Untamed

35

A trickle to a roar. The tears pouring down Shelby's face had a mind of their own. Melissa did most of the packing for her since her vision was blurred. She cried unashamedly in front of the old woman, pride wasn't something that crossed her mind, her self-confidence and ego shattered just moments ago when the woman she loved looked at her like everyone else, even though she was the one married, bawling her eyes out was easy.

Melissa didn't offer to comfort her or hand her a tissue, she didn't know what to do about this new silence between them, it was cold and a not so common ground for the both of them. Shelby adored the older woman though it seemed like it would be one sided from now on.

Her bags were packed with her not so far behind, once she reached the safe grounds of Texas she would allow herself truly feel this despair spreading through her chest but for now she would hang on to the tiny sliver of self-respect she had left, her head couldn't stay up high anymore- that was fine, she would look at the ground not like it mattered anyway.

A firm grip stopped her by the door, startled from the suddenness she almost tripped over the suitcase in front of her but the hand on her elbow kept her steady.

"I'm sorry." Shelby watched Melissa carefully with puffy eyes, she didn't know how to respond, her voice was lost after so much crying.

"I'm sorry about Heather, I know she won't come around. I won't apologize for Renee since she has been that way since I can remember, I can only apologize to you for Heather's sake, it's hard for her to see anything besides raw fact."

Shelby nodded slowly trying her best to understand how Heather being married wasn't a topic anyone was willing to shine a light on. What did she expect? What could outshine a murderer?

"I-" Shelby winced at the soreness of her throat but she continued. "I just want to go home. Thank you for letting me into your home and feeding me with delicious meals I might never taste in my life again."

Melissa's eyes shone with unshed tears, Heather was being unreasonable just because her emotions weren't in check, slicing through anything to give her an excuse to refuse love and everything it portrayed. Love wasn't unreasonable, Heather just wasn't ready for it and Melissa for the first time loathed her.

Actions couldn't express anything or heal anything that quick words had destroyed, the beautiful brown haired woman now that Melissa looked close enough was broken, she had been promised the world at her feet only to get nothing but her heart handed back to her in pieces.

Melissa ignored her shaky aching bones as she carried Shelby's suitcases down the stairs where the driver was waiting at the end to take them from her, a quick glance to the left showed Renee invested on whatever was displayed on her laptop screen. Renee hadn't always been like this Melissa recalled ruefully.

She was almost like Shelby except without the boundaries and walls, she was always a bright ray of sunshine until after their marriage, it was like a switch just flipped off. Heather tried during their first years to get her back but she just grew distant every single day till she left and never showed her face till now.

Melissa didn't understand why Heather didn't just terminate the marriage a long time ago, realizing in that moment that Heather might still be in love with her estranged wife, that would be a really cruel thing to do- almost heartless, to be in love with someone and pursue a different person only to chicken out when a new script disrupted your perfect bubble.

Shelby was standing by the stairs looking lost, she smiled warmly at Melissa but her eyes were empty and sad. "I didn't get to say thank you for not looking at me the way she did."

Melissa squeezed her cold hands. "I have a watched a lot of those action movies, coupled with some documentaries. You my dear, are not a killer, what kind of killer has puffy eyes?"

Shelby appreciated Melissa's light teasing, she needed to place her foot somewhere or she would spiral into the dark place she was used to, only difference was it got deeper.

"The love moving through this room is nauseating and cute at the same time." Renee looked up from her laptop with a tight smile. "As much as I love love, you need to leave before Heather comes down and sees you. I need to make my wife happy since you failed woefully at keeping that job."

Shelby squeezed her hands behind her back so Renee wouldn't pick in on it, there was no space left in her soul for her poisonous nails to dig into, Shelby stared longingly up the stairs holding on to the tiny string of hope. All she needed was five minutes alone with Heather, five mi-

"You must have a hard time understanding the situation so let me make it easy." Shelby's thoughts were interrupted by the loud screeching of Renee's chair when she stood up.

"Heather isn't a softy" Renee chuckled dryly. "She definitely doesn't believe in love so you're alone in that field. You're lucky you lasted this long, most of the girls she meets only last the night. You see, Heather always felt guilty for sleeping with other women since she was married and she's all high on the whole loyalty but the body can only hold out for so long."

Shelby watched her cover up the space between them slowly, rooted on the spot she could only listen and feel her heart break over and over, she wasn't the one or the first, she was one of many, nothing special. Wooed by the prospect of change, and luxurious loving at her beck and call. How many women had Heather wooed just like she wooed her? With calculated precision and insistence.

"Let me guess, you were the only one receiving the pleasure in the relationship." Shelby hid her shock but Renee saw through her façade. "She only showed you what you wanted to see when she wanted you to see them. You were never in control of your relationship, given you were supposed to be her bed warmer till she got your ranch issue sorted out."

"What ranch issue?" Shelby asked feeling the dread seep deeper into her.

"I paid the rest of the money owed by your father, I basically own most of the parts of the ranch till you pay me back." Shelby turned to see her lover- ex lover stroll down the stairs looking as fresh as a daisy making Renee's words ring true in her head, she was just another side piece who lasted a bit longer. She wasn't special.

"I'll pay you back." Shelby praised herself when her voice didn't wobble.

"I don't want your money, I just want you to leave. Live your life on your ranch, no one in Texas needs to know Darrius stables is in the hands of a murderer."

Shelby took a step back at the subtle threat. "Hea-"

"Don't" Heather took in a ragged breath. "Don't say my name, you should be happy I'm letting you walk out of my house with everything you own intact, one snap of my fingers and that little ranch will someone else's by sunrise."

Shelby kept her mouth shut not wanting to push her luck, leaving the ranch behind was a long lost dream. It might not be the home she remembered or wanted, it didn't matter.

With a silent nod in Melissa direction Shelby took the longest walk of her life towards the front door turning hesitantly when she heard her name.

"Do you know why she never told you she loved you?"

Shelby waited for the answer because she knew it would come regardless of what she said or how she felt, as least now she would have some clarity why she was so unlovable.

"It's because she still loves me."

Shelby didn't need to look at Heather to see the truth, so with one last teary smile in Melissa's direction she shut the doors of the mansion and her shattered heart.

Lenifty
hoelitdays
Jackkellar. Thank you for voting and reading my book.