Brock walked in through the door, and met with Blake who was getting a drink.
“Late night?” Blake said as Brock hung up his coat, when he heard the door go.Brock went to him, and punched him straight in the face.“What the hell dude?” Blake asked shocked as he held his cheek.“That one was for Melissa, sleeping with her and then dumping her.” Brock snarled.“I didn’t dump her.” Blake said“So you’re planning on texting her? Or even seeing her again?” Brock asked folding his arms across his chest.Blake yelled at his older brother “I tried. I lost her personal cell number when my phone slipped out of my pocket at the bar when it flooded, then I brought another one with a new number. I found her business card and rang it but for some reason that stupid secretary told me Melissa was busy then the number was blocked.”Brock was taken back to the evening and the chat they had.Melissa and Brock are sitting in a booth. Melissa turned to Brock and said “Why? Why did he sleep with me? I wouldn’t have minded if he had made his intentions clear, but I was a virgin. Then when I told him I thought I was falling for him he left and hasn’t responded to my texts. But I know he’s read them.” Resting her head in her hands, tears fell from beneath them.Brock’s eyes widened at this, “He took your virginity?”“I know what you’re thinking. How did she get to 25 and still be a virgin. What a prude.” Melissa said. Leaning back, she looked off to the side, away from Brock.Putting a hand on her shoulder, he spoke quietly over the music, but loud enough to be heard “Melissa look at me please.” No response. “Melissa please look at me.” No response “Melissa please look at me. Grabbing her chin between his thumb and index finger, he forced her to look at him, as he looked at her, he saw a tear rolling down her face.“Melissa darling, listen to me. My brother is an ass. He has never had a serious relationship, but this is different, it’s not your fault. Blake has this sickness, he has never been in love before. You’re this sweet, fun loving, brilliant, intelligent, sexy woman, you could be with any guy you want. Please treat yourself better than this. By all means cry, but when was the last time you slept? Or ate? Is he really worth getting sick over.” Letting go of her chin, Brock looked her in the eyes, Melissa felt as if he could see right into her soul.“I” Melissa started to say.“I’m making it my mission to help you get over Blake.” Brock exclaimed, thumping his closed fist on the table, “And I will help you find a guy who is worthy of you.” He said with finality.“Oh Brock. Can I have a hug? Please I feel like you’re the sweetest guy ever. Thank you for being a friend.” Melissa said and put her arms that didn’t quite reach around the broad guys back. Resting her cheek against his chest.Coming back to the present Brock said “Well? Do you intend to see her again?”“No. You know I’m a fuck them and leave guy if she blocks my number there isn’t much I can do anyway is there?” Blake replied monotone lying about the whirlwind inside him.Brock pulled his fist back and hit Blake again. “DUDE!” Blake cried out.“That was for her virginity.” Brock said as he turned to walk away.Gathering his senses Blake snarled “Those weren’t the clothes you went out in?”“No they aren’t. I stayed at Melissa’s.” Brock replied with an arrogant smirk.This caused Blake to hit Brock.“What’s the deal. I thought you were a fuck them and leave them guy.” Brock responded as he walked to his bedroom and slammed the door.Once inside Brock grabbed his phone and brought up a website.Floral designs by SadieHe ordered a bouquet of yellow roses. He remembered from one of their many conversations that Melissa told him that flowers had meanings and a yellow rose is for friendship. But he remembered it had to be a small bouquet.He paid for the bouquet and got them to deliver them tonight.He then lay on his bed and fell asleep. Wondering what the look on Melissa’s face would be when she got the flowers.Blake stood looking at the door shocked, he couldn’t believe it.‘Brock had spent the night at Melissa’s?’ He was wearing different clothing so he definitely stayed overnight.Looking at his bruised fist, from where he connected with his twins face, “Shit.” He said.He didn’t like the thought of Brock getting close to Melissa.But he was still confused. He didn’t know how to feel.