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“Oh, so you have planned that I would stay the night, yet you haven’t prepared yourself with any female stuff?” I loved when she would tease me. I loved seeing that side of her. Frisky, perky like she should always be.
“My bad.” We both chuckled when my phone rang, breaking the oblivion bubble we’d been hiding in for the past few hours.
I checked my phone, and the very second I saw my father’s number, I reminded myself who I was and what purpose I was supposed to serve in all of this. I took a heavy breath, realizing I was getting too comfortable with my target.
“I need to answer this,” I stated firmly.
Melanie gave me an abashed look. “Of course.” She looked down and bit her lower lip nervously.
“Hey, chin up,” I said while walking toward her. I hated seeing her anxious. I hated myself for caring when I wasn’t supposed to care. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything toward her. On a day-to-day basis, I was as emotionally annihilated as my father. Then why did she manage to somehow bring emotions out of me? It wasn’t who I was.
I grabbed her chin and lifted it to lock our gazes. “You may go upstairs. The second door on the left, you should be able to find a shirt in my closet.” I smiled, and so did she.
“Thank you, Shane,” she whispered before taking a deep breath and vanishing from my sight as she left the dining room and headed upstairs.
I turned on my heel and headed to my office before locking the door behind me. I couldn’t risk her overhearing the conversation I was about to have. I walked past the wooden desk and stood by a wall-size glass window. I exhaled, feeling doubtful about my task. I hadn’t expected Melanie to be so…human.
I unlocked my phone and searched the missed calls, picking the last incoming number.
“Hello?” My father’s harsh voice rumbled through the speaker.
“What’s new?” I asked, anticipating.
“What have you done?”
“What do you mean?” Judging by his cold tone, I sensed something had happened.
“Every station is airing the news about the kidnapping of Melanie Atwood from her damn engagement party.” He kept a straight face even though I’m sure he was seething. But that was how he was. He was designed to keep a cool head even when all hell broke loose. That’s how he wanted me to be.
“Wasn’t that the plan?” I couldn’t help but mock him. “Wasn’t I supposed to get close to her?”
“Get close. Not kidnap,” he retorted.
“I haven’t kidnapped her,” I said, which I was sure calmed him down. “She came here out of her own will.”
I heard a deep sigh. “Stick to the plan, Shane. Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t,” I stated firmly, even though, at this point, I was questioning this fucked-up plan. “Is that all?”
“Not quite. I have intel.”
“I’m listening.”
“Her relationship with Ledford’s son was a part of Ledford and Atwood’s contract. Ledford’s boy knew about it. He has been fucking another girl for months now. Our lovely Miss Atwood found out her boyfriend cheated on her and broke up with him, but her father had other plans. Hence the sped-up engagement.”
“How do you know this?” I asked, my voice harsh. I knew this kind of intel shouldn’t have had any effect on me, and yet, my blood boiled. I quickly put two and two together, realizing it must’ve been the reason why Melanie ran away with me from her engagement party. What I didn’t understand was the fact that her own damn father had been treating her like a bargaining chip.
“It’s not a conversation over the phone, son.”
“Agreed.” I inhaled deeply, wondering what else had been happening in Melanie’s life.
“You have a card, now’s the time to play it.”
~••~
I went upstairs to my bedroom to find Melanie sitting on the edge of my bed, only wearing one of my shirts. Her back turned to me, her gaze fixed on the starry night sky through the window. Her long waves were now let loose, falling down her arms, reaching her waist. It was odd, so unlike me, but I enjoyed that view — the view of her waiting for me in my bedroom.
“Melanie?” I said softly. I didn’t want to startle her, and she seemed deep in her thoughts.
