Disclaimer: I own nothing!

As Melinda was driving back to her house, she realized her hands were shaking too badly; she had to pull over and collect herself.

"Ok…I'll call Rick right now and tell him that I'm sorry and that I have to talk to him…"

Melinda pulled out her cell phone and dialed Rick's number.

"Come on, come on…please…"

"Hi, this is Rick…leave me a message and maybe I'll get back to you!"

"Rick, it's Melinda…I need to see you, I'm so sorry about earlier. Please, please, PLEASE call me back as soon as you get this!"

Melinda took a deep breath, calming herself and preparing for the ride home.

She felt the familiar sudden cold air around her. Erik was sitting next to her.

"Oh, Erik…"

"You must tell him."

Melinda gazed at him, confused.

"That Professor. You must tell him how you feel. You don't want to end up like me, never knowing what might have happened."

Melinda smiled

"You have got to be the sweetest ghost I have ever dealt with."

"Ah, if only I had a face to match my personality."

Erik gestured wearily towards his masked visage.

"Erik, please show me your face."

His strange eyes slowly met hers.

"I will, but not now. You must in a stable condition for what you have to do."

If I can look at his face without fear, I think that will help him immensely.

Melinda thought to herself as she nodded at Erik.

"Thank you."

She whispered as she began to drive once again, she knew he was smiling at her beneath his mask.

Her heart hammered dangerously in her chest as she pulled into her driveway. Jim was home.

"Ok…all right, just walk in and tell him. Tell him how unhappy you are, and that things are just not working. Yeah, yeah that's good."

Melinda continued to pep talk herself as she walked through the front door.

"Jim?"

Her voice shook and cracked.

"Upstairs, Melinda!"

Melinda took a deep breath and placed her foot on the first step.

Rick snapped his cell phone shut after listening to Melinda's message.

"I don't know why she's apologizing. I'm the one who told her to leave her husband."

I can't face her right now. I was so selfish-I was trying to nudge her to leave Jim, so that maybe she'd see…how much I love her.

Rick threw himself face down on his huge bed that he almost never slept in.

"It's too big for one person!"

He had said once, laughing bitterly.

"Well, that's that. She obviously doesn't think of you as anything other than her friend."

But on the phone she sounded so desperate…

He slowly lifted his head up to stare at his silent phone.

"Maybe I should just…"

He hesitantly reached for the phone, only to snatch his hand away abruptly.

"I get the point, Melinda. You don't want me. You don't need to tell my in person, it's painful enough as it is! You know…"

Rick continued to talk to himself.

"I really need a vacation. I could go to Florida and stay with my cousin, Jasper. He's always bugging me to come and visit…the college kids are on break, so no classes to teach…Yeah, what the hell!"

He reached for his phone once again, dialing the number of his cousin.

"Jim? I need to tell you something."

Melinda stood in front of the bed where her husband lay, reading a magazine. He slowly set the magazine down, looking at her questioningly, hearing the tremor of terror in her voice.

"Things haven't been going well for us, Jim. You've been working super late and barely spend any time with me. I understand how tired you are when you get home, but-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Melinda, what the hell are you trying to say?" he sat up, straight as a ramrod.

"Let me finish!"

Melinda was shocked at the harshness in her voice.

"I understand that you are tired and don't want to talk. But I am your wife, Jim! You sure as hell don't treat me like one! You didn't have to take on these extra hours, but you did! I think you did mostly because you don't enjoy spending time with me like you used to."
Melinda gulped for air as that painful lump of emotion began to form in her throat.

"You get jealous when I go to lunch or even talk to Rick! He says that-"

"Wait! You told him about our 'problems'?"

"Well, yes but-"

"What the hell, Melinda?! He's putting ideas in your head, isn't he? I bet he told you that I'm a bad husband and all that other crap because he wants you for himself!"

Jim's voice was saturated with venom. During his rant he had leapt out of bed, causing Melinda to take a fearful step away from him.

"I also told Delia, not just Rick!"

"Oh sure, that makes me feel better. That son of a bitch, Rick! I'll-"

"You won't go near him!"

Melinda screamed, startling Jim.

"You're just angry because he's right and you know it! I don't want anything to do with you, Jim! Look at yourself!"

"Is there someone else?"
He stared her down; waiting for the answer he knew would come.

"Tell him."

Melinda jumped as she heard Erik's soft, musical voice whisper from behind her.

"I…I love Rick, Jim. I have loved him for a long time, but I loved you more. Now, though…"

"I-WILL-KILL-HIM!"

Jim spat at his wife, moving towards their bedroom door. Melinda raced ahead of him, running downstairs and attempting to block the front door with her body.

"NO!"

She screamed shrilly at Jim, who had grabbed the keys to his truck and was now coming towards her.

"Move, Melinda."

Jim looked at her, clearly amused at her attempt to protect Rick.

"NO! I am not going to let you hurt him for something that is your fault!"

Jim stopped suddenly; his face was shocked and numb. He shook his head, quickly snapping out of his trance. Melinda braced herself and closed her eyes tightly, preparing for the pain of Jim throwing her aside.

A/N: A little too dramatic?