The Foster Kid

Chapter 8: Miss You

Present

~Dylan's Point of View~

"Thank you for telling me this." I turned to Melody and squeezed her hand.

"I would've told you sooner but I assumed you knew and I made a promise. And I never break my promises."

The room fell silent and I turned to face Melody her eyes beginning to fill with tears herself.  Without another thought I reached out and cupped her cheek in my hand like mother did when I was little and Lucy when she saw I was having a nightmare. I slowly felt our faces getting closer and closer until our noses were touching. Just before I was going to lean in and kiss her... a flashback of my mother bleeding to death shot through my mind and caused me to pull away.

"What's the matter?" Melody asked confused.

I dropped my hand and looked at the floor, "I-I can't do this, you deserve better Melody. Not just some foster kid." Not wanting to hear her try to convince me otherwise fearing that I would end up staying I ran out of the room.

Through the hospital I heard the clicking from my shoes as I hurriedly ran.  I thought I'd be safe but just as I got outside I heard the front of the hospital doors open again and there was Melody.

"You need to learn to stop running away from your problems and face them!" She yelled.

Feeling my anger boil up from her not understanding I quickly responded, "You think I like running?! You think I like being away from you! Now that Lucy is gone you're all that I have left!"

Melody took a step closer to me, "Then why do you keep pushing me away?"

I walked a little closer to her, "I can't explain."

"See if you just let me in we ca-"she started but I cut her off.

"I can't Melody, if I let you in I may lose you forever."

Closing in the final space between us Melody looked deeply into my eyes, "You will never lose me. If you let me in I can make you happy and protect you from the nightmares of your past that haunt you at night. Please don't run away because you're scared, I'm scared too... of losing you."

 I outstretched my arms and held Melody close feeling her tears leak onto my shirt. I closed my eyes trying to save this moment in my head but when I opened them again I looked over Melody's shoulder and  saw my father standing there smiling I looked down at my hands to see that I was literally crushing Melody. Immediately I let her go and heard her gasp.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" I apologized as I backed away.

"Dylan it's okay I know you didn't mean it!"

"You'll never be safe with me! I gotta get out of here!"