Melody's Crush

Chapter 14

It was like watching something in a silent film. Movement of characters, but no sounds. I could see his lips moving but I wasn't able to comprehend one thing. I tried blinking at least a half dozen times while at the same time trying to focus on anything on his face. But my lids grew heavier and heavier until finally I felt myself drifting sideways as everything went dark.

"Melody. Melody." The sound of a woman's voice pushed through the fog of my subconscious.

"Mom?" I asked, my throat feeling like sandpaper.

"Melody. Wake up."

Squinting my eyes, I peeked through my lashes and noticed two big hazel eyes looking down at me with worry.

"Mom? What are you doing in my room? Is everything okay?"

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, my mom turned to look at someone else in the room.

"Jake?" I called out.

I blinked a few times allowing the contacts to settle properly across my corneas so I could focus. But when they did, it wasn't Jake standing in my room.

"Kyle?"

His face danced with so many emotions, the most prominent one being that of concern. I could hear the clicking sound coming from his teeth as he pulled his thumbnail out before returning it to bite, repeating it over and over.

"Would you stop doing that?"

His eyes widened as if to say, "What?"

"That clicking sound with your teeth and thumbnail. You'll get worms. Mom, tell him how he'll get worms," I demanded as I looked up into her smiling face.

"She'll be fine. I'm guessing exhaustion is just getting to her. You too," she said as she turned to eye him up and down.

"Yes ma'am," he responded with a hushed tone while shaking his head in agreement. Then, his eyes were back on me.

"What happened?" I asked looking at him first before looking back at my mother.

"What do you remember happening?" she asked as she pushed hair out of my face.

My eyebrows drew together as I tried to pull images to the forefront of my mind's eye. "I heard CC crying, fell on my way out the door, hit a few walls before finally making it to the living room. The light was on and I saw Chloe, but then..." My eyes widened and my cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire.

"What? What?" I heard Kyle ask, his voice tainted with worry.

"I... I think I passed out," I said swallowing hard not looking at him.

Mom's eyes widened and a brow lifted like a question mark.

Patting my hand, she turned away to look at Kyle. "How many siblings do you have?"

"Oh... um... two sisters and a younger brother."

"Two?" I protested. "I thought you said you had three sisters."

Kyle kept his eyes on my mother.

"What would you do if you caught a guy sleeping in your sister's room?" she asked calmly.

"I'd kill him," he replied without flinching. However, it was cute seeing him actually blush after answering.

"I see. Alright." Standing up, she moved over to Kyle. "Make a pallet on the floor and bring Chloe in here. The two of you can share the room." She lifted an eyebrow as a warning. "But the bedroom door stays open, got it? If I catch the door closed," she did the whole knife to the neck thing. "Chleeeh. Capisce?"

"Yes ma'am," he said nodding in obedience. Turning, Kyle left the room along with my mother. A few seconds later, she came back with a couple comforters to lay on top of one another in order to make a makeshift bed for Kyle.

When Kyle walked in, he stopped in his tracks as he watched my mother arrange the blankets. Something in his eyes softened.

After putting Chloe down, he reached for the material. "Here, let me get that. You've had a long weekend. I'm sorry I had to wake you."

She looked at him with approval. "I appreciate that you even thought about it. Alright," she said as she stood letting Kyle take over the task. "I'm heading back to bed. One more long day for me and then I'm off for a few days." She leaned over me and kissed me on the forehead before rubbing it in with her thumb for good measure.

I wrinkled my nose up at her.

"Hopefully, Chloe..."

"CC," I corrected her.

She snickered. "Hopefully CC will be done for the night and you guys can get some rest. I brought home some eggs, cheese and fresh veggies. So make some omelets for this guy when you wake up. He deserves it." With that, she knifed the outsides of my thighs with her hands tucking me in. It felt good.

She kissed me one more time before heading for the door pushing it wide open upon exiting.

The corner of my lip twitched with amusement.

My lids opened and closed a few times as the tiredness of my body started to take effect on them. Turning my head, I tried to focus on what Kyle was doing but his body quickly became blurred outlines as my lids closed.