Garden of Sins

20. Run, Melissa!

Carter

Melissa lies next to me.

I have pushed her away from me a thousand times, but yesterday, I gave in and took her with me. A man can’t keep it together forever.

Melissa is my ex, with whom things ended rather ugly back then because of our game. She is one of the few women who really made me feel and I haven’t forgiven Caden for the things he did to her. Actually, it’s not good that she is here, but she wanted it, so she got it.

Caden and Alayna are not home yet, apparently, they didn’t spend the night here. Melissa and I get dressed sometime around nine the next morning and enter the house from the garage. As long as Caden is not here, it is safe for her. Okay, he was horrible to her and I was barely able to hold her together back then.

Melissa’s hungry, I’m sick. I watch her as I go to the kitchen and open the fridge to make something for her. Her black hair is disheveled and she is a little pale. Maybe because we fucked all night. She is wearing her dress from yesterday and looks so slim. Thi

I take everything I find in the refrigerator and place it on the table.

The house is empty. Dad and Mom are at work and Ava’s still sleeping. As always during school breaks, she sleeps until noon. The kitchen is flooded with sunlight and seeing Melissa sitting here again after all this time is so fucking familiar yet so strange. I had strong feelings for her back then, even if you couldn’t call it love. I used to make her sandwiches in the middle of the night because she always got the munchies after smoking pot. Now I wouldn’t even put a joint to her lips because Caden and I really demolished her and unlike him, I sometimes still have a conscience.

Her dark hair shines in the sunlight and she sips the coffee I made her. We’re both extremely tired because we haven’t slept much.

I sit down with her and make her a fat sandwich like I used to. She smiles and I watch as she devours it and puffs up her cheeks because she stuffs everything inside.

We don’t talk, we have never talked much, we were always more physical. Her gaze is warm and familiar; she never lets me out of her sight, she never has.

When Melissa finishes, we leave everything where it is and remain sitting. She leans on my shoulder and I let her. The scent of her hair touches my nose; she still smells the same, which brings back memories. Beautiful and not so beautiful. But it is no longer the past. Everything is different, we are different, I am different. The tip of her nose strokes my throat and she inhales in my scent. I let her do that too.

Theoretically, I could hook up with Melissa again, then Caden would have his Alayna to himself and I could fuck Melissa. It all depends on how my brother behaves, let’s put it that way.

All of a sudden, the door opens. I flinch because I was so lost in thought. From here, I can see that it’s Caden and Alayna and I quickly check them out.

Alayna appears elated. Maybe Caden gave her multiple orgasms, he is good at that. You can really learn something. However, it seems to be something else and I tilt my head and watch Alayna closely. No woman at Caden’s side ever looked as satisfied as she does today and that truly surprises me. Her eyes are shining and she appears rested and no longer confused. Alayna wears a white tank top and tight jeans that hug her legs.

Caden enters the house behind her. He is still in his white clothes from yesterday and he looks different, so I frown. Shit, he really loves her. I did not expect that. His eyes are more peaceful than ever. Actually, my brother is always distracted, detached, and hounded. Too intelligent. He always thinks too much about everything. A brain like his can fuck you. I get it. Still, there are many things I can’t forgive him for and even though my happiness for him is fleeting, I do like to see him this way. Admittedly.

“Oh, my God, did you see that guy, he was totally crazy, how he just wouldn’t get off the street with his bike. You almost went crazy there! Why didn’t you just knock him down?” Alayna asks Caden with a laugh as she wipes her shoes. Caden rolls his eyes and Melissa stiffens next to me, not breathing because she saw my brother.

“You are so bloodthirsty, Alayna,” he says drily and I glance at Melissa as Alayna giggles.

“Relax,” I murmur to her because Caden won’t shoot her. She presses herself close to me as if she wants to hide inside me. And I understand, we were horrible to her, but she blames Caden, like Dad, Mom, and everybody else. Caden in his white clothes is kind of the black sheep.

He notices us when they walk in. He glances at Melissa and frowns in surprise. I give him a leave-it-alone-bro look, but he has already locked onto her. Great.

Alayna, who was still babbling something to herself, abruptly stops talking as she follows Caden’s gaze. I’m a bit tense, even if Caden is in a good mood, it can change quickly with him.

He cracks his neck. Melissa wants to jump up and run, just like when I forced her to. I had to, otherwise, she would have splintered. But I pull her back down on the chair with a jerk and feel how hot her body suddenly is as the fear and adrenaline in it spreads. With my brother, it’s really no fun and a healthy person notices that at some point. The women we share are usually not healthy. Alayna, however, seems to be an exception despite everything.

Even now, she stands behind him, observing everything critically, a bit confused.

I stiffen as Caden raises an eyebrow and slowly inches closer. Alayna follows but doesn’t speak because she knows my brother by now and probably feels his changing mood.

“Oh, Melissa,” Caden whispers in mock surprise, “you are back. How nice.”

Melissa swallows and I give my brother a warning look. “Caden,” I growl and continue speaking with my eyes. Don’t.

I should have known better because it only irritates him even more when I say something like that or communicate with him with my eyes.

He communicates wordlessly, Really? and sits down across from us before pulling out the chair next to him for Alayna. Without taking his eyes off us, he reaches out to her. Alayna hesitates for a moment because she finds everything here apparently fu

Caden casually looks at Melissa and swings one arm over the back of Alayna’s chair. My gaze bores into him, but he only stares at Melissa.

Fuck.

I can’t let this happen again. I really can’t. I’m not that bastard. Otherwise, Melissa will end up like Danielle.