Forever Starts Tomorrow (12 page)

‘Still in ads?’ Sam asked, and Mel watched him grimace uncomfortably and then quickly recover his brilliant smile. Not quickly enough for Melanie, though. She knew him pretty well and could tell that he wasn’t too happy to be questioned. He was probably doing odd jobs while waiting for the right job to come along.

‘Nah, trying new things, a bit of this and a bit of that.’ He shrugged, dismissing the question. He smiled at the waitress who brought him his drink; the girl was visibly flustered by his golden good looks. Melanie bit back a laugh, watching her bat her lashes at Eric. He seemed oblivious to the attention.

‘I’d like us all to get together, sometime.’ He turned to Melanie, his eyes pleading. “For old times' sake—just a bunch of friends. I'll be having a party next Saturday, a bash for a good friend of mine. If you’d like, drop by. Both of you.’ He looked at Sam, probably sensing an ally. ‘Bring your guys or come alone; doesn’t matter.’

‘I’ll see what our plans are for Saturday.’ Melanie finished her drink and bit her lip in hesitation. ‘Not sure yet.’

‘That means, she's waiting to see what Scott wants to do.’ Sam leaned over to Eric, her voice mock-confidential. ‘We lost her the moment she hooked up with Mr. Perfect.’

It was definitely time to leave. She’d had enough of innuendos and jibes at Scott. Some things would never change, no matter how hard she tried. She wanted nothing more than to go home, run a bath, and relax while watching the sunset over the ocean.

She froze halfway through the thought, her heart beating as fast as if she were running. Did she just call Scott’s house ‘home'? Apparently so, given the fact that her own bathroom didn’t come with views of the Bay.

Eric wouldn’t hear of her walking to the subway station. His gallant offer to drop her off—along with Sam—could not be refused; he insisted so cheerfully, even though she explained repeatedly that she wouldn’t mind taking public transportation. He seemed surprised to find out Melanie still lived at her old address, probably expecting her to live with Scott. She was too tired to go into any explaining, and didn’t feel that she owed him any explanation at all. She saw an expression of disappointment in his face and wondered if she had read it correctly. Why would he be disappointed about that?

She thought about it as they walked out into the street, the heat of the early evening giving way to more subtle warmth. The sky was still blue, just the slightest hint of celadon and mauve painting its first hesitant smudges that signaled the arrival of the evening. Eric and Sam were chatting as they reached his car, and Melanie slid into the backseat without even considering the front-seat option. She let them talk and she drifted away, her thoughts spinning in helpless circles. She wasn’t lying when she told Sam she didn’t know what would happen. She had no idea. However, even though everything else was blurry and confusing, she was crystal clear about one thing: Scott belonged to her life just as much as she belonged to his.

NINE

Melanie considered herself lucky not to have sold her apartment, as she and Scott had planned. Otherwise she’d have had to stay with her family as she searched for a more permanent location. Staying at Sam’s wouldn't have been an option, given her toxic comments about Scott.

She was preparing a cup of herbal tea, the habit of having the calming drink before sleep going back all the way to her teenage years. Soon, the scent of mint filled the kitchen, and she grabbed a mug, maneuvering her way through the few boxes that still needed unpacking. The place felt strange after her stay with Scott, with its bare walls and sparse furniture. An overall sense of emptiness lingered in the air, impossible to shake. She had cleaned up after she moved back in, scrubbing and polishing with a viciousness that was somewhat excessive. Her friends had moved out just days earlier and had hired a cleaning company to give the apartment one final sweep. She’d have to try harder to make it more inviting, she decided, refusing to go down the path that led to other—less practical—thoughts. Would Scott and she get back together? Did she want to get back together? They seemed to have retraced their steps back to some semblance of the relationship they had before, but Melanie wasn’t silly enough to imagine it was enough to patch up the cracks that had appeared only a week ago.

The only more or less homey room in the apartment was the living room, and she headed for it now, her mug and a plate with a sandwich in her hands. She’d never enjoy eating alone in the dining room, even though her friends had taken good care of her old-fashioned oak table and chairs. Sitting there and staring into space was not her idea of winding down.

