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“I don’t know. Just before I came over tonight, I gave Mia and Nate the song to work on and she sent the updated verses onto Hunter. Maybe he was calling to say he liked them or that he hated them. I don’t know.” Realizing she was breathing too hard, Melody knit her fingers together and struggled for calm. “Hunter and I have a professional relationship. You’re just going to need to accept that.”
“Or else?” he prompted in a silky tone.
There was no “or else.” She wasn’t trying to shove an ultimatum at him. “I’m really tired. Maybe I need to go.”
She got to her feet, scooped up her purse and headed for the front door. Silence filled the space she’d just vacated. The temptation to turn around and say something clawed at her. But what more could she say? And then she was at his door. Cool air struck her hot cheeks as she stepped across the threshold.
“Don’t go.” Kyle’s voice came from right behind her. “I’m sorry that I acted like such an idiot about you and Hunter working together.”
She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed he’d followed her. Melody’s heart knocked against her ribs and she tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in her throat.
She tu
rned in Kyle’s direction and saw the pain in his eyes. That he was being open about his hurt and regret was such a shock. She considered how seriously he was taking these exercises and thought of the romantic table setting. He’d been looking forward to their evening.
“I’m sorry I was late to our date,” she said. “Working through our problems is important to me. I don’t want you to think that it’s not.”
“You’ve got a lot on your plate right now. And that’s really exciting news about Ivy Bliss wanting to record one of your songs.” He offered her a gentle smile as he took her hand and tugged her toward him “Why don’t you come back inside and tell me all about it while I clean up the kitchen.”
“I can help with that,” she offered, feeling as if she owed him for her tardiness.
“No, you will sit and watch me while I work.” When she opened her mouth to protest he shook his head. “You’re just going to have to get used to letting me take care of you.”
Even as she nodded, she realized that he’d been taking care of her in one way or another for as long as she could remember. The question was what had she done for him in return?
Seven
After how things had gone on day three’s date night, it was two days before Kyle reached out to Melody again. Deciding to find neutral territory for day four’s communication exercise, he suggested Club T’s on Monday afternoon. The forty-thousand-square-foot nightclub wasn’t open for business until evening. One perk about being part owner and the current manager was that he had the keys to the place.
“I’ve never been in here when it’s been empty,” Melody said. “I kinda like it.”
“It’s not exactly intimate.” Fourteen thousand square feet inside, another twenty-six thousand outside including the pool. “Although there are some nooks and crannies we could sneak off into.”
“It’s such a beautiful day,” she said, flashing a smile. The temperatures had climbed into the midsixties. “I was hoping we could sit out by the pool.”
“Of course. Let me grab some drinks and we can head out there.”
The first three dates had held mixed results. One thing was for sure: anything having to do with touching, they were going to excel at. It also shed light on the fact that they’d been using physical intimacy as a crutch. They’d moved too fast from dating to living together to being parents.
Circling the pool were side-by-side lounges with thick mattresses and backrests that could be lowered flat. Once Melody chose where she wanted to sit, Kyle spun one of the lounges so that they could face each other rather than recline side by side.
“Are you ready to dive into communication?” Melody asked. After that day-three-date-night debacle, she was demonstrating more willingness to participate in the exercises.
“First question,” Kyle said. “How can I love you best?”
Since he’d never actually told her that he loved her, this question made both of them wince. She glanced down at her hands, noticed herself playing with her long sweater and clasped her fingers together in her lap.
“How about you answer first,” she suggested.
Kyle suspected she was playing for time. “First off, you’ve committed to fourteen days of relationship revitalization and that’s wonderful. I would like for you to talk to me when you’re upset about something instead of shutting down all communication.”
Melody’s lips tightened minutely, but she nodded. “I want to feel secure with you.”
The hardest thing about this exercise was to stay silent while she spoke. Kyle gave an encouraging nod even as his insides turned to stone. He knew what she wanted. For him to tell her he loved her. And he did love her, but telling her while they remained at odds wouldn’t give her the satisfaction she believed it would. She wouldn’t trust that he meant what he said; she’d just suspect he was mouthing the words to facilitate their reconciliation. The time to tell her he loved her had been before she left on the tour and every day after.
“That doesn’t mean I expect you to ask me to marry you or even to tell me you love me. It means I want you to trust me about Hunter.”
He should’ve seen it coming. His distrust was what had created their current situation. After seeing her hand-in-hand with her ex-boyfriend, Kyle had never stopped to question why he’d assumed she’d go back to Hunter.
