Melissa smiled as she made her way inside the Phantoms clubhouse followed by Hanna. Eric had informed her a few days before that Miranda's birthday was coming up. The moment she found out Melissa had called Hanna and asked her help with planning a surprise birthday party for her.
Sydney had jumped right on board with the idea, making sure to keep Miranda away from the clubhouse while Caleb had sent Wren on errands as well. Alex was instructed to keep Wren busy if Caleb wasn't around. Holden and Lucas weren't that pleased to do all the hard work but once they saw how the placed looked they felt proud.
-"Well I must say everything looks great. Now all we need is for the proud soon to be parents to arrive." Hanna smiled looking around at the decorations. "I wouldn't believe that you pulled this off if I didn't know you were a Hastings." Hanna grabbed a beer and a tumbler of whiskey and handed the glass to Melissa. "Sydney said they would be here in 5."
-"Perfect. Eric texted the boys earlier and told them they had a Church meeting." And true to their Prez's request they were all gathered inside the house waiting for Miranda and Wren to show up. They arrived at the same time and Eric and Melissa grinned at them.
-"Hey mama Kingston and baby Kingston thank for coming." Eric carefully led Miranda inside the house. "Since your birthday is coming up, we decided to throw a small gathering." Miranda stopped in the doorway, grabbing Wren's hand as everyone yelled surprise at them.
-"Oh my!" She walked over to the middle of the room where two small tables were covered with presents and a "Happy Birthday, Miranda" banner hung on the wall. Wren put his arm around Miranda, who teared up looking at the gifts.
Melissa walked over to Eric and he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her. "You did good, baby. I am proud of you." He nodded his head, looking at their friends. Hanna had walked over and hugged Miranda while Sydney gave Alex a kiss before going to greet Wren.
A few hours later Melissa sneaked off to Eric's room to charge her phone. After she placed it on the small nightstand, she sat down on the bed and sighed. She was happy that she was able to surprise Miranda with a birthday party and celebrate with her but it was honestly so hard to see Miranda and Wren together and being so happy about the pregnancy. Sadness filled her entire being and she got up and wiped a tear before turning around to see Eric stand in the doorway.
Eric walked inside the room and closed the door behind him, locking it. "How are you holding up? I know how hard it is for you to see Miranda and Wren right now when you aren't able to have what they have. Do you want me to get Olivia?" Melissa shook her head walking over to him. "Phoenix?"
-"The only person that I want is right here with me." Melissa pulled Eric's head to hers, kissing him. Eric grabbed her hips, guiding her back towards the table. He lowered her on the bed easily, his hand snaking under her shirt to her breasts.
-"I hate your jeans." He mumbled while his hands went to her pants, unbuttoning and pulling them down. He then looked over to her shirt and fumbled with the buttons, trying to get them undone so that he could free her from it. Melissa shook her head at him and swiftly pulled her shirt over her head, completely ignoring the buttons that Eric had tried to undo. Eric stepped aside and removed his cut, his hand going back to his jeans, removing them and his briefs while Melissa stroked his chest. "Lay back on the bed." He commanded before he decided to go down on her.
A few hours later Melissa rolled over on her side, feeling satisfied and also unable to say another word. Eric kept her coming so many times her throat was hoarse from all the screaming she had done. "Thank you. I needed this."
-"Any time, love. All you have to do is ask." Eric wrapped his arm around her shoulders while Melissa fell asleep with her head on his chest. "I love you, Phoenix. I always will no matter what happens."
A few more days passed and Olivia found herself sitting in a bar drinking alone on a Tuesday night. She had rejected several of the guys that tried to hook up with her that night, her eyes focused on a small keychain placed on the table in front of her as she drank several shots of tequila before ordering herself a glass of whiskey.
-" Getting drunk, love?" Jake had seen her enter the bar hours before and decided to join her. Olivia nodded her head slightly before drowning the remains of her glass and ordering another round. "I think you had enough."
-"Keep your opinion to yourself. Sleeping with me once doesn't make you my keeper." Olivia drowned half the glass before Jake grabbed her hand and forced her to look at him. She sighed before talking, her voice small and broken. "It's Nick's birthday today."
Jake nodded his head before returning her glass to her. "Drink all you want. I'll make sure to get you back home safely when you finish." He then lit up a cigar and ordering a beer he kept her company.
When Olivia had enough he helped her back to her car and grabbed her keys. He drove them back to the house and carried her inside to her bedroom. "Stay with me. Don't leave me alone again, Nick."
Olivia sleepily whispered. Jake kissed her forehead before undressing her to her underwear. He covered her with a blanket and then went to the kitchen. Grabbing a water bottle and two aspirins he placed them on the nightstand while Olivia slept peacefully.
He then headed to his bedroom. "Bunny girl I am starting to fall for a girl that loves a dead guy. I am that pathetic, I know." He looked at his wife's picture before placing it inside the nightstand drawer.
Olivia groaned when she woke up. She noticed Jake had tucked her in, though for the life of her she couldn't remember getting back home. She pushed herself off the bed and spotted the pills and water bottle. She went to her closet and picked up a shirt, pulling it over her. Sighing, she headed to the kitchen.
Her head hurt so much it took her a few minutes to realize someone was impatiently knocking on her door. "Hold your horses, I'm coming." When she opened the door Olivia stiffened watching the woman in front of her. "Maria?"
Hey guys,
I think this will be my last post of the year. It's been a fantastic year for me. I made new friends, I got a new job, I visited a lot of places and I had the time of my life exploring new characters and a whole new universe. As a Haleb fan and writer taking Melissa and Eric and giving them a voice and a story has been a fantastic ride for me, pun intended. That being said I'm off writing the final chapter for this fic. Worry not I still have several chapters filled with surprises left in store for you guys. That being said I hope you guys have a fun New Year's Eve and that you had an awesome Christmas. That being said remember to review okay? Also you must check out SereneCalamity's story Tungsten and Silver. Happy 2016!
Nico