One of the biggest things I know about Xavier’s personality is that it’s like pulling teeth to get him to ask for or accept help. But it’s time he learns that he’s not in this alone and it’s not a sign of weakness to do so.
“Melanie, you don’t have to do that,” he groans. The feel of his hand gently gliding up and down my arm is lulling me to sleep. I blink hard a couple of times, trying to hide how ready I am to fall asleep in his arms. Not because they’re his, but because they’re here and I haven’t slept more than three hours per night for too long.
“You’re right, I don’t have to. But I want to.” I let out a long yawn and I know I’m going to have to head in soon. “I have a friend who manages some properties, we’ll give him a call and see what he has. Deal?”
“Are you going to call even if I say no deal?” Xavier chuckles. He gently pushes me away from him, standing to help me out of the swing.
“Probably,” I admit. No sense telling him I won’t. It’s a toss-up on which of us is more stubborn, and this time I’m going to win. We walk in the house and Xavier scoops up his son before heading to bed. “Goodnight, Xavier,” I whisper loudly.
True to her word, Melanie is sitting at the table, phone cradled on one shoulder as she types notes on her laptop. “Okay, thanks Tyler,” she says sweetly before ending the call. “Oh, hey! I have good news. Tyler said he has a two bedroom on the west side that’s available now.”
I pour myself a cup of coffee, wondering what time she got out of bed that she’s so perky this morning. I almost prefer pre-caffeine Melanie to this version. Almost. “Melanie, I told you I’m not sure I’m ready to go back,” I grumble, lifting the hot liquid to my lips.
“And I told you that I’m not letting you run away,” she retorts, standing with her hands on her hips. We enter a masters level staring contest, but I lose it when she cocks one eyebrow. I always lose it when she does that. “This is a great place, good school district for next fall, close to the highway for you to get to work, and he’s going to waive the security deposit.”
Now that I’m beginning to wake up a bit, I realize that I’ve heard this guy’s name before. “Do you mean Tyler, as in gay best friend Tyler?” I ask, not sure how else to phrase the question. If it is him, I can’t imagine he knows who I am or he probably would have told Melanie that she had lost her mind if she thought he would help me.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” she says, bending into the fridge to pull out the carton of eggs. I clench my eyes closed when I catch myself staring at her perfectly round ass. “He also said they have a moving company they work with frequently and he can call them as soon as you’re ready. Because of me, he’s also willing to do all of this and have you sign the paperwork and pay first month’s rent when you get back.”
She’s like a steamroller this morning. Even if I tried fighting with her, I’m not sure I could get a word in. And it’s obvious that she has decided that I am moving. When did she become such a pushy broad? “And what if I don’t want to move there? What if it’s a dive?”
Melanie turns the laptop in my direction and I see a slideshow scrolling across the top of the screen. This apartment isn’t like anything I’ve ever lived in. It’s gorgeous. I roll my eyes, not wanting to let Melanie know just yet that she managed to find the perfect place for me and Jacob. While she finishes making breakfast, I return to my bedroom to find that Brody has jumped onto the bed and is once again curled up next to Jacob. I wonder if this place allows dogs.
All morning, I work harder than I should to come off as distant and aloof when I’m around Melanie. She’s pushing all of my buttons, but it’s not pissing me off the way it normally would. Instead, I feel grateful for whatever stars aligned to bring her back into my life. Her incessant need to have everything in order is just what I need right now because it’s driving me insane that I’m putting so much effort into trying to appear normal for Jacob’s sake that I no longer give a damn about the things that used to mean so much to me. She’s probably the one person who can help me right now, simply because she is the only person other than Braydon who truly knows me.
“If you don’t want to take the apartment, just tell me,” she says as we walk along the sand. Before Alyssa died, I couldn’t imagine being content walking up and down the beach all day, watching Jacob play, but now, I wish I could do it forever. I don’t want to miss a minute of his life, but I know that I’ll have to when we go home. Who’s going to take care of him when I’m on business trips? What if I have a late meeting? These are two more reminders of how much Alyssa did for me. Things that I took for granted.