Walter and Phinneas stopped talking at her entrance and stood up from their chairs and met them all over at the doorway. Melina and Dean quickly exchanged phone numbers, and then she led everyone out into the main room and over to the front door.
"I'll give you a call sometime tomorrow afternoon," she said to Dean and then unlocked the door.
Dean nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."
Melina gave him a small smile and then glanced over at Lee. He was gazing out the front window, his expression unreadable. She didn't hear any thoughts coming from him, but she knew he had heard what Dean said.
She looked back at Dean. “Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow."
He gave her a brief smile and then stepped outside. Phinneas said a quick good-bye and then followed Dean out. Walter stopped at the threshold.
"If you'd like, I can come with you and Dean tomorrow while you work with your powers. That way I could see the pain you experience firsthand."
"Thanks, but," she paused and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think there's much you can do." A strong sense of déjà vu overcame her. She had said that to him three months ago when she didn't know if she would survive the strength of the powers or not. She struggled to swallow and then continued. "I've given you all the details, and neither you nor Phinneas knows what's going on. I don't think that seeing it yourself will make much of a difference."
Walter held her gaze and then slowly nodded his head. "Okay. But you know you don't always have to do everything on your own, right?"
Melina gave him a small smile. "I know. And if we encounter any Noxin demons, I'm sure Henry, or even Dean's guardian angel, will show up to help us."
"Right," Walter said as he nodded again. "Well, Phinneas and I will go fill Cecil and Helene in with all the details, but if you do happen to need me for anything tomorrow, just call to me."
"Will do," she said as she gave him a small wave and then shut the door behind him.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Lee said as he approached her.
"No. I guess it wasn't," she said as she turned around to face him. "Thanks for being here for me."
"Of course," he said. "I knew how nervous you were, and I wanted to help you.”
Melina smiled. "Well, Dean seems to be a nice guy, so I don't think I need to worry anymore about us not getting along. And I don't think he'll be running away since all the talk about the demons didn't seem to scare him much." She eyed Lee for a moment and then said, "I'm sorry it scared you, though. Are you okay?"
Lee shook his head. "That didn't scare me."
Melina raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me," he said, taking both of her hands in his. "It didn't. Now let's refocus on you. Do you really think you're up for being around a bunch of people and using your powers tomorrow?"
She shrugged. “It’s probably the only way for me to find out why my pain is growing worse. So yeah, I'm ready for it."
"I tell you what then," Lee said as he led Melina over to the back door. "I'll let you have the rest of the day to yourself so you can rest and get ready for tomorrow. But how about you come over to my place tomorrow evening for dinner? I think it would help you relax after what will probably be a taxing afternoon."
A big grin overtook her face. His genuine desire to help her was one of his most attractive qualities. "I would love that." She gently cupped his face in her hands and then closed her eyes as she kissed him.
After a couple of seconds she tried to step back to look at him, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in closer. Melina wasn't sure what caused the sudden surge of affection, but she didn't want to stop to ask. She let her hands slide to the back of his head and then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued to kiss him.
When Lee finally loosened his hold on her and pulled away, Melina kept her eyes closed for a few seconds longer, savoring the lingering feeling of his lips on hers. "Well," she said as she fluttered her eyes open and gave him a sort of dazed smile. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."
He shot her a playful grin as he grabbed her hand and briefly kissed it. "I can't wait." His fingers released their hold on hers and then he turned to open the back door. "See you tomorrow night," he said with a wink and then closed the door behind him as he left.
Melina leaned against the wall and sighed. Tomorrow night couldn't get here soon enough.
Chapter Six
Melina woke the next morning with a nervous twinge in her stomach. She was not looking forward to spending the first part of the day down in her bookstore, where she would be almost constantly surrounded by a significant amount of people. She was also worried about how her afternoon with Dean was going to go. With a heavy sigh, she dragged herself out of bed and headed into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready.
Once she was dressed and had eaten a quick breakfast, she exited her apartment and started down the stairs that led to her store. When she reached the last step, she stopped and took in a deep breath. She had a life to live, so she would just have to grit her teeth and bear it. Her day would be a whole lot easier, though, if she could fast forward to tonight where she'd be having dinner at Lee's.
She slowly made her way into the front room of her store, and just as she was turning on all of the lights, she heard the back door creak open and then slam shut. She turned around and smiled at Tessa.
"Good morning, Tess."
"Morning," she replied, her beaming face surrounded by loose wisps of her golden curls. She was balancing a small cardboard box in one hand and a drink holder with two insulated coffee cups in the other. The slamming door must've been from her kicking it closed.
Melina hurried over to Tessa. "Here, let me help." She took the box then asked, "What's this?"
"Flyers," Tessa said as they both walked into their shared office. Tessa set the coffees down on her desk and then hung her coat and scarf up on the coat rack. "You know, for the poetry reading this Friday. I picked them up from the print shop Saturday after I left here. You want to see one?" She stepped over to where Melina had set the box down and opened it up.
