Read Chapter 4 HERE
The bell rings.
Melanie opens it to find Oliver standing there with his hands full.
“Hey,” she smiles.
“Hey, Merry Christmas,” he says handing her a bouquet of roses and a tray of some homemade cookies.
“Thank you, Merry Christmas to you!” She says smiling, “Come in, come in,” she says waving him in.
“Wow, the house looks great. Your mom out did herself this year,” Oliver says his eyes taking in the house he’s grown to love after all these years.
Taking off his coat, he hangs it on the nearby coat rack.
“You know her, she always does,” Melanie says as they exchange sweet smiles.
They walk through the house as family members greet Oliver with warm waves and smiles. They make it into the kitchen, where Grace stands cooking over a hot stove.
“Oliver sweetheart, we are so happy to have you,” she says coming around to kiss him hello.
“Thank you Grace, it’s a pleasure, ” he says hugging her tightly. “Can I give you a hand with anything?”
“Oh you are a sweetie but I’m quite alright, why don’t you two go mingle. The family is just dying to see you.”
Melanie smiles at the sweet familiarity, as she places the Roses in a vase and sets to moving the cookie tray to the dessert table.
“Wait…Ollie….are these…” she says pointing to the cookies.
“My famous sugar cookies….you bet…fresh outta the oven.”
Melanie smiles brightly.
“Oh my god. I love these, thank you,” she says kissing his cheek.
“No problem,” he says smiling at the physical contact.
**************************************************************
Christmas festivities and spirit are in full swing as family and friends chat and catch up over cups of wine and hot chocolate while the golden flames glisten in the center of the room warming the atmosphere.
Melanie scans the room trying to find Oliver.
She walks upstairs and sees him coming out of the upstairs bathroom.
“There you are,” she says smiling, “I thought you might have made a graceful early exit, I know the Evans Family Christmas is a bit much.” She laughs.
“Are you kidding, I would never. I love your family. I’ve missed this.”
Melanie smiles.
“They’ve missed it too. Trust me. I hear it all the time.”
They share a laugh.
“So are you back in your old room, while your home?”
“Yup New Kids on the Block posters and all.”
“Ugh! Really! I hated those posters, something about you idolizing another guy, yea that didn’t do it for me.”
Melanie laughs.
“Damn that Jordan Knight,” he says shaking his head.
Melanie takes his hand and leads him into her childhood room.
“Uh, we can’t be in here, we’re breaking house rules,” Oliver says playing the role of a college teen again.
She laughs walks over to the poster and takes it down, folding it she puts it in her desk drawer.
“There. Happy?”
“Yes.”
“Merry Christmas.”
Oliver laughs looking at her.
“What?” she says noticing a shift in the room.
“Nothing,” he smiles, looking elsewhere.
“You know that I always hated when you did that. What?” Melanie says her hands on her hips.
Oliver can’t help but smile at sassy Melanie. She comes out every now and again and it fills his heart with happiness.
“It just felt like old times, for a minute. It was nice. I didn’t want to ruin it, by stating it, or scaring you away.” He laughs.
“Well you didn’t ruin it. Or scare me away. See (she points to her feet rooted in place) still standing here.”
Oliver looks at his watch.
“5 whole minutes,” Oliver says joining in on her joke.
“World Record I know,” Melanie says smiling and rolling her eyes obnoxiously.
Oliver laughs as he looks around her room.
“It’s like a time warp, huh?” she says looking at him, her heart beating faster.
“Yea. It really is. I remember coming home with you during college on the weekends, and this room never seemed to change. It still hasn’t.”
“Yea mom doesn’t want it to. She’s still holding on.” She says laughing.
“Yea I know the feeling,” He says his eyes finding hers.
Melanie walks over to him and grabbing him by the shirt she pulls him into a kiss.
Oliver deepens it wrapping his hands around her waist, his hands sliding into the back pockets of her jeans, pulling her closer toward him.
Melanie pulls away, out of breath.
“Now we’re really breaking house rules,” he says looking at her through heavy eyes.
“We’re about to break a few more.” She says walking over to her door, she locks it.
“Melanie. Are you crazy? There’s a house full of people,” he says his eyes widening, but smiling at the same time.
“So…we’ll be quiet.”
“You are not quiet.”
“Hey!” she laughs.
“And I can’t promise that I’d be that quiet either.”
“Ok now you’re ruining the moment.” She says walking over to him.
“Ok, I’m sorry I’m shutting up now.” He says falling into another heated kiss.
Melanie cups his face, as Oliver’s hands slide up her blouse.
She begins to unbutton his shirt, she pulls it off, throwing it to the side as he by passes the buttons on her shirt, lifting it up over her head.
Making their way onto her bed, they fall back into a sea of floral sheets, blankets and limbs.
Oliver hovers above her, his hands wandering.
“I love you.” He whispers before kissing her again.
Melanie looks up at him, her legs wrapping around his waist pulling him closer, she gasps, as her hands grip at the sheets.
