Heartbeat Echoes

by Brittany Yeats

  “I’ll get out of your way.” As she walked past, he grabbed her arm and in a rare public display of affection, hugged her. Melissa hugged back and then walked from the room. Grabbing her purse, she walked out the front door and headed to Christian’s.

  ~ ~ ~

  Melissa settled herself in the corner of the huge plush couch that dominated the space in Christian’s living room. It complemented the giant television that was mounted to the wall. The spot screamed “watch the game, whatever game you want, and take the best nap of your life.”

  “I’m suddenly very happy I didn’t go into the office today. You look wiped out.”

  Melissa closed her eyes and seemed to melt into the cushions.

  “In my head I’m telling my butterflies to calm down because you’re being ever so charming.”

  Christian accepted her sarcasm with a face behind her back akin to something a twelve-year-old would make. Not seeing his childish expression, Melissa plowed on.

  “I couldn’t stay in that house another minute. Conner is snapping at anyone who crosses his path. My mother is skin and bones. You can see her shoulder blades and her hip bones. If I see a rib I am marching her to the doctor myself. I had to peel her off my father and force her into a shower. It’s crazy town at my house.”

  Christian sat down at Melissa’s feet and began to rub. She let her head fall back. The thumb pressing into her arch was bliss.

  “And this was the first place you thought to come to. How charming of YOU.” He smirked good-humoredly.

  Christian moved his magic hands on to the other foot and was delighted when she couldn’t even form a sentence. She gave a wave of her hand and went back to enjoying his hands. Slowly, sensuously, his hands massaged higher. He rubbed the tension from her calves and began to rub the backs of her knees. Melissa sat up as a jolt of passion shot through her body and she crawled into his lap. Without giving Christian a chance to react, she latched her mouth to his and let herself sink into the kiss. Melissa broke first, leaning back to see if Christian was feeling the same sense of suspension as she was. It was as if the world had stopped rotating and everything that mattered centered on this moment.

  “I want you to know I did not come over here so we could have sex. If you really think about it, the timing could potentially be really bad. But I am far and away from stopping this because, good Christ, it feels as right as you knew it would all along. I haven’t felt like my balance was right for a long time. Balance me out, Christian.”

  He was running his hands up and down her back and trailing kisses over her ear and down her neck.

  At her rushed words, Christian wouldn’t have been able to stop if there was a gun at his head. He silenced her chatter by biting her lightly. She gasped and Christian pulled back, feeling triumphant.

  “Fun fact about yourself, you babble.”

  She nodded and arched back to give him more access. He unbuttoned the pretty floral shirt she had on and gave a happy groan because she was naked underneath.

  “Surprise. I didn’t feel like stuffing myself into a— Oh my God.” Her ramble ended on a moan when Christian leaned forward and ran his tongue around her nipple. She fisted one hand in his hair and with the other began to unbutton his shirt. He ran his hands up under her skirt and pulled back for a minute.

  “Are you going to stop me this time? Because I will be honest, if you tell me to stop I may not be able to.”

  Melissa smiled, her eyes dancing with the female knowledge that their mate was on the brink of control and she had pushed him there.

  “Christ, you talk too much,” Melissa whispered, her voice husky. His eyes went dark, with excitement, with passion, with lust, with a crazy combination of all three, she didn’t know. What Melissa did know was that this was going to be a wild ride.

  Christian stood from the couch with her still wrapped around him and walked to his bedroom. He laid her down on his ocean of a bed and began to unwrap her like a present. He peeled the skirt down her legs and stood just looking at her. Her hair was spread across his bed like a flame. Her eyes were heavy lidded and nearly glazed. She was wearing nothing but a swatch of black lace that rode high on her hips. He tugged off the shirt she had opened and took off the rest of his clothes. He knelt down in front of her and slowly, achingly slowly, he pulled the lace off her legs. And he laughed.

  Melissa sat up and smiled. Where most women were bald as a newborn baby, she had decided to be playful and shave a lightning bolt into her hair.

  Christian shook his head and leaned forward, lightly kissing the design. To heat things back up, he continued to kiss his way down. Melissa’s eyes went wide and she fell back as his tongue did amazing things to the outside and inside of her body. The lights went bright as Christian hurled her off the edge of the world with her first orgasm.

  Working his way up, Christian kissed Melissa over her torso, around and over each breast, and finally her mouth. She twined both hands in his hair as he locked his gaze on her face. He kissed her again and thrust into her.

  Wild. She felt like an animal. No sooner was Christian enveloped in her heat than Melissa lost all sense of reality. She arched to take him deeper and when he began to rock slowly, Melissa couldn’t take his achingly slow rhythm. She rolled over and rose above him, setting a pace only a madman could match.

  Christian accepted her challenge, and wrapping her hair around his hand, he tugged her head back, feasting on her neck and breasts, matching her stroke for stoke until she screamed and they both collapsed back onto the bed.

  They lay there for who knew how long, trying to catch their breath. Christian rolled Melissa’s limp body over so she was in the crook of his arm. He began to stroke her hair as he felt her heart rate settle. When their gazes locked, they astonished each other by breaking out into hysterical laughter.

