Best friends forever. And then she goes off to Hollywood and--it was like she turned into a completely different person.
"That's not true," Mel objected. "He was in the hospital, I was making sure he was comfortable after he was discharged. He's only my friend. That's all. You know that. Tay and I are getting married soon. I never slept with anyone else."
Drew smirked. "Of course you are. You sure he isn't marrying you to distract himself from the fact that he knows that might be Jason's baby, too?"
Tears sprang to Mel's eyes. "NO," she replied firmly, trying to keep the tears at bay. "No. Tay loves me. You know he does. He knows this is his baby. It IS his baby. And he's happy and he's excited--"
"Uh-huh. Well, I sure hope you have one hell of a prenup drawn up because when that baby comes out with dark skin and dark hair, Tay's gonna need it."
With that, Drew was gone.
Mel stood there, frozen, in the middle of the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to let Drew get to her, but she couldn't help it. She didn't understand what was wrong with her, why she didn't fight back. Why didn't she give Drew what was coming to her like it was in her nature to do? Why did she allow Drew to stand there and bully her? Was it her hormones? Did pregnancy make her more sensitive?
And then she thought about Drew's words and she realized she'd never thought about her pregnancy that way before. Did Tay believe Mel? That all she'd done with Jason in Chicago was kiss him? Did he truly have doubts that their baby was his? If he did, he'd say so, right?
Mel began to panic. Right there on the street, she began to panic. She could barely hold the phone still in her hand long enough to call Taylor. She needed him. She needed him now.
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TAYLOR
Taylor's meeting ended sooner than he thought it would. Kari met him there with the events director of the building and resolving the issue hadn't been as big a deal as he thought it would be. That was, not after he shelled out considerably extra cash to further secure the wedding date.
He had planned to go over more wedding details with Kari while he could and he answered his phone once they stepped outside the building. "Hey, sweetheart," he smiled into the phone. "Did you get your dress?"
"Tay, I need you. I need you now, where are you?"
Tay's heart suddenly pounded at the sound of her voice. She sounded scared. Hysterical. "I'm in Brooklyn. Baby, what's wrong? What's the matter?"
"Brooklyn? What the fu--that's too far away. I need you now, Tay, please."
"Are you at the condo?"
"No."
"Where are you?"
"I don't know," she sobbed.
Tay's eyes were already darting around for the first cab he could find. "Calm down," he said to her as he hailed one and got in the back seat.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Um--just head to Manhattan." Then he said to Mel, "Calm down. You know this city like the back of your hand. Look around, tell me where you are."
"Um...um..." Her panicked voice said. "Greenwich Village. How the hell did I end up in--oh yeah. I like the ice cream here."
"Okay. That's good," he said. "How far are you from Washington Square?"
"Um...not far."
"Okay. Good. Meet me at Washington Square. I'm coming as fast as I can, okay?"
When Tay hung up with Mel, the driver said to him, "Buddy, I'm not sure how fast this is gonna be--"
"It has to be. I don't have a choice. My pregnant fiancée is out there in hysterics and I need to get to her. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I got little ones at home, too, you know."
Tay actually didn't know and at the risk of seeming heartless, he didn't care. Twenty minutes too long, the cab pulled up to Washington Square and Tay shoved the fare and the tip into the driver's hand and he darted from the vehicle.
It didn't take him long to find her. She stood in the middle of the arch in her long, tan coat, and when he called her name, she shuffled quickly to him and threw her arms around his neck, bursting into tears. He stroked her hair and held her tight. "What's wrong? What happened? I'm here, everything's okay."
She pulled away, resting her hands against his chest. "I didn't do it," she said hysterically, shaking her head. "I didn't do anything. When I saw Jason in Chicago, all we did was kiss and I told you about that. Nothing else happened, I swear to you!"
Not exceptionally thrilled to have the reminder, he had to know how all this so suddenly came about. "I know," he said assuredly. "I know nothing happened. Where is all this coming from?"
Mel sniffled. "I bumped into Drew on the street a few minutes ago--"
"Great..."
"And she saw I was pregnant and she said that there are pictures everywhere of me leaving Jason's hotel in Chicago and that the only reason you're marrying me is to distract yourself from the possibility that the baby might be his, but I swear to you, there's no way in hell it's his, Tay, I swear to you I never slept around on you!"
Her run-on sentence caused fresh tears to flow and he hugged her again. "I know," he said gently. "I know none of what she said is true. I know you're faithful. I know you love me."
