Open mind for a different View

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Mel didn’t want to leave the bed. Anthony had been trying for the last five minutes to get her to get up. “You’re going to be late for school.” he insisted again from above her head, she was on her stomach and he was leaning over her trying to pull the pillow free.

She turned over and faced him. “You don’t have classes until the afternoon, let’s spend the day together.” she reached out and laid her hand over his cheek, enjoying the stubble.

“If you skip and your mom finds out---”

“I’ll handle it. I’m at the top of most of my classes, one day out won’t hurt and I can’t mentally go in there right now. You’d be saving me from a day of misery.” She moved her hand from his cheek to over his chest. “Just say yes.”

“Yes.” the word was husky, he leaned down and kissed her. “You’re going to get me in a lot of trouble.” He added before kissing her again.

Mel chuckled against his mouth before sitting up. “You’re older, you should have better control.”

“Right.” He dragged his mouth along the curve of her neck. “What do you want to do today?”

“Something fun. I never really have fun.”

He looked up, his eyebrows arched. “What was last night?”

“That was a different kind of fun. I’m talking about going out somewhere, I really never do that. The funniest thing I’ve done this year was kick your mom’s butt in tennis.”

“That’s a little sad.” He teased. “There’s something I like to do when I have my mornings off…if you’re interested.”

“What is it?”

“You’d have to wait and see.”

Mel enjoyed the teasing smile tugging at his lips and the glint in his eyes every time he looked at her. The more time they spent together the more her fears eased and she was willing to follow him to the moon. “Ok.”

They parted ways to get dressed. Anthony thought it was a safer idea that they get dressed in different parts of the studio before they ended up wasting their whole day away in bed.

She gathered all her things to shower and get dressed in the bathroom while he got dressed by the couch. She laughed alone in the bathroom because of his craziness. She thought she’d feel more different after they’ve had sex, maybe a little awkward afterward but that wasn’t happening. She felt more comfortable and safe with him because of it.

After her shower she dressed in her pair of jeans and over sized white t-shirt. She found Anthony in the kitchen pouring some orange juice. “You’re gonna need it.” he said, handing her a glass.

“You still have your project to work on and now it shouldn’t be too hard since you’ve seen me naked.” Mel reminded him as she held her glass. She realized she would much rather spend the day with him alone instead of doing something crazy out there in the real world.

“That’s what you think. Trying to get that project done is going to be even harder now because I have seen you naked and I know all the dirty things I’d like to do to you and how you’ll react to them. I won’t be able to think straight.” Anthony confessed with raw honesty.

She hoped he didn’t see the annoying girly blush across her cheeks, she hated things like that. “You don’t want to fail.”

“I still have time to work on it. I’ve committed every part of you to memory, I can probably finish it without you actually having to pose.” 

“There’s no fun in that.”

He pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re really going to be the death of me.” he bent and kissed her before they left his apartment together.

Mel didn’t allow herself to think about her mother’s worry about her staying out overnight or missing school, she didn’t care about everything Lena would suggest to rile their mother up or to make her second guess her relationship with Anthony. She certainly didn’t care about Zander.

Although try as hard as she might she was having some trouble forgetting about the last one. As Anthony drove to their unknown location Zander’s words played over and over in her head. It wasn’t the craziest thing to believe, people assumed new identities everyday and as she remembered well Zander’s dad had always been on the wrong side of things. But she didn’t want to accept it. She had spent years mourning her best friend and finally she was coming to terms she’d never have him back, she was learning to move on and care for someone else with her whole heart. Now only to have him show up like that last night was crazy. No other word for it; crazy.

She turned her head to the side and looked at Anthony as he drove. He was enough, he was more than enough. She didn’t need to question and figure out what happened last night with Zander, if it was even really him. She refused to fully accept it was Zander because it wouldn’t be as easy to forget as she was hoping to do now.

“You’re pretty quiet over there.” Anthony spoke.

“I’m always quiet.”

“Yeah.” He agreed. “But it feels like something else is going on you don’t want to share. What happened yesterday?”

Mel couldn’t fault him for asking; he had honored her wishes last night and didn’t try to get her to explain why she was suddenly at his place. She knew she couldn’t keep running from it and lying to him by saying she was ok when she was far from it. “I was going to help Eric with his homework and I was outside waiting for him to pick me up. Someone else paid me a visit instead.”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see this wasn’t something easy for her to talk about. Anthony pulled into a near empty parking lot and gave her his full attention. “Who was it?”

Mel cursed the tears burning against her eyes. “My best friend back from the dead.” she was bitter and there was no way around it. She could never wish he would’ve stayed dead and gone but she did wish life didn’t have to be this complicated.

“Wait…you mean Zander?” Anthony was shocked.

Mel nodded and lost the battle with her tears. “I was sitting on my porch to look up and see him there. He told me his death and his parents’ was faked so his dad could testify against some pretty bad people. I couldn’t wrap my head around it and when Eric did finally show up I ran out of there. I kept everything I was feeling hidden long enough to help him study because I didn’t want to go back home and risk seeing Zander again. I declined your brother’s offer for a ride back home and instead went to the bus station to see you.” she finished telling him everything about what happened last night and what landed her at his door step.

Anthony nodded as he tried to piece the puzzle together inside his own head. “That’s some crazy shit. I can’t blame you for wanting to get away from all of it but what happens later when you do have to go home and face this?”

“I have no idea but I do know a hundred percent I don’t want to think about it now. I just want to be here with you.”

“Ok.” Anthony said with complete understanding as he turned the car back on and continued to their destination.

Again Mel was regretful for the fact he didn’t push, she managed a smile as he grabbed a hold of her hand.

Soon the rest of the traffic faded and they were on the rode alone. It was midmorning and everyone was either at school, work, or still at home sleeping in. The strip of beach Anthony parked at was completely deserted of people.

“I like to come here to think and sometimes forget.” He explained as they got out of the car. “It’s a world away from the real one we live everyday.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s even better when you get under the water and see how clear and calm it is there.” He began to take off his sneakers and shirt.

Mel did the same but opted to leave her shirt and take off the jeans that would only make her drown. She was a little giddy as she ran after Anthony and jumped into the cool ocean water after him.