The Second Catch

Chapter 5: Past The Breaking Point

Neither three of them had a chance to say anything else when they heard the sound of the door swinging open.  The three of them turned around quickly to see Melanie had come back.  Levi quickly took the paper and held it behind his back in a not so very subtle way.  He was sure that Melanie had seen him have a hold of it.  Levi gave Melanie a smile.  "Melanie!  Thank goodness you're here.  We were starting to worry.."  Melanie raises her eye as she had stopped at the entrance of the house spotting the three of them.  She could definitely see the three of them looked rather suspicious.  Neither one of them were very good at keeping big secrets.

"What's going on?" She asked, ignoring Levi's comment and interrupting him.  "Nothing!  Nothing at all."  Victoria said a little too quickly.  Anthony gave her a sideways glare giving her a smooth very smooth type look.  Victoria glanced sideways on time to see his look and gave him a small glare back.  "Yeah, I'll pretend like I believe that!  All three of you are horrible liars."  She stepped up closer to Levi.  "What do you have behind your back in your hands?  Don't play dumb either, I saw the piece of paper."

Anthony suddenly noticed that he had been holding his breath.  This wasn't going to be a pretty sight.  "I don't.."  But before Levi could finish the sentence, he felt Melanie's hand reach around him and snatch the paper.  "What is this?"  "Look Melanie, before.."  Victoria began to explain quickly, but Melanie had started to unfold the paper already.  Once Melanie unfolded the paper and saw what they had been looking at, she turned pale.  Her head snapped back up and glared at Levi, seeing as he was the one who had been holding it when she walked in.  "Where did you find this?"

Levi for a moment was too nervous to speak or do anything.  He had rarely seen Melanie mad, even after Paul's death it had been too silent, she had been holding it all in for far too long, and he was pretty sure now, that she was finally going to unleash her anger.  Levi realized that he hadn't said anything for quite a few minutes until he saw Melanie step closer to him again.

He suddenly felt a slap to his right cheek.  "I said!  Where did you get this!"  She yelled.  This made the three of them jump, becoming rather surprised at Melanie's actions.  Levi turned pale not saying anything at all.  Still shocked at the fact that Melanie slapped him.  Anthony stayed standing there not sure if he should step in or not.  By the time that he thought to, Victoria stepped in instead and grabbed Melanie's arm glaring at her.  "Levi wasn't the one who found these Melanie!  I did!  And you had NO right to slap MY husband!"  She hissed at her.  "I know you're having trouble.  But don't!"  Melanie turned on Victoria struggling to loosen her grip.  "Get off me."  She growled.  "How the hell did you find these?"  Victoria took a deep breath.  "First of all.  I didn't find out about you being pregnant with Paul's child until a few minutes ago.  I thought this was the pregnancy result from the doctor visit a few weeks ago.  Saying that you were pregnant with Anthony's child.  I found them in your desk drawer.  And second, why the hell didn't you tell Levi and I?"

"That is not relevant!  You had NO right to go snooping through my things!"  Melanie kept her glare on Victoria.  Victoria sighed.  "Melanie, we were worried about you!  We knew something was going on, but you didn't tell us anything!  You never tell us anything anymore.  How else was I supposed to find out what was going on!"  "You shouldn't of been in my room! I don't have to tell you everything!"  Victoria looked stunned at what Melanie had just said.  They were best friends, so Melanie should've felt safe, comfortable with telling her anything.  She knew that Melanie was going through a rough spell, and preferred not to talk about things until she was ready.  But she could've at least trusted her and Levi enough when she was ready.  She knew Melanie was upset and most likely didn't mean what she said.  But Victoria couldn't help but feel hurt at the words.  Especially when her and Melanie used to tell each other everything.  Now it was like she didn't know who her best friend was anymore. 

"Perhaps you shouldn't leave things you're trying to hide left so easily to be found!"  Victoria said in a cool tone.  "If I was trying to hide something I wouldn't of left it in the first drawer of your desk drawer and left it wide open for someone to see."  Victoria shouldn't of said those words, but she wanted to get Melanie back for stinging her.  Melanie stared at Victoria silently giving her a death stare.  Suddenly she raised her hand to send a slap this time now towards Victoria.  She was angry and she couldn't think of any other way to retort back.  She wasn't exactly angry at Victoria.  She knew she was just worried, and Melanie hadn't been helping with things.  But she couldn't help it.  She was angry about her situation and taking it out on them.  Finally letting all her emotions unravel.  Until she told Anthony she had never told anybody about what happened following Paul's accident.  She really had planned on telling Victoria she was pregnant with Anthony's child.  But of course as always, Victoria had to go snooping, making things worse, finding out before Melanie had wanted her to.  "How dare you!"

Suddenly Anthony went to reach for Melanie, grabbing her arm to stop her, afraid of what else she might do to Victoria.  "Hey..  Hey..  Mel!"  As Melanie felt him grab her arm to stop her, she whipped around and faced Anthony.  He could see how much anger she was holding in.  "Let go of me!  And don't call me that!"  She hissed.  She wasn't aware that she had tears coming down her cheeks.  "I told you not to tell them!  I told you I wanted to tell them in my own way!"

Victoria stared at Melanie, suddenly nervous.  Maybe there was something more going on.  She tried to calm down a little more to talk it through with Melanie and understand her better.  "Know what Melanie?  Please, tell us what is going on?  We are only trying to help.  I, I am sorry.  You're right, I shouldn't of snooped."  She muttered.  She already knew Melanie was pregnant because Anthony told them.  But now she was thinking, due to Melanie's behavior, that something worse, something more was wrong.  And that was why perhaps that Melanie didn't want to tell them, she was trying to figure out a way how to.  Victoria suddenly grew more concerned.  If something was wrong, she didn't want Melanie going through the same thing as last time, losing someone else.  Another baby.  But if that was the case, Victoria certainly would be there for Melanie this time, whether she wanted her to or not.  She was also hurt at the fact that Melanie had kept it a secret, the whole thing of her being pregnant with Paul's baby, and the miscarriage.

Melanie took a deep breath stepping back from Anthony's grip, trying to calm down herself before starting to speak.  "I, I'm pregnant."  She whispered.  She closed her eyes feeling tears coming down her face as she let everything finally start to sync in.  Everything that had happened since Paul's death.  "And I, I don't know what to do."  Victoria stared at her friend a moment, feeling confused.  "What do you mean you don't know what to do?"  She already knew that too, about wanting to leave.  Anthony had told them everything before Melanie stepped in.    Victoria couldn't quite understand why Melanie would want to leave, think that she was alone in this, when she had her, Levi and Anthony.  However, she was unaware of Melanie's fear of losing anyone else she loved.  Melanie opened her eyes, looking back at them again.  "I'm, not sure if I want to..  To keep the baby..  I can't keep the baby."