"You're almost back to your normal weight, Ms. Deen" The doctor smiled down at me with a thick folder in her arms. I grew close to her over the time I had spent there in the hospital.
When I first brought here, I was considered a heavy case. I was malnourished and definitely underweight, considering the fact that Mark hadn't fed me throughout my entire time in that warehouse. George gave me a granola bar, but we all know it wasn't enough. Not only that, but I also started getting nightmares every night I spent in the hospital. They consisted of all my mother's boyfriends, Mark, his minions who tortured me, and worst of all...I had nightmares of my father's death. After what one of Mark's men told me, I couldn't let it out of my head. Graphic images of Mark's men stabbing my father to death...haunted me almost every night. To add to all the fun, I had a few broken bones here and there, a fucked up eye, and we can't forget the frickin' dagger in my thigh.
Now, I wasn't afraid to look in the mirror. I wasn't completely back to normal yet, but I was getting there. That was all that really mattered.
"And I think you'll be happy to hear that you have a visitor!" The doctor finished taking my vitals, giving me a little pat on the shoulder. I looked up, scrunching my eyebrows. My visitors consisted of Meg, Dylan, Quinn, and Trent. Notice the lack of one particular name? Better yet, the lack of one very very important name. Ethan. Yep, he hasn't visited me yet.
Quinn said that both of them, Ethan and Trent, had a lot going on because of the trials regarding Mark's gang and what not. I understood all of that...but I wanted to hear all about it from Ethan, not Quinn. I thought that after that nightmare, he would stop hiding everything from me. I thought that he would finally be honest. Yet, here we are.
"And why would I be happy?" I grunted, already knowing it wouldn't be Ethan.
"Well, he seemed very eager to see you" She winked, standing at the end of my hospital bed. My heart stopped for a second, picturing Ethan's worried face. Could it really be him? "He even pulled some strings to add his name to your visitor list...not that I was allowed to tell you that" She laughed at my shocked expression. With that, she walked out of the room.
Pulled some strings? That certainly sounded like Ethan. I just couldn't believe that he was finally going to visit me. I had spent so much time in that hospital bed, thinking of the day he would come in and just...hug me. A hug was all I wanted. Maybe we would talk about us, maybe something would clear up in that hazy mind of mine...maybe we would be more than-
"Melanie"
I looked up at the person who interrupted my thoughts, completely taken by surprise."Oh..." I mumbled, meeting his uncomfortable gaze.
"Sorry" He rubbed the back of his neck, cringing at the situation." You were expecting someone else..."
"No, stop" I shook my head as he turned to leave."I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to greet you like that. I was just thinking about something...and..."
"It's okay. I get it" He smiled, visibly relaxing at that. I smiled back, relief washing over me as he walked up to my bed."I brought you some fruit...I wasn't sure what you liked" He placed a bag full of various fruits onto my nightstand.
My smile grew as I watched him. I wasn't expecting him of all people to come and visit me. I would be lying if I said that it didn't feel strange."Thank you, you didn't have to bring anything" I looked up at him. He reminded me of when I found out my mother had been in a car crash. The way he so kindly helped me down the stairs. I knew he was a good person. Despite my suspicion at first, knowing he was a cop."You can sit down on my bed if you want" There was an awkward feeling to the air so I decided I would try and make him feel comfortable.
He laughed, shaking his head at my offer."It's okay, I'm fine with standing for a little while" He flashed me a charming smile. My eyes traveled across his features, noticing the lack of his uniform. Wow, he looks even better without it.
I could feel a blush rise to my face, noticing that my thoughts had strayed off to unknown grounds. The blush only grew redder, as I realized just how strange my offer was to him."I didn't mean to be so creepy..." I groaned, covering my face with my hands.
"This" He slowly sat down on the edge of my bed, fighting a smug smile."Isn't creepy, at all" He broke into a full-blown grin, making it impossible not to smile back at him.
"I'm glad you're okay, Melanie Deen" He sighed through the smile.
"And I'm glad you came to see me, Tyler Hunt" I mocked him, playfully rolling my eyes at his goofiness. Just as he was about to say something, the door opened and both our heads turned to look at whoever it was.
Ethan.
My heart stopped as his eyes searched between Tyler and I. Tyler stood up from my bed as if it were a crime to sit near me. "Bad timing, sorry" He muttered in his grumpy way and exited the room. I could see him through the window. Multiple nurses and staff passed him as he leaned back against the wall in the corridor. His jaw was clenched as he stuffed his fists into the pockets of his trousers. What was his problem? This was the first time I got to see him since I was hospitalized, and that was how he chose to act?
"I'll take that as my cue to leave" Tyler chuckled, giving me a reassuring wink. Despite his attempts, I could still sense just how uncomfortable he felt.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what his deal is..." I sighed, taking my eyes off Ethan and letting them rest on Tyler's empathetic face."This is the first time he came to see me" I added.
Realization washed over Tyler's face at my words."That explains everything" He chuckled, looking over his shoulder to see a glaring Ethan through the window. What exactly does it explain? Was I missing something?
