Ultraviolet (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2

"Violet, you haven't aged a bit," Ross grinned and opened his arms for a tender hug.

Violet jerked away without thought, even with thought she'd probably find herself doing the same thing. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was deadly serious and dripping with venom.

"I'm back," He shrugged effortlessly and lowered his arms, unaffected by her posion.

"You're back for what? This is my apartment. How did you find us?" Questions darted through her head, laced with frustration and surprise.

"The internet, it's a pretty cool place. You should go there sometime." He laughed dryly, his teeth peeking out teasingly. That same gleaming grin that used to make her fall right onto his lips as he pulled her tighter after she had got into another fight with her parents. The one that told terrible pick up lines, but made her mimic that same smile that she never could quite live up to. She used to take comfort in the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed at how she was terrible at cooking and even worse at pretending she wasn't. That was a long time ago, for the both of them, but that didn't stop them from both wondering what it would have been like, what it could have been like if things had worked out. If all the plans they had made under their fortress of blankets came true, and somehow it would all just fall into place despite the odds. But Violet had a child of her own now, no thanks to Ross, so playing pretend was a game kept only for her late night thoughts... and Melody of course.

Unphased by his so called 'joke' she stiffened to appear more intimidating, "Leave. Now." She nudged him further from the doorway, trying to avoid the familiar warmth of his muscular arm, but that didn't stop her from holding her ground or the memories tricking down her body.

"Don't you want to hear my side of the story? Where I've been for all these years?" Ross bargained with a sheepish smile and closed the gap between them once more. Violet hitched her breath in the sudden shock of his proximity to her, but masked it into a growl. No time for this now, Violet cursed at her wandering mind.

He was far too close for Violet's liking as she pushed with all of her weight on the wooden slab to slam the door on him, but he lodged his body between the wall and the door and forced it back open. At this moment she wished she had gone to the gym a little more. "I know where you've been. Out of my daughter's life for years. So no, I don't care to sip tea with you and discuss how you've been 'cause I really don't give a damn." While it had been a lie that pained the pit in her stomach, she was relieved Ross couldn't see through her facade. She was grateful he didn't know her the way he used to, not anymore, Violet had changed a lot since then.

His voice was soothing despite the struggle in his voice, "Oh come on, Violet don't be that way," Ross finally pushed through the barrier Violet had made with her body and the door slammed behind him with a clash.

She had lost the uphill battle, but she had never been one to give up so easily, Ross on the other hand had given up his own daughter and the thought of him coming into her life just to leave again would only put in another knife to twist. "Get out." She pointed sternly to the door or what was left of it, "Now."

"Just let me see her once before I go," He tried to bargain. Melody's face, the face he'd been thinking of for all these years, knowing one glance could never be enough, but he needed to see her.

But Violet held her ground, "No, you gave up the title of father as soon as you walked out of Melody's life."

"Melody," He repeated her name. He had almost forgot what it had sounded like to hear someone else say her name. Only his parents knew of the child and refused to speak of her, partly because Ross would begin thinking non stop about her again, but mostly because they had encouraged him to leave his past behind, that included Violet and their baby to live a life of his own.