The Little Dove #2 ✔️

38. As The End Nears...

CHAPTER 38: As The End Nears...
(MELANIE'S POV)

Unlocking the door to my dorm room, I sigh in defeat, exhaustion, all of the same as I don't look at the room yet, unknowing to the multiple pair of eyes at my back, I drop the keys in the bowl by the door and close it with the back of my leg. I flick the light on, my eyes widen, "What are...." I trail off when Edmund stands, silver orb eyes widened, he looks like a deer caught in headlights, while I stare at his form, emotionlessly, but I act unknowingly as I raise an eyebrow.

"Is this some secret meeting? What's going on?" I ask, turning towards the table, Edmund shoots straight in front of me, wrapping his hands around my upper arm, not a second later, he engulfs me in his chest. I tense, strictly, my spine grows cold when I think of Edmund with muscular arms that tighten around my waist. He tucks his head into my neck and takes a long, shaky breath.

"Lemon." He murmurs, broken and bruised, his arms tightened completely around me. He pulls me in tighter, I pat his arm, tensely. He pulls back slowly, his hand moving towards my cheek. I freeze when his fingers grace my skin, I trail my eyes up his arm, his long coat when he leans in to smooth the tip of his nose along the mid-line of my forehead.

He puckers his lips against the skin there, "You came back." He breathes out. As if he couldn't believe I was really standing in this room, right at this moment.

I furrow my eyebrows, pulling back slightly as I try to look around him, but his hand at the small of my back pulls me closer, "Yes, I don't see why that's so surprising though. I said I'd see you soon." I mutter, trying to pull back as I catch Marvin sternly staring between Edmund and I.

I give him a cautious look, "What is it?" I ask my twin.

He folds his arms, "You wouldn't be hugging him if you'd found out everything he's done, Melanie. He's nothing but a manipulative liar and a coward." Marvin spits, glaring menacingly at Edmund, whom pulls me tighter into his arms, his silver eyes penetrate my amethyst ones. My eyebrows go up at my brother's words. He wasn't far off.

"Lemon, I-" He's cut off by Lorraine.

"Melanie, he knew about the threats. They all did." She spits, looking at Edmund in disgust. My blood boils underneath my fingers, I suspected he was involved, I just wasn't certain how. I step out of Edmund's arms, who struggles as he tries to reach out for me, but I step further out of his arms and step towards the table. I swipe one of the reports, looking at the pictures of Iris and Forthright, before reading Marvin's analysis slowly.

Marvin clears his throat behind me, "You were right, all along." He murmurs to me.

'Iris had secret meetings with Professor Forthright. She knew of the peephole on the portrait in his office, claiming it was Principal Jewel who used it, when in true fact, she was hiding her true feelings for the Professor. The infidelity she shared with Professor Forthright last year, began in April and only escalated, he didn't reciprocate, and was more focused on his task at hand, something he could never explain to her. He fell in love with Melanie, whilst working through his investigations, that were connected. Iris used the peephole on the day Erik was in the infirmary, he was in the infirmary after staging an attack of a Melanie-look-alike. One theory progressed: Iris was the Melanie-look-alike.'

I slowly look up to Marvin. My eyebrows furrowed, "Did you find out why?" I ask him, showing him the sheet and ignoring the others in the room. Lorraine was silent, Iris swallowed. Edmund stares at me with a indecipherable gaze, anger and guilt in his eyes that he couldn't mask, even if he tried.

Marvin nods, "Erik claims it was to divert Principal Jewel from attacking you, somehow. He says he overheard her speaking with Claude Borne about breaking into your room, even if you were present, to remove whatever evidence was presented anonymously to you." He says to me, stoically.