  “I didn’t want to push you or pressure you.” Christian leaned forward and kissed her forehead in unspoken compassion and understanding. “I knew you’d eventually get to the point of initiating this next level of our relationship. You’re curious about everything and you’re still mentally reeling from my statement the other night. Naturally you came to me to discuss it and instead when I gave comfort, you relaxed enough to realize how amazing this would be.”

  Melissa slapped his arm. Then sat up as his words sunk in. “Seriously? This didn’t happen because I was curious. It happened because I wanted to be with you and was tired of denying what we both obviously felt.”

  “That’s exactly what I said. You just said it better.” He kissed her and settled them both back into the pillows.

  “Now, tell me about this decision for a lightning bolt. Very sexy.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes and prepared for a wild night.

  ~ ~ ~

  A week passed. In a stunning turn of events, Melissa realized she suddenly had a social life. She saw Christian two or three times a week and on their off nights she was out with Liz. Her mother was having heart palpitations every time Melissa walked out the door, waiting for the night Melissa came home with a ring on her finger. Melissa would just smirk and shake her head, not wanting to provoke her mother’s fantasies.

  Then her world began to crumble. Dr. Chrome gave the word that her family would be changed forever at any given moment. The house became a land of eggshells as everyone became edgy waiting for the end. Conner was almost nonexistent in the house. Every time Melissa sought his company he was harsh and would end up leaving. In a moment of passing between the two, Conner on his way home, Melissa on her way out with Christian, Conner was decidedly nasty.

  “You certainly got your hooks into Christian nice and tight. Are we going to have two funerals and then a wedding?”

  Melissa had turned sharply on her heel and glared at her brother. “Did you hear what just came out of your mouth? That was incredibly mea
n, Conner. What are you, jealous that I have someone that will stand my company for more than five seconds? You’ve even managed to chase Liz and her ability to bug you away. Masterful.”

  “At least I don’t have to cheapen myself to get some attention. Don’t you know Christian’s reputation? He’ll sleep with you for a few months and dump you when he feels the commitment strings begin to constrict.”

  Melissa took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. Unable to come up with a response that didn’t involve bodily harm, Melissa strode from the house, leaving harsh words hanging between the two of them. Thinking back on it, it was one of the last times Melissa and Conner had spoken. Melissa decided to worry about him later because all her worrying energy was focused on Ashley and Max.

  Melissa spent every moment she could sitting by her sister’s or father’s bedside. Her mother would come in and they would switch, taking a rotation schedule of spending every possible last moment with the people they were losing. It was during one of the switching moments, two weeks after the doctor’s last crushing assessment of any day now, when Anna laughed suddenly. Melissa looked up, shock radiating from her very pores.

  “What on heaven’s green earth could you possibly be laughing about?”

  Melissa was looking at her mother as if Anna had grown another head. Anna looked over and smirked at her daughter.

  “I was just thinking how large my bedroom is and I had a thought. I was laughing because I have no idea why it took me this long to think of it.”

  Melissa sat staring at her mother, waiting for the big reveal.

  “Well? Are you going to tell me or is it going to be your own little secret?”

  “Why don’t we join this family together again?” Anna came and sat down next to Melissa. “Use the space in my bedroom for something other than luxury and move Ashley’s bed into my bedroom so we can all be with each other?”

  Melissa shocked her mother by throwing her arms around Anna’s neck. She squeezed until the pressure in her chest loosened. “Anna Yard. Not at all just a pretty face. I’ll get all the servants together and make it happen. Genius, Mom.”

  Chapter 4

  By six o’clock that evening, the Yard family was mostly together. Conner was missing and since he didn’t answer his phone or return Melissa’s texts, she shrugged and continued to stroke Ashley’s hair.

  Ashley and Max had slipped into almost comatose states. They didn’t talk or open their eyes, or respond to anyone.

  Melissa and Anna would talk to them anyway, chatting endlessly about anything that came to mind. Melissa told Ashley about Christian and her social life. Melissa could hear Ashley’s laughed response inside her head, the little girl enchanted by her older sister’s embellished stories. Anna would tell Max about the changes to the house or to her various clubs and committees. It made Melissa and Anna feel better to talk about life, even when they knew Ashley and Max probably couldn’t hear them.

  As the clock ticked on, Melissa scooted down and prepared to go to sleep. She couldn’t have been moved from Ashley’s side with dynamite. When her mother had been out of the room, Melissa had laid her head against Ashley’s chest and felt how slow her sister’s heart was beating. Instinctively she knew it would be tonight or sometime tomorrow. She pulled out her phone in one last attempt to contact her brother. ‘GET HOME FAST IF YOU WANT TO SAY GOODBYE.’ She hoped he understood what the shouty capitals meant.

  Melissa looked over at the sound of rustling and saw her mother doing the same thing. Snuggling down for what was very likely the last night with the love of her life. Melissa choked back the tears. There would be plenty of time for that later. As the grandfather clock in the foyer chimed midnight, Melissa began to sing to Ashley, as much to comfort the little girl as herself.

