Forever and Always (13 page)

“Hey Dad it’s me” she began nervously. I just wanted to call and say hi.
And.., um...
I wanted to say I am sorry for the last few weeks. I know you love me ... you were only looking out for me but I was an idiot. I can’t stand not talking to you any longer. I love you Dad. Call me”.

Instantly she felt better when she hung up. She placed the phone on the side board next to Sam’s. She smiled when she noticed their phones were almost identical. For some reason this made her smile. They were so alike in so many ways; they were perfect for each other.

Before she returned to bed she went to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. Just as she finished and placed her glass into the sink her phone beeped with a new message. It had to be her Dad. She hurried over to where she had left the phone; she quickly picked it up and pressed the open button on the text.

But as soon as she did her heart began to bang loudly in her chest and her stomach almost dropped to the floor.

It wasn’t her phone that had binged at all, it was Sam’s and in the darkness of the room she hadn’t noticed the difference until it was too late. She stared at the text for a few minutes reading it again and again until finally the words on the screen began to sink into her stunned brain.

“Hi babes, I have missed you so much. Was great talking to you
today.
See you soon, Love C x”

Melanie’s stomach heaved inside her. She couldn’t breathe and her head spun. She leaned against the side board to steady herself as hot tears pricked up in her eyes. She closed her eyes taking a couple of deep breaths to try
steady
herself.

“Ok don’t panic” she thought to herself. “I am sure there is a reasonable explanation”.

“Melanie” Sam’s voice came through the darkness making her jump. Quickly he was by her side and reached out for her. “Hey are you ok. I didn’t mean to scare you”.

Melanie abruptly moved away from him so his hand dropped from her arm.

“Melanie” he says, a look of complete surprise on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” Melanie snapped the coldness in her voice even surprised her.

“Mel you are scaring me” he said once again moving closer to her but again she backed away. “What has happened?”

“Who is C” Melanie asked, her voice barely a whisper. His face changes from a look of confusion to a look of terror.

“C....Melanie C is Carolyn.
..but she is old news” he blurted
out quickly. “She means nothing to me now. I told you this already”.

“You told me you dated someone for a couple of years but it was already over” Melanie said staring down at her hands. She couldn’t look at him anymore.

“It is” he replied.

“Then why were you talking to her today and why is she texting you in the middle of the night?” Melanie yelled. She felt so angry with herself. She let him take her in with his charming wide eyed routine and now she felt used. She turned and grabbed her bag and head for the door.

“Melanie please let me explain” He said grabbing her arm before she reached the door. “She called today out of the blue, I swear. I told her I had met someone else. She was surprised but that was all”.

“She texted you” Melanie replied a little less forceful. “Hi babes, I have missed you so much. Was great talking to you
today.
See you soon, Love C”. Melanie even surprised herself she had remembered it word for word. But the she had read it about ten times.

“Melanie I don’t want her” he said grabbed her by both hands and pulling her to him a little too forcefully. “I want you. I love you. I have never loved anyone like I love you. Please don’t worry”.

“I just don’t know” she whispered as the tears trickled freely down her face.

“Mel, please” he said as he softly kisses the tears from her face. “Please believe I love you”.

Every part of her brain told her she should run but her body betrayed her. She loved him and she was lost. She allowed him to pull her into his arms. His lips met hers and she melted into his arms. Without realising they were even moving she found herself on the sofa and Sam on top of her, his lips still on hers and his hands pulling her
closer.
She knew she should stop him, that they needed to talk but she wanted him too much. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall into this heady pleasure.

Quickly he pulled open the dressing gown. His lips never leaving hers he slid between her legs and with one hand quickly removed his boxer shorts. In one swift move he was inside her. Melanie eyes shot open.

“Sam” She whispered as she pulled her mouth from his. “What are you doing?”

“What” he mumbled into her mouth.

“You aren’t wearing anything” She moaned as his movement inside her sent thrills through her. It felt different, skin on skin, it felt more intimate. She knew she should stop
him, that
she should push him away but it felt too good. Instead she pulled him closer to her. Grabbing his behind and shoving him deeper into her.

“Melanie” He growled loudly as his pace picked up. Her head spun and all she could concentrate on the deep growing feeling inside. She could feel every muscle in her body quiver with excitement and she grew closer and closer till finally she tipped over the edge and came loud calling out his name. Two more thrusts and he found his release too and she could wetness as he pulsed inside her.

He leaned up on his elbow and looked into her eyes. He quickly brushed the loose strains of hair from her sweaty brow.

“Melanie I love you” He said and kissed her softly. “There is no one else. Carolyn means nothing to me. Not anymore. It’s only you Mel”.

“Please don’t break my heart Sam” Melanie whispered. “You could break it so easily it scares me”.

“Melanie I will never hurt you I promise” he kissed her again then stood up. Suddenly he ben
t down and scooped her up in his
arms and carried her back to his bedroom.

When Melanie woke up the sun was already climbing in the sky. She rolled over to Sam but his side of the bed was empty and cold. She quickly sat up, pulling the sheet close to her. She looked around the room wondering where he could have gone. She spotted a note on the bed side table. Reaching over she grabbed it and quickly read it.

“Good Morning beautiful, Had to run a quick errand.
Won’t be long.
Love Sam xx”

She wondered what was so important that he had to leave so quickly. She couldn’t help but feel a little pang of disappointment that she didn’t get to wake up next to him as she didn’t know she would get a chance to do it again.

