To Keep Her Safe is All I Know

Chapter 25

Previously.

Chris looks down at Sadie and she appears to have drifted off. Chris sighs, then leans down and kisses her temple.

"I love you, Sadie."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Chris' entire body freezes.

His heart falls. His eyes widen. His throat goes dry. He stumbles to a stand, trying not to get too much attention from Sadie, and failing. She opens her eyes and looks to Chris, realizing herself what she'd just said and just how right Melanie was when Melanie had said that Chris would freak out in knowing that he was another father figure to her.

"Are you okay?" Sadie asks.

"J-Just go back to sleep, kiddo, okay? You'll feel better if you just get some rest." Chris says before turning on heel and hurrying out of the room.

She didn't mean that. She couldn't have. She was tired. She was sick. She didn't know what she was saying. She didn't mean it. Chris couldn't be like a father to Sadie. He couldn't...Could he? The worst part about all of this was that he was pretty sure he like the fact that Sadie had called him that. And he liked the fact that he and Melanie almost kissed. He wanted to kiss her. What was that about?! He knew what it was, but he couldn't fully admit it to himself...Could he?

Chris comes downstairs, extremely frazzled.

"Chris?" Melanie asks, "What's wrong?"

Chris puts a hand on the wall and leans against it, looking and feeling like he could pass out at any minute.

"Chris, are you okay?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Melanie freezes and her heart falls to her stomach. She stands in the middle of the living room and Chris remains at the bottom of the stairs, leaning on the wall. Melanie couldn't believe that he'd actually just confessed that and that this was actually happening...

"What?" Melanie asks.

"Yeah, I - I think - I - I think I'm in love with you." Chris stutters.

Neither Chris nor Melanie can think of what to do or say, so they just stand there and stare at each other, waiting for something to happen. It took a terribly long time before finally something did.

Chris swallows, "I've gotta get out of here."

Melanie finally steps forward, "Chris - "

"No, Mel, I just - I've gotta get out of here. I'm sorry. I'll talk to you later." He says before opening the door and walking out of the house.

Melanie stands there in shock a minute, then turns around to face Fred, who had been sitting there the whole time, wagging his tail.

"You saw all that too, right?!" Melanie asks.

x

A few days later.

Chris barely left his house. He knew that if he went out in public at all, there was a chance that he could run into Melanie, and he just didn't know what to say to her...He was in love with Melanie. He knew that now. Why did it have to end up this way? Melanie had tried to get a hold of Chris a bunch of times, but Chris never got back to her because, as previously stated, he just didn't know what to say to her.     

Did he want to be with her? If he did, would she want to be with him? But if they were to try it and it didn't work out, what would that do to their friendship? What would that do to Sadie? If Sadie already saw Chris as a father figure, she'd see it that much more if Chris and Melanie were to end up together and if Chris and Melanie were to break up... Chris just had no idea what to do.