CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - MELODY
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MELODY
It was gone. For the last thirty minutes, Melody had crawled around on her hands and knees looking for the charm bracelet. It was as if it had disappeared when Liz had tossed it to the floor. Melody needed to get up and return to chaperoning the prom. It was something she’d committed to, and looking for the charm bracelet any longer was pointless.
Melody walked to the door that led to the gym and paused, listening to the music on the other side. Before she’d come in here with her call, she’d been swaying in Christopher’s arms. Tonight her feelings were all hanging out on the surface where she couldn’t control them. It was risky putting herself in a situation where she might say or do something she’d regret. Like leaning into Christopher for his support after her fight with Liz.
Was Liz in the room beyond this door? Would she cool down enough to let Melody explain things in a rational manner?
The door opened from the other side and Christopher peeked through the opening. “There you are. You okay?”
“Yeah, I just . . .” Melody glanced over shoulder. “I lost the charm bracelet in here, and I can’t find it.”
Christopher’s lips set in soft line. “It can’t have disappeared. I’ll take you back here tomorrow. I have a key. We’ll find it together.”
Melody nodded, feeling a little better with a plan in place. “Okay. Sounds good.”
“Ready to come back out here and chaperone with me? The kids are starting their shenanigans. I could use some backup. ”
“What about Liz and Matt?”
Christopher shrugged. “Liz took off. Not to worry. Rose went with her and took her home. She’s fine and doesn’t want anyone checking on her. Matt is on the case.”
Guilt spiraled inside Melody. This was her fault. She’d ruined everything. Christopher didn’t seem to know that yet though.
He held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll get you a plate of cocoa bites. They’re sure to make you feel better.”
The Bitery was one of the local businesses to donate to the prom’s spread of food and beverages.
“I’m not really hungry.” In fact, she wasn’t in the mood to do anything right now except go home and hide under her covers. But she’d made a commitment and she would keep it. She stepped toward Christopher, forcing a smile that felt like one big lie. She felt like one big lie. As they stepped back into the gymnasium, Melody’s gaze scanned the room, and she spotted Rose dancing with Josh. In quick strides, Melody walked across the room until she was standing in front of Liz’s little sister. “How is she?”
Rose pulled her arms away from Josh. “She’s hurt. I don’t know what you did to her, but she’s pretty upset.”
Melody took a breath. “I didn’t do anything.”
Rose frowned. “Of course you did.”
“I just . . . I just agreed to sell Hidden Treasures. I was always going to sell the thrift store though. Liz knew that. I don’t know why she’s so mad.”
“Maybe because she believed in you.” Rose shrugged. “Liz has always believed in me, even when I disappointed her. Liz finds the best in people. She probably realized she was wrong to do that in your case.”
Ouch.
“So I’m the bad guy just because I have a life somewhere other than this town? I was never going to stay here. Never.” Melody caught movement from the corner of her eye and turned to look at Christopher. He looked disappointed too. “What?” she asked, throwing her hands out to her sides.
He shook his head and averted his gaze. “Nothing.”
“Someone made me an offer I can’t refuse. They don’t want to run the store as a thrift shop. They plan to open a boutique instead. That wasn’t my original plan, but I think Jo would have liked the idea.”
“No, she wouldn’t have,” Christopher said, the letdown evident in his expression.
“You don’t know that. Jo loved fashion and clothing.” Melody forced a smile. “This is good news. We should be celebrating.” She looked between Christopher and Rose, neither of whom seemed to be in the celebratory mood. “It’s just a store.”
“Wow,” Christopher finally muttered. “I kind of thought you would eventually change your mind. Maybe you’d stick around.”
“That was never the plan,” Melody reiterated quietly. “You know that.”
Christopher’s gaze lowered to the floor. “I guess. But it was also the plan to maintain Jo’s shop as a thrift store.” He looked back up and met her gaze, searching her eyes. “What happened?”
“I can’t rearrange my whole life to make Jo happy. She’s not even here.” Melody blew out a pent-up breath. “What would you do differently if you were in my situation?”
Rose stepped closer. “You left for like, ten years, and never looked back. Not once. I never would have done that to people who I claimed to love. There’s no excuse, not that you gave anyone a good reason anyway.”
Melody had thought everyone had moved past this. “I lost my sister. The only sister I’ll ever have. I was hurt, okay?” Melody felt the rush of tears to her eyes.
