Melinas Men

Chapter Twelve.

Chapter Twelve.

I felt so alive after leaving Jack that afternoon, I felt like we had expressed our feelings on a completely different level. I wished I could shout it from the rooftops, but I knew I couldn’t, not just yet.

Especially since I could hear a car rolling up the driveway. My parents were home.

I walked out towards the front of the house to greet them, mainly to show them I was here, and I also didn’t know what else to do with my time. I wasn’t the only one, as I walked outside both Jessa and Michael were standing on the steps. I walked up between them.

“Where you been, hey?” Michael asked me, poking an elbow into my side.

“In my room,” I said factually.

“On your own?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“Of course,” I’m sure my face went red even though I wasn’t lying.

“What are you two whispering about?” Jessa interrupted us.

“You, we’re whispering about you,” Michael hissed at her playfully.

Jessa pushed him.

“I’m surprised the house hasn’t burnt down with the three of you in charge,” my mother said as she walked up the steps to greet us.

“We were in charge?” I looked between my two siblings.

“Surely not,” Michael put his hand to his heart.

My mother pulled Michael down by his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek, “don’t give in to your sisters silly antics.”

Our father walked right by us all, surely straight to his office.

“She’s talking about you Jessa,” I side glanced to my little sister.

“Is not,” Jessa pouted.

Mum kissed me on the cheek then Jessa on the forehead, “of course not, Jessabelle.”

“Always me,” I flipped my hands out in defeat, walking up the stairs, the three of them following me.

“So dramatic, Melina.” Michael said, his strides making it easy to overtake me.

We all ended up in the courtyard together which was a weird thing in itself if we weren’t entertaining guest.

“So how was everyone’s day?” My mother asked.

“Can’t complain,” Michael shrugged.

Jessa had her legs crossed in front of her on the chair, “my book is coming along nicely.”

Jessa was writing a novel, though none of us were allowed to know what it was about. My sneaking suspicion was that it was about all of us.

“That’s wonderful, Jessabelle. I can’t wait til it’s done and we get to read it,” my mother beamed at her favourite child, “and what about you, Melina?”

I shrugged, “oh you know, the usual. Got knocked up by someone in the village, then sold my first born to the devil.”

My mother scrunched her face up at me, “you’re so crude.”

“You love it.”

At that moment dad walked in with a tall schooner of beer, it made me so jealous.

“How is my crudest daughter?” He sat down beside mum.

“Finally, I’m the best at something,” I joked.

“You’re also the most sarcastic, and vile,” mum stated.

“Keep the compliments coming, mum,” I smirked at her.

“Don’t forget disgusting,” Michael joined in.

“Love you brother,” I blew him a kiss.

“And the most childish,” Jessa said.

“That was childish that you said a boring trait, Jessa,” I poked my tongue at her.

“Shut up,” she flicked a leg out and kicked me.

“Why can I not stand being around the three of you together, alone yes, you are all amazing, but together you’re the worst type of three musketeers,” mum rolled her eyes at us, all the while still smiling. She secretly loved our banter.

“You created this,” Michael motioned between the three of us.

“I blame your father for this,” she turned to dad.

He was still sipping his beer silently, “don’t bring me into this.”

We all laughed at our father just not being there, physically he was, but mentally he didn’t take our bullshit.

I smiled happily as I looked around at my family bickering and joking. I was content with my life right now, I loved my family, and even though my mother was pressuring me so much to marry, she still loved me and we got on so well as much as she pretended we didn’t. I was so proud of everyone in this room. My only wish was that Jack could be here, sitting with us, laughing and joking with us. I knew he’d fit in perfectly. But I didn’t know if any one could get past his status or lack there of. That’s simply what I wanted. I wanted Eric to never return and forget about Jack and leave him here with us. I wanted my parents to get to know him and love him. And then maybe one day we could finally be together, in a nice house in Europe or even here, no status, no royalty, just to be ourselves and have the blessings of my family. Good luck to me, right?

That night I decided to sneak out and go back to the bar, I hadn’t in a while, and made myself very known around the house so surely no one would be suspicious. I did my usual sneak through the gates, run across the grass hedges and into the town towards the pub. I walked into the pub and breathed in the musky scent. I had missed this place. I went straight to my usual stool and Mauve put down my usual.

“Thanks Mauve,” I smiled, taking a sip.

“Long time no see,” she smirked, cleaning a glass, “no friend tonight?”

“He’s not here?” I wondered, I was sure he would be.

She shook her head and walked off to serve someone. Oddly, it didn’t feel the same without Jack being here. It’s like my secret thing had become our secret thing, but he wasn’t here for it.

I had a couple of drinks, in hopes Jack would show, but it was getting late and he hadn’t. I just wasn’t feeling it so I decided to leave.

I took one step out of the bar and knew I had made a big mistake.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time,” a man slurred, I had no idea who he was.

“Sorry, I think you have the wrong person.” I said, rounding the corner.

But he followed me, “I don’t. You always come here, hiding in your hoodie, but I can see your figure.”

I could barely understand him he was that drunk and I could hear him stumbling behind me so I picked up the pace.

I turned down the alley towards my way home, hoping he couldn’t keep up. But before I even realise he had started to run after me he had grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, pushing me up against the wall so I had no where to go.

“You always giving me looks, now you run away?” He sounded sad, but he was delusional. I watched his grey eyes look me up and down. His eyes were blood shot and his breath stank of whiskey. He was a drunken slob and I wanted him away from me.

“I don’t even know who you are,” I said, “let me go.”

“I know you want me,” all of a sudden he was on me and trying to kiss my face.

I tried to push him off but I was too weak compared to him. I kicked his shin, and that must have worked because I couldn’t feel his weight on me anymore. I didn’t realised my eyes were closed shut until I finally opened them and realised it wasn’t me that fought this man off, it was Jack.

“Get the f**k off her,” he yelled as he pulled the man off me and into the opposite wall of the alley.

I flinched with the sound his body connecting to the brick wall made.

But it didn’t stop there, Jack punched him square in the face with his right hand, and then immediately with his left. The drunken man fell to the floor and instantly Jack kneed him in the face, blood splattered everywhere as his knee connected with the drunks nose.

“Jack, stopped,” I called for him, but he didn’t listen.

The drunk fell to the side and Jack kicked him in the abdomen.

I went to reach for Jack’s shoulder to pull him back, he turned and glared at me.

His face scared me, there was something in his eyes, something sinister. They were black not the usual blue.

He must have seen how scared I was as he stopped and went to touch my face. I recoiled back at the thought of him touching me, hurting me.

“Melina,” he started to speak to me.

“No,” I cut him off, “I need to go.”

And I pretty much sprinted out of that place all the way back to the property. I was careless with sneaking in, I just wanted the safety of my bedroom, I couldn’t get Jack’s dark eyes out of my head, and the way the blood of that man splattered as he hit him over and over and over.

Lucky no one saw me as I headed into the house through a side door closest to my bedroom. I tried to be as quiet, but also as fast, as I could be.

As soon as I got inside the confines of my bedroom I stripped off, throwing my clothes on the floor, and then jumped into my bed, cocooning myself within the sheet. And as soon as that happened, the tears fell.