Chapter Fifteen
“I love you,” Adam whispers as he holds Melody’s hand in his.
Melody blushes, angling her face down in embarrassment. “I love you too.” But deep down, she’s empty.
Adam showers her with kisses and gifts, but all she feels is empty. He kisses her so sweet and delicate, whispers that he loves her, softly and true, but something isn’t right. All Melody wants to do is kiss him and not stop, and sometimes she does, but is usually followed by them fighting at least twice a day. They fight about nothing, yell at the top of their lungs for no reason, but no matter how bad they argue he won’t leave her alone. He follows her everywhere; she can’t look over her shoulder without seeing him watching her. Sometimes she feels like she is being held captive, and other times she feels like she is the one holding him captive, in her heart.
She still wears the gold chain necklace with the heart on it, because it reminds her of how Adam saved her from Sam’s lies. He was protecting her from getting hurt… right? Yes he’s protective, but that’s what was wrong with Sam, he didn't protect her… he didn't even come here to rescue her! Yes, Adam is way better toward her than Sam ever was.
………………………………………………….
Sleep refuses to grace Melody with its glorious presence, leaving her to toss and turn in the thin grey sheets while her mind eats away at her.
The door creaks open, letting a beam of light cast a long shadow as Adam comes in the room, deep in the black night like he usually does. He slides into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kisses the back of her neck. Melody rolls over to face him, tears glistening against her cheek.
“Oh what’s wrong, beautiful?” Adam asks, brushing the tears off of her cheek.
She pushes his hands away, sitting back so she can face him. “I’m so torn… I know you love me but I keep finding myself thinking about Sam…”
He shakes his head, leaning in to kiss her. “You’re just scared and trying to find holes in something that is perfectly wonderful,” he says, brushing away her words like they’re nothing more than smoke
Melody presses her hands against his chest, keeping him at arm’s length. “I know how you feel but I don’t know how I feel.”
He smirks, dipping his head to kiss her arm. “You hate Sam and you love me.”
She rolls her eyes, yanking her arms away from him. “You’re doing it again! You’re telling me how to feel!”
He brings her hands back to his mouth, disregarding the weight of the conversation they are having. “This is how you feel. You’re just confused right now.”
She gives a curt “Ha!” before climbing out of bed, tears starting to sting her cheeks again. “Could you just leave me alone for awhile?” she tells him more than asks him.
Adam stands to face her, only an inch or so between the two of them, his perfect eyes flashing. “No.”
He flashes his unruly smile. She steps back, something is wrong; she can feel a thick veil being lifted from over her eyes.
“Please! I just need to be alone!” she shouts.
He rubs his thumb across her cheek. “No.” his voice remains low and seductive.
Melody’s stomach knots up as she pushes his hand from her face. “Just leave. Me. Alone.”
The sparkle in Adam’s eyes vanish, replaced by something cold as stone, right before he throws a punch to the side of her cheek, sending Melody to the cold tile floor. She lays there, her cheek throbbing as the room spins into a mix of colors around her. He leans over the top of her, dropping his lips onto hers, giving her the most amazing kiss he’s ever given.
“I love you,” he whispers, dragging his lips over to her ear as he speaks.
The room blackens as the trauma of being struck finally takes hold of her.
……………………………………………………
Sam wakes himself up from another heart wrenching nightmare about Melody, his heart pounding hard in his ears; he can still hear her screaming. His pulse calms as he stairs up at the lightless ceiling of his bedroom, suddenly hearing the extra breaths accompanying his own. Sam rolls his head to his right, his sweaty hair sticking to his cheek. There’s something lying next to him, something breathing heavy and trembling. It only takes a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and recognize her.
Sam’s breath catches as he looks her over before quickly wrapping Melody in his arms; she does the same to him. A fountain of tears pour from Sam’s eyes on to her hair.
“I thought that I-I lost you,” he stammers.
Sam gently places kisses on her face, softly brushing Melody’s hair from her forehead while his thumb rubs across her other cheek. He pulls his hand away from her face, the sickening feeling of warm blood running down from the cut smears off onto his thumb.