“Bri was hurt too. So was Liz. Everyone was hurting. You should have come home sooner. Liz needed you. She still needs you,” Rose said. “And you’re packing up to leave and, in her mind, you’re not coming back for another ten years. Is she right about that?” Rose put her hands on her hips.
Melody blinked past her tears and one slid down her cheek. “Of course not.”
Rose lifted her chin a notch, looking down at Melody through her lashes. “Why don’t I believe you?”
* * *
There were two long hours before the prom was over. Melody stayed near the refreshments table, trying to fulfill her commitment to chaperone the students. When the clock struck midnight and all the students had left, she climbed into the passenger seat of Christopher’s truck so that he could drive her home.
“I seemed to have ruined this night for everyone,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Christopher glanced over. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Talk to Liz tomorrow. She’ll come around. She’s pretty understanding in that way.”
“Is it really so wrong of me to sell Jo’s store?”
“I guess it’s your prerogative. You can do whatever you want with it.”
Melody could tell he didn’t approve, though. “This woman is ready to pay a lot of money. I mean, a lot. I can’t just reject it.”
Christopher was quiet for a long time.
“It’s easy to say it’s not about the money when it doesn’t affect you,” she went on, feeling a bit defensive.
“I didn’t say that, did I?”
“No, but you were thinking it.” She watched the darkened landscape go by through her window, wishing she were already home. Coming out tonight had seemed like a good idea, but in hindsight, it was a mistake. Maybe she never should have come to town at all. She could have had the paperwork for the will faxed to her and handled it from Charlotte.
Christopher finally pulled into her driveway. Melody placed her hand on the door’s handle, ready to bolt as soon as the vehicle came to a stop.
“I’m not judging you, okay? I’m not trying to, at least. Only you know what’s right for you, and ultimately, it’s you who has to live with it.” He shrugged. “All I know is I’m glad you chaperoned the prom with me tonight.”
The compliment nearly broke her. She needed someone to affirm that she wasn’t an awful person right now. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah. Maybe it went a little sideways—”
“More like upside down,” she cut in.
“Yeah. Well, before it did, it felt good being with you. Makes me wish things had been different.”
“I wish that all the time. About everything.” Melody sighed. “Thanks, Christopher. You’re a good guy. Some nice girl in Trove Isle will be lucky to find you.” One that intended to stay and not break his heart like his ex-fiancée had. Melody wasn’t that woman though. For one, she wasn’t staying, and secondly, she wasn’t all that sure she was nice. “Goodnight.”
“Wait.” Christopher pushed his door open. “The least I can do is walk you to your front door. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to kiss you.”
Melody smiled half-heartedly. That was less assuring than he might think. “Okay.”
* * *
The next morning, Melody woke to the smell of bacon wafting down the hall. There was also the aroma of coffee, which had her getting up and moving a lot faster than she probably would have otherwise.
When she entered the kitchen, she found her father standing in front of the stove.
“Morning,” he said, turning to offer up a small smile. “How was last night?”
Melody groaned. Then she headed toward the cabinet where the mugs were kept, grabbed one, and poured herself a deep cup of dark brew.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Starving.” Melody sat down at the kitchen table, opting to drink her coffee black just so she could have it faster. “The prom was a disaster,” she said after a couple minutes and several sips of coffee. “Liz is upset with me.”
Her father slid a plate of food in front of her. He placed his own plate on the table beside hers and sat down. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Me too.” She grabbed a slice of bacon and bit into it, receiving a satisfying crunch.
“Whatever happened between you two, I’m certain you can repair it today,” her father said.
Melody wasn’t so sure. She rolled her lips together, wondering if she should rip off the Band-Aid and disappoint him as well. “She found out I’m selling the thrift store.”
“You’ve always been planning to sell it, though,” he said, looking up.
“I guess she thought I wouldn’t. I’m not sure.” She forked some mounds of eggs into her mouth and chewed.
“There’s a history between the two of you. Leaving town to go back to Charlotte isn’t just a casual thing to her. You left for ten years.” He set his fork down. “It’s not a casual thing for me either.”
“But I’ve told you that I’ll be back. It won’t be like the last time. Things have changed.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “At least I’m trying to know it. I suspect neither me or Liz or anyone else will know it, including you, until that actually happens. History has a way of repeating itself.”
She wasn’t very hungry anymore. She continued eating, but she could barely taste her food because she was thinking about what her dad had said. “I’m going home this coming week. That’s still the plan. But I won’t stay away this time. I promise.”
He gave her a grateful smile. “You know where to find me. I’ll always be here. This is your real home, Melody.”
