You Mentioned Her Name
By angellwings
Chapter Thirteen: Expect the Unexpected
"So, Missa, you and Nick seemed cozy," Tabitha said with a grin. She'd been feeling much better since Greg had come to visit. He and Nick had been called back to the lab, and so now it was just her, Melissa, and the two cops outside.
Melissa blushed, "Well…we were."
Tabitha peered at her skeptically, "Cozy as in….back together cozy?"
"I don't know yet, Tabs."
"Then what kind of cozy was it?"
"The 'let's take this slow and see how it goes' type of cozy," Mel told her with a sigh.
"Take it slow? Really? I mean, personally, I think it's high time you guys cranked it up to high gear."
"TABS!" Mel yelled as she held back a laugh.
"What? It's true. I mean the only reason you aren't married to him now is because mom talked you out of it right?" She asked her sister.
Melissa nodded ruefully.
"And you still love him right?"
Melissa blushed again and looked away from her sister.
"Then what the hell are you waiting for?"
The older Anders girl sighed, "I hurt him, Tabitha."
"And he hurt you," She argued in response.
She looked at her sister in confusion.
"He did. He's the one who ended it," Tabitha said as she got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen for a soda.
"Only because he thought we were running in circles," She said in Nick's defense. Tabitha sighed from the open refrigerator before grabbing a Diet Coke and walking back to the couch to sit next to her sister.
"The reason doesn't matter, Missa. He still hurt you just like you hurt him. You're both guilty when it comes to fault. He could have stuck around and fought against all the propaganda mom was throwing at you, but he didn't. He gave up. You could've ignored all the crap mom told you and fought her for him, but you didn't. You both ran, and managed to run over each other in the process. I think it's high time that you both forgive each other and go back to the way things were. If you ask me you both know what mistakes you made, and you know what you would do differently so don't waste this chance. Just stop thinking and go for it," Tabitha told her older sister gently.
"It's not that simple, Tabs, besides I think you have your own situation on the horizon when it comes to mom," Melissa told Tabitha in warning.
"What do you mean?"
"Greg. Mom didn't seem too thrilled about you dating him, and I have a feeling she's going to try to manipulate you like she did me."
Tabitha scoffed, "Just let her try. I don't care what she says. I actually really care about Greg, and I'm not giving him up any time soon."
Melissa's eyes widened at the sound of her sister's tone. Her sister had never sounded that certain or determined. Melissa found herself feeling slightly jealous. If she would have had that attitude in college things would be totally different for her right now.
"I wish I had been more like you back then," Melissa said with an impressed smile.
"I wish I was more like you now," Tabitha told her in return, "You don't even realize how strong you are, Missa."
Melissa chuckled, "Not as strong as you, little sister."
Nick's cell phone rang just as he reached the lab's parking lot.
"Stokes," He answered automatically.
"They found Deanna Jones," Warrick told him in a grim tone.
"I'm guessing I'm not gonna like this. Am I, Rick?"
"Melissa's assistant found her in the alley behind the gallery…dead"
Nick sighed and massaged his temples as he immediately began to turn around and exit the lot, "I'm on my way right now, man."
"Our killer's are sending Tabitha a message, man."
"I know, and I do not like the message. It means they're willing to use Mel against her," He said with a tinge of worry to his voice.
"And they're becoming bolder by the minute," Warrick answered as his eyes scanned over the alley, and Melissa's pale faced assistant.
That's all for this update, guys! Sorry it's been so long!
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
angellwings