The Divided

Chapter Forty-Two

As it grew later in the evening, Dean's family trickled out of the house little by little. Soon, it was only him, me, his parents, Hadley, and the dog. I helped Reagan and Dean clean up the house since it got a little cluttered with all the family that had been here, while Iris carried Hadley to bed with the dog trotting close behind her. Soon, the house was clean, the sun had fallen, and Hadley was sound asleep with his dog in bed. Iris joined us in the kitchen as I prepared myself to explain to them what I had done earlier that day.

All three of them stood in front of me, looking at me and waiting for me to explain whatever it was that I wanted to tell them. Just as soon as I opened my mouth to begin, my phone rang. "It's my dad," I announced after pulling the device out of my pocket. I answered it. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" Xavier asked immediately. "It's getting late. The curfew is in half an hour."

"I know," I replied, though I hadn't realized. "I'm out in town with Bella. I'll be home soon."

"You need to come now before the curfew starts," he strongly advised.

"I'll be home before it does," I assured him, though I was doubtful.

"Will you?" he asked sounding unconvinced. I didn't like the tone in his voice.

"Yes, I will." My father didn't even reply before he hung up. I just sighed and shoved my phone back into my jeans pocket.

Looking between the Extricates in front of me, I realized that I better get started now or my dad would go out looking for me. "Vincent pulled me aside today and spoke to me alone in his office," I started explaining.

"Did he threaten you again?" Reagan interrupted.

I stared at him, my heart pounding. I couldn't believe I was about to tell them. "In a sense."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Mel, what's wrong? Just tell us."

I directed my gaze to him and found my stare softening. "You're going to get mad."

His mother shook her head and sent me a soft smile. "We won't get mad, Melody," she insisted.

Before I could stop it, my eyes began to water, and I swallowed down the lump that was forming in my throat. "But you will."

Each of them stared at me with a gentler. "Then how about you just tell us what happened, and we will work through it together," Iris suggested delicately.

I took a deep breath. "The first thing he told me, was that he was going to kill Dean if I didn't cooperate...then he said that he wanted information," I explained.

"What kind of information?" Reagan asked.

"He wanted to know what your plans were," I said. "He wanted to know what you were doing to prepare for a war."

"And you told him?" Dean asked, the tone in his voice hardening.

After briefly hesitating, I nodded. "I told him only what I knew, Dean." I watched his chest rise and fall as if he was trying to control his anger, while Reagan and Iris stood there, speechless. I blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry."

Reagan nodded and raised a hand as if that would calm me down. "What exactly did you tell him, Melody?" he questioned as calmly as he could. "I told him that you weren't going to give my dad the people he wanted and that you were strengthening your defense to prepare for the war. I...um...also mentioned that you were planning a surprise attack," I stuttered out.

"Melody!" Dean shouted, so loud that it could have woken up his brother across the house. "That was our one chance at winning this war, and you told them everything! We can't beat them if they are told about every surprise attack that we plan!"

I shook my head, crocodile tears now falling down my cheeks. "I was protecting you, Dean. He told me that he would kill you if I didn't tell him!"

The boy in front of me shook his head, not listening to me. "Was this your plan this whole time? To get inside information about us? Have you just been pretending to like us this entire time? To like me?"

I couldn't stop crying now. This wasn't how I'd wanted this to go. "No, Dean, I could let him kill you when I had the opportunity to prevent it!"

He looked at me with such a coldness in his eyes that I flinched back from him. "He was bluffing, Melody!" he screamed.

"He's tried to kill me, Dean! He wasn't bluffing! I of all people would know!"

"Melody, we can't catch them by surprise now. You took away our chance of beating the Ameliorates!"

I breathed. "Just the leadership, Dean. The goal was to take down the leadership, not the whole nation. Not all Ameliorates are bad."

"Yes, they are! They killed my brother!"

"I'm an Ameliorate, Dean!"

He nodded, fury concealing his eyes. "I know and look at what happened when we trusted you. You are just like your father!"

I stopped and stared at him, tears streaming down my face. He said I was just like my father. For months, he assured me that I wasn't, but now...I guess the truth the came out.

"Dean," Reagan snapped. "You of all people know she isn't one of them."

"She told on us, Dad! She told them everything!"

He nodded. "I know, but she had to. She saved your life."

"She might have saved my life, but now we could lose thousands because she spilled our secrets!"

Reagan shook his head at his raging son. "We will still have a chance in this upcoming war. You need to calm down—you aren't thinking straight."

I could practically feel the anger radiating off of Dean as his chest rose and fell from the deep breaths he was taking. "Dean, I'm sorry," I cried.

Shaking his head, he stared me in the eyes. I could see the glistening from the unfallen tears in his different eyes. "We trusted you, Melody."

My chest ached, but I nodded and inhaled a deep breath before turning toward Iris and Reagan. "I'm sorry," I said. "I really am...I just wanted to protect Dean."

Both of them nodded before Reagan wrapped an arm around his wife, pulling her into his side. "We forgive you, Mel. If we were in your position, we would've made the same choice you made."

Nodding, I sniffled and quickly wiped my nose. "I think I should go," I spoke quietly, glancing at Dean. He only stared at me, not speaking a word. But he didn't have to because I could still see the anger dripping off of him. "I really am sorry, but I don't regret my choice," I told him. I swore I saw his eyes harden before I spoke a farewell to his parents before turning and swiftly making my way out of their home.

As I walked back home through the woods in between the Extricate civilization and the border, I continued having to wipe the tears from my cheeks. Dean hated me. He hated me. Every time I brushed a tear off my cheek, a new one would replace it. My intentions were never to lose him, but maybe I had. He felt like my home. He made me feel safe, and now I think I've lost that feeling. The Martins forgave me, but it was Dean who I needed forgiveness from.

***

Will Dean forgive her? What will happen next? Will the Ameliorates attack the Extricates? Will Vincent keep up his end of the deal?

Predictions? Opinions?

Thanks for reading! VOTE if you enjoyed this chapter!

Until Monday:))

~Emily