by Wendi Wilson
He pulled away and stood up, pulling her up with him. He released her hand and bent over to pull a shirt from behind a bush. He straightened back up and pulled it over his head. As soon as his glorious chest and abs were covered, he reached for Melanie’s hand again. She let him take it, but still refused to meet his eyes.
“Mel, look at me,” he said quietly as he lifted her chin with two fingers. He still held her hand tight with his other one. “Mel.”
Melanie reluctantly lifted her eyes from the ground to his face. They only went as high as his mouth, though. She was still too embarrassed to meet his stare. Jeremy sighed, and at that whisper-light sound, she dropped her eyes to the ground once more. Jeremy released her hand and put both his palms on her cheeks, forcing her gaze up to meet his.
“Mel, do you know why I ran into the woods?”
Melanie shook her head slightly, but she had an idea. She took a deep breath and blurted “Because I said you were mine and that was super clingy and you didn’t want to deal with it?” She ended in a near whine.
Jeremy dropped his hands from her face as if he’d been burned. He took a step back and shook his head at her.
“Are you crazy?”
“Wh-what?” She really was on the verge of crying now. Jeremy saw the tears forming and rushed forward to take her in his arms again.
“Melanie,” he said as he squeezed her tight, then leaned back so he could see her face. “I want you to listen to me, and listen hard. I did run into the woods because you called me yours, but not because I thought you were being clingy.”
He looked to the side and mumbled something under his breath that she couldn’t make out. Then he stared into her eyes intently.
“I ran because I needed to shift, and I didn’t think it was really a great idea to do it in your back yard, where, even if no one saw me in the act, anyone, including your mother, could’ve seen me standing there afterwards. Naked.”
Melanie sucked in a breath and released it slowly. She was starting to calm down. The feeling of Jeremy’s arms around her were as comforting as they were exciting.
“I needed to shift,” he continued softly, pulling her closer so that their noses almost touched, “because when I heard you stake your claim on me, even as a joke, it made my brain go haywire. Call it animal instinct. I couldn’t wait. I had to hold you right that second, to kiss you and show you that I am yours. That you are mine. I needed to feel your lips against mine, your hands in my hair, your body pressed against me.”
Melanie shuddered as he spoke those words. She shuddered again when he ran a hand up into her hair and pulled her mouth to his for a soft kiss. She finally released all her tension and hugged him back. He kissed his way across her cheek to her ear.
“The reason I made you follow me out here,” he whispered directly into her ear, “was most definitely not to make love to you, for the first time, in the dirt.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth for a brief second, then pulled his head back to look at her face again.
“I got a little carried away. You are so amazing, I lost my head for a minute. I mean, I had you in my arms and you were touching me…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
Melanie was awed by his words. She had never had a boy want her before, much less want her so bad that he lost control. With any other guy, she’d be scared to death of what “losing control” might mean, but she trusted Jeremy implicitly. His words didn’t scare her. They made her feel hot all over. She was filled with so many emotions, she couldn’t even think straight.
It was obvious he was waiting for her to say something, anything. So she blurted the first thing that came to mind. The only thing that came to mind when she was in his arms. She didn’t really mean to say it, but the words tumbled out regardless.
“I love you.”
Jeremy’s face lit up like a firework and he growled as he pulled her forward for a long, hard kiss. He dipped his tongue into her mouth and coaxed hers out to meet it. After several long seconds of that he pulled away and cupped her cheeks with his palms.
“Melanie, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me. Having you in my life as my friend was amazing, but having you in my life, in my arms, as my girlfriend has been miraculous. Mel, I love you. I think I’ve loved you since I met you. I just didn’t realize it.”
Chapter 18
“Hey, it’s Jeremy. You know the drill.”
“Ugh, voicemail.” Melanie paced her room anxiously as she waited for the beep. “Jeremy, hey. It’s me. I mean, it’s Melanie. Um, call me back as soon as you get this, okay? Okay. I lo…I mean, uh, bye.”
Melanie tossed her phone onto her bed. “Smooth, Mel. Real smooth,” she berated herself.
With everything that happened in the woods earlier, she had completely forgotten to tell Jeremy about her conversation with Tara. Even though she certainly was not looking forward telling Jeremy that his cousin may be the one terrorizing her, he needed to know that it was a possibility.
She changed into a pair of old boxer shorts and a tank top and let herself fall backwards onto the bed. She picked up her phone and opened her photo album app. She scrolled to a picture of Jeremy and sighed.
Could he be any more perfect?
He had always made her feel special, but what he’d made her feel on that forest floor was beyond that. She’d felt hot all over, yet covered in goose bumps. She wanted to feel every inch of him against her, needed him closer, but when he gave it to her, she’d gotten scared.
Is something wrong with me? Shouldn’t that have made me…Oh! I don’t know!
She was utterly confused. When Jeremy should have lost patience or gotten angry, he simply stopped what he was doing, made sure she was okay, and said wonderful things that she’d never dreamt of hearing.
“Hey Tara,” she texted. “U busy?”
“OMG I’ve been waiting all night. Did U tell Jeremy?”
