It had killed her to tell her mother that she wanted to leave, but she needed to know.� Her mother acted like she understood, but Melissa knew deep down she was upset that Melissa was leaving.� Her mother had just put on a fake smile and said she was okay with it.� Melissa knew that song and dance very well, acting like everything is okay when really you are dying inside.
Not long after their talk, Aunt Rachel called seeing if her mother wanted to go shopping for the day.� Kathleen hesitated at first, but Melissa convinced her to go, promising they would spend some time together before she left.� Now Melissa was alone in her childhood home, packing to leave it.
Melissa picked up one of her suitcases and placed it on her bed.� She walked over to the vanity and pulled open one of the drawers.� Her hands reached for the clothing and then placed it in the large suitcase.� She returned to the vanity and grabbed more clothes when she felt something solid.� She laid the clothes back down and reached for the object.� Melissa removed a small silver frame from the drawer.� The frame held a picture of her and Nick, he was standing behind with his arms wrapped around her waist.� Her hands rested against his and they were both smiling.� Happier times.� She thought to herself.
She laid the frame on top of the vanity and grabbed her clothes.� In middle stride, she stopped and turned back.� Melissa picked up the frame and looked at it again.� She let out a sigh.� With her clothes and the frame in her hands, Melissa walked over to the suitcase.� She placed both items in the suitcase.� As much as she wanted to believe that she would get over Nick, she knew that wasn�t going to happen.� That man held her heart and she was never going to get it back.� But there wasn�t a future for them, not after everything.
Since her talk with Jenny, Nick had been calling her everyday.� And everyday she would ignore his call; it was too hard to be around him.� Melissa sat down on her bed, looking around her room.� All the memories this one room held had started to make her feel claustrophobic; she stood to leave when she heard her cell phone ring.
She walked over to the vanity and looked at the screen.� �Nick.��� Her finger lingered over the �talk� button.� Melissa took a deep breath and then shook her head.� �I can�t do it.�� She hit the ignore button and laid the phone back down.� She reached for more clothes.
�I knew you were ignoring my calls.�� Nick stated appearing in her bedroom.
Melissa was startled by him.� �How did you get in here?�
�The front door was unlocked, I thought after what happened a couple days ago that you would be more cautious.�� Nick looked around the room, seeing the shattered mirror.
�I�ll remember that, I wouldn�t want uninvited guests just walking in.�� She stated giving him a dirty look.
�What happened to your mirror?�
Melissa stopped and looked at him.� �What do you want Nick?�
�We need to talk.�
Melissa laughed and picked up some clothes.� �We don�t have anything to talk about.��
�What are you doing?� He asked realizing what she was doing.
�What does it look like?�� She laid the clothes in the suitcase.
�It looks like you are packing.� You are going back to Chicago, aren�t you?�
�If you must know, yes I am.�� Melissa brushed back a loose strand of hair behind her ear.� �There isn�t anything here for me.�
�I�m here.�
Melissa walked over the vanity, grabbing the last of the clothing and then closed the drawer.� �Like I said, there isn�t anything here for me.�
Nick sighed and walked over to her.� �Okay, what about your mother?� I know she wants you here.�
�Leave my mother out of this.�� Melissa walked over to her bed and started folding her clothes.
�I thought you said you weren�t going anywhere.�
�And I thought you said that there wasn�t anyone else in your life.�
�What Paige and I had, it wasn�t relationship.�
Melissa looked at him.� �What you and Paige had was a relationship.�� She focused back on her clothes.� �You were with her four months, that�s a relationship to me.�
�We didn�t date, all we did was�� Nick stopped himself.
Facing him once again, she looked into his eyes.� �All you did was have sex with her.�
Nick didn�t reply, he couldn�t, and he just watched her as she continued to fold her clothes.
�Mel, look at me.�� Melissa ignored him and continued on with her task. �Mel, please.�� He grabbed her arm, so she was facing him.� �Whatever I shared with Paige meant nothing to me.� I don�t care about her, I never did.�� He ran his hand through his hair.