Oliver smiles and kisses her. He notices something on her hip, glancing down he sees the name Cody tattooed in script with a crown on top of the Y. His eyes begin to water.
“When did you get this?”
“My first year in New York,” she says kissing the side of his lips.
“Great minds,” he says pointing to the same name inked on the inner part of his upper arm.
Melanie smiles up at him.
“It’s beautiful…I love it and I love you so much,” she managers to say in a whisper.
He smiles as she pulls his neck toward her, to allow his lips to meet hers.
Their hands intertwine over their heads.
*************************************************************
Melanie lays there, exhausted, her heart pounding.
“Well, that still works too.” He says smiling uncontrollably as he stares up at the ceiling fan spinning slowly.
“Did you think it wouldn’t?” she says smiling in his direction.
“I knew it would, we were always really good together. Besides this attraction was always gonna be there, I knew it the moment I met you.”
Melanie smiles and leans in to kiss him.
“You know we probably still have a few minutes before dinner is ready…” she says looking at him.
“Really…well whatever shall we do?”
“Only one thing comes to mind…” she says kissing him, he smiles and rolls on top of her, kissing her as her nails dig into his back, a groan escaping him.
“Take that Jordan Knight.” He whispers as Melanie laughs mid kiss.
**************************************************************************
Melanie and Oliver rush out of her bedroom. She stops in the hallway to check her reflection in the hall mirror.
“You look beautiful. Let’s go before people realize we’ve been gone.”
“Wait.” She says turning and wiping lipstick off his lips.
“What…that’s not my color?” he says seriously.
“Shut up!” she says hitting him playfully.
Oliver grabs her hand and pulls her to him, cornering her against the wall, he kisses her, his lips holding her there with him, as Melanie becomes like putty in his hands.
“You can’t seriously be ready for round 3,” she says breathlessly, against his lips.
Oliver smirks and looks down at her chest, her cleavage just enough to give him some ideas.
He reaches up and begins to unbutton her blouse as her lacey white bra begins to peek out again.
“Oliver!” She says laughing as her hands stop his.
“I’m always ready.”
“Yea well we can’t do it right here in the hallway!” she says giggling.
“Not like we haven’t before,” he says smiling of lover’s past, his eyebrows raise.
“Shh!” she laughs falling into his kiss as he continues to undo her blouse,” she laughs as she grabs at his hands, trying to stop them.
“Seriously Oliver, look, I love you,” She says grabbing his face and looking at him intently. “But people are going to notice we are gone.”
“Mmm, I love you too,” he says cupping her face and grabbing her into a kiss.
“I’ve missed you,” She says looking at him before kissing him one more time.
“I’ve missed you too,” he whispers as he kisses her again for longer than the last.
She pushes him away with a laugh.
He laughs “Just go, go!” he says swatting her butt as she squeals, they rush downstairs.
Just before the last landing, Oliver grabs her by the arm, pulling her to him, and plants a kiss on her lips quickly.
Melanie smiles and then fixing herself she walks into the living room as Oliver walks the opposite direction.
Melanie walks over to her girl cousins who stand in a circle chatting.
“What’d I miss?”
Her cousin Julissa turns to her, “where the hell have you been, you’ve been MIA for like an hour and a half?”
Melanie’s face turns red.
“Just around.”
****************************************************************
Cassie walks up to her and pulling her to the side she whispers, “So how was it?”
“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” Melanie says her cheeks on fire at this point.
“Really because you look like you just had your world rocked. And not the kind that lasts 5 minutes, Ms. gone for an hour and a half.”
“I- (Melanie smiles and laughs) don’t know- what you’re talking about.” She says again taking a sip of her wine.
“Admit it, you and Oliver just had sex.”
“Cassie. Shhhh.” She says her eyes widening. “That kind of thing should not be broadcasted to my entire family and town on Christmas. My dad is right there.”
“Hmmm, yea right there, talking to the man who just ravished his daughter. That is just poetic.” She laughs.
“Shhh, please.”
“I’m just messing with you. But seriously how was it?”
Melanie looks across the room to find his eyes meeting hers.
They share a moment before continuing their conversations.
“I’m still pretty weak in the knees, if that answers your question.”
“Damn I’m so jealous. Dave got stuck working this weekend, no sexy fun for me.”
They laugh.
“You look happy,” Cassie says smiling at her friend.
“I am happy. Something just feels different. Being with him, it feels right.”
“Well good, maybe you guys can finally get that second chance, you’ve deserved after all these years.”
“Maybe.” She says looking over at Oliver again to see him laughing and talking with her family. A new hope ignited.
**************************************************************
Melanie comes up behind Oliver and hands him a cookie, he turns and smiles.
“Thank you.”
“Ollie…They are so good.”
“Really? Better than…what we just did in your bedroom.” He says his eyebrows raising.
Melanie’s eyes widen and her mouth drops, “Shhhh, Ollie.” She hits him in the chest as she looks around to see if anyone heard.
He laughs “nobody’s listening.”
“We are both in the same room with my entire family and half the town, of course someone is watching or listening,” She says rolling her eyes.
