Melinas Men

Chapter Seventeen.

Chapter Seventeen.

“Where’s your friend?” Mauve asked as soon as I sat down at my usual stool. I hadn’t been here in a long time.

“He’s gone,” I said, no emotion in my voice and taking my beer.

“That’s a shame, he seemed nice, and you seemed happier,” she said, leaning her elbows on the bar.

I rolled my eyes, “they’re the ones that always leave, right?”

“Amen sister,” she stood back up and walked off to the other side of the bar to tend to customers.

It had almost been a week since Jack had left. And Carmichael wasn’t quiet on the reason why, he vanished Prince Eric and King Arthur from our home and told our parents why so my father was happy to follow Michael’s orders. My mother had felt a lot of guilt and had been doting over me, she feels that she pushed Eric onto me and it was all her fault. It was no ones fault but Eric’s.

Everyone thought that’s why I had been down in the dumps this last week, still dealing with the trauma. But I wasn’t, I was longing for Jack.

I drank my beer down fast, and even then there was already a beer back in front of me, I didn’t waste time with that.

Then Mauve plopped another glass down in front of me.

“I know how it feels, you might need something a bit harder,” she gave me a sad smile.

It was a shot of tequila.

“Salt and lemon?” She asked.

I shook my head, “no need.”

I downed it and the fiery liquid burnt my throat but I welcomed it.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime sugar,” and she was off again.

I sat there with my thoughts and my beer I kept trying to remind myself that Jack was just another guy, and not to cry about it, which I had done already for too long.

But in actual fact, this was the first guy that I thought I loved that had left me, without dying. Wow, even for my thoughts that was dark. I downed the rest of my beer to that thought and called for another, first time in a while Mauve had let me become empty handed, but in her defence this was the fastest I’d ever drunk. I don’t know what I was trying to prove.

“And another tequila shot too,” I decided pain would help me forget. And alcohol in respect.

“Are you sure?” Mauve looked at me concerned, “you’re drinking too quickly, it might catch up on you.”

“I’ll have this beer and this shot and I’m done,” I smiled at her, “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” I could see she didn’t like what she was doing as she poured my final beer.

I had a stomach for this, but I hadn’t come here and drank in a long time.

After my drink I honoured my word to Mauve and left the bar, heading towards home. It was dark outside and the dim street lights barely helped. I swayed as I casually walked, Mauve was right, that second tequila shot wasn’t a good idea.

I felt eyes on me as I walked, and I recalled the last time I was on these streets alone, with that drunk. I crossed my arms and hugged myself tighter if to protect myself as I picked up the pace. But after all those drinks I couldn’t walk too fast without beginning to trip over my own feet. Every corner I came up to I was suspicious and I wondered when I got so cowardly, did I begin to rely on Jack too much? Well, I couldn’t anymore. He was gone, and I would be very surprised if he ever came back.

“Melly, I do hate it when you walk home alone in the dark,” I knew that deep voice and sexy accent anywhere.

“You are just in my head,” I said to no one but myself.

“What happened to your new play thing? He leave you already?” That voice sent shivers down my spine and I swear I could feel his breath on my neck.

I giggled to myself, “I must be really drunk.”

“Are you so sure, Melly?”

I turned my head to where the voice was coming from. And in my surprise I tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

“Melly, are you alright?” Sebastian stood towering over me.

I didn’t move, I just stared up at his ghost. He looked exactly as he did when I last saw him over five years ago. Although he actually did look a little older. His dark eyes were now surrounded with slight wrinkles like he had smiled too much. Seb was always smiling. His hair was longer on the top, but still shaved on the sides, he had more of a beard now, not just a stubble, and he seemed taller.

“Am I losing my mind?” I had to blink more to see if I had conjured him.

“Maybe a little,” he reached for my hand and pulled me up.

He touched me, he actually touched me. It felt so real.

“I don’t want this to stop,” I said, still staring at him. I couldn’t help it.

Seb didn’t move, or say anything, just let me watch him.

I lifted my hand and went to touch his face, I could see his eyes follow my hand but he still didn’t move. And when my hand finally touched his cheek he nuzzled into it, putting his hand over mine.

“I’ve missed you,” is all he said.

We stood like that for a while until my eyes stung from not blinking, unlike before, I thought, if I blinked I would miss this.

I don’t know if it was my emotions all coming in at once or the not blinking but tears started to roll down my cheeks.

“You died,” I cried out.

Instantly Seb pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me. I’d never forget how it felt to be in his arms, and this was exactly as it was.

“I thought so too, Melly,” he spoke into my hair, “but I didn’t.”

“If that’s true, then why didn’t you come back?” Anger was starting to overcome.

“I couldn’t, it’s hard to explain.”

I stepped back out of his embrace, “it’s hard to explain, really? I mourned you. I went to your funeral, and you can’t explain?”

Sebastians head dropped, “I’m sorry, Melly, I really am.”

I pointed at his angrily, “do you know what I’ve been through? I wouldn’t have gone through any of that if you came back, if you hadn’t died.”

“I didn’t die! And I know exactly what you’ve been through and I wish I could take it all back, I wish I knew what to do back then, I wish I came back. But I couldn’t, you have to believe me.”

“Then tell me,” I yelled.

“I can’t,” he yelled louder.

A light turned on in a building across from me, and that’s when I realised how loud we were being. I looked around and saw a few lights now on and people standing in windows watching.

“I can’t do this, this isn’t real,” I shook my head and started walking.

Seb still didn’t move, “Melina, please.”

I turned back to face him, “don’t use my name,” I hissed.

“Then don’t walk away,” he pleaded.

“I have to. If I get caught I’m dead. And you’re a figment of my imagination.”

I started walking again.

“You didn’t mind the thought of getting caught with sir Jackson now did you?”

I kept going. And that was that. I had officially gone insane. And of course it was fitting that the voice inside my head would be the bloody deceased Duke of Hembridge. The love of my life before now. While I tried to move on from one love I was stuck in the past with another.