Again, she looked to Lucy. The sadresignation in her friend’s eyes frightened Melanie.
He’s here to take us back.Therealization hit her like a bullet between the eyes, and she took astartled step back.
Thatwas why he was here. He plannedto force them back, but she wouldn’t let it happen.
She didn’t know why, after all these years,he’d decided they couldn’t stay anymore, but shewouldnotleave. She and Lucy were finally happy, or as happy asthey could be given their screwed-up formative years, but they weremaking a life here, and she wouldn’t return to the dungeon of herchildhood.
“Now isn’t a good time,” she said.
Kyle probably considered her a coldheartedbitch or believed something wasreallywrong with herfamily, and he’d be right. But she couldn’t embrace her father, andshe couldn’t pretend to be excited to see him when she wanted toshove him back out the door.
When Arthur looked at him again, Kyle knewthe man was waiting for him to excuse himself. However, he sensedMelanie’s apprehension, and unless she asked him to leave, hewasn’t going.
“I’m sure you can make some time,” her fathersaid. “It has been so long since we’ve talked.”
He managed to makeherquestion if hewas upset about her callous reaction to his arrival. It was betterif she got this over with now.
She clasped Kyle’s hand and squeezed it. “Ihave to speak with my father alone.”
“Are you sure you want me to go?” Kyleasked.
No!Melanie screamed inside her head,but she kept it suppressed. She had to do this.
“Yes. I’ll call you in a little bit,okay?”
He glanced at her father, who looked at themwith open curiosity. Something about the man did not sit right withhim at all.
“Call me if you need anything,” he toldher.
“I will.”
Kyle clasped her cheeks in his palms andtenderly kissed her forehead. He reluctantly released her andturned to her father. “It was nice to meet you, Arthur.”
It wasn’t. He hated Melanie’s reaction tothis man, but he couldn’t be outright rude to him until sheconfirmed she didn’t want him around. And she was not doing that byaskinghimto leave.
Arthur’s smile was warm, and Kyle was suremany found it contagious, but something about it was wrong, and hisreaction to discovering him here didn’t feel right either. The manwasn’t at all astounded by his presence in Melanie’s apartment.
That realization caused the hair on Kyle’snape to rise, but he had no idea what it meant. Maybe Arthur wasgood at hiding his shock over discovering a man in his daughter’sapartment.
He knew it wasn’t because it happened often.Melanie didn’t often talk about her past, but he knew it had been awhile since she saw her father. They’d also already had the pastrelationship discussion.
And Kyle had no doubt she’d told him thetruth about her previous relationships, just as he’d told her thetruth about his past. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with his history,but he intended to prove to her that’s not who he was. She was itfor him, and as time passed, she would learn that.
She’d been with three other men, so unlessher father had somehow managed to walk in on them here too, heshouldn’t be this nonchalant over finding Kyle here. Hell, even ifhe had walked in on them all, Arthurstillshouldn’t be thisindifferent to finding Kyle here.
“It was nice to meet you too, Kyle,” Arthursaid. “I hope we can have dinner while I’m in town.”
“I’d like that,” Kyle lied.
He kissed Melanie again before looking atLucy. Her skin was abnormally pale, and the usually vibrant girlstared at him with an almost pleading look in her brown eyes.
He would leave, but he wouldn’t go far. Hecouldn’t fight against Melanie spending time with her father, buthe could stay close in case she or Lucy needed anything.
“Call me if you need anything too,” he toldLucy.
Lucy managed a small smile. “We’ll see yousoon.”
Kyle strode over to the door, pulled on hissneakers, and left the apartment. He jogged down the stairs and outthe front door. Once there, he slipped into the shadows of a nearbybuilding to watch the front door.
