Under Pressure

Chapter 16

Mel POV

I spent most of the night walking around the house with no idea what to do, what to tell Chris. I just didn't know. If I did have feelings for him, he needed to know, I couldn't just keep hiding the facts of my life anymore.

"Hey...." I say entering our room and sitting next to him. He looked up from his phone and his eyes widen as they landed on me. I nervously looked at my hands in efforts to start a conversation.

"You okay?" He asked rubbing my arm in order to comfort me. He wanted something more too, or he was just being kind, I couldn't tell. "You seemed pretty upset." He said gently.

"I'm going to be plain and simple right now, okay?" I paused a second, looking at him waiting for a nod. "This is complicated. This whole thing. Just a big mess." I say feeling myself getting emotional. "But all I know is that I don't hate you, not even a little bit, not at all."

"I hope you don't hate me." He smirked at me, and it helped me relax as I let out a laugh.

"But it's more than that. There's so much you and I don't know about each other and it kills me." I ended by nervously biting my lower lip.

"Let's talk. I'm here always." He joked looking himself up and down at his condition.

"No, no, stop." I say clenching my head remembering all the fake words Josh use to tell me. All the lies I believed.

"Mel, I...." He said reaching his hand out to my shoulder. I looked up at his touch.

"I can't- I can't do it. I thought I could, but..." I start to sprint out the door.

"Mel! Please don't go." I feel my heart pounding in my chest and my breath is weary. I lean against the wall falling down. My knees wrap into my chest. "Mel." I turn to my left and see Chris leaning outside the doorway looking down at me.

I feel my head exploding as my breath quickens. I squeeze my eyes shut and feel tears coming down my face.

Chris POV

Suddenly I see her eyes open up as her face looks shocked and startled. Her breath is shaking, and she looks in absolutely distress. I sprint to the front of her looking deep into her eyes.

"You're having a panic attack. You have to stay calm. Breath Mel, breath." I place both my hands on her knees. Nothing is working I try to keep talking to her but she isn't focusing on my words. I start brushing the hair out of her face and it dawns on me.

I lean and passionately kiss her. I feel her heart skip a beat and then slows back to a normal rate. I sit back open my eyes and look into hers. She looks at ease and I move to sit next to her against the hallway wall. I tilt my head back and look at the ceiling.

How was she feeling? I thought she was going to tell me she loved me, but then she left. Maybe she was going to tell me she didn't like me at all. I didn't know.

I saw her gaze fall on to me, so I turned my face to look at her beautiful features. Her lips were so full, her eyes so blue, her smile so bright, and her expression so vulnerable. Right now, she wasn't smiling but I imagined it.

"Chris....." She paused as she got more serious.

"Yeah?" I asked unsure.

"My life. It's crazy and it's stupid. My past is worse than one would have ever imagined. I-I... I want...." She stopped herself and quickly looked down.

"I love you." I blurted out before she could continue. She looked up at me startled at first, but then she showed me her beautiful smile. Her eyes showed me here delight.

"But you don't even know me." Her adorable attempt to hide her smile, made me aware I had done the right thing telling her these three words.

"I know that I love you for who you are and I'm ready to learn whoever you've been." She placed her hand on my neck and pulled me into a low slow kiss. It satisfied every feeling I had ever felt to her. When we pull away, I feel the urge to say more, "I got a messed up life too Mel, and if you don't want-"

"I do. I want to be with you through thick and thin, because...." She took a pause and grabbed my hand that was sitting on my leg. "I love you too."

I laughed moving right next to her, so I was touching her. I had re-grabbed her hand and kissed it. She leaned her head on my shoulder. The air was filled with a humble silence that was disturbed by Melissa.

"God, I have so much to tell you." She told with her smile fading.

"Alright, well I'm ready." I smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Tomorrow." She nodded as a small smile reentered her expression. "We'll start, tomorrow." She whispered into my chest.

I let it be just moving my fingers over her hand and feeling absolutely happy. "Oh shoot! I almost forgot we have brunch tomorrow." Melissa said picking her head up and looking at me with panic.

"Okay, well let's get some sleep then." Told her as I stood. I keep her hand in mine as she sat and I stood over her. I pull her up so that she is standing in front of me. We step back into our room and in unison make our way into bed. We both get into it without changing.

For the first time, in a long time, I felt complete. I was holding the person who I loved more than anything.