When I met you

Mr. Melchior

Akermísia Miller

After Adam went upstairs after his father, I found myself lost in the middle of a dozen drunk meatheads, so I decided to look for Lívia. I found her on the other side of the house, where the noise of the party couldn’t reach her, sitting on a suspended wooden swing. I was just about to reach her when I saw Leonardo appear right in front of her.

He shoved his hands into the front pockets of the team’s red jacket and pulled one corner of his mouth upward.

— Hi.

— Hi. — my friend replied, visibly nervous. I wanted to go over there and save her from that situation, but at the same time, she and Leo needed to talk more than ever.

I figured I could stay there a little longer before rescuing her.

— You look beautiful. — He smiled, and Liv seemed a little less tense.

She returned the smile.

— Thank you.

— How have you been feeling? — Coleman’s blue eyes drifted toward Liv’s stomach. He was completely lost on how to start that conversation.

— I’ve been sleepy, and I’ve been getting sick a lot. Everything I put in my mouth feels like the baby rejects it. I guess he doesn’t like me very much, just like his father.

Leo’s smile disappeared instantly, her words hitting him hard.

— Liv, who said I don’t like you? Of course I do. — Leonardo was tall, but he moved even closer to her. Then he crouched down to her level and pulled the swing toward himself, bringing their faces dangerously close together. — I care about you.

With a challenging look, she glanced away before meeting his eyes again.

— Stop lying to me.

— I’m not lying, beautiful.

She rolled her eyes.

— You should stay away. I think it would be better for both of us if we each went our separate ways.

— But that’s not what I want. I don’t want to cut ties with you. — Leo admitted.

— Then what do you want? — she asked, her voice thick with sadness and resentment. — Because you seem just as confused as I am! You keep texting me asking if I’m okay, but whenever you see me in the college hallways, you look away. It’s like you’re afraid of me. Ashamed. But I never asked you to be anything to me because I know perfectly well that, to you, it was just fun… So stop being nice to me occasionally. Stop pretending you care. Be a man and tell me once and for all that you don’t want to be a father so I can move on with my life. That’s the only thing I want. Just your decision about the baby, not about me. Because when it comes to me, I already know the answer will always be no.

Leo immediately shook his head and grabbed Liv’s hands as if they were an anchor keeping him from drowning. He held onto them while lowering his head.

— I was in a difficult relationship before, Liv. I got hurt badly and… being a father… I don’t know how to do that. My dad abandoned me when I was a kid. I just… I don’t know if I’m ready.

I watched tears gather in the redhead’s eyes as she lowered her head to look at him.

— And do you think I’m ready? Did you ever stop to think about how I’m feeling? I’m the one who’s going to gain weight. I’m the one whose body is going to change. I’m the one who’ll have to listen to people whispering about me in the college hallways, judging me. Did you stop to think that I’ll probably have to put my degree on hold because of a baby who’ll depend on me for everything? — she wiped away her tears, pulling her hands from his grasp. — Don’t tell me you’re not ready as if that excuses anything.

At least he had the decency to look ashamed.

— I didn’t think about any of that. I’m sorry.

Leo cupped her face in his hands. I could see desperation surfacing in his blue eyes before he rested his forehead against hers.

— I’m trying. I’m really trying. — he whispered, terrified.

— I don’t want you to try. I want your support and your help, but it’s clear those are the only things you can’t give me right now. — she wiped away her tears. — I’m not going to sit here watching you move on with your life like you’ve been doing for the last two months while leaving me on the bench until you make up your mind. I don’t have time to wait for you, Leonardo. I won’t claim to know you completely or understand everything about you, but I swore that you—the guy I gave myself to for the first time, the guy who treated me so wonderfully—wouldn’t be the kind of man who would do this to me.

He fell silent, conflicted by something internal he refused to reveal. I didn’t understand. His entire body was there, kneeling before Lívia, but his lips wouldn’t say the words that matched his actions.

— You can’t even answer me. Do you know what that tells me? That you’ll always ask for more time without ever actually making a decision. Or maybe you’re just afraid I’ll think you’re a bastard if you tell me you don’t want the baby. — she stood up. — But you know what? You’re being an even bigger bastard by playing with me… with us.

My friend stormed away. Leo called after her more than once, but none of his calls received an answer. Lívia never once turned back toward him. I hurried through the house, hoping to catch up to her, and when I finally reached her, she was standing motionless on the sidewalk.