“Not yet, sorry.”
“What?! I thought you’d call him by now. Dying over here.”
“Sorry. He came by. I forgot.”
“????”
“I know, so sorry. Got…distracted.”
“Details!”
“Went for a walk in the woods.”
“AND?”
“Well, things got a little heated. Was amazing.”
“AND??”
“I got scared. He felt it and stopped.”
“Was he mad?”
“Nope. Said that I am amazing and he couldn’t control himself around me, but he would not make love to me for the first time in the dirt.”
“OMG!”
“I know, right?”
“What did U say?”
“I love you.”
“OMG!! You didn’t! What did he say? Did he say I love you too? Tell me!”
“Not exactly.”
“?”
“He said that having me as a friend was amazing, but having me in his arms was miraculous. That he’s loved me forever, but he just didn’t know it.”
“{swoon}”
Just then the phone started to ring. “T, I gotta go. He’s calling. I’ll talk to u tomorrow, k?”
“K. Don’t forget.”
“Hello?”
“Mel, you okay? I just got your message.”
“Yeah, I’m great! I mean, fine. I’m fine. I need to talk to you about my conversation with Tara. I completely forgot earlier.”
“Yeah, me too.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “Can I come over?”
“I don’t know. It’s getting kind of late. My mom would freak out.”
“What about Ace? Would she mind if he came in?”
“Probably, but he’d be easier to explain away if we get caught. I’ll meet you at the back door.”
Melanie dropped her phone on her bed and quietly opened her bedroom door. She tiptoed to her mom’s closed bedroom door and pressed her ear against the wood. She could hear the television, which was set to the nightly news.
Perfect, she th
ought as she walked as quietly as possible down the stairs. She’ll be asleep in no time!
Melanie went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She wasn’t really thirsty, but it would make a good cover story for her presence in the kitchen if her mom came down. She held it in her hand as she stared out the window, looking for any sign of Jeremy.
Suddenly, there was a scratch at the back door that startled her into nearly dropping the glass. She walked quickly to the door and opened it a crack, just enough for Ace to walk through. She scratched him on the head then held a finger to her lips, motioning him to be quiet and follow her up the stairs.
She tiptoed back down the hall to her room, where Ace followed her in and she quietly closed the door behind him. He walked to the center of her room and sat on his haunches, staring at her expectantly.
“Oh, crap!” she whispered. “You don’t have any clothes.”
Ace whimpered and looked around the room. Melanie went to her closet and found her bath robe. It was light pink with rubber ducks on it. She laughed softly as she held it up.
“Sorry, buddy, this is all I’ve got.”
Ace whined and tilted his head, eyeballing it skeptically. Melanie held open her closet door, threw it on the floor inside, and made a shooing motion at him to get in. Ace chuffed indignantly, but complied. Melanie shut the door behind him and went to sit on her bed to wait. She clicked on her T.V. to drown out any noise they might make.
It wasn’t until then that she remembered what she was wearing. Her tank top and shorts weren’t too skimpy, but she felt self-conscious about the fact that she didn’t have on a bra. She crossed her arms over her chest in embarrassment.
Just then, the closet door opened and Jeremy strutted out arrogantly. He struck a manly pose, making him look even more ridiculous in the bath robe. Melanie’s discomfort evaporated and she had to pull her pillow to her face to muffle her laughter.
“That,” she said between deep breaths, “is hilarious. You look awesome. Really.” She threw the pillow back down on the bed.
Jeremy dropped his pose and walked toward the bed, his eyes travelling up and down her body. His eyes were intense and a muscle ticked in his jaw. She reflexively crossed her arms over her chest again. When Jeremy noticed her movement, he replaced the look with a goofy grin and plopped down on the bed beside her and leaned back against the wall.
“I do make this work, right?” he asked while running his hands down his chest to his lap over the pink terrycloth.
Melanie relaxed and smiled back. “Totally.”
He sat up straight and took her hands into his own and held them on his thigh. “Okay,” he said soberly, “what did Tara say about the locker combination?”
Melanie took a deep breath. She was having a hard time concentrating with his thumbs drawing little circles on her palms. She managed to retell the whole conversation with only a few pauses where she forgot what she was saying. Trying to concentrate with Jeremy caressing her hands was tough.
When she finished, he released her hands and stood up. He paced back and forth for several long moments, his face blank while he thought about everything she’d said. Melanie knew it was going to be hard for him to take. Chris was not only his roommate, but his cousin. Melanie didn’t really believe Chris was capable of such horrible acts, but they had to consider every option.
Jeremy stopped pacing and stood in front of her. After a few seconds he shook his head in denial.
“No way,” he said quietly, but with conviction. “I don’t believe it. There is no way Chris is a rapist and a stalker, masterminding this psychological warfare against you. He’s my cousin and one of my best friends, but Melanie, honestly? Even if I thought he was deranged enough to bring himself to do it, I don’t think he’s smart enough to pull it off without getting caught.”
He sat back down on the bed beside her and put his arm over her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze. Melanie released a breath that she hadn’t even been aware she was holding. She laid her head against his chest.
