Making Her Fall

Chapter 19

     Leaves crunch under my feet as I make my way to the shed/man cave behind my parent's house. "Jay I can never thank you enough for inviting me to Thanksgiving dinner. I ate way too much." He clutches his bulging stomach caused by my mother's cooking. The door swings open revealing my personal getaway complete with tv, gaming console, pool table, and mini fridge.

     Alex and Derek make their way inside following me as I kick on the lights and turn on the space heater. Derek was a good friend of Alex's in high school and he was all for meeting up when Alex mentioned there would be beer. I pause at the door looking back at my family's home. My parent's are still embraced in the kitchen dancing to the radio my dad turned on after we ate. Through thick and thin they would always be together.

     My parent's were not the typical love story. They hated each other their whole lives and that included high school. Dad was the star soccer player and my mother was the bookworm of the school so they clashed. My father even admits to torturing her for years doing stupid pranks like filling her locker for of water balloons their junior year.

     His only shining moment was saving her from the jerk star quarterback from trying to force himself on my mom during prom. The next time they spoke was their sophomore year in college after my dad got injured ending his soccer career. All the friends he had dropped him like he was nothing so he filled the hole with alcohol for a short time. Mom just happened to be partying with some friends at a bar he got drunk at and when the bartender was going to kick him out she volunteered to take him back to his dorm.

     She listened to him when he broke down in tears apologizing for every horrible thing he did to her growing up. After comforting him for a time he kissed the girl he once hated and disappeared inside his dorm. It took her a week to confront him waiting for him to apologize for it, but he only could smile at her and told her he could never apologize for doing something he wished he did years ago. The rest was history and three years later they were married with their first child Grace.

     "Shut the damn door Jay! It's cold as hell out there." I slam it shut before turning to Alex and bring my hand up knocking Alex hard upside the head. Instantly he is on his feet glaring at me with his jaw clinched. "What the hell was that for?"

     "That is for being a dumbass with Mel and not telling me exactly what happened when she turned you down." My hand connect with his solid chest propelling him back to his seat while his mouth hangs open. I turn my gaze to Derek as he holds up his hands in surrender knowing this conversation doesn't involve him so he turns his attention away from us back to his phone. "When were you going to tell me you were drinking before you did it? After you did it she probably thought it was nothing because alcohol was your excuse for most of the things you did with girls."

     His head hung nodding to each of my words. I swear sometimes Alex had a heart of gold with a ten cent head attached to his body. While patting his back I hear the door creak open and see Melanie step inside. "Am I too late to play pool?"

     "You are never late Mel. You are always right on time." Alex's gloomy mood had vanished the second she opened her mouth. He became her shadow immediately with a goofy smile on his face. "Mel is on my team because I can never lose with her by my side."

     A snorting laugh burst out of Derek at Alex's words taking his chance to grab a beer for everyone from the fridge. Mel turned up her drink downing it before laying out the pool table. "Hey Mel when you are done with those balls want to fix mine?" Derek's poor joke made Alex's face burn red as he mumbled, "How about I fix them with my knife?"

     "Sorry Derek. I've heard the stories and it seems I would need super human sight to find your balls." Howling with laughter I give her a fist bump watching Alex make his way back to her side. Music filled the shed once we hooked up my phone to the stereo lightening the mood for us to focus on a game. It should be fun because the only person that could match my skill on a pool table was Melanie.

     The hours blended together after awhile filled with music, laughs, and beer. Alex and Derek started doing shots of whiskey on side bets during our games leading to both of them starting stumbling around. The last game ended up being me against Melanie because our partners could barely stand and were already falling asleep in their chairs. After she sank the final shot Melanie decided it was time to go home.

     I shut the door to the shed walking beside her reminding myself to move the two idiots inside when I got back. Her house was in walking distance, but I would rather someone be with her this late at night. Hooting owls let their presence be know as we pass by following the street. "I never got to thank you for talking me into coming home for Thanksgiving. It was nice being home with my parents again. I really needed this."

     "They will be seeing more of you soon. The first track meet is in two weeks so I am sure they will beside me yelling at you to move your ass." My arm pulls her to my side as we walk laughing together and continue to make jokes. After a time she raises her hand to fluff up her hair making it spread across her shoulders. "I guess I kind of owe you now. The week after the party I was afraid to talk to you because I thought you would go on about how you were right about Max. Even after that night we hung out at the cafe you never once said I told you so. Thank you for that."

     Her head rests against me patiently as she waits for my words. "You learned the truth about him in a hard way. I couldn't rub you nose in something like that." Our feet come to a dead stop at the end of her driveway looking at the modest house. "You're precious Melanie and you deserve someone that recognizes that." Her body wraps around mine tight before making her way to the door.

     "Hey Mel?" Her eyes glow in the street light as she turns back to me. "How come you acted weird when Alex kissed you? You never acted weird about the night we were drunk and you kissed me." A small smirk held her face in the poor night light.

     "I never kissed you Jay. Trust me I would know. Anyway your eyes were closed that night so how could you have known it was me?" Mel's sounded like she was fighting not to laugh in my face as I frowned at her confused. That was the night she dragged me up to one of the spare bedrooms at Tracy's party. We were the only ones in the room when she told me to close my eyes and kissed me. It had to be her because no one else was in the room. "Before you argue with me it is the truth. The only person I have ever kissed after drinking was Al..."

     Her hands snap to cover her mouth as she realized what she was saying as her eyes studied my reaction. It it wasn't so dark I would bet my truck that her face was bright pink. "I thought you said Alex kissed you Melanie?" Her feet stumbled backwards as she backed away from be before falling on her butt on the porch. "Anything you want to come clean about?"

     Placing her face in her hands she let out a frustrated groan. Crossing my arms I waited patiently for her to look back to me. "He did kiss me first that night. I may have kissed him after that then panicked  for him to take me back to the dorm." Her body sags defeated as she goes on, "I had a boyfriend Jay and I still managed to kiss the biggest player from high school. My own friend at that. I know he didn't mean it, but he doesn't know how long I have wished for that."

     My face burned with a smile that two of my friends actually had feelings for one another. My large hand sits on her back running in circles. "You could try it again Mel. You never know Alex may surprise you." Her hair bounces as she shakes her head back and forth. "You don't have to do anything right now, but I know Alex hasn't been doing Alex things lately. He could be waiting for something. Or someone." I press my lips to her hair then make my way up the driveway back into the night.