Forever and Always

by Beverley Hollowed

  “What if we hadn’t have come home” he asked, his voice a little softer than before.

  “He wouldn’t have done anything” Melanie replied, still unable to look at her Dad. “He is a good guy”.

  “Oh for Christ sake Melanie” he snapped making her jump with fright. “He was trying to pull your pants down. He was not going to take no for an answer”.

  “Mike would never have done anything I didn’t want” she insisted feeling angry he was treating her like she was a stupid child. “We love each other”.

  “Melanie that wasn’t love” Alex replied shaking his head. “He only had one thing on his mind. He would have said anything to get you to do what he wanted”.

  “WELL MAYBE I WANTED IT TOO” she shouted back at him angrily.

  “Oh please I know you are not that stupid” he said shocked at her response. Anger bubbled inside him again “He probably didn’t even have protection. And I know you are not stupid enough to get stuck with a baby and ruin your god damn life”.

  It was like a slap in the face. Melanie’s heart dropped. She couldn’t believe he had just said that. For a moment she stared at her Dad in shocked silence. Then finally she found her voice.

  “Like I ruined yours” she whispered, her heart broken.

  “Melanie” he moved towards her but she stepped back. The realisation of what he just said hit him with a thump. She couldn’t bare him to touch her. “You know that’s not what I meant”.

  “It’s the truth isn’t it” she replied coldly. “You weren’t much older than I am now when you had me. I ruined you plans to go to Trinity College. I ruined everything”.

  “Melanie I have never regretted having you for a single seconded of my life” he replied sounding devastated by what she said. “I love you more than anything else in this world, you know that”. He moved towards her again but again she stepped back.

  “But your life would have been so much easier if I never existed” she wiped the tears from her face with the bottom of her top. “I get it”

  “Melanie” he pleaded. His heartbreak written all over his face. “I love you sweetheart”.

  Without saying another word, she pushed passed him and hurried up to her room.

  “Oh shit Grace” he said tears dancing in his eyes and turning quickly to Grace. “What have I done?”

  “She knows you love her Alex” Grace said slipping her arms around him. “She knows you didn’t mean it. You were just upset and so is she. She is hurt and she’s probably embarrassed by what just happened. She is just lashing out”.

  “Didn’t you see her face?” he asked completely devastated. “How could I have been so fucking stupid to say something so careless to her”.

  “She will come around” She said leaning her head against his chest. He closed his eyes and pulled her to him. “She loves you too much not to”.

  “I want to go home” Melanie’s voice surprised them both from behind. Alex spun around to see his daughter standing at the door with her back pack on her shoulder. She was staring at the ground refusing to let her eyes meet his. “Grace could you please give me a lift”.

  “Mel, please I honestly didn’t mean anything..” Alex said releasing Grace and making a move toward his daughter.

  “Grace I will wait at the car for you” she said completely ignoring Alex. She turned and walked out the front door without even glancing at her father.

  Alex tried to get her to stay but she wouldn’t even talk to him. So Grace dropped her home. She tried to talk to Melanie in the car but Melanie wouldn’t discuss it.

  When they got to the apartment Sarah was waiting for them when they walked in. Melanie didn’t say a word. She just walked to her room and slammed the door. Sarah turned to Grace.

  “Alex called” she told Grace. “Is he ok?”

  “He is devastated” Grace replied sadly. “Sarah you know he didn’t mean it”.

  “I know he didn’t” Sarah smiled sadly. “Alex has worshipped Melanie from the minute he saw her, probably even before that. And Mel knows that too Grace. She is just upset and embarrassed about what happened. She’ll come around”.

  “I hope so” Grace replied. “I will call tomorrow to see how she is. I should get back to Alex”.

  “Thanks for bring her home Grace” Sarah replied hugging Grace. Sarah left Grace to the door, and then turned and headed back down towards Melanie’s bedroom. She paused for a moment then she knocked on Melanie’s door before she opened the door.

