“I know baby, but I really have to go” Melissa whispered as she pulled away from Nick’s protective arms.
“But
with everything that’s happened, I don’t want
–“ Nick pleaded, his blue eyes searching hers
“Sssh, Nick, everything’s going to be okay” she smiled running a perfectly manicured nail softly over his lip
She smiled
seductively, as she walked out the door. Nick never
imagined she’d never walk back through it.
Melissa
flicked the window wipers onto full speed as she drove through
the curvy Tampa back road. It was late night, but she had an
appointment with a friend, who also happened to be a doctor, and
this was one appointment she didn’t want to miss. She
hadn’t told Nick, but she was certain she knew her own body.
She was sure she was pregnant, and this would confirm it. They
had married only 6 months ago, in the Spring of 2001, but she was
sure he would be as equally thrilled. There were people on
her side, and many that weren’t, they hated her for “taking
Nick away from them” but there was one particular email that
haunted her. Taunting her, as though staring right through
the computer to see her biggest fears, they knew most things
about her, as if they knew her, then just like that, a month ago,
nothing, no letters, no emails, no calls, nothing.
Melissa
never saw the car coming till it was too late, she swerved to
avoid it, but it was as though it was aiming for her. The
car slammed through the rail along the road. It flipped
three times as it careened down the hill, before landing with a
chorus of smashing metal.
The dark
figured moved from the top of the hill. The feet of the
stranger walked down the hill, checking the target was made.
Cigarette protruding from the thin lips, allowed only a small
smile to appear. The smell of gas was pungent in the air,
and with one flick of the cigarette, flames ignited into the
night.
~ 2 HOURS
LATER ~
“Nick?”
Heather inquired as Nick wearily answered the phone
“Yeah”
he mumbled, still half asleep
“It’s
Heather, is Mel still there? I waited for ages, and she never
showed”
“Huh?
She left over 2 hours ago” Nick stammered, his tired eyes
looking over at the clock
“She
never showed” Heather repeated
It didn’t
take long to find the car, well the charred remains of it anyway.
The skid marks were there, the tire marks down the hill, the
broken and battered railing. Everyone quickly dismissed it
as an accident, she was going to fast for the conditions and lost
control, that’s what everyone thought, everyone except Nick.
“Melissa”
he wept, the pain of it all still not sinking in “God baby,
no, no” he cried loudly
His heart
stopped beating for a second, the depth of the loss to much to
handle for him, and at that very instant he promised something.
“Mel,
I’ll not rest till I know the truth” he whispered,
clenching his fists tightly “I’ll find who did this”
he announced as he walked from the house “Do you hear me
asshole? I’ll fucking find you if it’s the last thing I
do” he announced falling to his knees onto the soaking
ground.
“Melissa,
oh baby, god, MELISSA!”
~ PRESENT DAY
~
“Mel, Mel”
Nick grumbled as he turned in his bed
Brian switched
the light on beside his bed, and looked over to his friend, worry
framing his face. It had been two years since Melissa had
died, but it hit Nick bad, and still he hadn’t gotten over
him. He’d been through hell in the past few years, he
hated everything and everyone, he shut everyone that mattered in
his life, out. Brian was the only one who could talk to
him, but still nothing was like it once was. They were to
attend the Grammy’s tomorrow night, but Brian doubted Nick
would go. He hadn’t stepped out in public, aside from
the occasional show, since then, he loathed the spotlight, the
cameras the media – he blamed them.
“Nick?”
Brian sighed slipping from out of the covers
“Melissa,
baby, please come back to me” Nick cried turning roughly
under the covers
“Yo,
Nick, oh, wake up” Brian announced walking over to the
bedside
He touched him
on his arm, trying to coax him from his nightmare.
“Nick”
he repeated
He bolted out
form under the covers, his eyes slamming open, his entire body
covered in sweat, his breathe fast and strong, his mind, still
plagued with the memory of identify her body.
“You
okay?” Brian question, as Nick looked around seemingly
perplexed by his surroundings.
Nick silently
slipped form out of the bed, pulling on a t-shirt the lay beside
the bed.
“I need
some air” he mumbled as he walked out of the room
He strolled
out into the lounge and headed to the balcony. Opening it,
the crisp cool night air encased his body. His bare feet
stepped out onto the coldness of the concrete as he closed the
door behind him. Pulling out a packet of Marlborough, he’d
picked up from the bedroom, he plopped down onto one of the
padded deck chairs. The overlook of New York City was
amazing, the bright lights seemingly stretching across the
horizon, the buzz of the city that never sleeps crept up to the
40th floor where Nick lit up a cigarette and held it
lazily in his shaking fingers.
His head
collapsed into his palm, as he sucked regrettably on the thin
white sense of life. He didn’t know what he was doing
anymore, or why he even bothered. Nothing seemed to please
him, nothing seemed to consol him. Nothing.
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