— Liv.

My friend turned around, her face red.

— I’m leaving.

— I’ll go with you. — I offered, but she immediately shook her head.

— I need to be alone. Besides, this is the first party we’ve managed to drag Cassie to. Stay with her. Adam will need you too. I’ll be fine.

— Are you sure?

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

— I’ve never been more sure.

✶

When I returned to the house, I found Cassie wandering around the outdoor kitchen area with Rick.

— Rick Mackenzie, for your own good, you’d better stay away from my friend right now.

— Hey, Akermísia. — he greeted me with a grin. — It’s not like I’m going to kill her or anything…

— No, you’ll do something worse. You’ll flirt with her. — I replied, pouring extra sarcasm into my tone.

Rick smiled. He was a good person, and from what little I knew of him, he seemed fun and easygoing. But none of that changed the fact that he was terrible boyfriend material for Cass. My friend shot me a sideways glance, looking embarrassed by our exchange but also grateful that I’d arrived.

— Where’s Lívia? — she asked, stepping closer with concern in her eyes.

— She left. — I explained. — She saw Leo… — I added, as if that alone explained everything.

Cass nodded in understanding.

— Girls!! — Iza approached us, her dark hair braided and her dark skin highlighted by a light pink skirt-and-top set. — I’ve been looking for you. We need to liven up this party!

Elliot walked over to Rick, and both of them watched as Iza dragged us away with a huge smile on her face. Elliot’s girlfriend pulled us onto the improvised dance floor, where the loud music numbed our senses. Cass was visibly shy, but eventually Iza managed to get her to loosen up. She had that kind of contagious energy that wrapped around you, and Cassie and I were no exception.

As much as my body vibrated with the music and I enjoyed myself with my friends, part of me couldn’t stop thinking about Adam, who had disappeared upstairs with his father and still hadn’t come back down.

As if answering my worries, I saw Adam’s father coming down the stairs wearing a distinctly unfriendly expression. Automatically, I stopped dancing and watched Mr. Melchior head toward the front door. Everyone else was too busy drinking, dancing, and making out to notice the man storming outside, visibly furious.

I swallowed hard when I saw Adam right behind him, descending the stairs slowly.

He headed straight for the kitchen, crossing the living room so distracted that he didn’t even notice me. Worried, I followed him toward the counter.

— Adam, are you okay?

The way he shook his head without even bothering to make a sarcastic comment made me even more uneasy.

Instead of looking at me or answering, he gripped the chilled glass he had just poured. The burn of the whiskey seemed almost anesthetic as he closed his eyes to feel it, tilting his head back and finishing the drink in a single swallow.

When he pushed the empty glass across the polished counter, he immediately began pouring another one.

— I saw your father leave, — I insist, making another attempt. — What happened?

He stares at the glass with heavy eyes. I can see a shadow inside them, the kind of darkness I had always known was there but had chosen to ignore over the last month because I blindly believed he had overcome that side of himself.

But it’s clear he hasn’t.

It’s clear I don’t know this side of Adam, nor even half of the things he faces alone.

I find myself wondering what happened to him, what stole the light that should be in his eyes. But none of those questions lead me anywhere. None of them give me any answers about who Adam Melchior really is.

I move closer to Adam, placing my hand over his, which is pressed firmly against the counter. His touch feels cold against my skin, but I don’t hesitate. I squeeze his fingers gently around mine until he finally looks at me.

— Everything’s fine. But I don’t want to talk about it… — he says before grabbing the whiskey glass with his free hand and swirling it, making the single ice cube clink against the sides. — I want to enjoy my party, in my house.

It’s obvious that his thoughts are clouded and that his anger hasn’t faded, but I can’t force him to open up to me.

— Okay. We can do that…

Adam smiles as best he can at my response. He’s so beautiful, even in a situation like this, and my determination begins to weaken when I look at him. The youngest Melchior kisses my cheek before grabbing the entire bottle and tipping it back against his lips.

It’s late at night by the time only half of the guests remain at the party. However, those who are left are so drunk that they’re jumping into the pool, knocking over bottles, and doing stupid things everywhere.

— I’m going to have to leave, Akermísia. I have an exam early tomorrow morning. Sorry… — Elliot approaches while I’m sitting on one of the outdoor sofas scrolling through my phone.

— For what? — I narrow my eyes, and then he shoves his hands into his pockets and glances toward Adam, who’s laughing with a group of guys near the pool.