Invisible

The Wait Is Over

I can't believe he just kissed me, I can't believe I let him! This is so bad, I shouldn't have let that happen. I shouldn't even be here. My dad's office is literally on the floor below this. If he comes up here I'm dead.

"Mr. Howard." A knock follows the voice behind the door. Shit, that's my dad.

I rush around Ethan's office trying to find anywhere to go. My dad can not see me here.

"Melissa?" Busted. In my haste to hide I didn't know I had run right in the direction of the door Ethan was opening.

"Hi Mr. Dawson." I kept my head low avoiding eye contact.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in school?"

"She had a rough day, asked me if she could spend the day with me at my office. That a problem Mr. Dawson?" Ethan quirked a brow daring my father to challenge him.

"No, not at all you two carry on."

I've never seen my father back down so quick, but I should have expected that. Ethan is way above my dad at this company, he's damn near my father's boss. Doesn't change the fact that I'm going to get an earful about this when I get home.

"Now where were we?" He titled my chin leaning down to kiss me again.

"No, this isn't right. I shouldn't be letting you kiss me. Patience will kill me when she finds out."

"Fuck what Patience finds out. This is between you and me. I don't give a damn about her slutty ass."

His head jerk to the side from the force of me slapping him. I don't care how awful Patience is to me, she's still my sister. I'm not about to let him disrespect her in my face.

"The fuck was that for?"

"Don't call her that, you don't know her to call her that." He looked at me in disbelief.

"Are you seriously taking up for her?"

"Yes, even if I'm adopted that's still my family. I don't let anybody talk about them."

"They treat you like shit, beat you so badly that you're bruised up, and you still defend them?" I nod.

"You're so innocent it's insane, you generally care about people that don't give a damn about you." He laughed pulling me into him.

"No, I just don't care to see people badmouth them when they don't know them." I rub my arm up and down nervously.

"Hey don't get upset, you stood up to me. Something I haven't seen you do to anybody. I want to see more of this side."

I sit back on the couch hugging my knees to myself again. I can feel his eyes on me.

"You're scared of me, aren't you?"

"Scared, no, skeptical, and having no trust in you whatsoever, yes."

"What do you mean?"

Ethan

"Ethan you bullied me until I was thirteen. You made fun of me literally whenever you had the chance. When I was eight you pushed me off of the swing at the park, everybody lied, and said I fell so you wouldn't get in trouble. Nobody believed me but Hunter. My knee was a bloody mess for two days because of how badly busted it was. I was your verbal punching bag for all of my childhood. Then I get to high school, and you pay no attention to me at all. Now you're all 'I wanna help you', 'let me save you'. What the fuck is that? If this is some dumb ass prank leave me out of it."

I know she's mad she's shaking. I remember her doing this when I pushed her off the swing. I never knew she busted her knee when I did that. I did see her crying when Hunter helped her up. I also remember being even more mean to her the next day at school, because my mom did see me push her, and I got in big trouble at home for that. I always found it weird that no one else saw what I did to her, but my parents always saw. My dad made me apologize to her one time, but I doubt she ever got it because I told Patience to tell her I was sorry.

"I'm sorry Melissa, I was a kid. I didn't know any better, not to mention that there was a good reason why I was such a jerk to you."

She looked at me incredulously.

"Really, exactly what reason was there for a six year old to pick on an innocent little three year old girl until she was thirteen?! Huh, what was the reason Ethan?" She shouted. My baby actually raised her voice, as long as I've known this girl she's never been louder than her tiny voice.

"Because I liked you!" I found myself yelling back making her sit back down.

"What?"

"I had a crush on you when we were kids. That's why I picked on you so much. I was six years old I figured if I was mean to you, you would like me back."

Give me a break, I was kid. That was the best logic I had at that age. I could see that she had more to say. No telling how long she's held this in, might as well let her get it all out.

"You put a wad of gum in my hair when I was four, I had to have a chunk of my hair cut off. All of the other kids called me patchy because of the one spot in my hair that didn't grow back until I was seven."

"I was mad because you didn't sit with me at the lunch table."

I confessed weakly. I had actually saved her a seat because she was always sitting alone. But Hunter let her sit with him and his friends so I put my blue Hubba Bubba chewing gum in her hair when I threw my trash away.

"You made fun of my bike, and I got in trouble for destroying it for trying to fit in with you."

Again I was mad because she wanted to race with Hunter instead of racing me.

"When I was ten you pushed me into the fountain on the school field trip."

Now that really was an accident. A bunch of kids behind me were pushing, and shoving. Melissa just so happened to be next to me when I got shoved harder than before causing her to fall in the fountain.

"On my thirteenth birthday you locked me in a closet for almost an hour."

I was trying to sneak away from her party guest to give her a birthday kiss, but everybody kept asking to see my learners permit since I was the first one with mines. I sat next to her pulling her into my side. She didn't move to push me away, she only stayed close letting out all of the torment I put her through. I really did put this girl through hell, but I thought it was just harmless flirting. I'm so sorry beautiful, I didn't know I hurt her so bad.

"I'm sorry, I was a kid. I was immature and stupid. I only did all those mean things to you to get your attention."

"Then you should have talked to me. I would have talked back. I was a scared little girl when I started staying with the Dawson family. All you had to do was talk to me. I was new to this life, and I didn't have any friends. I just wanted to be accepted by everybody. You made sure that didn't happen the minute you saw me." She lifted her head to look at me.

"My first week at the Dawson home was the week of Hunter's birthday. Little six year old Ethan Howard walked right up to tiny three year old me, and pushed me saying 'You're ugly we're not going to play with you.' Thanks a lot Ethan."

I remember that too, she wasn't ugly. I had saw her a couple of days earlier walking with Mr. Dawson around the grocery store. When my mom and I caught up to him in the store she was asleep so I didn't get to talk to her. Hunter's birthday party was the day I was supposed to get to talk to her. But as soon as we all went outside to celebrate with Hunter I saw him holding her hand and I got mad at him for holding her hand.

"I'm going to make all of that up to you if you let me." She nodded.

"I think I owe you a second date too."

"We never had a first date mister."

"Oh yeah we did, breakfast at the diner."

"You forced me into your car, I don't think that counts as a date."

This was not up for debate. That was definitely a date, especially considering I don't date anybody. I may have fucked a few girls here and there, but I never dated them. I was waiting for her, I was always waiting for her. Even if she doesn't know it, I'm done waiting.