the situation she had placed herself in might have been kind of crazy, even for melrose. her parents had always taught her to fight for what she wanted, even if that meant stepping on some others to get ahead. this fight wasn’t like the ones she’d had to battle through before. see, cocaine wasn’t easy to kick, but it didn’t wrap it’s arms around her at night when she had a nightmare. alcohol was tough to stop drinking, but it didn’t warm her the way marvin green’s gentle fingertips did as they ran down her spine. lithium was difficult to swallow, but it didn’t soothe her after a breakdown. melrose fought every damn day – her addiction, her mental illness, her anger and sometimes her family. one person she never thought she would have to fight for was marvin. she realized now that it was selfish to expect him to always be waiting for her. melrose had been unattainable for such a long time. now that wasn’t the case, and back at the coffee shop only a few months prior, she’d hoped that marvin would take her back. things were different though. there was katherine – and katherine was so much better than melrose in so many different ways.
it didn’t take long for news of the wedding to spread around her facebook news feed. high school friends were sending RSVP’s over an event page, katherine’s bridesmaids would show up on her ‘people you may know’, and before melrose was even aware of it, she had the address to the venue they’d chosen, the date, and time of the wedding. all of these facts had landed her smack dab in front of an extremely old-fashioned yet well decorated church. cerulean hues bore into the front door of the building, where everyone was walking inside. she wasn’t sure if she wanted to watch the ceremony. if melrose was honest, it wouldn’t bring her any closure. it would simply break her beyond repair.
clad in a black cocktail dress with gold beading and black heels, melrose didn’t look as wedding ready as most of the other people. sure, she looked formal, healthier than she ever had, and like she belonged at an event, but not a wedding. to make the outfit clash even more with the rest of the party, she slid her arms into the leather jacket she’d been wearing for the better part of half of her life. melrose handed the keys to her beat up chevy to the valet driver, though she still felt as though her feet were glued to the asphalt.
right hand gripped tight around her phone in her pocket, melrose jumped slightly when it began to vibrate. with furrowed brows, she pulled the iphone out of her pocket and scanned the screen. the picture that showed on the screen was one of she and marvin, laying in his bed, making silly faces at the camera. her eyes doubled in size as she struggled to find the courage to hit the green 'accept’ button. just as she did, she heard that fateful dial tone. it took her less than a second to make her heels click across the parking lot, into the church, and past many people who knew just who she was. as she bumped into one of her high school friends, she flashed a hurried grin. “hey, do you know where the groom might be hiding?” she questioned, and quickly followed her friend’s directions.
as swiftly and calmly as melrose could, she headed down a pair of stairs towards a different level of the church where she’d been told marvin would be. her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. she felt as though she’d swallowed a rock, but marvin needed her, god damn it, and she wouldn’t let him down like she’d done so many times in the past.
someone was knocking on the door. she heard marvin’s voice and cupped a hand over her mouth, willing herself not to cry. she swallowed the lump in her throat and her pride before pushing the person in front of the door out of the way. “is this the bathroom? god, too much punch already. it’s spiked, i think. let me get in there –” she cut the other person off before opening the door without marvin’s permission, or anyone’s for that matter, and stepping inside. once the door was shut behind her, she turned the lock, leaned against the door and exhaled deeply. her gaze averted to the male, and she forced a half smile. “you called me,” she breathed a laugh. “you hung up on me too. was that on purpose?” he’s a friend. he’s your friend. be there for him. “what’s wrong, marv?”
the weight of the universe sought refuge out across the broad planes of his coated shoulders and if anything could have been done to prevent such, it was far too late now. no, the consequences that he found himself staring in the face ( mean, green and vengeful ) were here to collect and without mercy. their motives while seemingly unfair, were just. if only he could pass along the blame onto some other willful source but this was only his fault ; for letting his fiance believe she was the primary care-holder of the key to his heart. for letting this... charade continue to grow into a dated event, signed and sealed with many name brand stamps in the form of caterers and decorators. wedding planners and they party itself which included way too many people for his personal comfort. if he’d had it his way, there would be no lavish ceremony. no decadent flower arrangements or classy attire. marvin would have been utterly content with a courthouse marriage - one that was comfortable and quaint, but most importantly intimate. a change in bride wouldn’t hurt. but with the given tools, he’d dug his own grave. and now it was time for him to lay in it.
his eyes remained stationary with anxiety, occasionally following a stray passerby when they’d cross in front of the church’s window. the handkerchief gifted to him by his mother blotted incessantly at the perspiration that collected in beads at his hairline. the previous owner of the cloth had been marvin’s late grandfather, and his before that. what would they say on behalf of their grandson? that he was a coward? that he was in no way rightfully able to call himself a man? pieces of his heart began to ache as guilt washed over him in another wave. the days prior to the wedding had begun to feel like the final countdown to the rest of his life - almost comparable to that of a prison sentence. he couldn’t think of his family without the fear of retching.
but would it be just he alone trapped inside a loveless marriage? maybe catherine too had her own set of doubts and they were both just too comfortable to do anything about it. the thought made mavin relax a little, but only a fraction. it was incredibly sad the extents he would go through in order to reach a level of content in his choices. maybe he wasn’t indeed a good man. the proof was in the pudding, as they say. and his had turned sour long ago.
a gentle tug at the simple, black bowtie around his neck provided aid in his ability to breathe. but it wasn’t nearly enough. using his thumbs, marvin flipped the latches on either end of the window, pushing the wooden frame upwards with his palms. the cool early-afternoon air spilled into the room creating a gust that rattled the foundation. he let his eyes slip closed as he sucked in deep breaths, each with more space in between than the last. he hadn’t forgotten about the invisible force that beckoned him behind the door. but before he could return to reality with a suitable response, it opened and closed abruptly causing him to turn on his leather heel.
the atmosphere had shifted within the three seconds it took for marvin to convince himself that he wasn’t seeing a mirage and that it was indeed melrose who stood facing him. in all her luminescent grandeur, staring at him with the same hooded eyes he’d spent sleepless nights falling into a irreversible love with. he took in her attire first, so typically mel. the urge to break a grin was almost too much to fend off at the familiarity of it. down to the jacket she wore as a second skin - it was all home to him. when undoubtedly, he was supposed to be making a home with another woman. the shock of her arrival was worn without shame on his face as he tried to mentally put two and two together. her being there would have made sense had she responded to the invitation he’d sent many months ago - unbeknownst by his dearly beloved as to not create an issue. they’d had a ‘no exes’ discussion that continued over many glasses of wine and tireless arguments without conclusion. but what mattered was, she didn’t give any indication she would be coming. despite all of that, he couldn’t help but feel giddy that she had. she was there, which had to mean she cared, right?
“ i wish i could explain myself, but honestly, i wouldn’t know where to begin. “ he chuckled while lessening the distance between them with a few sure steps. instantly drawn to her timeless beauty. “ i did mean to call you. i didn’t mean to hang up, i just... “ a pause. “ i have to be up in god’s room in ten minutes. there are about 400 people ; catherine’s family and friends. friends of friends. people her parents have done business with. i think i know about 4 of them and not even on a personal level. i guess some old school friends came too, but i haven’t had a chance to mingle.” marvin struggled with a lump that clogged his throat while he continued to swallow. nervous habit. “ she said that everyone could just pick a seat and not bother with choosing sides since her attendees vastly outweigh my own. mom was happy about that. “ he continued to ramble. another nervous habit. seconds passed, maybe even a minute before he spoke again. his tone quiet. “ i don’t know if i can go up there, mel. “
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
andulkaphoto
yousharknotpass
dailybridgerton
dededos
areudirty
