Chapter 76

"It was the wrong call."

Even with him loving Melyssa aside, it had been a stupid call tactical wise. One didn't let an untrained, new, barely legal girl make demands and take the lead! Ash didn't care WHO the person was, that was just suicide and she had paid for Rean's foolishness, and her own. He groaned when she turned those teal eyes on him full force, having a feeling she had probably suckered the other man in the same exact way.

"Fine." He muttered grudgingly, growling playfully immediately afterwards when she smiled slightly. "But only because I love you." He would try to make amends at least, knowing she was right, for this fight they all had to be on the same page.

He wondered how that would work with Crow and Rean.

The men would make amends in their own way and she wasn't concerned about Crow at the moment. Ash had more ill feelings toward Rean because of her and she didn't feel right about that. "You are right, okay? It was the wrong call, but at the same time, I was the ONLY one who could talk to my Dad. None of us knew the true intentions of Ouroboros that night either. You can't fault Rean for going with his gut instinct. He's human, he makes mistakes like everyone else and I know he was supposed to protect me as his student. I get why you're upset, but you need to look at the other side of things. And I know you haven't because you're biased because of me." He lowered his eyes and she knew she hit the nail on the head, keeping her voice soft and low, with no pressure at all in it. "At the very least, just try to understand where he was coming from. You don't have to be his friend, but he IS a vital asset to bringing down Ouroboros. We need him." I need him. "Emma didn't help matters by berating him either. Rean was trying to do what she advised and it backfired." Horrifically. "He's beating himself up and he's been doing it for the past two years. Enough is enough, Ash. We all need to band together and fight as one or Ouroboros will chew us up and spit us out."

"You're right," He sighed, rolling onto his back and draped his arm over his eyes, shaking his head. "You better mark this moment on your calendar, beautiful, because I will NEVER say it again." Ash huffed when she lay out on his chest, feeling her fingertips drumming on his chest, and moved his arm. He peeked down at her, his pale pink eyes sparkling with amusement. "Satisfied?" She nodded and he nodded too, yawning.

Today had been… draining, on an emotional level and he idly wondered if Rean had made amends with his parents, knowing he had said some very hurtful things to them prior to the 'duel'.

"Oh, you'll say it again because 9 times out of 10, the woman IS always right." She laughed at the snort he gave and kissed his broad, muscular chest, nuzzling his warm skin. "We can talk to him tomorrow." Rean needed time to talk to his parents and possibly make some apologetic phone calls. They would go talk to him tomorrow and she rolled, pulling Ash with her, and felt his arms wrap around her waist to spoon up against her. "I love you, Carbide." She murmured through a yawn, lacing their fingers together, and closed her eyes, her exhausted body succumbing to some much-needed rest.

Melyssa smiled when she heard him say it back in her ear, just before sleep completely claimed her.

Rean spent a good portion of the night talking with his parents, repeatedly apologizing for the things he had said. He didn't even know how to explain it. He knew exactly what he had said and done, he remembered the past two years quite clearly, but… it hadn't been him. It had been, but it hadn't. Those weren't even things he felt, he never thought Melyssa was a traitor. Now that his mind was his own, he understood what had happened to her. She had been kept locked away, without friends, without family, without light… that would break anyone until they started caving, doing what they were told, and he knew it. Yet he had called her traitor and hurled insults at her, tried to kill her… Rean did not sleep very well at all that night when he finally went to bed, knowing others might forgive him, but it would take him a long time to forgive himself.

The following day, after some delicious morning sex, courtesy of being woken up in a most sensual way, Ash and Melyssa made their way to the Schwarzer mansion. They were greeted instantly upon arrival and she was hugged tightly by Lucia and then Teo, both thanking her immensely for what she did for their son. Melyssa did NOT expect the beyond-warm welcome from Rean's parents and something in her heart surged and broke at the same time. They were very good people with hearts of gold, she could clearly see that. Lucia hugged Ash next and Teo shook his hand before guiding them into the sitting room while Lucia went to fetch Rean.

