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Chapter 4
Melanie's POV
My phone rang for the fifth time when I got annoyed enough to pick it up.
"Hi Lee, what do you want?"I said he'd been calling me ever since I got home.
"Hey Mel, what makes you think I want something?"he replied,
"If you don't need anything, I'm going to hang up."I told him.
"Don't do that, I need to know that you're ok. Are you ok?"he said concern was evident in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm ok. I'll see you tomorrow, goodnight."I told him.
"Goodnight Melanie."he said and hung up.
The next morning my mind was still in a haze trying to get everything straight and wrap around the idea of a shrink. Someone that was going to play around with my head and get me to talk about everything I've shut myself off from.
'Sounds like loads of fun.'I thought miserably as I got some breakfast. I wasn't really all that hungry but I woudn't want to fall alseep during the session or something.
The rest of the morning consisted of a workout and cleaning the basement. It was full of boxes that I didn't know if they were empty or not, shelves full of odds and ends, and some other things. Keeping busy was a good thing because that way I didn't think about what I was going to be doing at three in the afternoon.
"Melanie!"Lee's voice called from above in the kitchen.
"In the basement!"I yelled back, I'd gotten some boxes sorted out but a lot of them still stood in the way to the closet.
I heard Lee's footsteps as he came downstairs, "Hey, I thought maybe you'd like to grab lunch somewhere before we go for your appointment."he said crossing the room to stand beside me.
"Hi, sure might as well enjoy a little freedom."I said bitterly.
"Come on Mel, it's not as bad as you think."he told me as we went upstairs.
"Right."I said my voice dripping with sarcasm, Lee frowned.
We got in the car and he took me to Cafe 99; the place of our first date. I turned to him,
"Why here?"I asked not exactly happy with our destination.
"I brought you here because I thought you'd relax a little."he replied hotly before we got out of the car and went inside.
"Look I know you're not big on the whole shrink thing but give Taylor a chance. She wants to help you, Mel, just like the rest of us."he said after we were seated.
"Yeah, I know that." I said eyeing the egg salad sandwich on the menu. He picked up his menu seeming content for the moment.
We ordered the food and not long after Lee's phone rang,
"Hello."he answered.
"Sure, we can do that."he said and waited.
He nodded, "Alright, see you soon."he said and hung up.
I waited for him to explain, "That was Taylor; she had a cancelation and asked if we could come early. I said sure."he explained, I leaned my head into my hand.
'Great, so now I can go through this even sooner, just great.'I thought mildly wishing I could just disappear.
Lee's POV
I knew Melanie wasn't happy about this but it was for her own good. I took her free hand in mine,
"It'll be ok." I told her and squeezed her hand.
She lifted her head but didn't smile, "Yeah, by this time next week I'll be just peachy." she said before our food arrived and she bit into her sandwich.
I ate my meal but it wasn't easy what with Melanie acting so mad and sarcastic at the same time. I paid for us and we headed off to see Taylor.
"Hello Lee, Melanie, come on in." she said when she opened the door for us a little while later.
We went inside the house, it was a little weird that her office was at home but I wasn't about to judge her.
"Can I get you anything?" she offered as we stood in the living room, I could see Chris behind her in the kitchen, he smiled at us.
"No, thank you." I said, Melanie shook her head.
"Alright, Melanie could you go wait in my office? While I talk to Lee for a minute." she said pointing to a door across the hall.
Melanie merely shrugged and went in the room closing the door with a slam, I looked to Taylor.
"Sorry about that, she's angry because I kind of forced her into this." I told her.
"Don't worry I'm used to it, how was she this morning?" she said.
"Irritable, cleaning, and she didn't talk much." I replied as best I could.
Taylor nodded, "Thank you." she told me and went off into her office.
"Taylor's one of the best." Chris told me, I looked at him surprised he was talking to me, before I crossed the room and sat at the table.
"Melanie's one of the most stubborn woman I've ever met." I warned him, he chuckled and sat down with me.
Melanie's POV
I was sitting on the bench at the bay window when I heard the door open behind me; I didn't turn around.
"Nice view isn't it?" Taylor commented, I nodded in agreement.
"I see you're the quiet type that's ok. However keeping everything inside and pushing everyone away isn't good Melanie. You don't have to talk about what's upset you so much but please talk about something." she said and took a seat at her desk.
I continued looking out the window and my eyes fell on the river and the bridge from yesterday.
"How long is this session?" I asked her, wanting to go back to the bridge to help me think, I wasn't ready for this.
"I have you scheduled for an hour." she replied, glancing at my watch I saw that I had another fifty minutes.
"This doesn't feel like a shrink office." I commented and went to the couch stretching across it.
"It's not supposed to, I made it this way to make my clients feel more comfortable." she explained.
"I get it; make them more comfortable so they're more likely to talk to you. Not so much for me, it doesn't matter where I am or what's around me. I only talk if I want to." I told her.
"That's fine, all we have is time." she informed me,
'Not all of us.' I thought and pushed it away.
Lee's POV
I sat in the living room waiting for Melanie to be done; Chris had left for work half an hour ago.
My phone rang, "Hey Barney," I answered.
"Hey, how's it going?" he said as I figured he would.
"I don't know, they won't be done for another twenty minutes." I replied eyeing the door.
"Bring Mel by Tool's when you're done." he ordered.
"Will do." I said and we hung up. I flipped on the tv out of boredom and continued to wait for Mel.
Melanie's POV
I'd been quiet for a long while gazing around the room at the different pictures and paintings hanging on the walls and not at Taylor because honestly I didn't like her.
One painting of a mother and her baby caught my eye, well it was more the quote than the painting.
"A new life is born, a life is taken away. The journey of life is long, and hard but make the best of your journey before it's gone."
"Where did you get that?" I asked pointing to it, she smiled.
"I made it,do you like it?" she answered.
"Yeah, especially the quote." I told her.
"Interesting, not a lot of people do or even understand it." she said. I nodded, and finally looked at Taylor.
"I can't do this yet, I'm not ready." I confessed and moved to the window again taking a breath, willing myself not to cry.
"It's ok Melanie, you told me which is a small step forward. I'll let you go now, but when you are ready please call me." she said coming to the window but she didn't touch me, I was thankful for it.
"Thank you, I will I promise." I said as we crossed the room.
"No problem." she said and opened the door. Lee came over to us but I didn't feel like dealing with him so I went straight out the door.
Lee's POV
She just left, I turned to Taylor confused.
"She isn't ready yet for all this Lee, give her more time and let her decide when to have her next appointment." she told me.
"Thanks." I said and headed out to go after Mel.
"Don't mention it." she said behind me from the door before I jumped in the car.
I drove down the road a couple blocks and found Melanie at the park sitting on one of the benches. I pulled over and parked on the roadside before going over to her.
"Hey," I said gently she looked up at me and slid over almost crushing me in a hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." she whispered, I rubbed her back.
"I know." I whispered before she jerked away from me and ran off across the park.
'Melanie, what is going on with you?' I thought utterly shocked that she'd run away from me.
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