"I seem to be out of the loop, huh?" I asked.
"He wasn't himself this whole time, Melanie. I'm sure he has a lot to say to you" He frowned, his mood shifting. I scrunched up my eyebrows at this. How does he know? Have they been hanging out or something? What is happening? "Alright, I'm gonna go now" He gave me a light pat on the back as I sat up straight. I smiled and waved goodbye, despite the pit in my stomach. I would have to face Ethan now, after such a long time. I didn't exactly know how to act, especially after what had just happened.
With one last smile, Tyler left my room. I watched the two guys through the window, as they shook hands. Ethan didn't seem to be so happy to greet Tyler, but he did it anyway. There was a strange vibe to their conversation. I couldn't help but feel like I was invading their privacy by looking. That's because you are, Melanie.
Tyler patted Ethan on the back just like he did with me, only with a lot more force. They said their goodbyes and soon enough, Ethan entered my room with an apologetic look on his face.
"Hi, Mel" He managed to say, staying closer to the door than to me.
I looked away, disappointed at the way he was behaving around me. It felt as if I wasn't myself anymore. The previous Melanie was gone, replaced by what was left of her. I didn't like the way that made me feel. It suddenly felt like what we had, or what I thought we had, was gone.
"You look angry" He commented, finally coming closer.
I turned to look at him, frowning."Well, I'm not" I rolled my eyes.
He nodded slowly, taking more steps towards me. I watched him struggle to look at me for a period longer than 2 seconds. He looked pained, to say the least."I understand why you would be angry" He finally spoke, keeping his eyes anywhere but my face."It's been so long..."
I nodded, not caring if he saw or not. The longing to see him and talk to him was replaced by hurt. He didn't want to see me. He felt obliged to see me. That's why it took him so long."If you didn't want to come here, you should've stuck to that" I snapped.
He looked into my eyes, his own filling with an unknown emotion."I was just busy with the tr-"
"With the trial, I know" I cut him off."Except I don't know all of that from you like I would've wanted to. I know it all from Quinn"
He struggled to talk again as he stared at me. I noticed just how different he looked in that moment. His hair was scruffy, his eyes were bloodshot, he didn't look as confident and unbothered as he did before all of this drama happened. He looked like a completely different person."Mel" He began."I've been trying to forgive myself"
I frowned at this, not entirely sure of what he meant. His eyes searched mine for a second before he continued."I've been trying to forgive myself for what happened to you. I've been trying to forgive myself for what happened to Nathan...and for what I did to the gang" He explained, looking away.
I opened my mouth to speak but he shook his head."I know why you're mad at me. And I would be mad at myself too. But I just want you to know that...that seeing you there, laying on the warehouse floor with hardly any life left in you" He choked up, looking away again."I couldn't believe what I let him do...I let him take you, do all those things to you...I was the reason for all of it. If you never knew me, none of it would've happened"
My eyes brimmed with tears as I listened to him. In a way, he was right. I was kidnapped because Mark knew that Ethan was hiding something. I was tortured because he wanted to find out what that something was...but all of that meant nothing, compared to what Ethan had done for me. He framed Nick just to make sure I was out of danger. He let me live in his house. He took on an unnecessary job, just to be by my side...just to help me out. He was always doing what he could, to help me. And that meant a lot to me.
"No, Ethan" I sat up, trying to reach out for him. Grabbing a hold of his sleeve, I pulled him closer. He watched me, reluctantly coming right up to me. He sat down on my bed, breathing heavily."You have done so much for me...I would never be able to repay you for all of it. One stupid asshole like Mark, won't ruin everything that happened before that. I had a lot of time to think about everything, Ethan. And if that bitchy teacher wouldn't have put the two of us together for that project, maybe I wouldn't be here right now at all. Who knows? I am thankful I met a person like you" I smiled, looking down at my hands. He gently took them into his own, sending chills through my body. "I was in denial when I said that I didn't need anyone to save me. I was in denial when I said that I was fine. I needed to be saved, and I was nowhere near being okay. And I'm glad it was you, who helped me realize that" I finished.
"You're too nice to me" He shook his head. I pressed my lips into a thin line, disagreeing with him. It wasn't true. I was far too hard on him, every chance I got. I gave him a hard time, thinking that all men were exactly like my mother's boyfriends. I never gave him a chance to show me the guy he really was because I had terrible trust issues. And when I found out what he did for a living, I was convinced that he was just like my father. Fear of becoming my mother took over. I was too brainwashed, to talk to him about everything. I never let him explain himself. Maybe if I knew his reasons, I wouldn't have stormed off that night...and Mark wouldn't have taken me.
"Stop" Ethan whispered, rubbing soft circles on my arm with his thumb. I looked into his green eyes, confused about what he meant."I know that look by now, Mel. Stop blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong in your life. Some things are out of our control and there's nothing we can do about that" He stared at my hands, getting lost in thought.
I smiled at him, a strange warmth spreading throughout my body. How come I always ended up feeling safe, when he was around?