  ~ ~ ~

  It was the absolute stillness that awoke Melissa. Sunlight streamed into the room through the big windows. If she listened carefully, she could hear birds chirping. The room, however, was completely devoid of movement or feeling. It felt as if she was sleeping in a vacuum. She laid a hand over Ashley’s heart and felt nothing. The higher powers of life had been merciful and taken Ashley peacefully in her sleep. At some point in the night, Ashley had curled herself around Melissa, seeking all the comfort she could in the end of her life.

  Melissa was outrageously glad that Anna had come up with the idea to move everyone together. She looked over at her father’s bed and saw Anna looking at her. Melissa nodded, indicating that Ashley was gone. Anna’s hand was in the same place as Melissa’s on Max’s chest. She looked at the ceiling and nodded as well.

  They both looked over at the small sob from the corner of the room. Conner sat in a chair, looking more tired than everyone else in the room. Melissa hadn’t heard him come in but she was silently glad he was there. They would need each other to be a unit as the grief set in.

  Conner went to Ashley first. He eased down onto the bed on the other side of her and laid a cheek on her head. His tears dripped down onto her head and he placed his hand over Melissa’s on her heart. Melissa could hear him whispering little nonsense things to her, about saying hi to her pet dog Tank, the dog the family had for one week because Anna hadn’t wanted dog hair all over the furniture, and to make sure she ate as much ice cream as she wanted. Melissa smiled at the memory of how much Ashely loved mocha ice cream with bananas.

  They stood then moved off Ashley’s bed together and walked over to the huge four-poster master bed. Melissa sat next to her mother and Conner sat down on the other side. Melissa and Conner laid their hands over Anna’s, comforting her as best they could. Anna squeezed Melissa’s shoulder and walked to Ashley’s bed. She sat down and gently pulled Ashley into her arms, crying and rocking, while she talked to her daughter one last time. Melissa couldn’t take looking at them. She laid her head on his shoulder and turned her face into her dad’s neck, seeking solace.

  All the months planning for how to feel for this exact moment had not even sort of prepared Melissa for what was happening to her emotions. It felt like she was spinning out of control. Her body felt like a blender, all kinds of different reactions being tossed together inside her. Anger, despair, depression, and slight happiness that there was no more suffering. There were other ones that Melissa couldn’t even name. The cocktail of sensations happening in her mind and heart was suddenly put on lockdown because Melissa knew she needed to be strong for the other people in her life. Melissa looked over at Conner and was not surprised to see a mask of impenetrability covering Conner’s face.

  Anna eased Ashley off her lap and stood. She looked at her children connected over her husband and felt grief surge through her veins. It was as if every breath was pulled into her body through a dark black ooze. She was about to break down and instead tried to shift her mind to what needed to come next.

  “What do I do?” Anna looked helplessly at Melissa.

  “Let’s go have some tea and we can figure it out. I don’t think you need to move right to decision-making right now. Conner will call the doctor and we’ll have them taken to whoever you have called already. I know for a fact you have a funeral home ready and waiting.” Anna let herself be guided from the room, to wherever her children wanted to take her. The void building in her heart was starting to overpower any rational thought. Conner walked from the room to make the first steps of the arrangements.

  Melissa and Anna walked into the kitchen. One look at their faces had the staff stopping whatever they were doing. Melissa looked at Grace.

  “Can you put a pot of tea on for Mother and me?” She nodded quickly and moved around the kitchen quietly. Melissa looked at every other face.

  “I’m sorry to inform you all that Ashley and my father died in their sleep last night. It’s good they are no longer suffering, but it is still heartbreaking at the same time. You all can take whatever time you need but the n
ext few days are going to be busy.” Melissa looked at her mother.

  “You don’t have to work so hard, dear daughter, to make sure I’m okay. Are you holding up all right?”

  Melissa looked at her mother and then looked at the floor.

  “I need to make sure I have a ridiculous breakdown later. Right now I’m holding it together. I don’t want you to go right to business. Conner is handling the preliminary arrangements today. Right now you need to lock the door of that very pretty, very girlie sitting room you think no one knows about and have a very intense emotional jag.” Anna had tuned out Melissa and was looking out the kitchen window at the way the trees were swaying. It was only in her house and in her heart that things had really changed. The rest of the world would turn, but the rest of her life was altered. She looked at her daughter and nodded.

  “Yes, I do need to go and lose control for a while.”

  Melissa wanted desperately to smile, to assure her mother that things would be all right. All Melissa could bring herself to do was nod. Anna got up from the kitchen stool and walked quickly out of the room, her carefully constructed mask of control slipping off her face.

  Melissa wanted to be teleported anywhere but her house. She was up and washing out tea mugs when the kitchen door burst open and Liz stood in the doorway. Her eyes were already red and puffy. Melissa turned all the way around and opened her arms. Liz rushed into them and the girls sank to the floor, crying together.

  “Grace called me. I was in the middle of a conference call and I rushed over here. I should be the one holding you. I feel as if I’ve lost my own father. What . . .? What . . .? How’s Anna?”