Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (190 page)

Chapter 3

Mellenda and Ricky fought a lot after that.  He always seemed as if he was a million miles away when they were together.  She was sure that she was losing him.  She was depressed and worried, and not just about her relationship.  Leslie Worthington had started to look at her more and more in the halls. 

It was nothing new because Leslie was notoriously horny and brazenly checked out girls all the time, not just in the halls but in the shower rooms, but Mellenda had another reason to be worried that Leslie was studying her closely.  One that she didn’t like to think about but that she knew could cost her her college education and possibly Ricky.  Though as the days passed, she was sure that she wouldn’t have to worry for too much longer about keeping Ricky.

He suggested that they take a break.  She told him no.  She felt like a bitch and a coward for holding on to their relationship so tightly when it was beginning to be more and more obvious that he was slipping away from her, but she wasn’t going to let him go without a fight. 

When they were together and weren’t fighting she tried to be more open with him sexually.  She made sure that she gave him lots of blow jobs, because she knew that was something that could make or break a relationship for some guys.  It wasn’t that she particularly liked giving them-it was that she knew Ricky enjoyed them.

On Halloween she was stuck in her room.  Ricky had to work and there was no way she was going to some stupid party in Brentwood alone.  Molli left shortly after darkness fell, dressed up like a prostitute.  Mellenda made a snide remark, but she didn’t get any satisfaction out of it.  Molli had seemed really happy lately.  It made her want to throw something at her roommate’s head. 

She didn’t think that it was fair that Molli was happy when she was so damned miserable.  When Molli came back in a few hours later, cheeks flushed and still looking happy, Mellenda gave her a dirty look.

“Showing your true colors?”

“Get over yourself Mellenda.  Just because you’re in a bad mood doesn’t mean you need to take everybody around you with you.”  Molli turned away and gathered her things to head to the shower.

Mellenda threw Molli’s pillow at the door when Molli left.  She felt a little juvenile, but she stepped on it and then left it there.  Molli didn’t say anything to her when she got back, just picked her pillow up, brushed it off and put it back on her bed.

November passed with more of the same.  Mellenda called Ricky every day and seemed to fight with him at least half the time.  Their love making didn’t feel anywhere near like what it used to either, when she could talk him into making love to her at all.

Towards the middle of the month, Mellenda had so much on her mind that she felt like she was going to burst.  She was worried about college, she was worried about losing Ricky and guilt was beginning to eat at her.  It felt like a strange sort of divine intervention one night.  Mellenda knew that she had to let at least one of her secrets out.

Mellenda was lying on her bed reading a magazine while Molli sat at the desk and did her homework.  She flipped the page and saw an article about abortion and the feelings that women experience after having one.  She started to read, but it all sounded like crap to her.

She felt bad about having had an abortion, especially since she hadn’t told Ricky about it, but she didn’t feel any of the things that these women claimed to feel.  She didn’t feel empty, and she’d certainly never thought she’d heard her baby crying in the middle of the night.  She looked at Molli’s head bent over her text book and hid a sigh.  She suddenly wondered if her roommate had ever had an abortion or thought about having one.

Mellenda said “Molli?”

Molli didn’t look up from her math book.  “Yeah?”

“Have you ever thought about having an abortion?”

Molli looked at Mellenda then.  “No.  Why?”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Mellenda laughed.  “Don’t sound so enthused Molli.  I can talk to someone else if you’d rather not hear it.”

“We’ve never really been friends Mellenda.  We’re roommates that barely seem to tolerate each other.”

“I never wanted it to be like that.  We’re so different.  So, what I was saying was, I had an abortion.”

“You had an abortion?”

“Yes.  Earlier this year.”

“Why?”

Mellenda sighed.  “I had only been with Ricky a couple of months and our relationship was still so new.  I kind of lied to him about having birth control then, because I wanted to know what it felt like to have sex without a condom.  So, I feel like it was my fault that I got pregnant.”

She wasn’t telling Molli the complete truth, but it wasn’t Molli’s business that she’d still been having sex with Tony.  She wasn’t going to make it Molli’s business because she had a feeling it would be all over school if she did.

“I guess.” 

Mellenda blurted “Ricky doesn’t know about it.”

“What?  You didn’t tell him?  Did you lie to him and tell him you lost the baby?”

“He never knew there was a baby.  Well, thanks for letting me talk to you Molli.  You can go back to your homework now.”  Mellenda turned back to her magazine.  She wasn’t sure if she felt better or worse after sort of spilling her guts to Molli, but there was no way she could take it back now she thought.

She didn’t sleep well that night.  She was worried that Ricky would find out about her abortion and felt like an idiot for telling Molli about it.  She knew that even if Molli didn’t tell Ricky herself, she was bound to tell someone and that it would be around town in no time at all.

She was tempted to call him the night before Thanksgiving so that he could take her back to her parents’ house but decided against it.  She was trying to give him his space but sometimes it was so hard.  She loved him so much or at least she thought she must because it hurt like hell to think that she was losing him.

She ended up taking the bus back to her parents’ house.  They were already asleep by the time she got there but she wasn’t looking forward to spending the day with them anyway, so she didn’t really care.  Holidays had not been the same since Adrina had died.

The next morning, she helped her mother prepare dinner.  It was boring and her thoughts drifted to Ricky.  She wondered if she could talk her parents into letting her go see him after they had dinner.

There was no conversation at dinner.  Her parents were busy getting drunk.  It disgusted her, especially since she knew neither of them was supposed to drink with the medication that they took.  Soon after dinner, she decided that she was going to ask to go see Ricky.  She thought that she might be able to get him to talk his parents into letting her spend the night.  She’d stayed there once before and it had felt so delicious to sneak into his bedroom and have sex with him while his parents were asleep down the hall.  She thought that even if he was seeing someone else, she’d rather spend time with him than with her parents. 

