Page 34 of Trusting You
I made my way back to my Jeep, and climbed in. It was getting late, but I didn’t plan on leaving. There was no way I was going to drive home tonight. Tomorrow was Sunday. I wouldn’t have class, so I had planned to stay. I’d foolishly thought that once she saw me she’d be so excited and happy that she’d beg me stay. We’d spend all night making love and wake up in each other’s arms. I must have been delusional. Mel wasn’t even going to let me talk. She’d completely shut me out. Well, I wasn’t going to give up that easy.
I pulled the blanket that I kept in the back of my car out, and covered myself up. It wasn’t freezing out since it was spring, but the nights were still chilly. I said a small prayer hoping that tomorrow would be better, and then fell into a fitful sleep by the curb of her house.
I was awoken to tapping on my window the next morning. I blinked against the sun, and shielded my eyes as the man standing outside my Jeep tapped at the window again. “Can I help you?” I rolled it down and sat up.
“I’m just wondering what you’re doing in front of my house?” he crossed his arms over his chest and in that moment, I saw where she got it from. This was Mr. Brooks, Mel’s father.
“I’m waiting to talk to someone,” I cleared my throat.
“You’re the boy from the beach,” he nodded thoughtfully. “I knew there had to be one.”
“Excuse me?” I sat up straighter.
“She came back here all sullen. Been snapping at her mother, and threw herself completely into Brook. I knew there had to a guy involved. I haven’t seen her this twisted up since she told us she was pregnant,” he shook his head. “She must really like you.”
“I slept in my car,” I pointed at myself. “All I wanted to do was talk. If she liked me that much, I would think she’d at least talk to me.”
“You’re not trying hard enough,” he tucked the newspaper he was carrying under his arm.
“Huh?” I started to open my door, and froze when the front door to their house slowly opened, revealing Mel dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and a sweatshirt.
“She’s a tough cookie, and she’s not thinking for just her anymore. She has him to consider,” he pointed in the direction I was staring and that’s when I noticed the little boy from the night before clinging to her leg. Her eyes met mine and she just stared. “I’ll get her to talk to you, but you better have something to say.” Before I could respond, he was walking toward the door.
I watched as he said something to her, and then took the little boy’s hand. He led him into the house, leaving Mel to stand there and continue staring. She didn’t blink, not even once, as she watched me. Her head slowly shook like she was warning me of something before she followed the same path her father had, leaving me there alone once again.
Melinda
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon,” my mom’s teasing voice filtered through the kitchen. I’d made lunch for Brooklyn and myself, and Mom was cleaning up the dishes. Aaron had been sitting in his Jeep in front of our house, since last night apparently. I don’t know what he was trying to prove, but whatever it was wasn’t going to work.
“You should at least talk to him,” she urged as I peeled another banana and placed it on the high chair.
“There’s nothing to say to him. I told him not to come here, and he did. I told him we couldn’t have more than something simple, and he made it complicated,” I warned her off, but she wasn’t taking the hint.
“Don’t you think you’ve paid your penance enough, baby?” Mom turned as she placed the dishrag on the counter. “You made a mistake, but look how wonderful it turned out.”
“Yeah, wonderful. Having a baby at eighteen is exactly what I wanted,” I grimaced as the words left my lips. Brooklyn was oblivious to what was going on, and I needed him to stay that way forever. Jason and I had made a mistake. We didn’t think about what we were doing, and despite loving my son, I wanted normal. I’d had it once, but my life was never going to be that way again. I was proof. My parents were still helping me.
“You need to stop punishing yourself for what you did back then,” Dad rounded the corner. Great, I guess he hadn’t moved past the eavesdropping. “That boy out there is determined to talk to you. I promised I’d get you out there, so you need to go so I can keep my word.”
“But Daddy,” I whined and turned to glance at Brook. He was stuffing banana in his mouth with both hands all the while babbling something that only he could understand.
“Don’t but Daddy me,” he shook his head. “Go out there and talk to him, and take him something to eat. Who knows when his last meal was. You should hear him out. If you don’t like what you hear, then you can stay in here and I’ll send him away.”
“Right. I know him,” I jammed my finger in the air. “Nothing you say to him is going to make him leave.”
“You may know him, but you also know me. You ever seen your old man not get what he wants?” he smiled, and it put me right back at my childhood.
“Fine,” I stood and moved toward the fridge to make him a sandwich.
“Here,” Mom’s hand flew out in front of me with a plate in it. “I figured I’d save you the trouble while you were having your debate.” She smiled as I took the plate from her.
“He needs a nap when he’s finished,” I motioned to where Brooklyn was rubbing his banana covered hands on his head.
“And apparently a bath,” Dad chuckled.
“Thanks,” I sighed as I made my way to the front door, sandwich in hand.
When I stepped out onto the front porch, Aaron was looking at his phone. He didn’t notice me as I walked across the lawn and up to his Jeep. I knocked on the passenger window, causing him to jump. He dropped the phone and I heard a muffled curse as he fumbled to get the door open for me.