  Melanie refused to talk about what happened. She just put her earphones in her ears and turned her back on Sarah. Sarah knew she needed some time. Quietly she stood up and left her daughter alone.

  When she was alone, Melanie curled into a tiny ball on her bed and sobbed until she drifted into a restless sleep. Her heart broken.

  Chapter 2Alex came by early the next morning to talk to Melanie but she refused to talk to him. Instead she stormed out of the apartment and headed straight to Katie’s house. She had texted Lucy to meet her there.

  “Shit Mel, what the fuck happened with Mike and your Dad last night” Katie asked as soon as she opened the door.

  “Nice to see you too Katie” Melanie retorted sarcastically as she walked past Katie into her house. She headed straight out to the games room at the back of house. She knew Lucy would be out there waiting on them.

  “I met Mike at Papa Gino’s last night” she continued, unfazed by her friends less than happy demeanour. “He said your Dad went bat-shit crazy on his ass last night. Said he threatened to kill him”.

  “I really don’t want to talk about it” Melanie replied slumping onto one of the big sofas in the room and pulling her knees up to her chest.

  “Are you ok Mel” Lucy asked sitting down next to Melanie and gently rubbed her arm.

  The tears were dancing in Melanie’s eyes. She really didn’t want to cry in front of her friends. She wasn’t prepared to tell them about her argument with her Dad. She was still too hurt to talk about it with anyone. Melanie felt tired after a restless night of sobbing in her bedroom. She had never felt so hurt or sad in her life before. She just couldn’t speak about it.

  “I’m ok” she replied in a bare whisper but the tears that trickled down her cheeks said otherwise. She quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand and swallowed hard to push the grief that was building in her back down inside.

  “Hey” Lucy said putting her arm around her and hugging her friend tightly. “What happened Mel? You can talk to us. I bet it just seems worse than it actually is”. Lucy took Melanie’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly and wrapped her other arm around her tighter. Melanie just sat motionless staring at her fingers.

  “Did that asshole hurt you last night” Katie asked. She wasn’t a big fan of Mike. “Cause I will kick his skinny arse if he did. I knew there was something I didn’t like about him. No one is that good looking and still so nice”.

  Melanie smiled through her tears at her friends concern, especially Katie and her eloquent way with words. She knew they just wanted to help. But right at that moment, they couldn’t.

  “Why did your Dad freak out Mel?” Lucy asked softly still sitting with her arm around her. Melanie closed her eyes as the memories of the night before flashed through her mind. Mike’s forceful hands and mouth on her, his face when her Dad pulled him off her, the sheer anger in her Dad’s face and finally his words, the words that cut through her like a knife into her soul.

  Had she really ruined their lives? She thought of her Dad’s job. He always dreamed of being a solicitor and he had fulfilled that dream. But had been a hard road for him and he was one of the oldest juniors in his office. So he was a little behind where he should have been in his career. Did he resent her for that?

  And what about her Mom? Sarah had also gone back to collage at night. She studied journalism and now wrote columns for a weekly magazine. But she knew Sarah wanted to be a proper writer. Getting a book published would be her greatest wish. But
she never seemed to have the time to do any proper writing. Also she still hadn’t found her mister right either. But then who wants a thirty-something year old with a stroppy teenager. It wasn’t that she never dated but she just never seemed to meet that right one. Was that her fault too?

  “Earth calling Melanie” Katie’s voice snapped her out of her daydreaming.

  “Sorry” she replied but didn’t look at her friends.

  “Mel you are freaking me out a little” Katie said sitting on the far side of Melanie. “I have never seen you so upset, ever. You know you can talk to us”.

  Before she had a chance to even reply, her phone began to ring. She recognised the ring tone as the one she has selected for Mike. She quickly pulled her phone from her coat pocket and flipped it open.

  “Hi Mike” she said nervously, unsure of how he would react given the way her dad had freaked at him the night before.

  “Hi Mel” he replied nervously. “Are you ok?”

  “Yeah” was all she managed to say before the tears started to fall again.

