Melinas Men

Chapter Eighteen.

Chapter Eighteen.

I woke up with a headache and a whole lot of confusion. If I was so drunk to see a dead person as a figment of my imagination then why wasn’t I drunk enough to not remember? I’ll admit, it was blurry. But I still could recall it, how could I not, it was like opening all those scars again. And what a time for it to happen, when my new wounds weren’t healed at all. All I need now is Prince Eric to run into my room and assault me. And with that thought I decided to hide under the covers and go back to sleep, it wasn’t out of character for me lately.

My mind was racing, still on Jack. I tried not to hold hope that he’d come back, but it was hard not to. I did love him, he was the first person to make me feel alive. To take risks and have fun. And I gave myself to him, I couldn’t forget that. I groaned out loud thinking about that, after all this time I could still feel his touch, inside and out, and I hated that it had me still wanting him. I wanted to be over him, but there was no way. I know they always say best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But who could that even be for me? In actual fact, I didn’t want that at all. That thought repulsed me. And even if I somehow found someone that could make me feel the way Jack did, that wouldn’t be for a long time, considering my mother would be scared to try and find me another suitor for a long time. And I have a feeling Carmichael will be watching me like a hawk at any social event we end up going to. I couldn’t think about this any longer, and it seemed like I was finally able to clear my mind and drift back off to sleep.

“Melina,” I heard my name being whispered as my eyelashes fluttered awake.

I tried to focus and noticed Jessa sitting looking down at me. We had barely spoken since she caught Jack and I over a week ago now.

“Jessa? What are you doing?” I asked, sitting up and wiping my eyes.

“Do you hate me?” She asked, sadly and sincere.

“Of course not, Jessa. Why would you think that?”

She jumped at me in a bone crushing hug, “I’ve missed you so much. I just want you to be okay.”

I patted down her hair as she kept hugging me, “I am okay, don’t worry about me.”

She looked up at me, still not letting go, “does it hurt a lot?”

“Does what hurt?” I asked.

“Loving someone that’s somewhere else?” She asked.

I sighed, just as I was trying to get over it, “yes and no.”

She looked at me confused.

“I’m more just numb,” I shrugged.

“Do you want to come play croquet with me on the lawn? Carmichael has been giving me pointers.”

I laughed, this was her attempt to make me get out of my room and have some fun, I owed her that, “sure.”

She almost bounced in excitement.

“Just let me shower and get dressed and I’ll be down in a minute,” I told her.

“Okay!” And she skipped out of my room. That girl was a firecracker.

And just like that all was well between Jessabelle and I. I thought she’d have more questions for sure.

I got out of bed and showered getting dressed in slacks and a shirt for a casual day. I walked outside to the lawn to find Jessa and Michael laughing and playing. It was nice to see, it gave me a warm feeling inside that I hadn’t felt in a while.

“Melina!” Jessa called as she saw me walk towards them.

As I got to them I could see Carmichael look me over protectively, “how are you feeling?”

“Good, thanks,” I shrugged it off like it was nothing, “now who’s ready to get smoked?”

Of course that didn’t happen, Carmichael smoked us both, as he always does. I like to tell him I let him win but in reality Carmichael is unstoppable, even over our dad.

Being out in the sunshine definitely made me feel better since I hadn’t done it in a long time. Even though we were all born with an olive complexion I was looking really pale and I knew it was noticeable by all.

We finished up our second game then retreated to the court yard where refreshments had been laid out for us by the staff. There was a large fruit platter and cucumber water and I dug straight in, half the time I had forgotten to eat in the last week.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better, Melina,” of course as I’m stuffing my face mum walks in.

“I’m a sucker for strawberries,” I declared nonchalantly.

I could hear Jessa snickering next to me, I looked up to see Michael watching me in amazement.

“Save some for the rest of us,” he joked.

“Now that I finally have all three of you together,” my mother sat down with us, “there is an event tomorrow that I’ve put us all down as attending. It’s a fashion show in the city.”

“Oh my god,” Jessa almost jumped out of her seat at the same time I moaned in despair.

“Come on Mel, it’ll be fun to get out the house, maybe find someone to take your mind off of things,” Michael winked at me.

“I know that’s what you’ll be doing, you little hussy,” I snarled back at Michael.

“There could be eligible suitors there for you, Melina,” my mum declared, trying to be casual about it for once.

“Of course one of your choosing,” I rolled my eyes at her.

She didn’t like that statement and almost looked sad about it, “I just want to help you my darling daughter.”

She stood up to leave, and a pang of guilt pierced my heart, “I’m sorry mum, I know you’re just trying to do what’s best for me.”

She stopped in her tracks by what I said, she didn’t turn around. Just stopped for a moment, then kept walking.

I looked over at my two siblings who were both staring at me dumbfounded.

“What?”

I took a long shower that evening, I was exhausted after actually functioning for the first time that day. Exhausted, but happy that I actually did it, and I didn’t think about Jack at all…and I just ruined that. I quickly put him out of my head as I wrapped a towel around myself and started to dry my hair. I walked into my bedroom and almost ran back out.

“What the hell are you doing here? I’m not drunk anymore,” I exclaimed, looking at my conscience in the form of the Duke of Hembridge himself, sitting on the chair in the corner of my room.

Wearing black suit pants and a grey vest over a white fitted shirt even as a figment of my imagination he looked pretty good sitting there one leg crossed over the other.

“You still think you’ve just conjured me up with your mind?” He asked me, not showing any emotion at all.

“Most definitely, there is no other logical reason. And I’m immune to you,” I snubbed him. After all, he was me, my mind anyway.

He chuckled, “if that’s true you may as well let that towel down to prove it.”

He raised an eyebrow, he was clearly challenging me. And although it was clear that I was going insane, I did not believe in the living dead.

I looked at him dead pan as I dropped my towel right where I stood, showing no embarrassment on my face.

His other eyebrow raised to match the first.

“Just like you remember?” I asked, giving him one more moment to look, then I went off to my dresser to find something to change into.

“Most definitely not, you’ve matured even more somehow.”

I laughed, “I guess being dead for five years will make you forget.”

“I never said I forgot, you’ve just blossomed,” he stated, “and I was never dead.”

I put on some underwear and a big T-shirt, I wouldn’t be leaving this room for the rest of the night, so I guess I was stuck with my thoughts and Sebastian.

“Hate to break it to you, Seb. But you’re still dead.”

He laughed, “then how are we having this conversation?”

I tapped my temple, motioning that it was all in my head.

He shook his head at me, smiling, “I’ve missed this.”

I sat on my bed and scooted into the middle, pulling the covers over me as I sat against the bed head crossed legged, “what have you missed?”

He motioned between the two of us, “this. You always were a little smart ass. It’s refreshing.”

I smiled, “since this isn’t real, so I’ll gladly admit that I do too. This could be a good coping mechanism to finally get some closure and get over you. Maybe this is my brain finally healing.”

“Hang on a second,” Sebastian put his finger up, “are you saying after everything, five years, you’re still not over me?”

I shrugged, “no, I don’t think so.”

“Well, cheers to that,” he smirked.

“You really are the worst,” I rolled my eyes, still smiling.

“So, no dirty old dive bar for you tonight?” He asked, trying to change the subject.

“Well, I wasn’t going to go, thinking the drinking brought you out. But since you’re already here maybe I should go,” I pondered, not to Sebastian, but to myself. Well, both were parts of my mind anyway.

Sebastian clutched a hand to his chest, where his beating heart should be if he were not dead, “wow, Melly. That really hurt.”