"I do love you," she said, her voice muffled in his jacket. "I love you so much."
After that, she didn't say anything else. She sobbed and she sobbed. And the more she sobbed, the more livid Taylor grew. How dare Drew? How dare she? Who in the hell would purposely upset a pregnant woman like that? Especially one who used to be your best friend? He had to do something about her once and for all. He just didn't know what.
Since he had gotten out of his meeting early, and it was obvious that he was getting no more wedding planning done with Kari today, he suggested to Mel that they go back to the condo so she could rest before they went out--if she was still up for going out. She nodded in agreement and Tay hailed yet another cab to take them to Murray Hill.
------------
After Mel had fallen asleep, Taylor found himself on the balcony of the condo with a clove cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He hadn't smoked one in awhile. However, right now his nerves were so shot, he had to have something, and he didn't really want to drink before he took Mel out later that night. And so he smoked.
He held his cell phone in his hand and he tapped his heel on the ground, the ashtray bouncing on his knee. What the hell was he going to say? He had to say something. He had to do SOMETHING. This had gone on long enough and today--the way he found Mel in Washington Square--that was the last straw. He wasn't going to allow his fiancée to be bullied and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Drew be the one doing the bullying. She had been just as much a part of his family's life as Mel had and what she was doing was completely wrong.
The truth was, when he hit the button on his phone, he didn't expect her to answer. He expected to leave a nasty voicemail. Or something. He really didn't know. So when she answered, he was caught a little off guard. "Gotta admit, I'm kinda surprised you answered."
"I would say I'm kinda surprised you called, but I'm really not," she answered.
"I thought we were friends, Drew?"
"I mean--well--"
"I thought we were family? Or--at least we used to be. What changed? Why do you hate us so much all of a sudden?"
"Tay, I don't know, I don't--I don't--"
"There's gotta be something for you to be acting the way you are. Nearly outing Zac in that magazine, telling blatant lies on Jason and Mel. I just don't understand it. And I'm not happy about it. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting here right now trying really hard to keep my composure."
"Then why the fuck did you call me?"
Tay wasn't lying when he'd said he was fighting for his composure. He wanted to be civil about this. He really did. He had hoped that would be the approach to take. But he should have remembered from past experiences that that hadn't worked so well. "Because, goddammit, Drew, nobody can figure you the fuck out. Everything is great and everything is normal and then next thing anyone knows, you're running off to Hollywood and upsetting my pregnant fiancée in the middle of goddamn New York City! Now I can deal with you talking shit about me or Zac, or hell, even Jason. But you've gone too far with Mel. Especially when she's going into a panic attack at five months pregnant in the middle of the street where I can't get to her. That's where I cross the line. Now, please, tell me, once and for all, what in the FUCK is your problem?"
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME, TAY!" Drew suddenly screamed into the phone. "I WAS SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH YOU! AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO END UP WITH JASON! I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THE FAIRY TALE!"
Tay held the phone away from his ear and his eyes widened. Was this it? Had she finally fallen off the deep end? "The--the fai--the what? What in the hell are you talking about?"
"Before we met you," she said, her voice calming, but still hysterical. "Before I knew about your little--history with her--it was supposed to be me. *I* liked you. *I* wanted to be with you. And Mel was supposed to end up with Ike and that's the way it was supposed to work. And Ike liked her at the time. Did you know that? It would have worked! We had a plan. We had a pact! And then YOU went and fell in love with HER and you fucked it all up!"
Without thinking, Tay found himself asking, "Ike liked Mel?"
"That's not the point!"
Tay was taken aback by her words. Was she--was she hearing herself? Seriously? "Drew, that's the craziest goddamn thing I've ever heard."
But she wasn't finished. "And then there was Jason. When I asked Kevin to find another guy to go out with us that night at the club in New York, I meant for him to find a date for ME. But, no. He was all, 'I'd be more comfortable if I was hanging out with you because I know you' and all that shit, so I gave in. But *I* was supposed to get Jason. He was supposed to fall for ME, not HER!"
"Are you hearing yourself? You were stuck up Zac's ass the entire time, where would you have ever found time to even be attracted to Jason? Or me, for that matter? None of this is adding up."
"Jesus, Tay, it's not really that hard. Zac was a sure thing."
Tay thought his eyes would fall out of his head. "Do WHAT?"
"How could you be so blind? I stuck around with Zac because--" She sighed. "Fuck it, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
"You fucking--you fucking nearly ruined my brother's marriage! You lied to him! He loved you!"