�I was in a bad place, you had just left without a word and I was numb to everything.� I didn�t leave my place for days and I didn�t care about anything.� All I wanted was you, I wanted you back.�
Melissa turned her head and sighed.� �I know how you felt Nick, I was numb too.� I cried for days and I didn�t care about anything either.�� She turned towards him again.� �But not once did I think about climbing into bed with someone else and do you know why?�
Nick didn�t respond, he just looked at her.
�Because I still loved you, I couldn�t even begin to be with someone when my heart was elsewhere.� But obviously you didn�t feel the same about me.�
�Don�t do that; don�t tell me how I feel. I have loved you everyday since you left.� There hasn�t been a day when I wasn�t in love with you.�
Melissa walked away from him and opened another drawer.
�Would you stop packing and talk to me?�
�Why Nick, what is the point of it?�
�I need to tell you something.�
�Tell me and then go.�� She laid more clothes in the bag.
�Would you just stop?�� Nick stated as he moved the luggage away from her and it fell onto the floor.� He went to pick it up and saw the photo.� He picked it up and then looked at her.� She had packed it; she was taking it with her.� �You still love me.�� He walked over to her.� �You can�t stop loving me, just as I can�t stop.�
�Just stop Nick!�� Melissa pleaded picking up her clothes.
�No, admit it Mel, you still care about me.�
Melissa turned and faced him.� �What do you want me to say, Nick?�
�I want you to be honest with me.�
�Fine, you want honesty, I�ll give you honesty.� Every time I close my eyes, I see you with Paige and I want to throw up.� I can�t believe that you replaced me with her, her Nick.� Out of all the girls in this town, why her?�
�Truthfully, I don�t know why.� But Mel, you can never be replaced.� In my heart, you will always be my one great love.� That will never change nor will my feelings for you.�
�Where were your feelings for me when you were in bed with Paige?�
Nick sighed; he knew what she was doing.� She was trying to push him away, but he wasn�t going anywhere.� He just had to make sure she knew that.
�I screwed up Mel, what else can I say?� I screwed up and I�m sorry.�
�And to prove how sorry you are, you sleep with Paige again!�� Melissa exited her room, needing to get some space between them.
Nick followed her to the kitchen.� �I was young and stupid.�
She turned to face him.� �What was it that Paige said?� Oh yeah, I think her exact words were, I had your man daily, weekly, and monthly.�
�Mel.�
�Oh and that she made you feel alive.�
�Stop.�� Melissa reached for a cup and filled it up with water.
�And let�s not forget the comment that you two had hot and amazing sex.�
�Damn it Mel!� Listen to me, none of that matters to me.�� Nick stated hitting his fist on the countertop.
�No, you listen, Nick.� It does matter, it matters to me.� All those months, I was grieving; you were messing around with that slut.� Do you know how that makes me feel especially since I was carrying your child?�
�That�s not fair.� You can�t use the child card whenever you want.� You are the reason I never knew you were pregnant, not me.�
�It was kind of hard to tell you when you were in bed with someone who wasn�t me.�� She took a sip of her water.
Nick couldn�t but help feel his anger rise with every sentence that she said.� He knew she was doing this to protect herself, but it didn�t help to ease his annoyance.
�You don�t think it kills me to know that I had a daughter out there that I never got to know.�� Nick moves closer to her.� �And I wonder if she had survived if you would have ever let me know she existed or if you would have let your pride keep her away from me!�� His voice had risen.
Hearing Nick talk about her like he known what she endured all months, made her lose control.� Melissa threw her glass and it hit the wall behind them.� Nick looked where the glass had hit and turned back to her.
�Don�t you dare judge me! You don�t know the hell I went through.� You have no idea what it was like to feel our daughter slipping away from me and feeling helpless to stop it.� You weren�t there when the doctors told me I lost her, like I lost an earring.� You weren�t there when I had to deal with the pain, physically and mentally.� You don�t know a damn thing about me, so don�t try to act like you do.��
Melissa exited the room, leaving Nick stunned by her anger.� He knew she was suffering, but he didn�t know how badly.� He quickly followed her back to her bedroom.
�Mel, I didn�t��
�I would have never kept you from Bella.� You know how much my father meant to me, I would never keep you from her, no matter what.�� Her voice was calmer, but he could tell she was tearing up.
He touched her shoulder.� �Tell me Mel, tell me what happened.� I need to know what happened that day.�
