Page 46 of Defended
Immediately, Peggy’s expression hardened again.
“But I get to choose who lives in my apartment, and as long as you’re dating him, that’s not you.” Peggy’s chin went up stubbornly. She gestured at the pile of clothes. “If you’re going to choose some perverted sicko over your best friend, you can’t live here.” Even though she was staring challengingly at Melody, her green eyes flashed with triumph.
It hit Melody then that Peggy fully expected her to fold. She had brought all of Melody’s clothes out to show how serious she was, but she hadn’t packed them. Everything about her body language screamed that she thought she’d already won. Because that’s what happened every time they disagreed about something. Peggy would make a big scene, and Melody would fold.
And there was no reason for Peggy to change, because she held all the chips. Thiswasher apartment. She had invited Melody to live there, but Melody hadn’t been put on the lease when she’d moved in. At the time it hadn’t seemed to matter. Melody had come to feel like the apartment was hers as well, but it wasn’t really, which was why she’d always let Peggy have the final say.
She hadn’t gone on the lease, because it was easier. She didn’t fight with Peggy, because it was easier. She didn’t upset Peggy, because it was easier. But the reason it was easier, was because Peggy made it so hard. It was her way or the highway.
I can’t live like this.
* * *
When Kawan’s phone rang,it was a welcome distraction from the loneliness of eating alone. Normally he didn’t feel all that lonely when he was having a meal on his own, but tonight he felt Melody’s absence. Her presence had made his house seem cozier, less empty. Warm happiness suffused him when he picked up the phone and saw her name.
“Hey, baby,” he said, answering.
A sniffle greeted him in response and Kawan immediately stood up, all of his instincts shouting at him that something was wrong and he needed to fix it. It took a supreme act of will to force his knees to bend and sit back down again. “Melody? Baby girl?”
“Hi. Sorry.” Her voice was small, watery, and she sniffled again. “I probably should have waited to call you. I’m a little upset. I should have calmed—”
“No, sweetheart, I’m glad you called me if you’re upset.” He interrupted her but kept his voice low, soothing, even as anger began to build inside of his chest. It didn’t take a genius to know that she must have fought with her roommate again. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“She…” Melody’s voice hitched. “She kicked me out.”
Kawan froze. He felt like he was at war inside of himself. His Daddy instincts demanded that he run to her rescue immediately, bring her back to his home, pamper her, and claim her for his own. But those instincts were being shouted down by his more cynical side, the one that remembered how often he’d run to Krissy’s rescue, how he’d done everything he could to make her feel cherished, special, and loved, and how she’d turned on him when he realized he needed to rein her in because she was draining him dry, emotionally and financially.
Melody kept talking though, not seeming to realize there was anything wrong on his end of the phone.
“I’m on my way to the hotel, or I’m about to be. I’m in my car, but I just thought I should call and let you know, since I forgot to call you this morning, and I said I’d call you after I went home today to let you know how it went and—”
She was babbling, obviously upset, but Kawan’s brain finally caught up.
There was no request for rescue, no manipulation to convince him to come help her, she was just… following his orders. Relief swept through him, followed quickly by an inner demand to get off his ass and do something.
“Did you say hotel?”
“Yeah, oh, I guess I should tell you which one, huh?” She was still sniffling, but her voice lifted slightly like, she was trying to make a joke out of it.
“No, baby,” he said firmly. “You’re not going to a hotel.” He stood up again, the urge to get up and do something propelling him forward. “You’re coming here.”
“Oh, thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to impose and—”
“It’s not an offer, baby girl, it’s an order.” Despite the situation, Kawan had to work to keep his amusement out of his voice. It wasn’t amusement at her, it was amusement at himself, for thinking—even for a moment—that she might be anything like Krissy. She obviously hadn’t even thought that he might help her out, despite the situation.
Then again, their relationship was very new. It was probably a good thing that he’d told her to call him tonight or he might not have found out about this until later.
“Oh… I… thank you?” Her voice held a note of uncertainty. “But you should know, I don’t intend to try and fix things with her. I’m going to take off work tomorrow, pack up my stuff and put it in storage until I can find a new place.”
“And where are you going to stay until you can find a new place?”
“Um… well, that’s why I was going to a hotel.”
With the stipend she received from her program, Kawan didn’t even want to think about what kind of hotel she would end up at. She’d probably have to find an incredibly cheap one and it was doubtful it would be anywhere near the university.
“No. You’ll stay with me until you find a new housing situation.” His tone brooked no argument.
“But—”
