She’d do that, Feb would. She might not tell folks to stop talking about her, or her and Colt, but she wouldn’t stand and listen to folks talking about Melanie.
“I should have never said anything to Marla,” Melanie stated quietly.
Marla Webster was Melanie’s best friend and a pain in the ass. She had a big mouth, for one. For another, her mouth was loud, always nearly shouting even in a one-on-one conversation like she was talking to someone mostly deaf. Unfortunately, since she talked so damned much, you could never get a word in to tell her to quit yelling. One thing Colt didn’t miss when Melanie left was Marla.
“I kept telling you, Melly, Marla’s a pain in the ass.”
Pain flashed through her face at the reminder of a time when Colt told her anything and the little patience Colt had left, he was losing.
She’d left him, he didn’t ask her to leave, didn’t fucking want her to leave, but she left. That decision was on her. What happened after was not her business. He couldn’t say what would go down if this was happening and Melanie was in his life. The pull of Feb was so strong, he might have buckled and been drawn in by her. Then again, he’d loved his wife so he might not. But, all this shit was going down when he luckily didn’t have a wife. And it was luck that he’d been free, he knew it in his bones and that might not say good things about him but he didn’t give a shit.
Melanie’s eyes came to his and he could see the tears threatening there.
“Is she living here?” she asked.
Colt told her the truth. “She’s been stayin’ here and, yeah, she’s movin’ in.”
“So, if I asked –”
Colt shook his head. “Don’t ask.”
“But –”
“Don’t ask, Mel.”
And he knew it, he knew it then. He knew she’d been thinking about this since Feb came home, trying to make the decision of whether she should approach for reconciliation. Fretting over it for years and timing it too late.
But even if she’d come to him earlier, with Feb home he knew what his answer would have been even thinking he was finished with Feb. He knew it and Melanie knew it. She stayed strong and true to him, there would have been no problem. But she hadn’t and with Feb in town he wouldn’t have taken her back to live under the cloud she brought. Those glances she always threw Feb’s way, the times they’d all be together and he’d catch her studying him as if trying to read a hidden infidelity written on his soul. Why she was making this play now, he didn’t have a clue and he didn’t like it. It wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t cute. It was straight out selfish.
She nodded and looked to the floor, taking in a breath that hitched before she lifted her eyes to his again.
“Tell me one thing.”
And he knew where she was going so he stopped her. “Don’t ask that either.”
“Colt –”
“We split and we did it amicably. You ask that shit, it’ll piss me off.”
She leaned forward and her voice went higher when she said, “I have to know.”
Colt crossed his arms on his chest and leaned back, asking, “You think I’d fuck around on you?”
“She’s Feb.”
“We’re not talkin’ ‘bout Feb now, we’re talkin’ about me and you think I’d fuck around on you?”
She threw her arm out. “She’s back in town and then,” she snapped her fingers, “she’s livin’ in my house.”
Okay, now he was pissed off.
“It’s my house, Melanie, been my house and my house alone now for years.”
“We bought it together.”
“I remember, I also remember you leavin’ me in it alone.”
She hid her hurt behind burgeoning anger. “Well, it’s a good thing for you now Feb’s back I did that.”
“You act like she drove into town yesterday. Feb’s been back years.”
“Yeah, you’re right, so I guess I’m surprised it took this long.”
“I’m not surprised, Mel. At this point, I’m kickin’ myself in the ass for waitin’ that long.”
She reared back and clamped her mouth shut so hard, he could hear her teeth crash together.
“This what you came to do?” Colt asked. “Piss me off?”
“No, of course not.”
“Well, that’s what you did.”
She shook her head again and started, “I just…” then stopped, still shaking her head.
Colt turned, walking to the table, pulling off his suit jacket and hooking it on the back of a dining table chair then he turned back to her.
“Mel, there’s been a string of homicides, two of ‘em to be exact. A robbery last night. I been awake and on the go since before five and I’m fuckin’ dog tired.”
She looked at him and her face went from upset to gentle with memories. “That used to happen a lot.”
Colt didn’t feel like reminiscing so when he spoke his words were short and clipped. “Still does. Never stopped.”
She sucked in her cheeks again before she nodded. “I shouldn’t have come.”
No, she fucking shouldn’t have.
“We done?” he asked and he’d used the wrong words. They stung too; he watched her flinch with the sudden, acute pain. It wasn’t that he didn’t care it just wasn’t his place to care anymore, he’d gotten used to that, he’d gotten over it and he’d moved on. She obviously hadn’t. He had enough problems. He wasn’t going to add hers to them.
“We’re done,” she said softly.
He walked to the door, opened it and held it for her.
She stopped and tilted her head back to look at him before she whispered, “It was nice of her… to try and stop people from talkin’.”
“That’s Feb,” he said because it was.
She nodded again and said, “Take care, Colt. Sorry about…” she trailed off and made a gesture with her hand.
“You got a long drive, Melanie,” he replied, “be safe doin’ it.”