  “Can I come and see you” he asked her, a sound of hope in his voice.

  “Yeah I’m at Katie’s. I’ll meet you here” she replied and hung up the phone. She felt relieved her Dad hadn’t completely scared Mike off.

  “I can’t believe you are going to meet that asshole” Katie hissed, the hatred in her voice clearly obvious. “I mean, let’s face it Mel, your Dad wouldn’t have gone bat-shit crazy for nothing. That waster obviously did something incredibly stupid”.

  “I agree Mel” Lucy nodded. “Your dad is super cool and he wouldn’t freak out for nothing”.

  “You haven’t a fucking clue” Mel snapped and jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag. “My Dad is an asshole”. Without another word she stormed out of the house and left her two friends sitting in a shocked silence.

  She was half way down the road when she heard Mike call her name. She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. When he reached her he wrapped his arms around her.

  Suddenly, much to Mel’s horror, she began to sob. Mike buried her face in his chest and hugged her close to him.

  An hour later they arrived back at her apartment. They stood at the door in an awkward silence. Mel peeked up at Mike through her lashes. He was watching her intently. Slowly she raised her head as he leaned down and met her lips. Suddenly she was pressed against the wall and he hands were all over her body again.

  He reached down and slowly starts to hitch her skirt, then slowly slid his hand back up towards her panties.

  “Mike don’t” she whispered as she tried to push him away but he didn’t seem to hear her. He pinned her harder with his hip against the wall.

  “Mel you feel so good” he whispered breathlessly.

  “Mike stop” She shouted pushing him back.

  Before she knew it, Alex appeared once again out of nowhere. This time he grabbed Mike and punched him square in the face.

  Alex had been waiting for her in her apartment and had seen her walk up toward the apartment with Mike from the window. He was freaked when he saw her with Mike and stormed out of the apartment down to meet them.

  “I told you to stay the hell away from my daughter” he screamed as Mike slumped in a heap on the ground clutching his face. “Next time I see you anywhere near my daughter, I will fucking kill you”.

  Alex turned and looked at Melanie and she just stared at him in pure disbelief. Without saying a word to either Mike or Alex she stormed into the building and pressed the call button for the elevator. Moments later the main door opened and Alex came rushing in. Mel turned on her heals and headed toward the stairwell and began up the stairs taking them two at a time.

  When she reached the fourth floor the elevator pinged open at the same time and Alex step out.

  “Mel sweetheart” he called after her. But she didn’t stop or even slow down. When she got to the apartment door which was ajar, she stormed inside. Sarah and Grace were sitting on the sofa. Jamie, who was sitting on the floor playing with some toys, squealed with excitement when he saw Melanie. But she didn’t say a word. She marched straight into her room and slammed the door locking it behind her.

  Alex quickly followed her into the apartment and banged on her bedroom door.

  “Mel we need to talk” he said in a low calm tone, but his face showed he was anything but calm. “Open the door”.

  She didn’t respond.

  “Mel I am not going anywhere till you open this God damn door and you talk to me” he pressed his head against the door. Suddenly there was blaring music coming from her room so she couldn’t hear anything he said.

  Instantly Jamie started to cry. Grace picked him up to comfort him but he wanted Melanie.

  “Maybe I should take him home” Grace said looking at Alex.

  “Ok” Alex replied and sighed trying his hardest to give her a smile. “But I think I need to stay here and talk to Melanie”.

  “I know” Grace replied and she kissed Alex and left with Jamie.

  “You want a coffee?” Sarah asked Alex. Alex followed Sarah back into the kitchen.

  “Shit Sarah” he sighed and slumped dejectedly onto the stool at the breakfast bar. “I have really fucked up this time. I have never seen her so mad like this before. The way she looked at me....” He shook his head recalling Melanie’s face standing in the middle of his living room the night before. It was like he had punched her in the guts. How could he have been so stupid? Especially when the truth was he felt Melanie was the best thing to happen in his life. Oh he loved Grace and Jamie so much as well. But she was his Melanie. His little girl and there was nothing in this world he loved more.

