Melina said goodbye to Jillian and turned to make her way up the walk to the house. She turned back as she dug out her key in front of the door to see her best friend wave. She raised her free hand, waving back.
As she unlocked the door, she knew John had returned home. She could hear the TV playing in the living room. She toted the only bag of purchases she'd made earlier in the day, her stomach doing little flip-flops.
Her boyfriend looked up to see her just entering the room. His entire face just about lit up.
"There's my beautiful girl!" he sang. Hennigan rose to meet her halfway and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Afterward, he led her by the hand to the sofa.
"How'd it go today?" he asked, pointedly eyeing the bag she held.
It took Melina a few seconds to realize he was talking about the shopping excursion she and Jillian had gone on. Damn it. Her mind really was about a million miles away. She had to tell him now, no matter what. Whether she liked it or not, she had no choice. He had a right to know, and on top of that, she'd just continue being a distracted, worried mess the longer she kept it from him.
"Not too bad," she replied, offering him a nervous smile. She sat down beside him and dropped the shopping bag at her feet. "Jillian finally found a dress for her date on Friday night. All I got were a few hair products and a pair of new shoes."
"Cool," John said. "Let's see 'em." He pointed toward the bag at her feet.
"Later," she blurted, placing a hand on his knee. She swallowed hard, knowing from his facial expression that he was onto something because of her urgency. "I need to tell you something, John... But please - please, don't get angry." She eyed him pleadingly.
The dark-haired man gave her a questioning look. He rarely, if ever, saw his girlfriend like this. Melina Perez was a very confident woman, and she didn't keep secrets from him. They were very open in their relationship and had mutual trust and respect for one another. What could have possibly happened to have her appearing nervous, unsure and... scared to talk to him?
"Okay," John said. He sat back a bit more, facing her and trying to brace himself. She looked so worried and hesitant as she took a deep breath and then exhaled it. A thought suddenly struck him. "Hey, you're not... pregnant?"
Melina's face reflected vast surprise at that suggestion, and she laughed, shaking her head.
"No... No, I'm not pregnant," the brunette said. "It's nothing like that." She hesitated again for a beat, then, "Okay... Dave called me the other night. I didn't even want to speak to him, but then he called again, and he's called my cell a few times today, and..." Melina knew she was babbling, but she often did that when she was nervous.
"Whoa, whoad," Hennigan cut in, making a 'time-out' gesture with his hands. "First things first - you're talking about Dave Batista?"
She nodded uneasily. She was full of fear at the thought that he wouldn't believe she hadn't invited a phone call from the other man. She could feel that she might break down and cry at any moment but held back the tears.
"Okay, so the same Dave Batista you dated very briefly called you." John ran a hand through his long brown hair and eyed her seriously. "When did he first call?"
"Monday night, early Tuesday."
"I called you Monday night, early Tuesday."
Melina bit her lip and nodded.
"I know... He called right after you and I hung up." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "I thought it was Jillian. I even answered by saying, 'Hi, Jillian.'"
The dark-haired man was silent for a few minutes. He wasn't exactly convinced that his girlfriend had done anything to provoke an ex calling her, but he wasn't sure, either.
"So... What did he want?"
Melina crossed one leg under the other as she faced him.
"He said he wanted to find out how I was doing." She rolled her eyes. "But as I said, he called me a few times today while I was out with Jillian." She suddenly reached into her bag, sifting out her cell phone, which was still turned off. "See?" she said, holding the device out for him to examine. "I shut off my phone because of him. He kept calling, but I only answered the first time." She searched her boyfriend's brown eyes for a sign that he believed her.
"Okay."
Melina felt crushed as she thought she heard suspicion in that single word. She turned the cell phone on, determined to listen to whatever messages Batista had left. She wanted John to hear them as well. A quick glance at the device's display told her she had six new voicemails. Damn it, he'd called that many more times?
"John, look," she said, showing him the phone. "I think we should both listen to these. I may have to change my number now, and-"
"Melina," his voice cut her off quickly, "I want to ask you a very serious question."
The brunette paused with the pad of her thumb about to press a button. Her gaze locked expectantly with his.
"Have you ever cheated on me with Batista? Back then, recently, now... ever?"
Her eyes widened with shock at the suggestion. And again, she felt tears behind her eyelids but wouldn't allow them to fall.
"Absolutely not," she answered truthfully. She reached over for her boyfriend's hand. "I both swear and promise to you, John... I have been completely faithful to you - always."
Hennigan gazed into her face, into those brown soulful eyes. And he knew at once that she was being honest with him. He felt lousy for having doubted her for a minute there. He remained silent for a moment as he kept his gaze locked on her. She seemed on the verge of tears, certainly concerned at what he might be thinking. Finally, he caressed her hand and spoke.
"I'm sorry for being suspicious," he murmured. "I love you, Melina."
"Oh, John... I love you so much!" she cried. She allowed him to pull her closer, and their lips met in a passionate
kiss.