AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He tapped her chin as she struggled to keep the words, not let them flit away like snowflakes. “I love you just the way you are, too. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what you can’t do. No matter what youcando. I love you foryou. To me, you’re the most amazing woman in the world, always have been, and always will be.”
Melody had never wanted to believe something so badly. Because if she believed it, it would change her life.
“Do you believe me?” His voice was soft and close, his finger rubbing the sweetest strokes of love against her chin. She leaned into his touch, not ready to let go.
She had to let go. TJ might mean it now. But eventually, he would see the truth. He would see all her faults laid bare before him. And he wouldn’t love her then. He couldn’t. No one loved like that.
Wrenching away from him, she jammed the car door open and slid out of it in one fluid motion, so quick he couldn’t stop her.
“Melody, don’t do this.” His voice carried after her, but he didn’t chase her, and she darted through her front door, locking it behind her. Sniffing, holding a tsunami of emotion at bay, she paced the kitchen. Her phone sat on the counter, and she reached for it, tapping the Holy Appimony app.
She missed Jeremy. He had a way of grounding her. But there was no Jeremy. Only TJ. It was him grounding her all along. Shudders of confusion wracked her body as she opened the message thread. He had changed his name to TJ in the app and updated the photo to one that was clearly him. How had she ever fallen for this ridiculous scheme of his? It showed how truly stupid she was.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
A text bubble appeared, and she froze. TJ was online. He must still be sitting out in his car. How had he known she would go straight to the app? Did he know her that well?
TJ: Talk to me. Something. Anything.
All the things she longed to say rose before Melody. None of them mattered. None except the words that would change everything.I love you.
Melody: I have nothing to say.
Before she changed her mind, she closed the app and held her finger down until options appeared. Uninstall.
If only she could do that to her life.
Chapter Fifteen
TJ was still looking at her reply when it disappeared. A message replaced it, saying the user profile no longer existed. His head sank back against the headrest. She had deleted the app.
It felt like a fresh rejection all over again. His heart heavy with pain, he started his car and drove across Silver Lake City. This was too much to handle alone. God had given him an amazing family, and after knowing how deeply Melody lacked in that department, he would never take his loved ones for granted again.
“Mom? Dad?” He let himself in the door and poked his head into the living room. The Christmas tree was finally gone, but a fire crackled in the fireplace, and his dad was reading a book, which he lowered to his lap.
“TJ.”
“Dad.” He nodded. “Mom here?”
“She’s around here somewhere. Arlene?” He raised his voice. “Our youngest son is here, and he looks like he has a bee in his bonnet.”
See? Regardless of what Melody said after the play, he was a deplorable actor.
His mom entered from the direction of the laundry room, still in the navy-blue business slacks she wore by habit from long years as a banker. “I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow. What’s the special occasion?”
Tomorrow. The wedding. He’d go alone, as he’d always known he should.
“I need to talk to you both.”
Dad set the book on the coffee table and scooted forward on the sofa. Looking concerned, his mom took the far end of the couch and patted the cushion between them. “Have a seat, and spill your heart, son.”
Fresh sorrow for Melody oozed through him. She had never known love like this. No wonder she didn’t believe him.
“I have a confession… I love Melody.”
Stunned silence ensued for a few seconds before his mom tilted her head back, laughter sprinkling the air. “I know that, TJ. I always have. You fell in love the day you met her. I knew so when I had to search the hallways of the middle school for you because we were late to the dentist, and I found you in the nurse’s station patting the hand of this beautiful girl with long, dark hair and sparkling eyes.”
TJ couldn’t hold back a grin. “Guilty.”
