Forever and Always

by Beverley Hollowed

  “This is what I was getting from the car” Melanie lied. “Simon bought it for me for tonight”.

  “You are so lucky to have him” Katie said as she and Melanie stepped into the lift. “He really is a keeper”.

  Melanie reached for the diamond and smiled as she thought of Sam.

  “Yes he really is”.

  Chapter 24After they all had dinner at their favourite Chinese restaurant, which Alex had insisted on paying for, they headed to the pub and Sarah ordered more champagne for everyone. Melanie slipped into a seat next to Lucy.

  “You having fun Mel” she shouted over the music as she accepted a glass of champagne from Sarah.

  “Yeah I am” Melanie replied honestly. She was surprised how much fun she was having.

  “Are you all set for tomorrow” Lucy asked leaning in close to Melanie so only she could hear. Lucy was the only one other than Alex who knew what their plans were. She was just as surprised by Alex’s reaction and also by his 2 conditions as Melanie and Sam were. But she was glad she got to spend one last night out with her friend. She was going to miss her so much when she went to the States. But she had promised Melanie she would keep in touch and promised that her, James and Calum would visit for the summer holidays the following year.

  “I am” Melanie replied. She truly was. She was sad to leave her family and her friends and she was worried about the trouble she was leaving her Dad to clean up. But she had no doubts or reservations about leaving with Sam. He was all she had ever wanted. All she had ever dreamed of even when she was afraid to have any hopes or dreams. “I love him Lucy”.

  “I really don’t doubt that in the slightest” Lucy replied and smiled. “I am happy you get to finally have your happy ever after. I love you Mel. I am just going to miss you so much”

  Melanie suddenly felt emotional and she quickly wrapped arms around Lucy.

  “Hey what’s all this” Katie said as she slipped into the seat on the other side of Melanie. “She is just getting married she isn’t moving to the other side of the world”.

  Melanie laughed nervously and shot a quick glance at Lucy who just smiled. Thankfully Katie missed the exchange between her two friends.

  “Listen Mel they are playing our song” Katie exclaimed as the sound system filled with the Rihanna‘s We found love. Katie grabbed Melanie’s hand and she in turn grabbed Lucy’s and they headed for the dance floor. The rest of the girls except Sarah and Grace followed them to the dance floor, the two women insisting they were waiting for something at little more their style.

  Melanie was pushed into the middle and all her friends started dancing around her. Katie disappear for a moment but when she return she draped a kiss the bride sash over Melanie’s head then hung a pair of L plates around her neck and finally she placed a plastic tiara with a veil attached on top of Melanie’s head.

  When she was finished decorating Melanie was a huge cheer from everyone on the dance floor. Melanie began to Dance her legs off as Rihanna’s song ended and the voice of the DJ came over the loud speakers wishing Melanie at the best on her big day and dedicated the next song to her. It was Melanie’s favourite song Justin Timberlake’s Bringing sexy back.

  Melanie pointed at Lucy and smiled knowing she was responsible for the song choice. Melanie threw herself into the music and gave it all her best moves. The dance floor was packed. A few guys joined them on the danced floor. One guy grabbed Melanie’s hand and started spinning her all around the dance floor. Melanie laughed so hard she could barely breathe as they moved. She shook her butt and hips and gave it all she had. After two more songs they all headed back to the table for another round of drinks. Lucy said it was her round and when the waitress came back with their drinks Katie ordered a round of baby Guinness’s.

  “1,2,3” Katie shouted and the entire group knocked back their baby Guinness’s and slammed their glasses down on the table.

  “UGGHH” Lucy cried with a shudder. “Why do I let you make me drink this stuff”.

  “Because it’s fun” Melanie laughed as she gestured to the waitress for another round.