"I'm not going down there, Mom."

Lucia smiled sadly at her son, shut the door, and walked over to sit beside him on the bed. "Sweetheart, we all know it wasn't really you. It was a curse you were put under and you didn't know about it." She placed a hand on her son's shoulder, her heart breaking at how he carried himself. "Rean, is this just about the curse or something else?"

Rean shook his head, tears in his eyes. "No, Mom…I can't…" He stood up from the bed to stare out the window, fighting them back. "I can't talk about it…" Melyssa was with Ash Carbide, of all people, which was something Rean STILL couldn't wrap his head around, no matter how hard he tried.

"I see." Lucia didn't move to comfort him further and stayed on the bed. "It's her, isn't it? Melyssa, right?" She watched her son's shoulders slump and smiled sadly. "She was under the spell as well, yes?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, why don't you talk to her about it? Tell her how you feel…"

"I can't do that." Rean was an honorable man and would never move in on someone else's territory. "She's with Ash now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I can tell." Rean shut his eyes, resting his forehead against the window, and took a deep, shaky breath. "No matter what I feel for her, I just want her to be happy and I won't take that away from her. I've put her through enough."

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Lucia made it sound more like a statement than a question, rising from the bed. "Sweetheart, if you don't tell her, it will eat you up inside and you will never find true peace and closure. You really should tell her, regardless if she's with someone else." That boy downstairs, no offense, was nothing compared to her beloved son. A hero of Erebonia, among other titles he'd earned. She was exceedingly proud of him. "They are downstairs and said it's urgent they speak with you. What do you want me to tell them?"

"COME ON, SCHWARZER," It was Ash's voice booming up the stairs, echoing through his door. "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAMN DAY! STOP WALLOWING UP THERE AND COME TALK TO US!"

Teo bit his lip to keep from chuckling. Ash was always straightforward and it was something he admired about the young man.

Groaning, Rean pulled his head away from the window only to smack it against the pane a second later.

"TODAY, REAN! YOU CAN HIDE AND CRY LATER!"

"I wish I had taken his head off." Not really, but…it was both good and bad that Ash hadn't apparently changed one little bit over the past two years.

He was still obnoxious as ever. Obnoxious and with Melyssa, which was something Rean couldn't fathom. He could see her with Crow, but Ash… Ash? It made no sense.

"You don't mean that. I'll tell them you're coming down in five minutes, dearest."

"Mom…"

"Breakfast in five, Rean." She ruffled his hair affectionately before walking out.

"All right, Ash, that's enough. If he doesn't want to talk to us, we can't force him. Maybe he just needs more time…" Melyssa stopped him from going up the stairs, shaking her head with her hand wrapped around his bicep. "No. Forcing him won't make matters any easier. Let's just leave and maybe we can make another trip down here soon."

"I told him to come down for breakfast in five minutes, but I don't know if he will or not. He's pretty devastated." Lucia informed them, walking down the steps and kept a soft smile on her face. However, deep down, she wanted to berate the harlot that broke her son's heart to pieces. At the same time, Melyssa had saved him, which made her feel torn. "You two are more than welcome to join us for breakfast."

"No, that's fine." Melyssa pulled Ash further away from the stairs, lacing their fingers tightly together. "We need to get going back to Crossbell City, but if Rean wants to talk to us, please tell him to call."

"Will do. Drive safely." Teo nodded, folding his arms in front of his chest, and waited for them to walk out before turning to look at his wife. "What was THAT about, Lucia?"

"Our son is in love with that girl. And if he doesn't want to talk to her, we shouldn't force him into it. She made the right choice to leave him be."

Goodbye Rean. Melyssa looked up at the house before slipping into the orbal car, ignoring the way her heart ached, shoving it aside. Ash slid behind the wheel and she grabbed his hand instantly, lacing their fingers together again before accepting a soft yet passionate kiss. "Mmm, I love you. We should stop by Leeves again on our way back and stay at that tavern."

