Chapter 9
Asher didn’t try talking me out of leaving the wedding. So I went to the house I shared with him and packed up as much of my stuff as possible before taking my car and all my crap that I could possibly carry back to the apartment I shared with Flora and Keegan. They haven’t gotten any new roommate yet and I’ve never been more glad for that than right now.
I still have the key from when I lived here because they wanted me to have an extra as a “just in case” scenario. I’m using this situation as my own personal “just in case” scenario. I’m sleeping in my own bed. Without Asher pressed against me, without waking up to his smiling face, falling asleep without the weight of his arm around my waist, his hand covering my stomach, as if he were holding our babies as well as me.
I sniff back the tears that threatened to escape and use my key to let myself in. I know they’re home but they’ve gotten in the habit of locking the door since I moved out if they’re both here.
“Melody? What the hell?” Keegan asks, waking Flora up from where she was sleeping on his chest while they watched tv.
“What’s going on honey? Are you okay?”
I shake my head, squeezing my eyes shut.
“I-I need help bringing my stuff in,” I say, my voice shaking.
“I’ll get it Mel, what’s going on?” Keegan asks as they both stand from the couch.
“I moved out, I left him.” My voice cracks at the last word and I hastily try to wipe the tears that escaped.
“Oh honey,” Flora rushes to me and pulls me in her arms.
“I just- I just want to sleep and forget, please don’t ask any questions.”
“Of course. Go lay down and we’ll bring your stuff inside.” Flora squeezes me tightly against her then lets me go.
“Thank you. Love you Flo.”
“Love you too baby,” she says with a sad smile.
* * *
“I can’t believe your ass is here right now,” Flora whisper-yells in the hallway. The door is open and I can see her back as she holds her arms out, blocking someone from walking closer. “She comes here crying and you show up out of the fucking blue and suddenly you want to talk to her? Where the fuck were you when she was bringing all her shit here?”
“You’re going to wake her up if you get any louder Flora,” Keegan says quietly.
“I know I messed up Flora, just let me talk to her.”
Asher. What the hell is he doing here now? The time to act should have been in that damn hallway when I told him I loved him.
I squeeze my eyes shut as tears threaten again. Damn it! I’m so sick of crying.
“What happened anyway?” Flora asks.
Asher pauses before answering honestly, “I told her that I wouldn’t be able to love her because that’s what I truly believed.”
“Are you kidding me?” Flora’s hands go to her hips. She’s pissed. “You told the mother of your fucking children that you can’t love her? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I didn’t know how deep my feelings for her already ran, Flo. Not until I got home and her stuff was gone, cleared off my counter, out of my dresser and the top of my dresser, out of my closet, out of the bathroom.” His voice is quiet as he says this, filled with pain.
“You’ve been drinking Asher, you need to go home,” Keegan says.
“Not until I’ve talked to her.”
I can’t sleep while they’re going back and forth and the sooner he talks to me the sooner he’ll leave me again.
“I’m awake, just let him come in, close the door behind him,” I call out and I see Flora stiffen before slouching, probably wishing I had kept quiet.
Flora moves out of the way and Asher quickly enters my room, shutting the door behind him. He leaves the lights off and comes straight to me. He drops down to his knees by the bed and lays his head against my stomach, laying a soft kiss on it before scootching to put his forehead to mine.
“I’m sorry, Kitten.”
“For what? Being honest?”
“Lying. Without even realizing I was lying.”
“What the hell are you talking about Asher?” I ask, getting frustrated that he won’t just get to the point.
“I lied. I didn’t even know I lied until I got home and you weren’t there. None of your stuff was there. Just the scent of you in the air, and that was fading. My heart hurt so bad when I realized you had actually left me and it didn’t make sense at first because I’d never felt that way about anyone leaving before. Not even the girl I thought I was in love with. I tried drinking to numb the pain but it didn’t help. So, I called a cab and came here.” He’s so quiet when he’s speaking that I have to strain myself to hear. What I’m hearing is making my heart race and hope to blossom in my chest. I try to tamp that down but I can’t.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you. I don’t want to live without you Kitten, I just want you. I’m such an idiot. You had to leave me for me to understand my feelings for you. I’m so sorry. Please come home. Come back to me Melody.”
Tears are streaming down my cheeks again. Holy shit hormones suck, I’m constantly crying. “I love you Asher,” I mumble as I place my hands against his cheeks, holding him in place while I kiss him gently. “I love you so much, I just wanted you to tell me the same and mean it. I’ll come home. Just not tonight. Come to bed baby and let’s sleep,” I say softly.
“I love you Melody, I almost lost you and that will never happen again, I promise,” Asher says after climbing into bed behind me and pulling me against his body.
“Love you. Good night,” I whisper, feeling extremely happy now that I can actually sleep without interruptions from the outside that include Asher not being there or me waking up to Flora asking Asher what he’s doing here.