The bell rang just when she was about to take the first bite, and she sighed with frustration. She was dead on her feet; the whole day had been utterly exhausting. The last thing she needed was a visitor, whoever it might be. She recalled vaguely that she was running late with signing a petition the residents of the building had started just before she moved back in. Apparently, there was a plan to open a dance studio just two doors down. Her neighbors had worked themselves into a concerned frenzy of disapproval, trying to engage her in their battle with the studio owner. She didn’t really care either way, she told them, earning a few shocked glances. Her neighbor from across the floor, Mrs. Dunny, seemed particularly bent on preserving the ‘peace and quiet’ of the neighborhood, asking her repeatedly to have a look at their petition. She’d probably seen Melanie coming back home and figured it was a good moment for an ambush.

Maybe if she ignored it long enough, Mrs. Dunny would leave her alone. Melanie sipped her tea and considered turning on the TV. There was another ring, which lasted longer that time.

‘Coming.’ She’d tackle the problem head-on, she decided, as she put down her mug with a force that sent the liquid over the edge, spilling onto the coffee table. She swore under her breath and glanced toward the door, annoyed. She would tell them again that she really didn’t care about the music studio. If it were up to her, they could set up a nightclub. It wasn't really true, but it would shut them up and make them leave her in peace.

She never got to deliver her shocking speech, however. Instead of Mrs. Dunny, it was Scott, his long body propped casually against the doorframe. He was too tall for her doorway, she thought instinctively, as she did every time she saw him enter her place. His dark head almost touched the beam, shrinking the space to the size of a dollhouse.

‘What are you doing here?’ She stared at him, surprised, her eyes taking in his clothes. He must have come straight from the office, with his immaculate white shirt and dark trousers. Scott didn’t like dressing up; he'd told her so himself plenty of times. Instead, he favored T-shirts and jeans, effortlessly managing to make them look elegant anyway. But he possessed the uncanny ability to adapt to any business environment, instinctively blending in. His chat with the Taiwanese partners required more formal attire than his company’s official dress code, and he complied with his usual flair. It wouldn’t be him, however, if he didn’t put a personal spin on his conservative white-and-black attire. His red-and-blue silk painted tie added some much-needed life to his otherwise somber look.

‘Did something happen with José?’ she asked breathlessly, bracing herself for bad news. Maybe the kid changed his mind about visiting Scott. Or maybe his family didn’t want them to get too close, after the way Scott’s father treated his mom years ago.

‘No, he’s fine.’ Scott smiled and followed her in, his voice tired yet satisfied. ‘I just thought I’d talk to you about a few things that came up when I planned his visit at my place. Is it OK with you? I thought to call you first, but figured that I’d be passing by anyway, so I’d take the risk and see if you were home.’

She could hardly say no, could she? Especially since he made himself right at home, sitting down on her sofa with a sigh of utter relief. His fingers went up to his neck, loosening the tie even more, and then he slipped it off altogether. Two of his top shirt buttons came undone, and she needed a quick distraction if she didn’t want him to catch her ogling at his chest.

‘It’s fine,’ she murmured, looking away from the magnetic pull of his eyes. ‘Though I am dead on my feet, so it will have to be short. Couldn’t it wait till tomorrow, Scott?’

‘Probably could,’ he agreed pleasantly, his smile warming her insides like a slow, steady burn of a flame. ‘But I was looking for an excuse to see you today, Mel. You know that patience has never been one of my strengths.’

‘Would you like something to drink?’ she asked hastily, picking up her plate and taking it to the kitchen. She felt his eyes on her back as she walked away, her mug shaking dangerously in her hand.

‘I’m sorry.’ He sounded apologetic. She felt more than heard that he got to his feet and followed her to the small, galley-style kitchen. She didn’t turn around, and took her time wrapping up the sandwich and putting it away to the fridge.

‘I truly am sorry.’ She flinched as lips brushed the nape of her neck, the aluminum-foil box falling out of her hands and hitting the ground with a sound that was explosive in the heavy silence.

‘What for?’ She stepped aside and faced him, her blue eyes challenging. ‘For coming over? For making me feel like we didn’t really matter as a couple? For lying to me and then getting mad that I won’t say it was OK? The list goes on and on.’ She was tired and frustrated and for once couldn’t care less if he got upset with her honesty. The week she had spent alone taught her many things, the need to be more assertive one of them.