* * *
“Thanks for meeting me here.” Melody fidgeted nervously with her hands as Christopher unlocked the door to the high school’s gymnasium later that morning.
He glanced over, his blue eyes twinkling under the rim of his ball cap. “It helps to know people in high places, huh?”
“High places?” She laughed at the absurdity of that statement.
“They don’t just give anyone a key, you know?” The door opened and he gestured for her to go inside.
She took a step in and then froze. “You’re sure we won’t get in trouble? I don’t want the police to show up and think we’re breaking in.” Getting tossed in the county jail would put a wrench in her plans to head back to Charlotte.
Christopher nudged her forward. “It helps to know a police officer in town too. It’s the charm of living in a small town. Yes, I’m sure we won’t get in trouble. I told Principal Blevins we were coming. He thinks we’re cleaning up after the prom, but that’s not a complete lie. We are looking to take away one item from here, right?”
“The charm bracelet.” Melody blew out a breath, hoping it would turn up somewhere this morning. She’d felt sick last night when she hadn’t been able to find it. Losing it again after all these years would be awful.
It was special. Meaningful. It was part of what had brought Melody, Liz, and Bri back together after so many years. “I lost it in the room off the side of the gym.”
“Then that’s where we’ll go.” Christopher stepped ahead of her now and led the way through the dimly lit gymnasium. He hadn’t flipped the lights, but the entire gym had windows just shy of the ceiling bringing in a good amount of natural light. Christopher opened the door to the adjoining room for Melody and waited for her to step by him. She looked around, scanning the floor. There were only so many places the bracelet could have gone. The room was full of unused school-related furniture, but the floor underneath was clear, polished to a shine that implied very few people had walked across it.
Melody felt increasingly panicked as her eyes scanned the area, making quick sweeps at first and then moving slower as if the bracelet would suddenly appear. It was magical in a way. It could happen. “It’s not here,” she said, deflating to the point that her body felt like it was folding in on itself. “Where could it have gone?” She glanced up at Christopher, some part of her hoping that he could see it even though she couldn’t.
He shook his head. “You said Liz threw it at your feet?”
Melody flinched at the memory. “Pretty much. She was standing exactly where you are now.”
His gaze moved past her to the floor. “I doubt anyone has been in this room since the prom. The school has been closed. The custodians don’t work the weekends. You and I are probably the last to leave and the first to enter this area.”
Melody sighed, turning in a full circle before looking up at him again. “Bracelets don’t just disappear into thin air.” Then again, that’s exactly what this particular bracelet had done on the night of the accident when she was eighteen. Tears burned behind her eyes, blurring Christopher’s image. “I guess this is my sign.”
His dark brows lowered. “What sign?”
Melody swallowed thickly. She really didn’t want to break down in front of Christopher right now. “That I’ve overstayed my welcome. My sign that it’s time to leave.”
“Or . . . maybe you’re just reading into this and rationalizing what you want to do anyway. Justifying it.”
Melody lifted her chin a notch, allowing herself to lean in to her knee-jerk defensiveness. Getting mad was better than crying. “I don’t need to justify anything. I have a life and a job to get back to. I’m not doing anything wrong by going home.”
He shook his head. “No, but Liz and I aren’t doing anything wrong by wishing you’d stay. Are we?”
Melody swallowed, wanting to pull her gaze from Christopher’s but she couldn’t. She lowered her voice, softening her tone. “It probably wouldn’t last between us anyway, you know. If I stayed.”
He gave her a long look before responding. “Guess we’ll never know, will we?” Then he tipped his head toward the door that led back to the gym. “Come on. We’ll lock up and leave. Before the police get here and arrest us.”
Melody followed behind him, barely able to keep up with his brisk pace. “You’re teasing, right?” She didn’t feel like joking around. Inside, her heart ached. It throbbed like a sore tooth—the kind that kept one awake at night. The bracelet was gone. Her renewed friendship with Liz was strained. And the could-have-been with Christopher would never be because she couldn’t stay in Trove Isle indefinitely. She had to go, and she had to do it now.
To: Bri Johnson
From: Liz Dawson
Subject: Prom night and other natural disasters
Bri,
Don’t ask. It wasn’t as awful as our first prom night, but it wasn’t pretty. The short story is that Melody sold her store and she’s leaving town. We fought, I threw the charm bracelet at her, and we’re probably never going to see each other again. I’m not even exaggerating. It was truly disastrous. I’ll give you the long story next time I see you.
xx,
Liz