“Fucking Brock” Blake said as he left to go to work.His mobile beepedGroup Chat Christmas - Mom, Dad, Blake, Brock and AndreaHi Boys, right about Christmas. Come over on Christmas Eve. My boss is letting me have a few days off. You can stop at the house, in your old rooms.Blake - Why mom?Brock - Yeah why can’t we come over Christmas Morning?Mom - Because We have done this for years. We’re going to play games, eat lots of food and drink lots of alcohol - Except you Andrea.Andrea- Yeah I know mom.Mom - So I’m going to send each of you a list. We are also having a special guest. So I want all of you on your best behaviour.Blake - Aw mom who is it? It’s not weird Uncle Mike is it?Brock - It had better not be. Is this important because I was sleeping.Dad - Where’s the scooping thing?Blake - lol dads as goofy as always.Mom - Do you mean the spoon? And why are you texting me? You’re literally in the next room. Anyway, Christmas Eve morning be there or else feel my wrath.Brock smirked, before going back to sleep his mom and dad were the best. His dad was so goofy, his mom was came across as strict but was big hearted.Pocketing his phone Blake left for the bar.Christmas, Blake disliked Christmas lately. His mom was always asking him why hadn’t he settled down yet? And when was he going to give her some grandkids? To be fair Brock got the same questions, but why did he always feel like he didn’t measure up in the girlfriend department.Going to work Blake slammed the door hoping it would wake his brother up. Now he was irritated, and his mood would last all day.Melissa carried the yellow roses into her office.“Hey Sam” she greeted the secretary cheerily.“What are you looking for?” Sam asked when she bent down to look in the cupboard.“A vase. For these flowers.” Melissa said. “Aha!” Grabbing a glass vase with cracked glass effect, Melissa disappeared into the bathroom to put water and flowers in.When she returned to the office Elaine had joined Sam, sidelong glances were exchanged between the two.“Everything okay?” Melissa asked. Placing the flowers on her desk, Elaine spoke to her “Can I speak to you in private please?”“Of course. Sam we can have our meeting in a few minutes. Go take a break or something.” Melissa said well aware that conversations could be heard through the door of someone listened hard enough.“Sit down Elaine, is everything okay? You can speak openly here.” Melissa asked clearly worried.“Listen I know I made it this big secret, but I wanted to ask you this privately. I know you normally sh
Melissa walked into the house, she felt shocked and numb, she hoped that Brock wouldn’t be too much longer.Sitting on the couch, she just stared into space. A knock at the door came 30 minutes later. Brock stood there with a bottle of wine and a paper bag.“Hey.” He said softly. “Have you fed Storm and Sully?” Brock asked gently.“Oh. Oh no. I forgot.” Melissa said.“It’s okay. Tell me where their food is I will feed them.”She showed him the cupboard under the stairs. “Go sit.” He said quietly.Sitting back on the couch, Melissa was feeling sad.Brock joined her quickly, the wine and the bag he placed on the table.“My friend said he will ring you when Ebony is ready to collect, or I can collect her for you.” Brock said sitting on the couch next to Melissa who had now put her legs up and folded them.“Yeah.” Melissa murmured.“I though I would buy you something to cheer you up.” Brock said this while putting his hand in the bag.Pulling out a tub o
A WEEK GOES BYMelissa sits at the wheel of her car, quite still at traffic lights. Noticing the black car two cars behind her. She’d started to notice it on Monday, didn’t think anything of it at the time. But then it was parked across the road, then it was there everyday as she shopped and took the dogs on walks.Sully and Storm were getting restless in the back. They hated being in the car. Melissa had overslept and it was almost 10:30. The time she had arranged to be at Elaine’s.Melissa’s phone rings and it come through the Bluetooth speaker in the car.“Hello?” Melissa said while waiting for the lights to turn green.“Hello Melissa, Happy Christmas.” Shane, Suzanna and Ryan all say into the speaker.“I hope you’re not spending it alone.” Suzanna comments“No. Honest. I’m spending it with Elaine and her family.” Melissa said touched at the concern of her stepmother.“Good we just rang to wish you Happy Christmas, Grandpa is doing okay. But when are you b
