Melissa

Melissa Daemons laid in the bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling. Her eyes were unfocused, and thoughts jumbled. Next to her, was Lance Grace, who was turned away from her, on his side. She knew he was awake. Though, he breathed in-and-out slowly, and said nothing — as to be asleep — she noticed his fingers twitching at his side, and the small movements of him changing his back’s posture.

“Lance,” she finally decided to said. “Why do you like me? Why do you stay with me?” He said nothing at first, and she was sure he was possibly mad at her. He was ignoring her. Then there was a snuffled laugh, and he turned towards her; a smile on his lips.

“Why wouldn’t I like you?” He replied. His blonde hair was plastered and messy against the pillow, his honey-colored eyes shining brightly at her.

She frowned. “I’m serious.”

“Well,” he hesitated. Hesitated. Melissa wanted to stop him right then and there, but when he cleared his throat, she closed her mouth and thought to listen. “You’re beautiful; stunning. You’re smart. You’re honest. And you’re a good person. You can’t find many woman like that.” As he said this, his eyes were elsewhere.

Melissa could have disregarded her thoughts, and let his words go without a bother. But she didn’t. “I’m not a good person,” she disagreed.

“Oh, come on, Melissa,” said Lance, a small smile pulling at his face. “You’re a great person. You help hundreds of people every day because of that company you own. People that could have died, are still here — walking, living — because of you.”

She shook her head. “It’s not my company. It’s Alen’s. I took it; it’s not mine. It never was.”

“Forget Alen,” Lance argued. He turned over, his back towards her. The bedsheets shifted with him. “All he’s done is make a fool of himself. He didn’t deserve MION. You did.”

“But he’s my brother,” said Melissa. Her fingers tightened around the silk sheets.

“And Tabitha is my sister,” Lance replied. “But you don’t see me trying to make her happy all the time.”

“You used to.” That, caught his attention. Lance looked back over with a hard glare.

“Times change,” he told her.

“Yes, they do,” she agreed. “That’s why now, I have to start changing. I need to start doing the right thing…not the wrong.” Melissa pulled the sheets off herself and got out of bed. She bent down and started to collect her clothes. Lance sat up, looking confused.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“What is right,” she answered. “I’m giving MION back to Alen.” She pulled on her shirt and then her jeans, buttoning them up.

“What,” exclaim Lance. “You’re insane! Don’t do that, Melissa. He’ll just ruin the company again, just he had been until you took ahold of it.”

“It wasn’t him who ruined the company, Lance. It was me.” She started for the door. As she began to turned the door knob, she glanced back at him, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “And about Tabitha. Tabitha doesn’t need you to be happy anymore. She never did. The only thing that’s changed…was that you realized that.”

Then she closed the door.