"You know you liked it that night on the bus--when you and Mel broke up--when you and I--"
"I'm pretty sure I was probably--fucking on something or something. Honestly. I'm pretty sure I scored a substance or two from a couple of people during that time period--"
"It should have been us. You and me. We would have been good together."
"Are you serious?"
"I've always been into you."
Fuck. Tay needed another cigarette and he'd only brought one outside. No fucking way was he taking this conversation indoors. He probably did need to drink after this. This was a level of crazy he never thought he'd find himself on. "I love Mel. I've always loved Mel. There's never been a day in my life where I haven't loved her. I'm sorry, Drew, but you and I would have never happened."
"How would you know? You never would give us a fucking chance."
"Are you fucking ser--I was with Mel, I didn't have any interest any anyone else, much less you!"
"You married Natalie."
"Mel wasn't in the picture then!"
"I could have made you happy."
"Seriously, Drew? You seriously wanted her life? You wanted the burdens she's carried? I put her through hell. Her husband fucking fake-died on her and Jason only got caught in the crosshairs. Then she miscarried, she left me, and I ended up in the nuthouse for a couple of months. Is that the life you really wanted, Drew? Because while she's going through all this, you're sitting up in your sprawling mansion in the Hollywood Hills with your billionaire director husband, making passes at yet ANOTHER man who doesn't love you behind your husband's back. Yeah. I haven't forgotten about that little text exchange when you tried to get in Jason's pants, either. Then you go and slander his name in a fucking international magazine. I don't understand it."
"Yeah? And what does she do? Drama. It's drama all the time with her. Something's always happening, something's always upsetting her. And yet she gets two--TWO men who will spend the rest of their lives fighting over her and I'm sitting up here with a man who barely even knows when I'm in the house."
"Can you blame him?" Tay spat out of his mouth. "Honestly? Can you blame him? Who wants to be around someone who does the shit you do? You only brought this on yourself, Drew. And once upon a time you were my friend and we were family, but not after today. No way. You've made your bed, now you can lie in it. This is what's going to happen from here on out. I'm going to an attorney. I'm having you served. And if you ever utter a single word about Mel or me or our unborn child--or even Zac or any other member of our family--if our NAMES even come out of your mouth--I will make that shit so goddamn public that it will have lasting, detrimental effects on your reputation and NOBODY will hire you. Not even your own, clueless husband. You got that?"
"You're all talk, Tay. That's all you've ever been."
"Oh, no. Not this time. This time it's a promise. You've fucked with my family for the last time."
And with that, he hung up the phone and let out a breath. Had he gotten his point across? Had he settled anything at all? Had he even done the right thing? What else could he do?
--------------
Making his way back inside the condo, Taylor went to the bedroom and leaned his shoulder against the doorway, watching Mel sleep. He made a point to tell her she was beautiful more frequently now, but he realized he hardly ever made the effort to actually sit back and appreciate it. She had issues with her own body right now, and he understood that. But she really was everything any man could ever ask for in a woman, inside and out. And as she lay there, curled up on her side with the thin throw blanket tossed over her, sleeping soundly, beautiful as she was, he realized that he'd been taking her for granted lately. That he'd been so caught up in the wedding and the pregnancy lately that he'd forgotten what it felt like to date her, just to date her. To take her out for the sole purpose of spending time with her and--well, maybe showing her off a little. To dote on her and be proud of her. To take her to dinner without a purpose. She deserved it. She deserved a night on the town. And after the day she had, he was going to see to it that it happened.
He kicked off his shoes and gently climbed in the bed beside her, lifting her shoulders and tucking himself underneath her. With that motion, she stirred and she looked up at him sleepily. "Tay? Have you been smoking?"
He nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I have."
"Hm," she said, settling back down. "Smells good."
He grinned, amused, and looked down at her. "Yeah?"
"Mmhmm. I told you I like that stuff."
He kissed the top of her head and stroked her arm lightly. "You still wanna go out tonight?"
"I wanna know why you were smoking."
Damn. Not off the hook, after all. Tay sighed. "I want you to relax, okay?"
"Starting a sentence off like that isn't very relaxing."
"Just lay there and let me talk to you. Listen to me. Just listen."
"Okay..."
"I just got off the phone with Drew."
He felt her body tense up instantly. "Maybe I should have made you promise," he said.