Brock left the bathroom and bumped into Blake.“You asshole.” He whisper yelled. What did you say to her?”“I asked her if she slept with you.” He stated.“Douchebag.” Brock said. “No we haven’t slept together. You could have just asked me. And if we ever do it’s none of your business, you made that perfectly plain, when we spoke about it, the next day.”Just as Blake was about to say something, Elaine interrupted the whispering boys.“What are you two up to? Where’s Melissa? I’m preparing lunch for us all. Then afterwards I thought we could play some games. Oh Blake will you go and help your father. And remind him of Melissa’s name. He keeps referring to her as Melinda. Honestly that man.”Blake nodded and walked off to find his father.“Brock” Elaine said pulling her son into the living room.“I’m kind of hoping that you and Melissa will get together. That’s one reason I invited her.” Elaine said to her elder son.“Mom. Seriously? Did you set this up?” B
Elaine clapped her hands together gently. “Right now lunch is finished, I’ve got some games I’d like to play.”Blake rolled his eyes and said “Mom aren’t we a bit old for games?”“Come on Blake.” Elaine said “You’re never too old for games.”As Melissa helped Brock to clear the table and loaded the dishwasher, Elaine, Blake, Tony and Andrea moved into the living room to discuss games.“My mom is so obvious.” Brock said suddenly, snapping Melissa back into the present, she'd be lost in her thoughts about what happened at the dinner table, did Blake still want her? But what about Brock? She found herself starting to fall for him the same way she did his brother. "Brock, what do you mean?" She asked, giving Brock a conflicted look. Brock paused, he was going to tell her about what his mother said, he knew what Elaine was up to, his mother had a big heart, she invited Melissa for two reasons, one was because she was alone at Christmas, Elaine hated the idea of anyone being a
Brock and Melissa walk down the street. Sully and Storm slightly out in front of them. Sniffing at all the new smells occasionally lifting their legs on the lampposts which bring the couple to a stop, only for them to carry on, after a few seconds of the dogs deciding that the smell is not worth following up.There is a comfortable silence between them, as they pass nicely decorated houses and now closed stores, it’s only broken when Brock tells Melissa about certain things that happened in specific places.“This is where I broke my leg when i was 15.” Brock said pointing at a plaza that had a statue of a unicorn in bronze, rearing up, on a plinth, surrounding it is stairs that lead down to a fountain, and railings.Brock continued on “I was a bit of a skater when I was younger. And I was trying to do an Ollie, and instead I fell, landing on my leg. It snapped in two places. I was in plaster for 8 weeks.” He chuckled at the memory.They walked a bit further “Oh this used
It was getting close to seven pm when the two walked in. Getting in out of the cold December air, the two took off their coats, and the leads off the dogs, Brock shut them in the small living room, that was separate to the one the family were sitting in.Elaine looked over to them when they walked in, “Hello lovely’s, are the dogs okay?”“Yeah they enjoyed their walk and even chased a squirrel.” Melissa said laughing.“It’s okay for you Sully pulled me into a bush.” Brock said with a smile.“So we thought we’d have a few drinks, and perhaps play a few more games?” Elaine said.“Before you do I have something for you.” Melissa disappeared into the kitchen and then returned five minutes later with the mince pies. “I Erm...... I made these for you guys, they are kind of a tradition in the U.K. we have them at Christmas and in my opinion they are delicious.” She said opening the biscuit tin, that she was holding, to show mince pies with icing sugar on top.“You can eat
The two sat on the steps to the porch and talked, the chiminea giving off a little heat, kept them warm.“I was out here taking photographs of the snow. It’s such a lovely picture, I couldn’t sleep.” Brock admitted.“Oh same. I tossed and turned.” Melissa agreed, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.Brock fiddled with the camera, holding it up, Melissa looked out over the street now covered in a cold white blanket. It sparkled under the dim light of the street lights. It looked so magical. Melissa thought how picturesque the street looked, the dark sky, the dim orange glow and the white snow.Even the cars were covered in the deep snow.Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of light and whipped her head round to look, there with a guilty look on his face was Brock.“Oh my god Brock, you didn’t just take my picture? Give me the camera I’m deleting it.” Melissa placed her now empty mug under the swing seat on the porch, and she reached for the camera in Brock’s