  “Alex” Sarah said softly taking his hand. “Melanie knows you love her. She just needs a little time to calm down”.

  “I hope so Sarah” he replied sadly. “I really do.

  ********************

  Melanie was lying on her bed crying. Things were so fucked up in her head. What was Mike thinking of. She had tried to stop him but he didn’t seem to care. She couldn’t believe her Dad had caught them again. No wonder he regretted having a kid at 18. He must have thought she was a little tramp to let Mike grope her like that in broad day light.

  She had ruined her parent’s lives and now she was nothing but a big fat disappointment. A fresh wave or grief swept over her and she sobbed harder into her pillow. Thank God she had turned the music up so load. They wouldn’t be able to hear her cry.

  She woke with a start. It was starting to get darker in her room. She looked at her alarm clock and it was already after nine. She reached over and switched off the music. God her head was pounding. Slowly she crept to her bedroom door and pressed her ear against it. There was just silence. Her mom had probably brought Jethro out for his evening walk and her Dad was probably long gone my now.

  Slowly she opened her door and stuck her head out. The living area was in darkness. Yeah she was definitely on her own. She sighed with relief and made her way towards the kitchen for a drink, she was so thirsty.

  “Mel” her Dad voice whispered sleepily from behind her. She spun around and he was sitting on one of the cream padded arm chairs. He looked like he had been asleep. He looked terrible. Melanie heart tightened and she wanted to run to him but she just stood there, unable to move.

  Quickly he stood up and moved closer to her but didn’t touch her. Melanie’s heart was beating so fast it was pounding in her ears.

  “Mel I am so sorry” he croaked, his voice cracking and revealing his hurt and sadness. “I never meant to hurt you like I did yesterday. I love you more than anything in this world. You mean everything to me. But when I came home and saw that toe rag on top of you and you looked so...So scared....” His voice trailed off. He closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath then continued.

  “I was just so angry” he whispered. “I would do anything to protect you. You mean the world to me kiddo”.

  Melanie didn’t say anything. She t
ook a minute to process what he had just said. Her mind flashed back to the night before. To Mike on top of her. Her dad was right she had been terrified. He was so big and strong and she had felt powerless beneath him. But Mike loved her and she refused to believe he would have done anything to hurt her. But she knew her Dad was only trying to protect her. She knew that his heart had been in the right place.

  “I am sorry too” she finally replied. Alex wrapped her in his arms and held her close while she sobbed.

  He brushed her hair softly and kissed the top of her head. Relief washed over him. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being so angry with him or the fact he had hurt her so badly. That was the last thing he ever wanted.

  “I am sorry I disappointed you” she whispered.

  “Melanie O’Leary” he said holding her face in his hands. “You could never disappoint me. Don’t ever think that for even a minute you have. There is nothing in this world you could do to disappoint me”.

  Twenty minutes later Sarah came back with Jethro and found them sitting side by side on the sofa. She smiled at them with relief. She hated to see them fighting.

  She made two cups of tea and a glass of milk and brought it back to the living room. She put the tray they were on, along with a plate of Melanie favourite biscuits, Bourbon Creams, down on the glass coffee table next to the big sofa and took the armchair across from them.

  “So you have made up” Sarah said with a smile before taking a sip of her tea.

  “Yep” Melanie replied happily and reached over and grabbed a biscuit. They were Alex’s favourite biscuit too. Ever since Melanie was little she always broke her biscuit in two and gave Alex one half whenever he was around. And now was no different. She twisted the biscuit into two and absentmindedly handed one half to Alex. Sarah smiled. She loved watching them together.

  “I am glad to hear it” Sarah said as she reached for her tea and sat back and curled her legs underneath her.

  “I am glad too” Melanie beamed and looked at her Dad and smiled brightly.

  “So did your Dad tell you what we thought might be fun” Sarah said putting her tea back down on the table.