‘Well, I guess I deserve that.’ He ran a hand through his hair and looked embarrassed. He bent to pick up the box and handed it to her, hesitant. ‘Though right now, I was mostly sorry for barging in like this when you so obviously needed to rest. It was very thoughtless of me.’

Leave it to Scott to be totally honest and acknowledge the fact he didn’t feel the need to apologize for anything else.

‘OK, so what is it we need to talk about?’ She decided to let it slide and focus on what was happening right at that moment.

‘I just got off the phone with Maria.’ He seemed relieved that she didn’t pursue the topic of their relationship. ‘She asked the nurse to bring her a phone so she could talk to me. She seemed very agitated, and I had to calm her down, which took a long time.’

‘What happened?’ Her own worries forgotten, she stared at him with wide-open eyes. ‘She seemed fine when we talked to her earlier today. Do you think her family upset her?’

‘No, not really.’ He took the glass of water she offered him and walked back to her living room. She followed, still surprised by his news. ‘She was just worried about a few details and wanted to talk to me to make sure we were on the same page.’

‘What about?’ She sat down and looked up to him. He was still standing near the sofa, probably too restless to sit down, which worried her a bit. Scott Masden didn’t get restless like that.

‘She's worried about José staying at my house just with me. I have no idea how she found out about us living separately, but apparently it is more of an issue than I thought it would be.’ He took a sip of water. ‘She figured that together, we could take good care of him, but just me, not so much.’

‘Why?’ The pieces were starting to fall into place. She was pretty sure she knew what she owed the pleasure of his visit tonight. ‘It’s not like he is a baby or a toddler. He's twelve, and to be honest, I think that any kind of care is probably more than what he is getting back at the house.’

‘I know.’ He nodded his head. His dark hair reminded Melanie of a raven's wings. ‘I honestly don’t know what happened. One moment she was very happy with the arrangement, and now she’s worried he will be left alone too much.’

‘I think I know what happened,’ she murmured, her heart sinking. ‘Remember when we were leaving? When you walked out first with José to buy some sandwiches for him? Marnie and I were just saying our goodbyes to Maria, and I remember Marnie reassuring her not to worry and that I would be visiting José at your place. She noticed that he took a liking to me and was trying to make her feel better. I didn’t think Maria would pay much attention to that part, but I guess I was wrong.’

‘That’s Marnie all right.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘I mean, we avoided the whole 'who lives with whom’ topic for the whole hour we spent there, and did a pretty good job of it, too. You and I deserve an Oscar if you ask me. And then Marnie wrecks it in just the few seconds I leave her alone with Maria. I should never have brought her with us.’

‘She meant well.’ Melanie understood his frustration but would not join in with the Marnie-bashing. Marnie had a big mouth at times, but her heart was in the right place, and that was all that mattered.

‘So, what now?’ He looked at her with hooded eyes, as if expecting her to come up with a solution. Or rather, as though he wanted to hear her say out loud what they both knew was the only answer. It was his way of dealing with uncomfortable issues. He was giving her the illusion of choice, she thought, always careful not to show all his cards, making sure she couldn’t blame him for suggesting what was obvious. A week ago, she would have played along and made it easy for him. Now, she wanted him to take the responsibility for what he wanted her to do. She wanted to hear him suggest it and to take the risk that she might reject it.

She stayed quiet, waiting for Scott to realize that the ball was in his court. He looked a little disconcerted.

‘I came to ask you if you’d consider moving back in.’ He cleared his throat, as if it pained him to ask her for the favor. ‘I mean, I know you want us to have some time apart and all,’ he added, glancing at her face. “ I respect that. It’s just that without you, Maria could refuse to let José come and visit. She really took a liking to you.’ He smiled, the worry in his eyes momentarily replaced by kindness. ‘You didn’t even realize how much easier you made it for me at the hospital. Both José and Maria warmed up to you instantly, more so than to me or Marnie.’

‘How would that work?’ She sighed, her temples throbbing with the beginning of a migraine. ‘Do you expect me to just pack my stuff and come back because it will make it convenient for you? José will stay with you for three days. I'm sure you can convince his grandma that you can handle him for such a short time.’