Melanie kicked the sheet back and made her way to the bathroom. She quickly put her clothes back on and caught her hair up in a hair tie she had left on Sam’s night stand on one of her other times here. She made her way to the kitchen to start cleaning but was surprised to find the whole place spotless except for a tray sitting on the kitchen table with breakfast ready for her and another note from Sam.

“Hope you slept well, eat your breakfast, have a big day planned. Love Sam xx”

Melanie smile as she read the note. What was he planning she wondered. She quickly sat down and ate her breakfast. When she was done she clear up the dishes then looked for a pen to leave Sam a note.

“Just gone to get changed and make sure everything is ready before Maggie arrives. Love Mel xx. P.S. Thanks for Breakfast. P.P.S last night was the best night of my life xx”

Melanie headed back to her own house and headed straight to her bedroom. She pulled out clean clothes and laid them on her bed then headed into the bathroom to have a shower. When she was finished in the shower she wrapped her bathrobe around her and returned to her bedroom to dry her hair. Twenty five minutes later, she was dressed and had her hair done. She headed out into the main part of the house and began to straighten around. However giving that she and Sam had spent the previous day cleaning the house there was actually very little to do.

Suddenly her phone pinged letting her know she had a new message.

“Finally” she sighed as she pulled it from her bag and expecting it to be from Sam but it was from Maggie. She frowned. “Where is he” She thought as she read Maggie’s text.

“Will be there soon Mel.
I have a surprise for you xx”

Melanie wondered what it could be. Maybe Maggie finally agreed to marry Mark. Melanie smiled at that thought. She really did like Mark.

She decided to text Sam to see where he was.

“Where r u x”

She waited a few minutes but there was no reply. Melanie didn’t know what to think. Where the hell had he gone? What was so important that he had left her sleeping alone?

It also dawned on Melanie that her Dad hadn’t responded to her voice mail either. “Why was everyone ignoring me today?” she thought grumpily.

She went out and sat on the deck and waited for Sam.

She was just about to give in when she heard his car pulling up on the far side of the beach house. She waited for a few minute for him to appear down the pathway but he didn’t. Melanie waited another couple of minutes before she made her way over to Sam’s house. She was angry and wanted an explanation.

As she got closer to the back door she could hear voices. Instantly she recognised Sam’s voice. Then she heard a girl talking. She tried to hear what they were saying but she couldn’t make it out.

She paused for a moment, her heart banging hard in her chest then she pushed opened the door and slowly stepped inside.

When she did her stomach jumped into her throat. In front of her stood Sam, wearing just his jeans and his shoes and in front of him stood a bleached blonde life size Barbie, wearing nothing but his t-shirt, her arms draped around his neck. They both turned to her in unison as she walked in. Sam’s face was ashen as a look of panic spread across it.

“Melanie this is not what it looks like” Sam said quickly, the panic in his voice very clear as he pushed Barbie away from him. Melanie just stared at him, unable to speak because she was trying so hard not to vomit. She could barely hear his words because her heart was drumming so loudly in her ears.

Sam began to move towards her but she stopped him by raising her hand.

“Mel please, I just got home and....”he tried to explain what was happening. But she didn’t want to hear it.

“Don’t” she snapped back. “This is where you were? This is what you left me alone this morning for?”

“What? No!” he cried as he heart raced faster in his chest. “I told you, I said....”

“You said what you needed to get me into your fucking bed” she bit back. She felt so stupid and used and hurt and she wanted to hurt him back.

“This is her?” the Barbie said with unhidden shock and distain in her voice. “Jesus Sam she is barely out of nappies”.

“Shut the fuck up Carolyn” he growled but his eyes never left Melanie.

Melanie felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. This was Carolyn, his midnight texter. Her head spun and she felt like she was going to get weak. Quickly she stumbled to the side of the sofa and leaned against the arm to steady
herself
.

“Melanie” Sam said as he rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her to steady her. But his touch sent a shock wave through her instead and quickly she was back on her feet.

“Don’t touch me” she yelled and she pushed him away from her. “Don’t put your fucking hands near me. I can’t even look at you right now”.

“Melanie
please
, just let me explain” he pleaded.

“I don’t want to hear it Sam” she replied, her voice cold and hard. “My Dad was right. You are all the same. You’ll say what it takes to get what you want. And I’ll admit you were good, you almost made me believe you”. A sudden sob came from inside her and she put her hand over her mouth.

She needed to get out of there. She wasn’t going to let him see her cry. She quickly turned and ran out the door. She only got a couple of steps before Sam was behind her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back and pulled her into his arms. She struggled to free herself from his hold but he held her tighter.

“Melanie
stop
this” he pleaded and held her closer. He pulled her tighter to him to try
calm
her down but her determination was so strong she broke free and spun around and made to run but once again he grabbed her arm. This time she spun around and slapped him across the face.

“You stay the hell away from me” she screamed at him as hot tears stung her eyes. “Go back to your blonde tart. You deserve each other”.

“Melanie I don’t want her, I want you” he cried still holding her arm but she abruptly pulled it free.

“No you don’t” she replied coldly. “Face it Sam I am just another Callie. But I won’t end up like her, now leave me alone”.

With that she turned and ran down the path. This time he didn’t follow. Her words had gone through him like a knife. He knew he had hurt her and she was just lashing out. But she was so wrong. She wasn’t another Callie, she wasn’t another anyone. She was Melanie, the love of his life. He had never loved anyone or anything more. He stood and watched her disappear down the pathway and out of
sight,
slowly he turned and walked back into the house, his heart heavy and aching in his chest.