Her Dad was passed out on the couch and her mom was reading a book with the TV on.  She looked at her mom and said “Mom, can I borrow your car?  I’d like to go see Ricky.”

Her mother sighed without looking up.  “You’re too serious about that boy at your age Mellenda.  We don’t want you to end up like your sister.”

“Mom, I’m not going to get pregnant.  I’m on birth control and we always use condoms too.  Please.”

“Fine.  But call if you decide you’re not coming home tonight and be sure to drive carefully.  And fill up the tank before you bring the car back.”

Mellenda jumped up and kissed her mom.  “Thanks Mom.  I love you.”

Her mother gave her a dismissive wave and went back to her book.  Mellenda went upstairs and packed a bag.  Her mother handed her the car keys when she was back downstairs without a word.  Mellenda went outside and got into her mother’s car.  She was tempted to call Ricky, but she wanted to surprise him.

The drive was short. Her heart was pounding when she pulled up in front of his house.  She knocked.  His mother answered the door and gave her a bright smile.  “Mellenda, it’s always so good to see you.  Let me get Ricky for you.”

“Thank you.”  Mellenda followed the older woman into the house.  She returned with Ricky a few minutes later.  He gave her a look she couldn’t read.  Mellenda gave him a kiss.  “Hi.”

“Hello Mellenda.  Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving Ricky.  What are you up to?”

“Not much.  Have you eaten?  Mom can warm you up a plate.”

“I have eaten thank you.”  She looked at the foil wrapped plate that Ricky held in his hand.  “Are you taking that to someone?”

Ricky cleared his throat.  “A friend of mine from school is stuck here for the holiday.  I thought I’d take it to him.”

Mellenda smiled. “I’ll come with you.”

“That’s not necessary.  You can stay here.  Mom made pie.”

“I want to come with you Ricky.”

“Okay.”  She could tell that he was hiding a sigh.  He grabbed his coat and she followed him out of the house.

Once they were in his car, Mellenda leaned over and kissed him.  ‘”I’ve missed you.  I feel like I hardly see you anymore.”

Ricky pulled back.  “We need to talk Mellenda, but it can wait.”

“Are you sure Ricky?”

He nodded and then started the car.  “Yes.”

They were silent as he drove.  When they showed up at his friend’s apartment, he seemed really surprised.  Mellenda got the feeling that Ricky had been planning to take the plate to someone else entirely, maybe even the girl that he was cheating on her with.

She wanted to confront him when they were back in his car, but she decided to keep her mouth shut about that and instead said “Can I stay with you tonight?  My parents depress me.”

“I’m sorry.  I’m sure it will be fine with my parents.”

They grew silent again.  Mellenda felt the distance between them.  It really hurt.  She wondered what she was going to do with herself if she lost Ricky.  All of her plans since she’d been with him had revolved around him.  Going to school with him, marrying him, having beautiful babies with him.

By the time they got back to his house, it was late.  His parents were already in their room.  He knocked on their bedroom door and asked if Mellenda could stay.  They said yes.  Ricky took her hand and led her down the hall to the guest room.  Her heart beat fast when he shut the door behind them.  She pressed him back onto the bed and kissed him with a passion that felt almost crazy even to her. 

He gave her a strange look when he pulled back from her.  “Mellenda, we need to talk.”

She reached around and unhooked her bra and then pulled her shirt over her head.  Ricky had once told her that he couldn’t think about anything else when her breasts were bare, and she was going to use anything she could against him. 

He drank in the sight of her breasts and then looked away.  “Not now Mellenda.”

Mellenda took Ricky’s hand and brought it to her breast.  Her nipple hardened and she could feel the start of an achingly sweet wetness between her legs.  It felt like so long since he’d made love to her.  She kissed him, pressing him to the bed once again.  She reached down to undo his pants.  He didn’t protest so she freed him from his boxers and took his manhood into her mouth.  He let out a quiet moan, but stopped her with a gentle hand on her head. 

“Mellenda.  Stop.  We need to talk.”

She removed her mouth from him, but continued to stroke her hand down his penis.  “Can’t it wait?  I have missed you so much and I’m so. . .  You know what I am.  I’ll let you go down on me.  It’s not really disgusting when you do it.”

Ricky sighed.  “I know it makes you uncomfortable.  I’m not really in the mood to make any kind of love.”

Mellenda snorted.  “Your penis says otherwise.”

“My penis sometimes has a mind of its own.  Mellenda please stop.  Put your clothes back on.  I need to ask you a question.”

“Ricky you’re my boyfriend and I’m horny.  You know how hard it was for me to admit that because I don’t like to talk about stuff like that.  Make love to me and then we can talk all you want.  I’ll answer any questions you have after you quiet this aching.  I promise.”

Mellenda rid herself of the rest of her clothes.  Ricky looked at her for a minute.  She could tell that the sight of her naked body still got to him at least because his penis was really standing at attention now.  She undressed him and then handed him a condom out of her purse. 

He put it on, but she could tell that even if his body wanted very badly to make love to her, that his heart wasn’t in it.  She straddled him and took him inside of her slowly.  She found that she didn’t want to make love to him anymore, she just wanted to screw. 

They both came quickly and she moved off of him.  He discarded the condom in the wastebasket beside the door.  She didn’t get dressed.  She just lay back on the bed.  He dressed and put the blanket over her.  She hid a smile. 

“What do you want to ask me Ricky?”

“Mellenda did you abort our child?”

Mellenda’s face grew hot.  “Who told you that?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me.  I want an answer.”