“Well is that so bad, that they find out?”
“I’m not worried about them finding out that we’ve been getting closer, but yea the sex part I’d leave out.” She says laughing.
“Fine, I promise not to mention it again while we are here, but you have to answer my question…”
“Yes your cookies are amazing, better than I remember- but nothing compares to what just happened in my bedroom,” she says leaning toward him in a whisper.
“Twice,” he says raising his eyebrows and going in for a sweet kiss.
“I’m still recovering, ” she says whispering after his kiss.
Oliver’s eyes glisten as he smirks, he glances around and pulls her behind the wall of an archway, away from eye sight and kisses her.
Cassie notices and smiles.
Melanie kisses Oliver back as her hands wrap around his neck.
“So when do we get to do that again?” he whispers.
“I don’t know. The Evans family has some major Christmas plans. Weekend long plans.”
“Come home with me, tonight. I’ll bring you back in the morning, they’ll never know you were gone.”
“Oliver.”
“It’s either that or I’m sneaking in your window tonight.” He says smiling.
She laughs and kisses him.
“I’m in.”
“Yea?”
“Yea. But I’ll come over. I’ll sneak away after everyone goes off to bed.”
Oliver smiles and kisses her as he leans her against the archway wall, his hands pulling her waist to him, and her hands-one cupping his face the other wrapped around his neck. As mistletoe hangs above. The kiss escalates as Oliver’s hands begin to dance along Melanie’s lower body.
“I want you.” Oliver whispers kissing her swiftly as she bites her lower lip in agreeance. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, this, us being together. It’s all I’ve been fantasizing about all these years,” he says staring into her eyes.
Melanie smiles as her hands fall to his chest, her eyes looking into his.
He kisses her passionately.
Cassie peers over and her eyes widen as she rushes to step in.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Are you two crazy!”
Oliver and Melanie freeze and the bubble they have been in fades.
“There are kids here. I am really thrilled for you too. That you’re still so hot for each other. Tickled. Really. But if you’re trying to be stealth I gotta say you’re failing. You may wanna cool it, your family is literally right around the corner.”
Melanie and Oliver separate and look at her.
“You’re right. Thank you,” Melanie says her face heating up with embarrassment.
“It’s just ya know….mistletoe,” Oliver says pointing up.
“Yea I bet,” Cassie’s says smiling as they start to go their separate ways.
Melanie pulls Oliver back to her as he smirks, she glances around and opens the downstairs bathroom door, pulling him in after her.
*************************************************************************************
“Hey sexy, you on your way,” Oliver says answering his cell.
“I can’t come, Ollie.”
“What-why not? Is something wrong?”
“It’s been so amazing getting to be with you like we used to, it’s felt like no time has passed. But time has passed and so much has changed. We’ve been living in this bubble and when the holidays are over it’s all going to come crashing down. I just don’t think it’s best that we continue messing around.”
“Messing around… that’s what you think we’re doing? I love you and I’m pretty sure you love me. Or were you just in the moment and said it just to say it?”
“Of course not. I do love you.”
“I just don’t understand it. I have understood everything, but this is bigger, Melanie. God I knew this was going to happen, I shouldn’t have let us get that far. I should have stopped it. But silly me, I actually thought you wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with you.”
“Don’t say that, Oliver. I did want to be with you, it was wonderful, I just-“
“No. You weren’t ready and I should have known that.”
“Oliver stop. This isn’t you. It’s me, it’s my problem.”
“I get that it’s been confusing being back here and reliving our past in some way. But that doesn’t mean that what’s been happening with us, between us isn’t real. Because I felt it. When I had you in my arms, I knew I never wanted to let you go. And now you’re back to running. I knew it. I knew you would do this. But you know I’m sure you are loving this. Now that I’m finally reacting the way that you want- the way you expected. It’ll be easier to leave now that we’re fighting, right?”
“Nothing about this is easy, nothing about this is what I want. I hate this. I hate that I feel like I can’t trust what I’m feeling.”
“Can you trust what I’m feeling? Can you listen to me when I say I want you, with me, forever? I love you, I’m in love with you, come over. Please. We don’t have to do anything, we can just talk. We need to talk. We need to figure this out, once and for all.”
“Ollie I-can’t.”
“You know, I have always been here, even when you didn’t know it, or want it, I have always been here hoping to get you back at some point. Hoping that you would come home to me and let me be the one you lean on. But you know what as much as I wish that I can be that guy for you, forever, I can’t. I can’t do it anymore. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting. And part of me just feels like maybe I’m just the one pushing this. Maybe it’s not what you really want. So you know what Melanie if being apart is what you want. Then I guess this is goodbye. I hope that you find what you’re looking for and I hope that it makes you happy,” he says through his tears, choking up.
He hangs up.
“Ollie, Oliver? Oliver wait.” Melanie sits crying as she sinks to the floor in her childhood bedroom.
To be continued…
*I do not take credit for any images or gifs used in my edits or otherwise.*
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Michelle Leigh Writes 