Between The Sheets Part 14

Now, we have to look to the future and our futures are in two different places.

I can't leave home and after last night, I'm more sure than ever that you cannot leave your home either. Your home is San Francisco. I can't kid myself any longer. You belong with those kids and the center. If you could have seen the smile on your face last night, you'd understand what I see.

I can't stand in the way of that.

So, I'm bowing out. Not so gracefully. But I am.

I love you, Tyler. And just as you said, I'll never forget it. I just love you enough to let you go. To let you be who you want to be.

I'll be in touch. There's so much more I need to say and so much more you need to know, but I just don't have the strength or the mindset to get it all out right now.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me but I'm sure you'll come to find that it's for the best and it was really inevitable anyway.

Enjoy the rest of your summer at the center. Those kids and their work are amazing. Especially Devin. You must feel so proud to be such an inspiration to her. I'm so proud of you.

I love you, Ty.

Melissa

Chapter 15

"Where is she?" The sound of Ty's voice coming through the phone is panicked.

"Where's who? What are you talking about?"

"Sh.e.l.ly, don't mess with me. Where's Mel?"

His heaving breaths are scaring me. "Tyler, you need to calm down. I don't know what you're talking about. Last I talked to Mel, she was up there with you."

"Well, she's not anymore. Oh my G.o.d. She's gone, Shel. All she left was a note. She broke up with me."

Tears flood my eyes as I hear my big brother get choked up. "Slow down, brother. Tell me everything. When did this happen? What did she say?"

He takes a deep breath and then begins. "This morning everything was great as usual. Then I left to the center. Holy s.h.i.t. She knew she was going to leave. She was saying goodbye."

"When?"

"When I left, she stopped me. She never does. She told me to kiss her silly. It's kind of our thing, you know. Anyway, she never does that. She was saying goodbye to me with that last kiss."

I hear a loud crash, like something shattering. "Ty. Please calm down. You're scaring me."

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe this. My chest hurts. It's like I can't breathe. I can't believe she'd leave me, Shel. I had big plans for us. I'm already in escrow on a house about two blocks from your place. I'm supposed to get the keys in a few weeks because it's a quick escrow. The couple I bought from moved to Oregon and the house is empty."

"Did you tell her that?"

"No." He sniffles. "I even sent in my resignation at work. I figured I'd try and get a job down there once I moved. But even if I don't find anything, I have enough money saved to hold me over for a school year."

"Why didn't you tell her all this?"

"Because I wanted to surprise her." He's silent for a minute. "A lot of good that did."

"What did she say in the note?"

He starts to speak but his voice breaks. "She said what we had is in the past. All the memories were childhood memories. That are futures are not the same. Is she crazy? What about the memories we've made this year? Going to the top of the Stratosphere, reenacting The Rock on Alcatraz. I have hundreds of pictures on my phone filled with memories from now. And she's full of s.h.i.t to think our future doesn't include us being together."

My heart breaks for my brother but there has to be more. This doesn't sound like something my best friend would do. Just walk away from him like this.

"What brought this on, Ty? Any ideas?"

"It was the art show at the center. She thinks she can't ask me to leave that behind. But she doesn't have to ask. I already have, all on my own."

"But she doesn't know that. In her mind, she's letting you go. To be the free spirit you've always been without anything tying you down."

"I don't want that anymore. I want her, Shel," his voice cracks again, "I want Melissa back."

"Well then, you better talk to her. Forget the surprise and tell her that you've already started making plans for your future and she's in it."

"Melissa, I swear I'm going to kick your a.s.s when I see you," I shout in the phone. "And you should be very afraid of this pregnant woman. I don't have the patience to deal with this s.h.i.t, Mel. Son of a b.i.t.c.h, you are killing my brother. Killing him. What else do I need to say to get you to call me back?"

I toss the phone on my kitchen table. More like slam it down.

I circle my arms around my husband and lean into him for support. "I can't believe she's doing this, Matty. My brother is heartbroken. Son of a f.u.c.kin' b.i.t.c.h, I'm I'm heart broken." heart broken."

"Still no word from her parents?"

"No. They're out of town. Mel's dad is using up all his vacation time before he retires. They just happened to have picked the worst time to do it. I wonder if they know their daughter has gone AWOL."

"Maybe they do and they're protecting her." His hands work magic on my back, calming my nerves.

"From what? Or who? My brother? He needs protecting from her." So much for the calming effect.

"Let's go out for ice cream. That should make you feel better."