"Sure," said Melina.
Tessa handed Melina the top flyer from the box. "Nice, aren't they?"
Melina nodded. "Yeah, Pete did an excellent job. The artwork is great, very eye-catching. I'll have to make sure to call him later to say thanks." She placed the flyer back in the box and then peered up at Tessa. "We need to talk before we open the store."
Tessa frowned. "Is something wrong? I'm not in trouble, am I?" Her expression lightened a bit as she gave Melina a mischievous grin.
Melina shook her head and let out a small laugh. "I may be your boss, but that doesn't mean you'd ever be in trouble with me." She stepped over to her desk, pulled out her chair, and took a seat. "No, I need to talk to you about what's going on with me."
Tessa's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by what's going on with you? I thought everything was okay now."
"Apparently not."
"Is it something with your powers?" Tessa asked.
Melina nodded but then remained silent for the next few seconds as she tried to choose the right words to say. "For the past two weeks now, the pain I feel after using my powers has started to grow worse."
Tessa's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "Melina! How come you haven't told me until now? I can't believe you kept that a secret from me!"
"Calm down," Melina said as she raised her hand up in front of her. "I didn't tell anyone until two days ago. I thought that maybe it would go away after awhile, but it didn't." She glanced down at her hands and then told Tessa about everything else that had happened over the past two days.
"Your life's not in danger again, is it?" Tessa's eyes remained wide as she looked expectantly at Melina.
"I don't know," Melina replied.
Tessa's eyebrows shot up. "You don't know?"
Melina shook her head. "Phinneas told me not to think that way, but it's hard not to."
"Wow," Tessa sa
id as she rubbed her hand over her brow. "This is a lot to digest. I mean, it's exciting that someone else like you has been found, but then again, aren't you frustrated that Walter and Phinneas don't know what’s going on with your pain, or how that Noxin demon found you?"
"I didn't say that they don't know. They just aren't sure. Dean and I are the only two humans they have to go off of. And even then, Dean and I seem to be experiencing things differently."
Tessa briefly shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "How do you do it? How do you remain so calm in situations like these? I'm pretty sure I'd be flipping out right about now."
Melina raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I wouldn't say I'm calm. I'm still pretty bothered by all of this, so I think practical might be the better term. I just know from experience that excessive worrying and crying aren't going to solve anything."
Tessa uncrossed her arms and started to unpack the flyers from the box. "Well, I don't like all of this uncertainty."
Melina exhaled loudly. "Trust me, I don't either." She stood up from her chair and grabbed a handful of the flyers. "I'll take these with me when I go meet Dean later. I can try to hang them up around town while we work."
Tessa nodded as she picked up the rest of the pile. "I'll put these on the front desk to hand out to customers." She then looked up at Melina and said, "Are you sure you're going to be okay this morning? I can handle the store by myself until Gwen gets here."
Melina gave her a small, appreciative smile. "I'll be fine. I can't keep hiding if I want to find answers." She laid the flyers down on her desk, and then they both walked out into the main room to open the store.
The morning was surprisingly uneventful. Only a handful of customers came in. Melina was grateful for this, along with the fact that none of them stayed for very long, which helped to keep the pain in her head from escalating from moderate to unbearable. Gwen finally arrived about half past noon, and Melina immediately pulled her aside into the break room and closed the door. They both sat down at the table, and then Melina filled her in on everything that she had told Tessa just a few hours earlier.
"Oh dear." Gwen covered her mouth with her hand as her pale blue eyes started to water. "I'm so sorry. I know how relieved you were to finally have everything over, so I can only imagine how you're feeling now that it seems to be happening again." She laid her hand on Melina's forearm and gave it a brief squeeze.
Melina let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, it's a bit overwhelming. But, I have to have hope that I'll eventually find some answers."
"I'm glad to see you with such an upbeat attitude toward the situation." Gwen blinked her eyes a few times to clear the tears away and then gave her a soft smile.
"Oh, I still have my doubts," said Melina as she stood up from her chair to exit the room. "But I'm trying to have an upbeat attitude."
"Trying is better than nothing," said Gwen as she followed Melina toward the door. "I'll help with the store as much as you need me to, just like the last time."
Melina turned and smiled at her. "Thank you. I really appreciate…" Her voice cut off as she leaned against the door frame, her eyes shut tight. Then suddenly she let out a pain-filled scream as she doubled over and fell to the floor.
"Melina!" Gwen's eyes widened as she dropped down to her knees and placed her hands on Melina's arm. "What's wrong? Is it your powers?"
All Melina could do was give a small nod. She knew this was going to happen soon. The whole time she was talking to Gwen, she could tell the store was growing busier and busier as it kept getting harder and harder to block out the thoughts she was hearing. But the reaction was one she didn't expect. The pain changed from sharp to burning much quicker than the first time, and it was no longer isolated to her head.
