Page 15 of Read Between the Stars (Turn it Up Spinoff)

“That’s… that’s a lot,” she nods to herself and I say nothing. “So why… why are you not one anymore? Why did I find you driving boats for excursion and fishing tours in Bali?”

“I didn’t want to be one anymore,” I say plainly, which I know pisses her off.

“There’s more to it and we both know it,” she grits back. “How could you not tell me?”

“Gee, because that’s what I liked about being friends with you. You didn’t push me to tell you shit,” I bite back, snidely.

“But we’re not in that place anymore, our friendship has evolved.”

“No,youhave evolved. You got the love of your life back and now everything is sunshine and rainbows for you again, and now you’re expecting me to open up like a fucking book,” I growl under my breath so that I don’t make a scene. I instantly feel a bad - check that- alittlebad. But she relents, slightly.

“Yes, I got another chance with Matt,” she admits, dropping her hands at her sides, “but it took taking a serious risk that I didn’t know was going to end up well for me. Thank God it did, and like I said last night, I want that foryou.”

I heave out a heavy sigh as I start to nod. “I know you do.”

“I guess that’s why it guts me to know you gave up so much hard work, education, money, training… being a doctor is no joke. I want to understand why you’d give it up.”

“Melanie,” Kasey’s voice comes from over by the check-in desk. “Enough.” I look up at her, suddenly mesmerized. It’s not even eleven in the morning, but she looks exhausted, tattered, yet so, so beautiful as she looks at Melanie with a tired, pleading look.

Melanie looks at her with hope and confusion until Kasey fills in the blanks for her.

“I almost lost Luna today. But because of him,” she nods her head towards me, “I get to keep her. He can be or do whatever he wants.”

Damn. What she just said and did delivered a sucker punch to my heart. I’m grateful for her respect, and for getting my harpy friend off my ass. I could kiss her.Whoa…

She turns towards the desk and starts fishing through her purse. I look down to see she has no shoes on; instead she’s wearing little footie socks a staff member must’ve given her. She has one knee bent as she leans against the counter and lays down her insurance card while accepting a clipboard with the standard forms.

Melanie stands there, looking defeated for a moment, until she looks to me with her lips pressed together and her eyes are misted over. She nods up at me. “She’s right. I’m sorry.”

“What’s that?” I ask, leaning a little closer.

“I’m sorry.”

“Say again? I didn’t hear.”

“You’re a jackass.”

“Good enough.”

“Kasey,” she gives up on me and heads over to her new sister-in-law. “I’m going to talk to Matt about staying. We-”

“No.” Kasey turns toward her with a no-nonsense expression. “You’re going on your honeymoon.”

“But Luna’s hurt, you need family.”

“But she’s going to be okay,” Kasey assures her, rubbing her arm. “And I have Mom here, for another couple days. We’ll be okay, I promise.”

“It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Auntie Mel, go on your dang honeymoon!” we hear a grouchy nine-year-old’s voice say. Kasey and Melanie step apart slightly and I see Luna sitting in a chair that Matt is pushing, a relieved smirk on his face.

“You heard her, Sunshine,” he tells Melanie, and gives her a joking shrug.

“I’m really okay, and I want you and Uncle Matt to go to Hawaii,” the little girl states, making no bones about her decision. Melanie gives her a smile and crouches down in front of her.

“How are you, Monkey? Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I just have a headache and I have to leave the hospital in this dumb chair,” she mumbles, flipping the teddy bear in her lap.

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