Chapter Seventeen
Sunlight was beginning to fade as Melissa walked down the hillside. Under any other circumstances, she would love to gaze up into the sky, at the colors that often took her breath away. All the same, the anger that had stormed through her emotions prevented her from doing so. For her, enjoying a sunset required a peaceful mind, and her mind was anything but peaceful. Melissa was so frustrated that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. One part of her desired to go back to Joe: to hug him; to rant about her weakness. Nevertheless, a bigger part of her believed that this would not benefit either of them. Why? Because: this would lead to an even more emotional moment. Joe was already under a tremendous amount of pressure. She would not torture him any further. Right now, they were both in dire need of solitude and quiet.
Melissa lengthened her strides, as she left the hillside behind her. Inevitably, the thought of Joe choosing to do nothing about his predicament crossed her mind. It saddened her, but it was one possible choice that she had to take into account. He had referred to his job with such affection that he had left her no choice to be silent about his work dilemma as well as her death dilemma. What would she do if he surrendered to his fate? The answer came fast, surprising even her. Melissa would have to share her darkest secret with him in a last ditch effort to change his mind. Certainly, she could only hope that Joe would not interpret her words as a ruse. Humans found it extremely hard to believe that her kind was truly vulnerable to a broken heart, dying when their partners left them or died. Why should Joe be an exception to that rule? It was at that point that she wished she had confided in him earlier. Yes, a revelation like that would overwhelm him, he could laugh at it, but it would help her avoid such a terrible misunderstanding.
Melissa peeked through the trees, as she climbed the hill just outside the Bradford property. To her astonishment, Joe’s SUV was not parked in the driveway anymore.
“You just missed him,” Julia’s familiar voice ripped through the air, as she sauntered towards her. “Helena used her teleportation to get him here. He looked pretty upset. I asked him what had happened between you two. He wouldn’t say; he just took off.”
“Helena offered him a way out of this mess he’s in, but he has to forsake his life as it is. He’s got to leave everything the demon has given him,” Melissa spoke in a lackluster tone, brushing past Julia. “I think it’s a no brainer. He doesn’t know if he can do that. He says it’s too hard to decide.”
“I have to agree with him,” Julia’s comment and her unusually serious tone froze her to the spot upon which she stood. “It is a huge decision.”
“He needs to choose between life and death!” Melissa grumbled, casting a fierce glare down at Julia, over her shoulder. “How hard is that?”
“What kind of life?” Julia answered her question with a question of her own, her tone calm, as she smiled up at her friend. “He’s making a lot of money as a lawyer. Imagine what it will be like for him to work for minimum wage.”
“I know it won’t be great, but…”
“Great?” Julia interrupted, raising her voice, as she squinted up at her. “Do you even know what minimum wage is? It’s not really a salary. It’s pocket money.”
“Would death be a better alternative?” Melissa let out a pain-ridden whisper, dreading the thought of having to confront her friend as well, as she spun around to face her. “Are seven years of success worth this horrible fate?”
“I’m not defending him,” Julia spoke with a more mellow tone, even as her face hardened. “I’m just trying to explain to you how hard this must be for him.”
“It’s a sacrifice,” Melissa sighed, deepening her gaze. “He forsakes riches to save his life. And mine, but he doesn’t know that.”
“H-He doesn’t?” Julia stuttered, her brows shooting up, as her eyes twinkled. “You haven’t told him? Why?”
“I know I should have,” Melissa admitted, nodding at the same time. “I will, if he chooses to do nothing.”
“Damn it, Mel,” Julia groaned, looking away from her and shaking her head. “The guy can’t make an informed decision without knowing all the facts.”
“Stop it, Julia,” Melissa pitched her voice higher. “I feel bad enough as it is.”
“Either way, I don’t think he’d jeopardize the life of the woman he loves,” Julia’s opinion sent shivers down her spine, shocking her to her core. A glimmer of hope lit inside her, even though she had no idea how her friend had reached that conclusion.
“The woman he loves?” She asked, though her voice was but a whisper.
“I came here looking for you, about an hour ago.” Julia spoke, her eyes sparkling with excitement, as a broad smile burst upon her lips. “I found his writing on the table. He’s written like twenty poems for you; he mentions you by name in five of them. A man doesn’t do that, unless he’s hopelessly in love.”
“Thanks a lot for the insight, Jules, but actions speak louder than words,” Melissa uttered, her voice soft and strained, like someone had stabbed her in the back and she was still recovering. “A single action is worth more than a thousand poems. Anyway, I’m too drained to talk about this anymore. Goodnight.”
Without much thought, she turned her back to her friend, as the scene in her grandfather’s sanctuary replayed in her mind. Every question, every answer, every emotion swirled like a hurricane deep inside her, gripping her heart like a vice. Was this what love was supposed to be: angst and turmoil? If it was, Melissa was better off without it. Her heart was too delicate, too fragile to take part in this emotional war, one that was guaranteed to send her to her doom.