It ripped through her body, causing a low wail to escape her as she gritted her teeth and curled herself into a ball. Her insides felt like they were on fire, as if her body could burst into flames at any moment. She continued to groan as she pulled her knees in closer to her chest and wrapped her arms tighter around each other. Suddenly she heard Gwen's voice again.
"What can I do to help you?" she asked in a panicky tone. "Please, just tell me anything. Anything to help."
Melina didn't respond at first. She was hoping that if she waited just a little bit longer then the pain might lessen enough for her to be able to sit up, but it didn't. Instead, the pain in her head increased again, and a sudden feeling of anger filled her mind.
She forced her eyes open and glared at Gwen. "Get away from me!" she snarled through gritted teeth as she leaned up and pushed Gwen back. "Just leave me alone!" Melina fell back down to the floor and closed her eyes again. Her body started to shake, and her breathing was becoming more rapid by the second.
About a minute later, the anger and the burning finally faded away. Her body went from a violent shaking to a mild trembling as she covered her face with her hands and started to weep.
"Melina?" she heard Gwen say softly.
"I'm so sorry, Gwen," she said in a low, muffled voice. "I'm so sorry."
She felt Gwen lay a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, sweetheart."
Melina shook her head. "No, it's not. I don't know what came over me." She suddenly felt Gwen's hands on her own.
"Melina," Gwen said as she gently pulled Melina's hands away from her face. "Please, look at me."
Melina swept her long, wavy brown hair away from her face and then opened her eyes to look at Gwen.
"It is okay. You said it yourself, something came over you, and you couldn't help it." Gwen paused for a second and then extended her hands out. "Here, let me help you up."
Melina leaned forward and then grabbed Gwen's hands. Gwen slowly pulled her up from the floor, but once she got to her feet she immediately started to sway.
"Whoa, whoa," said Gwen as she lowered her into a chair. "There. Is that better?"
"Yeah, thank you." Melina wiped the tears from her cheeks and then let out a long, shaky breath.
"I think you need to go and lay down for a little while," Gwen said. "I'll fetch Tessa to have her help you upstairs."
"I'm supposed to meet with Dean. I can't bail on him."
Gwen shook her head, making her short black curls bounce. "Once you get up to your apartment, you can call him and explain. I'm sure he'll understand." Gwen lightly patted her on the shoulder and then walked out of the break room.
Melina didn't even have a chance to try and stop her. It probably wouldn't have made any difference, though. Gwen was like a second mother to her, always making sure she did what was best for her, even if she didn't like it at first.
Several seconds later, Tessa burst through the door, her eyes wide. "Gwen told me what happened. Are you all right?"
Melina nodded.
"Let's get you upstairs to rest. Can you walk?" Tessa asked as she helped Melina up from her chair.
"I think so, if I can use you for support. I'm still feeling a bit out of sorts and kind of dizzy."
"Of course," said Tessa as she took a hold of Melina's arm and lead her out of the break room.
As they made their way through the store, Melina's breathing started to quicken and her hands started to shake. The buzzing of voices in her mind kept growing louder and louder, and she feared it was going to get to be too much for her again. She ducked her head down and leaned in toward her friend.
"You okay?" asked Tessa.
"We need to move faster. I don't care if we draw attention. I just need to get upstairs."
Without saying a word, Tessa wrapped her arm around Melina's waist to give her more support and then picked up the pace. They soon made it to the back of the store and then up the stairs to her apartment. Once they were inside, Melina let out a heavy sigh of relief. She was far enough away now that she no longer heard any of the customer's thoughts.
Tessa helped her down onto the couch and then covered her up with a blanket. "So what exactly happened?" she asked as she kneeled down next to the couch.
Tessa didn't say anything. She just laid her hand on Melina's arm and gave it a soft pat.
Several seconds later, Melina swept the tears from her face and sat up from her reclined position. "Gwen wants me to stay up here and rest, but I don't want to cancel on Dean. I also need to tell Walter and Phinneas about what happened."
Tessa nodded as she stood up from the floor. "Okay. I'll leave you to it."
Melina's eyebrows scrunched together. "You're not going to try to stop me and tell me that I need to lay back down?"
"No," Tessa replied, shaking her head. "After the last time, I trust you to know what you're doing." She gave her a small smile and then turned to walk toward the door. "Oh," she said as she spun back around. "And if you decide to go and meet Dean, I would suggest exiting through the back door as discreetly as you can. I can keep Gwen from coming up here to check on you, but if she catches you out of your apartment, she'll march you right back up here and won't let you leave." Tessa smiled as she raised her eyebrows and briefly shook her index finger at Melina.
"Thank you," said Melina, returning her smile.
Tessa gave her a nod and then disappeared back downstairs.
Melina laid back down on the couch and sighed as her eyelids slowly closed. She would rest her eyes for a little bit, that was all. Then she would get up and call to Walter and Phinneas. Just a minute or two was all she needed. The longer she lay there, though, the drowsier she became.
"No. I'm not going to fall asleep," she muttered out loud to herself. "I'm not going to fall asleep…"
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