On the way to fill my belly and baby with Apple Pie a la Coldstone, Ty sends me multiple texts asking if I've heard anything. I hate sending him back negatives. I've tried everywhere. School. Her parents' place. I even used their spare key and sneaked in the pool house just in case she was hiding out in there. I called friends from work. Friends from college. I even called that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Nick. But it's like she's disappeared.

She did send one text to let me know she was alive and okay so I shouldn't call the police to file a missing person's report, but that was it. When I asked her to show me proof of life, she sent a quick video message to humor me. She looked like h.e.l.l. I want to leave her a message telling her what a dumba.s.s she is but Tyler asked me not to mention his move back home. He wants to tell her when he sees her. If that happens. She's doing a great job at making herself scarce. Dammit. We've watched too many movies. She knows all the tricks. Now, if I could just figure out what movie she's drawing on to make herself invisible, I'd have a clue.

f.u.c.k! I'm going to kill her.

Matty and I are devouring our ice cream when Chase and Summer walk up. Not exactly who I want to see at a time like this. I don't think I have the patience for Summer McGallian right now. Matt reaches over and places a calming hand on my thigh.

"Hey, you two," Summer says, all cheery and full of s.h.i.t. "I hear a congratulations are in order."

What? How does she know? I didn't plan on telling anyone from work until school started.

"Yeah, I got a call from Tyler," Chase says. "He wanted my sister's number. I guess he needed a realtor. Anyway, he spilled the beans."

"I'm going to have to have a chat with my brother. I didn't plan on sharing the news just yet," I say through gritted teeth.

"Well, stand up," Summer takes my hand, "Let's get a look at your baby b.u.mp."

I rise to my feet because this b.i.t.c.h is yanking on me. "You can barely see it. Maxi dresses do wonders to hide it."

"Totally," she says. "You're right. I can't see a hint of a pooch. That doesn't work for Mel though. She must be further along than you."

"Huh," I choke on my own spit. "Where did you see Mel?"

"In Big Bear," Chase begins.

Summer interrupts him, "Yeah, she had on something similar. You couldn't tell until the wind picked up and pressed her dress against her belly. A definite baby b.u.mp. Out to about here, wouldn't you say, babe?" She looks at Chase and he nods. "I called out her name but she kept walking. Didn't hear me and we were in a hurry so we didn't try and catch up with her."

"Oh. Yeah. Well, she's kinda keeping it a secret too. So don't go sharing our good news until we can make the announcement," I tell them as I grab my husband's hand. "Hey, it was good seeing you both. We gotta run."

I drag Matty away from them as I take out my phone to text my brother.

"What happened? Did you talk to her? Did you find her?" my brother yells as he comes running into my house with the door slamming shut behind him.

I've been pacing a hole in the hardwood floor of my kitchen waiting for him to get here. And now that he is, I have no idea where to start.

"She's in Big Bear," Matty tells him.

"Big Bear? Why didn't I think of that before?" he says with the heel of his palm to his forehead.

"I know. I can't believe I forgot about her parents' place up there."

"How do you know?"

"Summer and Chase saw her up there. But she didn't see them."

He steps in front of me and hauls me into his arms and plants a kiss on my head. "Thank you, sis." He shakes my husband's hand and turns to leave.

"That's not all, Ty."

He turns around slowly to face us. "Please tell me she wasn't with another man."

I shake my head.

"Then what?"

I start to open my mouth and then close it. I know Mel would want to tell him first.

"What?" he demands.

"She's pregnant."

Chapter 16

It's about f.u.c.king time. How long does it take to get a pizza around here? I'm starving.

I gather my wallet on the way to the door, turn the deadbolt, and whip it open.

"s.h.i.t." My belly does a back flip and my body warms to the site of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Forget what I am doing here. Is there something you'd like to tell me, Melissa?" He stares down at my midsection. d.a.m.n these yoga pants.

His eyes are gla.s.sy and he glares at me for a good while before I walk away. I hear the door open and shut, and the lock sliding into place.

I try to gather my senses but my hands are trembling and I'm starting to feel light-headed.

There's another knock at the door. "That's the pizza guy. I know you want to talk. But I need to eat before I pa.s.s out."

He backtracks to the door and quickly exchanges cash for the pizza. He carries the large box over and drops it on the kitchen counter. Then he turns around and opens a cupboard, takes out a plate and slides it down to me. Not only did he remember the cabin, he also remembers where everything is.