Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Storming into the living room, I stand in front of the window with my back to everyone.
I know we said we’d share. I know that. I know that she has feelings for all of us and that there is nothing wrong with it.
I just didn’t expect to feel this much jealousy when she’s with someone else one-on-one.
Hearing her scream for Markus, knowing that he was fucking her, it makes me feel unsteady. Not in a way that I want to kill him for touching her, but because I want to be there with her. I want to hold her, and make her scream my name again.
Is this considered jealousy? Or just FOMO?
I put my hand against the warm window, looking out at the bustling city.
I love it here. As much as I hated leaving Oklahoma how we did, I’ve always wanted to be based in New York City.
The skyscrapers, the energy bursting at all hours, the inspiration at every turn, the opportunities… The reasons I like it here are endless.
But if I could have a wish, it would be that Mel had been with us from the beginning. It would’ve been so different. For the better.
Sighing deeply, my breath fogs up the window. It looks like it’s going to rain, as it does frequently here. The clouds are gray and heavy. Honestly, I love it when it rains. It’s soothing and fits my stormy demeanor.
“Well, well, well,” Kai says loudly, slapping his leg and drawing my attention back to the group. “Look at those marks. Woooo,” Kai whistles lowly as Markus enters the kitchen and grabs a water bottle before turning to face Kai with an expression that screams, ‘grow up’.
Markus' lips are red and puffy, no doubt tasting like Melody. There’s no way he had time to shower, so I’m sure if I get close enough I’d be able to smell her cum on him.
Fuck , I close my eyes and internally groan, remembering how she smelt on my face, how she tasted on my tongue. God, I need her again.
“Shut up, Kai,” Markus snaps, stuffing his hands in his pockets, before pulling on a white shirt, and failing to look humble.
“So, that’s all of us then?” I ask, looking around at the guys, but then Reis walks in with his head hanging low.
“All but one,” Kai says quietly.
“Yes, yes, I’m well-fucking-aware,” Reis says angrily. He plops onto the couch, kicking his leg onto the coffee table. “I need to talk to her. To you all too.”
The way he says that immediately puts me on edge.
“What did you do?”
Reis looks at me with wide eyes and opens his hands. “Why do you say it like that?”
I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. “Because Reis, when it comes to Melody, you tend to do stupid shit, and then try to fix it later. Just once, I hope you’ve thought it through and then took action. We won’t lose her now.”
“You have certainly found your goddamn backbone recently,” Reis mutters, and I can see how annoyed he is.
“Yeah, because all the other shit, I don’t care about.
You want us to rehearse seven days a week and twice on Sundays?
Sure. You want us to move to another penthouse?
As long as it’s in our price range, go for it.
You want to go clubbing and hook up with a groupie?
Good for you. I don’t care,” I snap, walking towards where the guys sit, staring at me.
“But about her, about Melody? I fucking care. So yeah, I’ll be calling you on your shit every step of the way.
We hurt her once, I won’t do that again. ”
I know why they’re so surprised. I never talked like this before. Especially not to them. I didn’t care before.
I do now.
“Adam,” Melody calls for me softly. Her voice echoes through the room where she stands hiding in the hallway. God, she’s breathtaking. And her in my shirt?
I could die happily.
Her dark hair is pulled back into a long braid that drapes over her shoulder as she looks at me with shock–at my outburst or the fact that I’m standing here, choosing her above all else, I’m not sure–as her lips part slightly, as if she has a thousand words to say but can’t decide on just one.
I watch her and wait, unsure as to what she wants, and I don’t want to make this worse.
But then—just as quickly as the shock had settled in—something softer blooms in her expression.
Her brows relax, the tension in them melting into something tender as her gaze searches mine, not with fear, but with something deeper. Something raw.
Love.
“It’s the truth,” I confess, walking through the room quickly to make it to her. She looks up at me with such faith, such gratitude, such love–although that might be just my hopeful heart tricking me–and I wrap my arms around her.
“I care about you. And I’m so sorry for the past. I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you, Echo.
For you to trust in me again. To never second guess how I feel about you.
It starts here and now. I swear it,” I vow, pushing her braid over her shoulders, moving my hand to cup the side of her neck.
Her mouth opens and closes a few times like she’s trying to figure out what to say.
“Thank you,” she whispers. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she places a kiss on my cheek. It’s meaningful. She’s showing me that I said what needed to be said aloud in order for trust to start being earned again. When she looks at me, I can see that she trusts me. Even just a little bit.
I’ll hold that carefully.
“I’ll do anything for you. You know that, right?” I ask softly. Just for us, even though I know the guys are all straining to hear.
“I’m starting to,” she says with a gentle smile. I can’t help it, I bend down and kiss her thoroughly. She tastes of minty toothpaste as I deepen the kiss, holding her face to mine to keep her from leaving.
“Okay, okay, lovebirds!” Reis says, trying to sound like he’s okay, but it’s obvious he’s not. Melody and I pull apart, but our foreheads stay pressed together. I caress her cheek softly, and move to kiss her forehead, trying to show her just how desperately I’m in love with her.
I know I am. I know I always have been. I’ll properly show her just how much I love her when three other love-sick fools aren’t watching us closely.
That’s something that should just be for us.
Kissing her forehead again, her lips curve up in a small, glowing grin.
Taking her hand and pulling her behind me, I guide us further into the room before the others try to take her from me.
There’s a free space by Kai and she sits down quickly.
Before anyone can see it happen, he’s wrapping her into his arms like a boa constrictor, keeping her pressed tightly to him.
Kai has a mischievous grin on his face shows just how much he likes this situation.
Her matching grin tells me that she does too.
Interesting. I’m not jealous of this. Could it be that I just don’t want to miss out on time with her?
Shit, this is going to be hard for me to work through.
But I’ll do it gladly, if it means she stays with us.
“Okay, dude, I get it. But you can’t just act like she’s yours and yours alone.” Reis shakes his head in frustration.
“She’s not. I… I know that,” I say with a sigh.
This isn’t easy, having all these disagreements and confrontations, but these conversations are necessary for this type of relationship.
“ She’s the most important. So again, I ask,” I walk back towards the glass window and lean my back against it. “What have you done?”
Reis clears his throat before rubbing his neck, nervously looking at Melody.
“Okay, before I tell you I want to talk to Melody,” he says, his eyes finding hers shyly before adding, “Alone.”
A quick glance to her tells me that while she might be okay with it, she’s skeptical. As she probably should be. You never know with Reis, not with Melody. Especially not with how he’s been treating her.
“Me? Alone?”
“Yes, if… if that’s okay with you,” he says with an uncertain cough, sitting up and rubbing the tops of his thighs with his palms. I haven’t seen Reis this nervous since high school. Since he gave Melody the treehouse that we built on his family’s property. What does he have up his sleeve?
“I mean, sure. But you called a family meeting and requested I join. Surely whatever you want to say to me, you can tell the guys, no?” She questions, crossing her arms, and sitting back firm, unshaken.
There’s no anger in her expression, no desperation—just confidence, cool and effortless.
Ready to take on whatever bullshit Reis is going to start.
Fuck, I love her.
I start to grin, Markus barks out a laugh but attempts to cover it with a cough, and Kai just reclines against the back of the couch with his arm outstretched behind Mel.
Reis looks terrified for a split second before he slides his cocky, leader expression on his face. The one that he puts on in meetings and when he wants to seem like he’s untouchable. But I saw it.
He knows none of us are going to help him, and we are all going to get to watch him stumble, stutter, and beg for her forgiveness.
If that is in fact, what he’s doing.
Mel purses her lips and looks from side to side. “I’m listening.”