Chapter Eighteen: Melanie
Sunlight streaming through the blinds woke me. Something heavy pressed against me. Before I could panic, I remembered Will was with me. I peered over to see him sleeping soundly.
I smiled to myself when I thought about the night nurse’s reaction when she walked in and saw Will in the bed with me. She had completely freaked out and threatened to call security. After all, my chart clearly stated I’d been admitted for a neurotic episode brought on by rape, and here I was in bed with some strange guy. Luckily, I was able to assure her nothing bad was going on, and she agreed not to throw Will out.
It was almost time for the breakfast trays to come around. I leaned over and kissed his neck and cheeks until he slowly began to stir. His drowsy brown eyes opened to meet mine. “Good morning,” I said.
“Morning,” he yawned. He stretched his arms over his head. “Ow!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve gotta hell of a crick in my neck,” he replied.
“Sorry.”
Will stopped rubbing his neck to smile down at me. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Besides the neck, did you sleep okay?” I asked.
“Actually I did.” He laughed. “Did you know you’ve got the cutest little snores?”
My eyes widened. “I do not!”
“Yeah, you’re right. You sound more like a bear.”
I laughed. “Stop teasing me,” I half-heartedly commanded, running my fingers through his bed hair.
We lay there staring into each others eyes until I finally asked, “So what happens now?”
He sighed. “I wish I knew.”
I traced my finger over the stripes on his shirt. “So does everyone at school…”
“Yeah, they know it really happened,” Will replied.
I jerked straight up in the bed. “Oh no,” I moaned. An icy fear washed over me. How could I ever face them? How could I ever stand before the girls on my team as liar who bent the truth to save her own self?
“They understand why you lied, Mel,” he said, as if he were able to read my thoughts.
“All of them do?” In truth, I wouldn’t have been too surprised to have one or two who doubted my story. I mean, Coach T had been a part of our lives for four years. Most of them felt about him the same way I did…at least the way I once did.
Will nodded. “He was your coach. You respected him, and you didn’t want to see him get into trouble.”
“That’s true,” I murmured.
“And…”
I raised my eyebrows. “And what?”
“He was…my father.”
I nodded. “Yes, he is.”
Will’s eyes darkened. “He’s not my father anymore, Mel. Not after what he did to you, not after he told me the vicious things he did—just to hurt me and run you down.” He shook his head. “No, he’s dead to me.”
I decided not to argue the point with him. I figured that was something Dr. Leighton could unearth in one of our sessions. “What about your mom?”
“She filed for divorce the day she found out about you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. They’d already been fighting before any of this happened. I guess, they hadn’t been happy for a long time. Maybe that’s why he hooked up with Jordan.”
When Will mentioned Jordan’s name, it was the first time I’d thought of her in a long time. I guess I was too wrapped up in my own drama to consider her. “So what’s happened with Jordan?”
Will shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. There was this whole drama of Carson Ridings coming to school and beating her up. She withdrew from Newton, but no one really knows where she went. Somebody said they thought she was going to St. Catherine’s. She’s probably heard what happened to you by now.”
My chest tightened. “She already knew,” I replied.
“What?”
“Jordan confronted me in the bathrooms the day she came back.”
Will leaned forward. “About what?” Since I didn’t know how to mention the underwear, I remained silent. “Melanie?” he prompted.
Closing my eyes, I finally said, “S-She found my panties in the futon cushions in your dad’s office.”
A cross between a growl and a cry erupted from the back of Will’s throat, but I continued on. “At first, she thought I had…that I was having an affair with him.” I shook my head. “And then somehow she knew the truth.”
“So that’s why she initially told the investigators that you were a victim too?”
I nodded.
“Damn.”
The rattling of the breakfast trays coming around interrupted us. When I opened the lid, I wrinkled my nose. I didn’t have much of an appetite, which was good since the food tasted terrible. “Wanna help me eat this?” I asked Will.
He nodded. After we finished, Will glanced over at me. “Want me to stay until your parents get here?”
“I’d like that.”
He smiled. “Then I’ll stay.”