Mel sighed and he felt her body relax once again. "Fine. I'm still sleepy anyway, so. I don't have the energy to yell at you right now."
"Thank god," he muttered. Mel elbowed his ribs and he laughed. "Anyway, yeah, so. I called her--"
"YOU called her."
"I said just listen."
Mel huffed against his body again and he twirled her hair around his finger. "I wish I could tell you I had an answer for her--her weirdness, but I really don't. I know for a fact a lot of it--well, most of it, really--stems from jealousy. She's jealous of you for--I don't think she's very happy at the point in her life she's in right now."
"Why should that make her jealous of me?"
"She said some things that kinda surprised me, honestly. I'm sure none of it's true, but she just--caught me off guard, I guess--"
"What did she say?"
"It's not really important. The important thing is, I told her--"
"No. What did she SAY? Do I not deserve to know why she suddenly hates me so much?"
Tay sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He didn't even want to say it out loud. "Um...she apparently has...feelings? For...me...?"
Mel's body tensed up once more. "What?"
"It started as you were teenagers? I guess? She said something about some kind pact? And that you liked Ike...?"
Mel finally sat up and turned around, looking into his eyes. "That's stupid, that was teenager stuff. It was--that was before, we were fans before I realized you, you know, became who you became...and stuff. Yeah, I had a crush on Ike. But only in magazines. When you and I...I don't know, reunited or whatever, hell, nobody banked on things turning out the way they did. I thought I lost the little neighbor boy, I had no idea he'd turn out to be you. And, yeah, we had a childish little 'pact' but then reality set in and--seriously, she's pissed over that? What about Zac?"
He narrowed his eyes in thought. "Um, the words 'sure thing' came up? I mean, the whole thing's pretty fucked up, really. She's pissed because she was supposed to be Jason's date that one night--"
"Oh please--"
"And she's apparently jealous that...I just don't think she's happy where she is."
"I don't see why. She got everything she ever wanted. Attention, money, an acting career...I mean, what the fuck more did she want? You? Jason?"
"In not so many words..."
Suddenly, Mel's voice grew quiet. "I couldn't even fight back."
"What?"
"Today. On the street. When she said the things she did. I couldn't even fight back. Something in me wouldn't allow it. I didn't even stand up for myself, I just stood there and took it. And then I cried. Like a goddamn pussy, I stood there and cried instead of giving it back to her. That's not me. Why did I let her do that?"
"Maybe because you're finally letting your guard down," Tay said gently. "Maybe you're finally feeling like you don't have to fight for your life anymore. Maybe you're finally happy and content and--maybe deep down, you don't feel so much animosity anymore. Maybe you're free."
Mel looked at him, tears filling her eyes. "Tay," she whispered.
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I could never apologize enough for putting you through the things I've put you through. I love you so much, Mel. Nobody should have to go through what you've been through. I just--I pray every day that you're in a better place now and that I'm making you even remotely as happy as you make me."
She searched his eyes for a moment before she leaned over and kissed his lips, her hands finding the collar of his shirt and gently gripping it in her fists. Gradually, she tightened and tightened the material in her hands and the tighter she gripped, the deeper the kiss became. As he reached up to take her face in his hand, her wrists twisted and he felt her knuckles against his chest and she gripped his shirt and, knowing her what her next move was going to be, he grabbed her wrists and his eyes snapped open, breaking their kiss. "I love when you do that," he smiled. "I really do. But I actually need to keep this shirt."
Mel smiled sheepishly as he released his grip on her wrists and instead of ripping his shirt open like he knew she wanted to, she nimbly unbuttoned his buttons, making sure every one of them stayed safely in place. He sat up on the bed and helped her fold the shirt down off of his shoulders and before he could return the favor, her body was already against his as she took his neck and his shoulders in her mouth.
The way her lips and her tongue touched his skin made his entire body tingle and he couldn't help but close his eyes and let out a breath. Letting his hands drift downward, he lifted the bottom of her shirt and she suddenly stopped kissing him and jerked her shirt back down. Narrowing his eyes at her in confusion, her eyes read a hint of fear and it caused him to let go of it. He wasn't sure how that reaction made him feel. She hadn't had any problem being naked in front of him before. Hell, she was just naked in front of him this morning. So what was wrong now?
He tucked her hair behind her ear and asked softly, "Is everything okay?"
Hesitantly, she whispered, "I just don't want to take my shirt off."
"But you're so beautiful," he objected.
She shook her head slowly. "I don't want to."
