Page 3 of Neverland

“Easton.” She beams at me, her legs wrapped around my waist. “I missed you.” Melody kisses me again. I groan.

“Baby!” A few cat calls ring out in the parking lot.

“Sorry.” She gives me a mischievous smile, and I know she’s not at all. “What’s the plan?”

“I have to take you home.” I glare at the fuckers staring at us.

“What?!”

“I promised your dad I would. He wants to take you and your sister out to dinner. Then you’reallmine.”

“Fine.” She relaxes in my arms but doesn’t let go. When it comes to her father and sister, Melody can never tell them no.

Melody has taken a bit of a motherly role when it comes to her little sister. It shouldn’t fall on her shoulders, but Melody can be as headstrong as I am. They also share a birthday, so I know they should have their moment together even if I don’t want to let her go for it.

“Two hours. That’s all I’m giving you up for.”

“Promise?” She smiles against my mouth.

“Promise.”

I should have never let her go. I wouldn't have. Not even for a second if I had known what was to come.

3

MELODY

Many years later

Istare at my little sister, not sure what to say. If Elsa wants to walk around half-naked, that’s her choice, but we are supposed to be keeping a low profile. She is nowhere near low profile, but then again, she’s not a little girl anymore. I’m sure no one would recognize her now. Over the past few years, she really has blossomed into a woman. Still, I’ve never seen her dress this way.

I miss her curly hair and wide-framed glasses. Elsa was always wicked smart. This wasn’t what I saw coming from her, but as she and I both know, you never can predict the future, no matter how hard you try to lay a path toward what you want.

Elsa was barely thirteen before our lives were once again tossed on their heads. I suppose I should be happy that no one died this time, but I don’t often feel that way. When I lost my mom, a part of my heart was taken. When I lost Easton, it was as if my whole future was ripped away from me in the blink of an eye. My mom was truly gone, but even though Easton was still out there, he was unreachable.

I’m not even sure who I am anymore. I’ve just been going through the motions for the last five years. Putting one foot in front of the other, knowing I needed to stay strong for Elsa.

Trust me, I understand through way too much therapy that some people believe a person should stand on their own, but I know in my soul Easton will always hold my heart. I can try to move on, but nothing will match him.

My own therapist has tried to tell me I’ve built him up in my mind to be greater than he was. But I know the truth. He was my happily ever after. Until my fairy tale was taken from me.

I hate that over the years, the people around me have made me question what Easton and I had together. At times, it makes me feel unfaithful to him. The reality is Easton will never see or hear of Melody Monroe again. I’ve been scrubbed clean as though I ceased to exist.

I’ve struggled with that every single day for the last five years. Sometimes so much so that I thought the guilt would consume me. Thinking of Easton and me never getting to say goodbye. I’m not even sure if he would’ve wanted to give me one. I could never face him or anyone else in that city again after what my father had done.

I think that’s one of the hardest things for me to accept about all of this. Sure, the loss of him in my life is unbearable most days, but the idea of him hating me because of the things my father did is what really drives a stake into my heart.

Easton’s parents already had opinions about me and my family. Don’t get me wrong; they were never anything but kind to me. But I know they didn’t approve of our relationship.

They thought I steered their son in a different direction than the path they’d laid in front of him his whole life. So I already had a mark against me in their book. My father’s actions had just put the nail in the coffin. It only proved them to be right. That killed me a bit inside because Easton would always tell me I was the golden sparkle that made him care about anything at all.

“You don’t like it?” My sister does a slow turn to show off her dress. I mean, it is very Vegas.

“You have a date?” If she does, I already don’t care for this person she’s trying to be different for. The woman in front of me isn’t her. I bet it took her an hour to straighten out her natural curls. They aren’t going to know the real Elsa.

Over the last year, she has really played into changing who she is. I could be wrong. She was only a young girl when we left our old life behind, but this isn’t what I thought she’d become.

“You know you’re beautiful. You always have been. But there is a difference in the types of beauty. I’m just not sure it’s my sister that’s really standing in front of me.”

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