Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Chapter 39

"Are you going to stay in here for the rest of your life?"

Melanie had been sitting awake for hours looking up at the ceiling. Her muscles and face ached and all she could think about was facing her sisters, Mr. Abe, and of course Shaggs. She didn't want to explain it or talk about it, she'd judged herself enough in her brain.

She felt a quick weight fall onto the bed next to her. She looked up at Christian. Christian may have been a lot of things, but at least he didn't judge her. She gave him a weak smile.

"G'Mornin' sunshine." He said.

"Good?"

He sat down, "Well, it could always be worse, Dutches."

Melanie grumbled reaching for her phone.

"I talked to Valerie."

Melanie huffed.

"She was about to call the police. She thought something happened to you."

Melanie wish she would have gotten eaten by something in those dark woods. Then what would her legacy be, a failed play? She was better off pretending to be Betty Crocker with Shaggs. Her chest tightened and she started to feel the tears brewing.

Christian rubbed her back, "Mel, I need to get to work. I'll call and check on you later." He'd grazed his lips over her cheek and left the room.

Who would have thought that Christian would have been such a good friend. Better a brother. Now he was her only friend. Her ring went off and she studied the screen almost disappointed at who it wasn't but she answered.

"Hi Val." She said.

"You okay honey."

She could have easily said 'no' "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay. Well, I'm just calling to check on you. You might want to call Isaac." She talked in her sweet maternal tone.

Melanie shook her head feeling her cheeks burn as if Valerie could see her.

"Mel, sweetheart you two have been through worse."

Did she know what happened the night before?

"Mel, just talk to him."

Melanie sighed wondering how suddenly she needed advice talking to her best friend.

"Bye Mel, let me know how that goes."

"Bye Val."

Melanie got up out of bed and followed Christian out of the house and hustled went into Val's house quiet house, rushed up to her room. She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt and went down stairs to the kitchen.

If Melanie Davison learned anything from her mother it was this, when men screwed up the bought flowers, and when women screwed up they baked. Melanie had never considered herself much of a baker though she had a couple of tricks she picked up from her mother and Val. She flipped open the cabinet and looked for her hail mary.

The was almost like the adrenaline before a show, and she didn't cook for the guys she dated. She was nervous that was for sure.

* * * *

Isaac felt like the life sucked itself out of him as he trotted to the cafeteria. Penny was an angel taking over the class after he had explained what happened. He'd really got to see Penny take over a seventh grade class like a pro. He was proud of her, and it was a nice distraction.

Penny shyly strode beside him and slowly slipped her hand in his. Her eyes locked with him with a sweet smile across her pink lips. He couldn't help but attempt to smile back. Why couldn't he just allow himself to fall for a beautiful good women? He told himself. First Rachel ripped his heart out and then Melanie.

She looked up at him a stunning vision of everything he didn't need in his life. She strolled up to him made up, her hair in her gorgeous crazy curls he loved, a white tank top, a light pair of blue and it all hugged her sinful curves. Curves that were wrapped around his brother, he needed to remind himself. He grit his teeth. Then the red pumps. Christian would have called them fuck-me-pumps. Her white tipped fingers clutched around a pie and by the smell it was an apple. It smelled warm homey, and deceitful.

"Hey," She said, "I know this is a bad time. I just wanted to talk." She paused, "About last night."

Penny clutched his arm. "I'm here if you need." She said throwing Melanie a harsh condemning look. Then she turned back, "You know it's women like you that make it hard for women like me. Isaac is a good man..."

Isaac clutched Penny's arm. Penny didn't know but it was more for her safety. "Penny." He put authority in his voice.

"Skank." He'd heard Penny say under her breath as she walked away.

He watched the bone on the side of Melanie's jaw. The same one he'd see at his house when he went after Rachel, when she'd when after Brody in high school for picking on him. Penny got off easy.

"You should go."

She looked at him. "Wow! You told her?" Her voice shook.

What was he to say? He just looked at her. He shrugged. "I think you should go, Mel." He repeated. "Maybe you should give the pie to Christian, rumor has it he likes my sloppy seconds."

That prompted Melanie to smear the entire dish in his face. His face warm syrupy goo mess when the pan fell to the ground. "You're no better than Mike." She whispered as she stomped away.

"And you're just as skanky and Rachel." He yelled behind her back.

Isaac knew his day was basically shot now that he had to run home and get some clothes, Melanie was sleeping with Christian, and he felt a massive hole in his chest. His life sucked.

* * * *

Christian was immediately in big brother mode when he found Melanie crying on the back porch of Liv-Joyce's. He was ready to kick Isaac's ass. It is one thing to call your best friend a skank but to let someone else do it too. All he could do was hold her in his arms as she sobbed...hard...over him. That jerk didn't get that. If he didn't, he didn't deserve Melanie.