“I don’t think it’s him either,” she mumbled quietly. “I can’t believe that the three of us- you, me, and Tara- would be completely blind to the fact that he’s a psychopath. But if it’s not him, then who could it be? Tara couldn’t think of anyone else that would have access to her phone.”
“I don’t know,” Jeremy whispered against her hair.
He took his free hand and ran his fingers through her hair softly. Melanie lifted her head from his chest and looked up at his face. He tangled his hand into her hair and tugged lightly, pulling her head back as he lowered his lips and brushed them softly against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut as his tongue slipped between her lips.
Jeremy leaned forward, increasing the pressure of his lips slightly. He released her hair and slipped that arm around her, letting himself fall backwards. He pulled her with him, never stopping their kiss, until they were stretched out on her bed, laying on their sides facing each other. His right arm slipped under her neck, pillowing her head on his shoulder, as his left hand rubbed lightly up and down her back.
Melanie had a moment of panic, realizing that her position was not very flattering. Whenever she laid on her side, her belly bulged out. She started to pull away from him with that thought, but he tightened his grip and kissed her harder. With that, all negative thoughts flew out of her head.
She lifted her arm and placed her hand on his side, slowly moving upward. She moved her hand over his ribs lightly, up and over until she could feel the muscles of his chest through the bath robe. When her fingertips brushed against a flat nipple, Jeremy’s head jerked back with a sharp intake of breath. Melanie blushed and started to pull her hand away, but Jeremy grabbed it and put it back on his chest, but underneath the robe this time. Then he kissed her again, with an urgency that wasn’t there before.
When he broke their kiss again, it was only to trail kisses across her jaw to her neck, then up to her ear. All new sensations had Melanie writhing next to him, unsure what she was feeling or what she should be doing. She felt hot all over, and there was a throbbing that she was unfamiliar with.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear before kissing his way back to her mouth. She reached up and grabbed his hair, pulling him closer and kissing him with all she had.
The hand on her back made a slow descent to her butt, which he squeezed lightly before moving backing up her side. His movements were slow, giving her plenty of time to redirect him if she wanted to. She didn’t.
When his fingertips reached her armpit, he circled them over to her collarbone, tracing it lightly before venturing south. Ever so slowly, his hand pivoted and lowered until his palm brushed her nipple through her thin tank top. Her whole body jerked at the contact, then the moment was gone and they lay frozen as they heard a light tap at the door.
“Melanie? You awake, honey?”
Melanie was off the bed in a second, bouncing from one foot to the other. “Mom, give me a sec!”
She shooed Jeremy off the bed and pointed to the closet as she walked to the door. She cracked it open and peeked through before her mom could open it and catch her red handed in bed with a boy.
“What’s up?” she asked, faking a yawn for effect.
“I heard your television on, and wanted to make sure you didn’t fall asleep watching it again.” She pushed on the door, forcing Melanie to take a step back. “What were you doing in here?”
“Nothing!” That came out a little too forceful. “Nothing,” she said more calmly. “I guess I fell asleep.”
Her mom arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Are you sure? You seem kind of nervous and twitchy.”
“I’m fine, mom. Now, I’d like to get some sleep if that’s okay.”
Suddenly there was a thump from the closet. Melanie gasped and her mom pushed her way into the room. “What was that?”
“Uh, nothing. Probably just the house settling.”
“Mm hmm,” her mom muttered as she stalk
ed to the closet, putting her hand on the knob.
“Mom, wait, I can explain!” Melanie blurted as her mom snatched the door open.
“Melanie!” her mom shouted. “What is he doing in this house?”
Oh, God, she thought, this just keeps getting worse and worse.
Melanie squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. Then she heard a light chuff and whine and her eyes popped open. Ace stood there, panting.
“Melanie, you know how I feel about dogs! I can’t believe you let this, this animal into my house!”
“But mom, he saved me.”
Her mom’s face softened a bit at that. “I know he did, honey, but my rules still stand. He probably has an owner somewhere searching for him. You need to get him out of here, now. And I don’t want to find him in this house again. Do you understand me, young lady?”
“Yes, mom,” Melanie said tersely. “Come on Ace, let’s go.”
Melanie left her room and flew down the stairs with Ace on her heels. She ran out the back door and into the yard. She headed straight for the tree line and dropped to her knees as Ace skidded to a halt beside her. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed hard as he licked her face.
“I love you,” she whispered. Ace rubbed the top of his head against her cheek and darted into the woods.
Chapter 19
The rest of the week flew by with no new messages or creepy gifts appearing in Melanie’s locker. She, Jeremy and Tara met at Melanie’s house after to school every day to study, or at least that’s what they told everyone. What they were really doing was brainstorming. They had to figure out who this stalker was before things escalated.
Friday afternoon, as they finished up their “study” session, they were no closer to a suspect than they were when they started. The only thing they all agreed on was that it couldn’t be Chris.
“Maybe we should just tell him and see what he thinks,” Tara said.
She sighed as she packed up her notebooks and pens. She had been taking notes on every idea they came up with, which wasn’t much, in the hopes that when she reread it something would come to her.