Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Seventeen

Melody laid awake and stared at the ceiling. Though it was late at night, she couldn't sleep. Not from an over abundance of caffeine, nor from pain but from a mind that couldn't settle. This day had been one of the most frightening she'd ever endurned in recent yeras and the one person she wanted to talk to wasn't there to confinde it. 

"James," she whispered his name in the dark, the words causing her throat to ache. The feeling was akin to a fly buzzing around, annoying but not debilitating. Knowing it had been his hands to cause the bruising was another matter entirely. 

 He said I could wake him up if I needed him, Melody thought, recalling their conversation from a few days prior and she certainly needed him now. She needed to hold him, to see him and know it was James she was looking at, rather than HYDRA and all their programing. 

She  threw the covers off her legs and started walking. Though the building was dark now, she didn't need the light. She'd memorized the way to James's apartment already. She knocked twice on the door and barely waited a minute before it opened.

"I was sleeping," James said gruffly, not meeting her eyes. "What do you want?"

If she hadn't known him so well his actions would've hurt her feelings. "Let me in, we need to talk." 

"Yeah," James said which startled Melody. She'd been expecting a fight. "We do." James still wouldn't look at her but he did take a deep breath before speaking. "Go back to New York." And without further word he shut the door in her face.

Oh no you don't, Melody thought, blood boiling at  what he'd said. You cannot just say that to me and leave it like that!  "James!" She banged her fist on the door, wincing in pain as her throat protested the volume of her speech. "Open up!"  He didn't answer and Melody ground her teeth. If that was how he wanted to play things, fine. Game on.  "Open the door," she growled, "or I'll shoot the handle and let myself in."

James opened the door once again, white faced and looking ready to shout. Melody didn't give him the chance to do either. Using her small stature to her advantage, she ducked under his arm and skidded into the apartment.

He turned around, closing the door and scowling. "You were bluffing weren't you?"

"Yes. Now, let's get a few things straight; one slamming the door in people's faces is rude-."

"So is threatening to shoot their door."

She ignored that. There were more important things to talk about.  "And two, we both know I'm not here to discuss travel plans." Melody sighed, her anger fading. Now wasn't the time for that either. After everything, James needed to be treated gently.  "We need to talk about what happened in the lab, so start talking. Please." 

"There's nothing to say," James said, his back turned to her.

"That's not true and you know it." He  could lie all he wanted, but Melody knew him too well. This bothered him and they couldn't get away with not talking about it. This was too big.

"Because I have nothing to say."

"You're lying."

"Oh you suddenly have the ability to read minds?"

"No," she crossed her arms. "But I can read you like a book. You have a hell of a lot to say but you don't know how to say it."