He sat up straighter in the bed and looked at her. "Mel, we don't have to--"
Mel's eyes hardened immediately. "What, you suddenly don't want to fuck me because I won't take my shirt off?"
Tay was shocked by her sudden change in attitude. "That's not what--"
"You know what, that's okay," she said, getting out of the bed. "I need to get up and walk around anyway."
"Where the hell are you going? Get the fuck back here," Tay argued. He hated being so direct, but this was getting old. He was tired of the mood swings, he was tired of being pushed around, and he was tired of her pregnancy being an excuse for her to do and say whatever she wanted.
"No," she objected, matter-of-factly as she crossed the bedroom. "You can't order me around like that."
Tay glared at her, a familiar feeling rising up in him. A feeling he hadn't felt since--well since before she got pregnant. Standing from the bed, he warned her, "Don't you dare leave this room."
She stopped and turned her head, eyeing him as if it were a challenge. "Or else...what?"
"There is no 'or else.' I just told you, you weren't walking out that door. And that's it."
She raised an eyebrow and headed for the door anyway. "Hmph."
Swiftly, he crossed the room in front of her and reached over her head to slam the door shut. Mel stopped abruptly and turned around, glaring up at him. "Well, look at you, thinking you're something."
"You're starting to piss me off."
"I'M starting to piss YOU off? Surely, you jest."
"It's your attitude. Your mood swings--"
"I'm pregnant--"
"THAT. That's all you ever say, like you have some kind of disease. You're carrying a baby, it doesn't give you a free pass to just be however you want, whenever you want."
"However I--?"
"Now, dammit, this is what's going to happen. You took off my shirt. You got me all hot and bothered. And, goddammit, you're gonna finish what you fucking started. You got that?"
Mel stood a little straighter and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so?"
Tay nodded. "Yeah."
Before he knew what was happening, his back was forced against the door he'd just closed, her arm pinned across his chest just under his chin. Unable to help himself, a smile crept across his face. "I've missed this."
"Then do it," she commanded through her teeth. "Stop being so goddamn scared of me and fuck me already. I'm not fragile, I'm not gonna break."
He searched her eyes for a moment, spying the savage nature of them, and he was turned on instantly. He grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her arm off of him and then reached underneath her hair and took a fistful of it, pulling her head back and taking her neck in his mouth. Without wasting a second, his free hand was all over her body in a desperate attempt to touch every part of her, not wanting to miss a single inch.
Releasing her hair, his hands made a second attempt at removing her shirt, only to be met with the same reaction as before. His eyes hardened in annoyance. "No. Take it off. All of it."
She obeyed him but she wasn't moving fast enough for him. Eagerly, he took over the duties himself, stripping her down in record time, and grabbed her by the hair once more as he backed her toward the bed. Before he had an attempted to lay her down, her fingers were on his belt buckle and, in one swift move, slid the entire leather belt from around his waist and the look in her eye as she performed the act nearly made him come in his pants.
As he fiddled with the button on his pants, she wrapped his belt around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him again, the naughty visual of the leather instrument in her hand causing him to feel like he wasn't moving fast enough. He wanted her. Now.
When she finally bumped into the bed and stumbled onto it, he wasted no time lifting her leg and letting it rest over his shoulder as he wrapped his hand around himself an inserted himself inside her. He let out a groan as he watched her face at the first stroke and the ecstasy that was written all over her face as she tilted her head back stroked his ego and nearly made him smile, except that he didn't want to ruin the moment.
As he fucked her, he heard some of the filthiest terms she had probably ever said, fly out of her mouth and admittedly, the more she talked, the better he liked it. Moments later, when it was all said and done, and after he'd kissed her, he rolled over on his back next to her and smiled, his chest heaving to catch his breath. "Holy shit," he breathed. "That was hot."
"You could have roughed me up a little more," she responded.
He looked over at her and smiled. "Sweetheart, I promise, as soon as the baby is born and everything is back to normal, I will shove you into walls, choke you out, and leave marks on you in places you didn't even know you had. Okay? But for now..."
Mel stood from the bed and snatched her clothes up off the floor, heading to the bathroom. "Where are you going?" He asked her, sitting up.
She turned and glared at him. "I told you I didn't want to take my shirt off." And then she disappeared through the bathroom door, slamming it behind her.
Tay sighed and ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. Just like that, they were back at square one.
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Alternate Jason chapter: http://tyamwedding.weebly.com/the-heros-heroine-alternate.html