Chapter 14: Fourteen

Hank seized her wrists, giving her a shake, and he didn’t hold himself any more. He let go of her hands, just to envelop her tight in his arms, raising her from the floor and shutting her up with his lip. Melina was reluctant for a moment and then her arms flung to his neck, entangling her fingers in his hair, making him lose his line of thinking. It was a harsh, angry kiss. He wanted her at his mercy, to suffer for escaping him, taking his baby away, not giving him the chance of seeing her for the first five years, and for her cruel words to him.

She cradled his head and wrapped her legs around him, bringing him closer. He could feel her heart frantic beats against his chest joining the wild rhythm of his own. He plunged his tongue inside her soft mouth, exploring every corner, remembering the sweet taste he craved all these years. And satisfaction washed on him, as the knowledge he wasn’t the only one affected by the storm of jumbled emotions going on around them, and with that in mind, he let go of her, putting her back on the floor and looking at Melina with a smug face.

“I have a proposal for you, it’s a take it or leave it.”

Melina cursed herself for her weakness against the passion he brings in her. To tell the truth, she got pissed by the way he just dismissed her. She felt rejected and hurt. She shouldn’t, but she did. How could she feel this way for this man? Her parents came to her mind, their faces full of disappointment in her. She turned away from him so he didn’t see the pain in her face. Marching to the front door, trying to grasp some air and calm herself. Melina quickened the pace when she heard the steps behind her, but he got her by the elbow, turning her to him.

“I have nothing to talk about it anymore.” She gritted out. “Let go of me.”

“You don’t walk away from me and we have everything to talk about, Melina.” Henry pulled her back inside the house, pushing her to sit on the couch. “I want two weeks with Evangeline, and I won’t pursue guardianship.” The surprise lit up her eyes, and relief crossed her face as the tension lifted from her body. He could see the change in her posture.

“Ok, Eve is your daughter. Since you’re here I won’t keep her away from you, but why set up this house if you will stay for only two weeks?”

The look on his face said differently. He was being too condescending. Something was off, and it couldn’t be only that. She was sure there was a catch in his proposal. And she was right.

“I’m not going away after two weeks, but I want two full weeks with my daughter.” Her body tensed again the minute he repeated himself. He saw in her eyes when his words sank in her brain. She jumped out of the couch as if a bee stung her.

“No! Never!” Melina yelled at him, livid. “No, are you out of your mind?” He couldn’t be this cruel to them.

“You had her for yourself for almost six years, Melina, and all I’m asking is two weeks. If you don’t accept I’ll move hell and heaven to win her sole guardianship, and believe me, at the end she’ll be mine.” The threat left his mouth in a low growl, not caring if Melina was about to pass out in front of him.

She was in a nightmare and couldn’t wake up. There wasn’t another explanation for what was happening in that living room. She could understand his hate towards her. He wanted her to suffer, but drag an innocent soul in their quarrel, just to get back at her stooped too low even for him. She had to make him understand. Eve wasn’t a little girl like the others, she had her limitations.

“You can’t do this! This is ludicrous. You can see her every day for the rest of your life. She’s with Giagiá when I’m in the clinic, I won’t even be around, so you don’t have to put up with me.” She tried to reason, to talk some sense into him, but the only thing she got back was a stony stare.

“You have three days to tell Evangeline who I am, Melina. Three days, not a minute more.” He hoped he wouldn’t regret this harsh decision later.

The amount of stress this situation would put on the child would be tremendous, but he was her father. He would know what to do. He was dying to have some alone time with Eve, without the influence of her mother, so they could catch up for the past years. But he couldn’t lie to himself. She was right. Part of his plans was to make her suffer, and he knew if he separated them it would be unbearable for her. Yes, he was behaving like an asshole, but he wanted her to feel what he felt when she took from him the chance of being a father to that gorgeous little girl.

“We’ve never been apart. We’ve had a routine every evening since she came home from the hospital. How can you be so cruel?” With every passing moment her efforts to discourage him from his decision waned down, he wouldn’t let go no matter what, Henry was dead set on his decision and she would have to give in, because taking Eve away would be worse on them than two weeks apart.

“You have three days to prepare her, and talk to your grandmother. Tell them you must travel, whatever…” He wasn’t sure about what he was doing, but he was going to get his family back, even if Melina hated him in the end. They needed to talk, to clear some misunderstandings, but not now. He got too pissed at her for something good to come out of any conversation they’d have. This one was already out of hand.

“You can’t take her out of the house!” She cut him off and attacked him like a rabid dog. “Why don’t you listen to me?” Her fists hit him on the chest, going hysterical, but it was the same as hitting a wall. “She knows the house, how everything is inside, she has the cats. Please Henry, how can you be this cruel to your own daughter?”

“I don’t want you around us these two weeks, Melina. You’ll move to this house, and stay here until the time is up, and if you dare to interfere, you already know the outcome.” She was crying so hard, he thought he was going mad, but he wouldn’t back down in his decision. “I’ll be with her at your grandma’s house, from the minute she wakes up to the minute she goes to sleep. I bought these baby monitors, so I’ll come back here to sleep.” He gritted out, gripping her hard to him so she would quiet down. He brought her forcefully to his chest until her sobs subsided a little.

“Please, do whatever you want with me, Henry, but don’t punish Eve for our mistakes, I beg you.”

It was time for her to go back to her house. Or he’d have second thoughts about it. He wanted those weeks to know his daughter; he deserved it. It was his right.

“I think it is better if you go home, now.” A chill spread over her, listening to his freezing tone.

“You don’t know what it means to love someone, you don’t know what love is… you’re just a cold-hearted gangster...” She trailed off, pushing him away in a harsh, angry move and walked to the door.

“And what does it mean to love someone, Melina?” Henry asked with a sudden tiredness in his voice and a heavy heart in his chest. She was so wrong about everything on so many levels, but right now he wasn’t in a mood to tell her off.

Melina didn’t miss the sad note in the question, and half turned to him. “It means I look every day to a little girl who’s the spitting image of the man who hurt her mother so much, and keep hurting, but every time she smiles and her little hands reach for me, or she calls me mommy, I know in my heart that I’d do everything again for her in a heartbeat…”