Chapter 42: Forty-Two

Melina moved on the mattress, too lazy to wake up just yet. In her mind, amid her sleep, she replayed the night spent in Henry’s arms. Boy! It was intense. His kisses were hungry and desperate, the possessive way his hands travelled over her body, caressing each curve, sometimes loving, sometimes rough, trying to feel her underneath his palms as if she would disappear the next second. She knew she would wake up bearing his marks, and she didn’t care. The passionate way he loved her, making her scream his name so many times, left her wanting more of him. How could it be possible? She loved every minute of it.

Turning around, her arm hit the empty, cold side of the sheets. Her eyes fluttered open to realise once again he left, leaving her to wake up alone. Anger rose in her, and she sighed, peeking at the clock. Six in the morning. The bedroom door was ajar, and the entire house was silent. He was nowhere to be found. Melina took a few minutes to analyse her situation.

Giagiá’s advice didn’t leave her mind, and with all her will she was trying to follow it and make her life easier, but it seemed it was getting even more complicated than before, and this time it wasn’t her fault, Henry was the one making things hard. They didn’t finish talking, and he was hiding facts from her. He didn’t clarify what his ‘tea’ friend meant on the phone, much less what happened to him, or how he got the enormous burn scar on his lower back.

Henry was giving her the cold shoulder and treating her with indifference since Eve’s disappearance. He was wearing hurt and anger in his eyes, but the worst was the defeated tone he was broadcasting. Besides all that, he couldn’t stay away from her, and for the second time they ended up in bed, just for him to be gone in the morning. A heaviness settled in Melina’s stomach, and tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away, throwing the covers on the side and hopping out of bed.

She wiggled into her clothes and went to the bathroom to start her day. This was getting tiring. She had nothing in his house and always needed to finish her morning routine at home. Before she left, she fixed the bed and to her surprise, he had left a little box with a note ‘for you’ on top. Melina opened it and it was a new cell phone, and much better and modern than her old one. It was all set up for her, all her patients and contacts, and ever her stupid games, everything. With a smile dancing on her lips, she headed home.

***

“Hey Gabs, it’s me, Melina. This is my new number.”

“Wow, he changed your number?”

“Yes, so I don’t get anymore messages. How’s everything? I heard your brother is coming for a visit. When will he arrive?”

“He will send me all his flight info, but I believe in a week I’ll see my brother again!” The thrilled voice warmed Melina’s heart. Although the pictures of her brother gave her the creeps, but hearing the excitement in her friend made her happy. Melina had Giagiá and Eve, but Gabs, no family around.

“How long will he stay?”

“About ten days. I can’t wait to show him the entire island. He’ll love it.” Gabs became silent, then a heavy sigh at the other end. “How are you and mister mafia freak?”

“Come on, Gabs. Don’t call him that. I’m sorry he scared you. I won’t excuse his behavior, but there is a lot going on. Please be patient. Hopefully everything will go back to normal soon. How are the cats, by the way?” she asked, changing the subject on purpose.

“They are much better, tomorrow they will be fine to go back home.”

“Thank Lord! Now I’ll send out messages to all my patients about the new number. Talk to you later. And Gabs… I love you, my friend.”

“I know, silly!” Laughing, they hung up, and Melina walked over to Eve, playing with Chops on the terrace.

Giagiá was watching over the little girl and doing her crochet. Josh and Eli kept their distance to give them some privacy, but they were always there, like two Greek columns. Melina sat close to Eve, and the girl flung herself in her arms.

“Mommy, you’re squishing me!” Eve giggled as Melina squeezed the little girl to her in a tight hug, then kissed her entire face.

“Mommy loves you to the moon and back, you know that, right Muffin?”

“I love you too, Mommy.” Eve kissed her mom and caressed her face.

“How’s Chops?”

“He’s fun and sneezes a lot!” She got out of her mother’s hold, going to the kitten having a blast with a bug. “When Socks and Lina come home?”

“I just talked to auntie Gabs. They will be back home tomorrow.” Melina listened, delighted, to the squeaks of joy. She stood up, sitting in the chair beside Giagiá. Hearing the girl blabber to the kitten about how funny the older cats were.

One more day had passed. It was almost time to get Eve ready for bed. Not a word of Henry. She didn’t ask one of his men, since she knew the answer she’d get. A loud sigh escaped her lips, making her grandma turn to her with worried eyes.

“Why the long face, Melina?” Elissa patted her granddaughter’s hand.

“It’s all this situation. My life is upside down. There are times I catch myself wanting everything to go back the way it was before, then I think about Henry and Eve, and I don’t want things the way it was. Am I crazy?”

“No, child, you’re not crazy. Changes are hard in the beginning, but they are good, they make us move forward. You’re a wonderful person, Melina. Think about everything you went through and how strong you came out of it. I’m sure you’ll be fine again.”

“Thank you Giagiá. I wish I had the same confidence in myself as you do, but I’m trying to embrace my fate, and make life easier.” She chuckled, hiding her face in her palms. It wasn’t a joyful laughter. It sounded bitter in her ears.

“What’s the problem then?”

“It’s nothing, Giagiá. Don’t worry. Let’s hope the mess will work out in the end, and we can go back to a peaceful life.”

She wasn’t about to concern the old lady with her problem with Henry. She had a clue why he was behaving as he was, but nothing took from her head that there was something else bothering him, and he was taking his frustration on her. Discovering what was going on was imperative. They needed to talk, but he was making himself scarce on purpose.

The entire evening, her brain didn’t stop for a minute. She needed to bring down the wall Henry put between them, but she needed more information on him, and a plan started to cook up in her head. Eve noticed her mother was distant, not focusing on their routine, and started throwing tantrums to bring her mother’s attention to her, which worked eventually. It was time for the bedtime story, and both snuggled under the covers.

“Mommy, this prince you tell me about, is it daddy?”

“How did you figure it out?” Her eyebrows raised to her hairline, a mischievous look on her face.

“Because he told me, I’m just like him. My hair is the same honey color as his, also my eyes, and it’s the same in the fairy tale. Besides, Lina agreed with him.”

“Lina, huh? I have such a smart daughter and blabber cats!” Melina pinched Eve’s nose and tickled the girl. Wails of laughter echoed through the house.

Eve fell asleep after a while, and Melina’s thoughts still wandered for some time, perfecting her plan. Fall was upon them and she was so cozy in Eve’s bed, she didn’t notice when sleep claimed her. Late that night, an evergreen and hazelnut perfume hugged her, bringing warmth to her body. Opening her eyes, she caught sight of the most handsome face, peacefully sleeping, all scrunched up and tangled in them. She couldn’t conjure up how the little bed could hold the three of them, but she was glad it did.

“You’re a handsome man, Charming…” She whispered, cupping his cheek and caressing it. He looked tired and strained, and leaned his face towards the warmth of her palm, but he didn’t wake up. Maybe she started to understand him. Henry needed to be close to them, almost like a compulsion, and it was out of loneliness. He was a lonely person. She still knew little about his past, and she didn’t count it’d be so hard to get it out of him, but if he didn’t tell her, she was going to find out, one way or another.