  Melanie quickly pulled out her phone sent Sam a message and told him where they were and that she couldn’t wait for him to peel her dress off her. She giggled as she pressed send. The three glasses of champagne and the two glasses of wine at dinner and another from Lucy’s round followed by a couple of baby Guinness’s were hitting her and hitting her fast. Her head was spinning but she was enjoying herself. She couldn’t believe she had actually let herself relax as much as she had.

  After another few songs on the dance floor and another couple of rounds she could feel her head spin and the flashing lights were doing nothing to help her heaving stomach. As they sat there listening to Katie tell a story about the first time she, Melanie and Lucy got drunk. Melanie felt truly happy. But her head continued to spin and she needed to try and get herself under some control. She excused herself and headed to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.

  Lucy said she would go with her just to make sure she was ok.

  ********************

  As soon as Sam got Melanie’s text he laughed and grabbed his coat and headed straight to the pub she was in. He dropped by Melanie’s apartment and collected her car with the spare keys she had given him earlier. He stood outside for a few minute and typed in a text message to Melanie to let her know he was outside.

  When she didn’t reply or appear from inside the pub, he decided to step inside to see could he spot her. He spotted her immediately. She was throwing her head back laughing at something one of the girls, who’s face looked familiar to him, was saying. She stood up a little shakily and head towards the bathroom followed closely by Lucy. He laughed at tipsy Melanie. He realised he had never seen her drunk. He stood for a moment unsure what he should do next. If he should just wait outside for her to spot his text or if he should try and get to the bathroom to talk to her. He decided he wanted to talk to her.

  He was just about to make his way towards the bathroom when a girl stepped into his path. He recognised her as the girl Melanie had just been talking to. She was looking at him with a murderous expression on her face.

  “What the fuck are you doing here” she snapped at him in such anger he was a little taken back. He stared at her for a moment trying to think how best he could answer her question but before he could reply she continued. “I hope you are not here for Mel because if you are, you’re too late. She has moved on. If that’s why you are here you can just turn around and walk back out right now”.

  “Katie isn’t it” he finally said and smiled grateful that he had remembered her name.

  “Don’t you fucking smile at me” she growled back. “Your charm might have worked on an innocent 17 year old kid but it won’t work on me. You fucking ruined her life and broke her heart”.

  “Katie please can you just calm down I am sure Melanie doesn’t want you making a scene, especially in front of all her friends” Sam replied aware that the rest of Melanie’s friends weren’t that far away and her Mom was among them. He knew she was looking out for her friend but the last thing Melanie would want would be for her Mom to find out about them like this. “I understand why you are angry with me but I swear to you I would never hurt Melanie for all the money in the world”.

  “Oh please” she said and laughed with such distain Sam was shocked. “You never gave a shit about her. Your are just the scumbag that sent a young girl home from American pregnant and then alone and left her to deal with the fall out while you hook up with some blonde tart. We all saw the photos of you with Barbie. You have no idea what she has been through but she is fine now and she is happy so please just go. Leave her alone”.

  She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him.

  “What do you mean pregnant” he demanded his heart was racing out of control.

  “What do you think I mean” Katie replied pulling her arm free of him arm. “She came home from
America a shell of the person she was before she left. The baby was the last piece that finally broke her heart beyond repair. You have no idea what you did to her or what she has been through so stay the fuck away from her”.

  Without saying another word Katie turned and walked away from Sam. He couldn’t believe it, Melanie was pregnant. She had his baby. Why didn’t she ever say anything? And what happened to the baby. His head was spinning with this news. He turned and head for the door. He needed to get some air. When he walked outside, he stumbled over to a low wall that surround the car park of the pub and slumped down onto it.

  Melanie had his baby. Where was the baby now? He couldn’t understand. Then suddenly he remembered the scar on the bottom of her belly. Of course it’s a C-section scar. How could he have been so dumb not to realise that before now.

  “Some doctor” he laughed out loud.

  Then the reality of the situation hit him. He was a father. He had a son or a daughter somewhere and he didn’t even know they existed until two minutes ago. Suddenly his stomach heaved and he bent over the wall and got violently sick.