“Did he hit you?” Sam asks, his stomach turning in disbelief.
Melody drops eye contact with him, nodding as she runs her fingers across her bruised cheek. “But he didn't mean to,” she smiles as her heart flutters, “he loves me.”
Sam sits up, rubbing his face against his palms, Is she blind to what he did to her? I love her… and he hurt her… I’ll KILL him. He looks down at where Melody still lays, playing with her lips, her eyes glossed over in some dreamy haze. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Sam’s body feels heavy as he guides Melody down the hall to the bathroom, his skin prickling with a nervous anger that scares him.
Once the florescent lights of the small bathroom are flicked on, Melody stares at her bruised cheek in the mirror.
“He does love me, you know,” Melody says, as she gently touches the bruise on her cheek.
Sam gently grips her by the waist, lifting her up on the counter. He pulls a rag from the rack next to the shower, remaining silent while he looks at the cut, occasionally dabbing it with the wet rag. He gently wipes the blood off her cheek, his throat starting to close up as he tries to get the words out.
“Do-do you love him?” he asks.
Melody’s eyes stare down at the mess of towels on the bathroom floor, thinking to herself, “Do I? Adam did hit me and left me on the floor, he didn't even care. But he said that he loves me. And those eyes…”
Sam grabs her face, placing both of his trembling hands on either side of her face, his eyes franticly looking her over, almost pleading. “I love you, Melody. Please don’t do this. Please,” he pleads.
Melody’s eyes hold his for the briefest of moments before watching Sam’s hand slide from her right cheek, dropping down to lace fingers with her, holding her shaking hands in his. She moves her mouth, trying to say his name but she just croaks, her voice wavering with emotion.
Sam leans forward and kisses her un-bruised cheek, the minty smell of Adam/ Jet still lingers on her skin. Something inside of her breaks as she falls forward on him, her lips trembling as she presses her face against his chest, tears are rolling down her cheeks.
“I know…” she whispers.
Sam’s neck bends down so his lips can kiss her forehead, a mixed pool of muddy emotion sticks to his throat. “I need to tell you something about Adam,” Sam wraps his arm around her shoulder as he lifts himself up on the counter next to her. “Adam… well that’s not his real name. It’s…” he starts to say but something bangs on the front door, loud, angry. Sam holds a finger up as he goes to answer it.
He leaves Melody sitting upon the counter, holding a wash cloth to her cheek. His lips are set to sad smile, so grateful to have Melody back to himself but beyond heartbroken that she’s hurt. He grabs the door knob, not bothering to check the peephole before opening the door.
His blood chills as he recognizes the face on the other side of the door. Adam, well technically “Jet” to Sam. Sam staggers backwards, ready to run and get to Melody before Adam does. He turns to run for her, to protect her, but she’s already jogging down the hall way but before he can make his way back to her. She r
uns past him, jumping into Adam’s open arms. Sam’s hands fold into fists at his side as Adam holds Melody tight.
He touches the bump on Melody’s face, making an apologetic face before kissing her intensely. Sam stands there, wanting to scream until his lungs explode into a bloody mess as Adam slides his hands up the back of Melody’s shirt.
“I… Love… You…” Adam pants in-between kisses.
Sam’s temples pulsate, ready to take Adam to the floor; if Melody wasn’t in his way, Adam would be sorry he ever came here. Adam presses his lips against Melody’s, pulling her out of the door frame and down the hall, away from Sam.
Pounding, wild and erratic pounding, in Sam’s chest keeps him grounded to the floor in front of his door. He took her. Adam just took her and she went willingly. How can she do that? Sam runs down the long, carpeted hallway after them, but they are already gone. Sam’s legs give way as he catches a glimpse of something red on the floor next to his feet. He drops to his knees, plucking the golden chain from the carpet, running his finger across the engravings, praying, “God please don’t let anything happen to her! Bring her back to me, God, please!”
Dream Haunter Page 17