"Or we could stay here for another day or so, and enjoy those hot springs." Ash chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at her before looking back out the windshield. At her soft no, he sighed, knowing she didn't want to linger in Ymir because of Rean. "He'll come around, beautiful, you know he will. He's always had an overly kind heart, give him time to sort this out and he'll be up our asses mother-henning us again in no time."

At 4 minutes and 57 seconds, Rean had come downstairs to breakfast, only to be told Ash and Melyssa had already left.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but they told me to tell you to call if you want."

Rean simply shook his head and trudged back upstairs, knowing he missed his opportunity to talk to them. He did need time to sort everything out in his own head, Ash had been right about that much.

Three months passed by in the blink of an eye.

Machias welcomed the REAL Melyssa back with open arms, along with Crow, who had hugged her so tight, she thought he popped something in her back. Rosalie had told them what happened, what Rean almost did and she understood Crow's reaction. He wasn't mad at Rean, nobody was. They were under a Dark Ages spell and it was broken now. Rean was back to his old self and so was she, with no darkness influencing or manipulating them.

However, there was one person who had changed significantly throughout the past three months and that was Ash. Melyssa didn't understand it, but Ash had become…distant recently and she couldn't figure out why. The first month straight of their new relationship, they had so much sex, she physically couldn't handle anymore by the beginning of the second month and told him so.

"Ash, please, just one day…I just need ONE DAY without sex! We can do something else, but I really need you not to touch me for one day…"

Ash had snorted, rolled his eyes, and stormed out of her apartment to go to his own, muttering something about being rejected.

Ever since that day she 'rejected' sex from him, or turned him down, things had been rather…tense between them. They still had sex, but Ash had gotten rougher and rougher with it, then afterward would question her about her feelings.

"Do you still want me? Do you want out of this? Am I not good enough for you, Melyssa? Do you not love me anymore?"

Those questions had been flying out of his mouth a lot in the last two weeks and Melyssa was at her wit's end. Every time she responded the same way. Yes. No. Yes, he was good enough for her. Yes, she loved him and nobody else. Or so, that's what her brain said, but her heart spoke a different story. Still, she was loyal and faithful to Ash, wanting to make this work between them. She had even gone as far as planning a romantic dinner for them in her apartment, after a hard day of work at City Hall and shopping for the occasion.

It was their three-month anniversary and she wanted to do something special for him, as stupid as it sounded. Who celebrated a three-month anniversary, after all? Melyssa had bought a see-through dark blue negligee that didn't leave much to the imagination and bought oils and had the entire apartment lit up with candles. She had even had her hair done up in a ton of curls on top of her head and put some makeup on, just enough to enhance her natural beauty.

He walked in, looked around and she couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. "What is all this, Melyssa? Why are there candles lit everywhere and why are you wearing THAT slutty shit? Take it off, I don't like it." Ash had ordered, sat down, and propped his feet right on the coffee table, something he knew she HATED him doing.

She wondered briefly if the darkness had somehow made its way inside Ash and had Rosalie check, secretly, but no, this was just his personality. This was who he was. She had been completely heartbroken and finally took a plate of spaghetti she had made, her mother's recipe, and hurled it at him as hard as she could. It landed on his arm and she screamed at him to get out of her apartment, not caring who heard her at this point. She had planned this amazing night for them, hoping to make things right, hoping to mend their relationship and he would give her a chance to explain her side of things.

No, he was a complete and utter asshole and she was done trying to make things work with him.

"You're nothing, but a sex addict, Ash Carbide! All you want is sex, Sex, SEX and I'm SICK OF IT! I asked you for ONE DAY, ONE DAMN DAY, to recuperate because it was HURTING me to have sex with you! And you took it to heart! And then you started getting rougher with me whenever we do have sex! Do you know what today is? It's been three months since we started this travesty of a relationship and I'm DONE trying to make it work! DONE! GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT, YOU EGOTISTICAL, SELF-CENTERED, SEX ADDICT ASSHOLE AND DON'T COME BACK!"