  How could Melanie have kept a secret like this from him? He wanted answers. Before he had time to think he was on his feet and heading straight back into the pub. Just as he pulled opened the door Lucy and a very drunk Melanie appear in front of him.

  “Oh thank fuck” Lucy exclaimed when she saw Sam. “I saw your text message when we were in the bathroom, which said you were here. So I told Katie I had rang her taxi and I was bringing her home. She is gone to tell Sarah so we need to get out of here before Sarah comes to check on her. Melanie would die if her Mom saw her like this”.

  “Hey you” Melanie said as Sam finally comes into vision for her. “I want you to take me home and rip this dress off me and fu...”

  “Oh ok sweetie” Lucy interrupted her quickly and laughed. “That’s a little too much information”.

  Melanie’s head begin spinning again and she could feel her legs finally give way. Sam quickly scooped her into his arms and carried her to her car in the car park. Lucy quickly opened the back door and Sam loaded Melanie into the seat. Lucy ran around the car and climbed into the back as well so she could make sure Melanie was ok.

  “I think I should go back to her apartment with you and make sure she is ok” Lucy said as Sam climbed into the driver’s side. “I can get a taxi home from there”.

  “Ok” Sam replied simply. He was still too busy trying to get his head around Katie’s little revelation. He quickly pulled out of the car park and headed back towards Melanie apartment.

  “I have never seen her so wasted before” Lucy said as she brushed Melanie hair back from her face as she slept soundly in the back of the car. “Should be an interesting flight tomorrow if she wakes up with the hangover from hell”.

  Sam didn’t reply. He couldn’t even think that far ahead right at that minute. His head was just spinning with so many questions. Maybe Lucy could tell him what happened. He liked Lucy and he believed she would tell him the truth.

  “Lucy” he said nervously. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure” Lucy said but before he could get the question out Melanie began to sing in the back seat.

  “Her name was Lola, she was a show girl, with yellow feathers in her hair” she belted out very out of tune. Lucy fell apart in fits of laugher.

  Sam looked in the rear view mirror and could see Melanie with her head back and her eyes closed and singing at the top of her lungs.

  His heart ached. This was still his Melanie. She was still the girl he has loved for the past seven year. The one he would have walked through fire for. But she had lied to him. It was a lie of omission. Why didn’t she tell him about the baby? He wanted to believe the was a perfectly reasonable explanation. There had to be because he didn’t believe she would have kept this from him purely to hurt him. But he needed to know the truth.

  When they reached Melanie’s apartment Sam lifted her out of the car and carried her to the front door of the building followed closely by Lucy. Lucy went through Melanie’s bag for her keys and let them in the door. They rode up in the lift in silence and Lucy hurried down the corridor to open the apartment door.

  “I am going to be sick” Melanie cried as they walked into the apartment and Sam quickly headed towards the bathroom and quickly placed her next to the toilet. She only barely made it before she projectile vomited into the toilet.

  “It’s ok Melanie” Sam said as he sat down on the tiled floor and pulled her back on to his lap. Resting her head against his shoulder he rubbed her back and kissed her hair. Lucy looked at the two of them curled together on the floor and smiled.

  “You are a good man Sam” she said. “I am going to get her a large glass of water and then I am going to ring a taxi”.

  “I’m sorry Sam” Melanie sighed into his neck.

  “It’s ok baby” he replied. “I’m right here”.

  Lucy returned a few minutes later with a pint glass of water and sat it on the side of the vanity unit. “My taxi’s here”.

  She walked over to Melanie and bent down and kissed her on the fore head, and then she turned and kissed Sam on the cheek. “Take care of our girl”

  “I will” Sam replied and smiled reassuringly at Lucy.

  “Tell her to call to let me know you arrived safely” Lucy said as the tears filled her eyes. “Bye Sam”

  “Bye Lucy” Sam said. And then she was gone and it was just him and Melanie.

