Saving Melanie Deen

Chapter 43

I decided to skip the support group and grudgingly made my way to the bar, right after school.

It was a long walk, but I never really minded it. The time passed by quickly when you had a lot on your mind. A moment of silence and much needed time to get my head straight was just what I needed. Or so I thought...

I couldn't even begin to sort out the mess I had going on in my brain. And to make things a billion times worse, Ethan and I had to share a shift tonight. How was I supposed to focus on doing my job after what happened?

I glanced down at my shirt, or should I say Tyler's shirt, and groaned. Fuck! The fact that I would have to change into something decent for the shift completely slipped my mind. I can't be seen wearing a police shirt in a damn underground bar! Meg better have some spare clothing laying around...

Just as I started to come up with various solutions, my phone started ringing. I fished it out of my pocket, cringing at the name on the screen.

Ethan.

I hung up, feeling the familiar hurt and anger boiling inside me. How dare he assume I slept with Tyler?! After what he pulled last night, I should be the one assuming the worst...not him!

My phone buzzed again just as I finally reached the stairs which led down to the bar. I spotted Ethan's car parked on the street and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when he hopped out with that determined look on his face. Was he seriously waiting for me to get here?

"You know, this takes me back to the kidnapping!" I smiled brightly, knowing I would hit a nerve with my risky joke. After all, I now had nothing to lose.

An unreadable expression appeared on his face and I scoffed. If you really cared, you wouldn't have done what you did last night.

"Don't compare me to Mark" He growled as he made his way right up to where I was standing. I looked up at him, cocking my head to the side.

"Now I know what he meant when he said you two had a lot in common..." I pretended to realize something. Who was I fooling? Ethan was nothing like Mark.

Ethan grabbed me roughly, pulling me closer to him. I hissed at the sudden deathly grip on my arm. "I know what you're doing, Deen. It's not going to work" He spoke calmly, yet still held me with his unbearable strength.

"And what am I doing, Summers?" I spat, anger boiling inside me. Images of last night flooded my mind and I couldn't think straight. His hands wrapped around her...his passionate kisses planting all over her neck...him letting her just assume I was his maid...

Ugh.

I felt as if I was going to explode.

"You're trying to make me hate you because that would make it easier for you. You know that no matter what happens between us, no matter how many fights we have...you already have feelings for me and you can't escape them. So it would be easier for you to just make me hate you. Then you could force yourself to hate me too! But that won't work, Mel. Nothing you come up with will ever make me hate you!" He stared into my eyes.

I gulped, my throat suddenly drying up from the truth he spoke.

"I know you didn't sleep with Hunt. So don't even try playing that card" He added with a desperate look in his eye.

I looked away, the previous anger I had was suddenly gone. It was now replaced with hurt."That doesn't change anything..." I shook my head, meeting his stare again. "What about last night? What was that all about, huh? And after detention, you said all of those hurtful things to me...you just didn't want to understand me..." I trailed off, thinking back to all the recent events.