Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Melanie
K ara and I are sitting next to one another at the prep table, working on chopping up jalapenos and onions for homemade salsa. While some might think this is busy work, I prefer it. When I'm doing with one of my tasks, it's like marking a check off a to-do list. It helps me to feel accomplished, and that's something I've been lacking for longer than I care to admit.
"How are things going with Weston? I don't want to pry, but I know the guys pretty well, and I had no idea he was married." Kara raises her eyebrows as if she's asking how she missed it.
"Yeah," I laugh. "No one did. We didn't tell anybody." It had been our little secret from the moment we went to the little wedding chapel, until the morning I left.
"Why not?" she questions, seeming not to be able to understand it. "With Abel, I want everybody to know I love him so much, and he's made such a big difference in my life. Legitimately, he's the reason I work so hard at this job, because I want to make things easier for him later. Construction is so hard on your body." She stops for a couple of seconds, trying to gather her thoughts. "Which I know that he kind of has it made with Hank and Boone, but I just want us to enjoy our golden years together," she laughs, rolling her eyes in a self-indulgent way. "It's stupid, I know, because we're so young, but I see a lot of things, and I want better for us."
Her earnestness and the fact that she can dream that far out hurts because I've not been able to do that for years. I've been worried about what's going to come in the next few seconds since the moment I left, but I don't tell her that. Instead, I tell her about mine and Weston's elopement.
"Weston and I were married right out of high school. My parents and his said that we were too young to be having the relationship that we had. Then my parents threatened to send me away, even though I had turned eighteen." I remember the fear I felt, not knowing if I would be able to see him again. Weston was such a big part of my life. The only part of my life that felt as if it was real.
Kara cuts her eyes over at me. "They shouldn't do that. You're an adult."
I blow out a breath. It's not uncommon for others to not understand the life I was living. "I know. I was an adult, but there were things going on in my family that no one knew about. My family and Jasper's were close."
"Your family was close with the Hamiltons?"
"Yeah, they were. So there were a lot of things in the background that were going on. But my parents didn't approve of Weston, which is crazy because he really is the best guy I've ever met. Even at eighteen years old, he was willing to do anything for us to make it work. You should have seen the apartment we had."
Her smile was wistful. "I can only imagine. He's loyal now, no telling what he will do next or what he was like as a teenager."
"My heart absolutely adored him," I whisper. "He was everything to me. So when I went to him and told him that my parents were thinking about making me leave, he immediately got down on one knee and asked me to marry him with his high school ring."
Kara saw what she was doing and put her gloved hand to her heart. "Oh my God, girl, that's so sweet! His class ring?"
"Yeah." I don't tell her that I still have it; it was one of the few things I took when I left.
"So a couple of days later, he picked me up for a date, and we went over to Gatlinburg to one of those chapels, got our license, and got married. It was just he and I. And when we came back, he told me he had a surprise for me, he'd rented a little apartment over the hardware store."
"There's an apartment over the hardware store? I didn't know that."
"Yeah, it was small and drafty. And did I mention small? We lived there for three days. And then something happened that changed everything." It had been the best place for us. I can still remember how excited I was to try and make it a home for us.
And I've been running from it ever since.
Kara reaches over, grabbing my hand with hers. "I know that we just met," she says softly, "but I like you a lot, and I want you to know that we could be friends. Why don't you come out with me and Alexis tonight? We're meeting at Monroe's. I'm having margs, and she's having something non-alcoholic."
I glance over at her. "Why is she having something non-alcoholic at a bar? Oh! She could be a recovering alcoholic, that's really insensitive of me."
Kara grins. "No. She's pregnant. But only me and Abel know; her and Boone are going to announce soon."
"Wait... Alexis married Abel's dad? She's young, from what I've heard." This is news to me. I'm so excited for Boone.
"Yeah," Kara nods enthusiastically. "There's an age gap between them, but they love each other so much. It's weird because Abel's going to have a little brother that'll probably be close in age to whatever kid we have, but honestly? Can't wait to see Boone as an older dad; he's already so much fun, and there for our group whenever we need him. He loves Abel and the guys so much, he'll be an amazing dad, and Alexis is going to be a great mother, too. One of the reasons we're getting together is because she's worried about it, but trust me, she won't mind if you come along. Both her and Boone believe the more the merrier. I'm sure they want to meet you, too, as an adult."
It's been years since I've hung out with people at all, much less other women, and I'm very tempted to accept the invitation, but they've known each other a long time, and I'll be a third wheel, I hate that.
"You will not be a third wheel," she interjects.
"Did I say that out loud?" Sometimes being alone so much has given me the bad habit of talking to myself when I don't realize that others are around. It's one I've been trying to break myself of, but obviously I haven't gotten there just yet.
"You did," Kara chuckles softly before continuing earnestly. "Please Melanie, come with us, you'll have lots of fun,I promise. We can invite the other girls, and see if the guys want to be DDs for us; if worse comes to worst, Alexis can always take us home."
"Alright," I smile warmly at her offer, feeling lighter than before. "I'll go, thank you for inviting me."
"No problem." Kara beams brightly. "Let's get this done so we can leave early and go get ready, you wanna get ready at my house?"
This is something else,I haven't done since being a teenager. I nod eagerly. "I'd love that, thanks, Kara."
"No need to thank me, we stay together, Melanie."
Reaching over, picking up my cell phone, I shoot a text over to Weston letting him know I'll be home late and who I'll be with. For the first time in a long time, the breath I let out comes much easier, not nearly as painful anymore.