  After she threw up a couple more times and he finally got her to drink the water she seemed to brighten up a little. He pulled her up off the floor and sat her on the toilet seat. He squirted tooth paste on her toothbrush and told her to open her mouth and he brushed her teeth.

  He got a wash cloth from the side of the sink. He added some liquid soap before he ran it under the water and wrung it out then used it to wash the makeup off her face, taking great care to remove the panda eyes she had developed during her vomiting episode.

  When she was all cleaned he scooped her back up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. He stood her next to her bed and pulled the zip of her dress down and carefully eased the dress down her body. He had to resist the urge to kiss beautiful back as he swept her hair back to open her strapless bra. He walked over to her side board and pulled out a t-shirt. He pulled it over her head and helped her put her arms into it. Then he pulled back the duvet and directs her into the bed and pulled the covers up over her, kissing her softly on the forehead.

  “I love you Sam” she breathed as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

  He walked over and slumped into the Armchair in the corner of her bedroom and watched her sleep.

  Tomorrow he was going to finally get answers and find out just what happened to her when she ran away from him all those years ago.

  Chapter 25When Melanie woke the next morning she felt like a grenade had gone off in her head and scrambled her brains. How the hell had she got home last night. Her memories were like a grainy movie on fast forward. She remembered dancing and a lot of drinking. Oh god the drinking. She remember being on a toilet floor and throwing up. Oh God the throwing up. And finally she remembered Lucy and Sam. Sam was here.

  Slowly she reached out to find him in the bed next to her but the bed was empty. She tried to open her eyes but they felt like lead. She rolled slowly onto her back and tried once gain to open her eyes. This time they opened and she winced as the early morning sun invaded her eyes. She rolled onto her other side to try and see her alarm clock so she could check the time. She spotted a glass of water and a box of Panadol on her night stand. Slowly she dragged herself up in the bed and reached for the painkillers. Popping two out of the foil covered card she put them into her mouth and reached for her glass of water.

  Suddenly movement in the far corner of the room caught her eye and made her jump. She turned to see Sam sitting in her armchair in the corner of the room. First thing she noticed was he was still wearing the clothes he
had on the night before when she saw him outside her apartment.

  “Jesus Sam you scared the crap out of me” she said as she stroked her throbbing temples with her fingers. The next thing she noticed was the unreadable expression on his face and immediately alarm bell started ringing in her aching head.

  “What’s wrong” she asked searching his face for some clue but he just remained motionless and silent in the chair. Melanie’s alarm bells jumped up another level and were almost at fever pitch. She quickly climbed out of the bed and ignored the loud banging in her head. She wanted to run over to Sam but something about his expression stopped her dead in her tracks.

  “Sam what happened” she asked nervously. “Please you are scaring me”.

  “I bumped into Katie last night at the bar” he said in a tone of voice Melanie had never heard from him before. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She swallowed hard trying to push the panic back down inside her body.

  “Oh” was all she could say, her voice sounding smaller than it ever had.

  “Yes oh” he said suddenly standing up and walking slowly towards her. “She had a lot to say for herself”.

  “Oh” she said once again.

  He stood in front of her without touching her. His eyes locked with hers and took a deep breath.

  “Why didn’t you tell me” he asked his voice unnervingly calm.

  “I wanted to” she replied honestly. “I have tried so hard to tell you so many times but I just couldn’t. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore”.

  “How could you think that” Sam asked taken back by what she had just said. “Why didn’t you tell me back then Melanie? You knew I would have stood by you”.

  “I was going to, but at first I was afraid that you would have only stayed with me because of that” she admitted honestly. “Then one day I decided I didn’t care anymore because I missed you so much I just wanted to hear your voice. I was just about to ring when Katie and Lucy arrived and showed me a picture of you they came across on some gossip page. You were with her in the photo”.