CHAPTER SIXTY
NATALIE
Eric Masters parked his SUV and turned off the ignition. "I'm so glad you decided to come with me tonight," he said to Natalie.
Natalie, in her white, strapless dress, whipped her head over at him. "Okay, let's get something straight. I know about you. I know all about you and your little crush on Mel."
"Uh, how--how did you--?"
"Please, it was easy to find out. Besides, I noticed you looking at her all goo-goo-eyed at the bar awhile back."
"You were there?"
"Yes. I'm Taylor's ex-wife. And he's in there with Mel right now. It seems we have something in common. You want Mel and I want my husband back. If we work together we might be able to make something
happen tonight."
"You--you lied to me."
"I didn't lie, I just simply didn't go into detail. Besides, you're getting a date out of it that you otherwise wouldn't have gotten. So do we have a deal or what?"
______________________________________________________
DREW
Drew walked into the ballroom, immediately looking for Mel and Taylor. Her short, clingy, nude-colored cocktail dress couldn't possibly be ALL everyone was staring at. It was so quiet in there, how boring was
this thing going to be?
Drew spotted Mel and Tay at the bar and looked around her, bewildered, as she made her way over. She hugged the both of them and looked around her. "Tay, how do you do it?"
"I don't know. You just...do. You never get used to it, you just learn to expect it and cope with it."
"I could understand coping with strangers," she said. "But these are people I know. They're looking at me like I'm some stranger, like I'm not supposed to be here or something."
Mel smiled. "They're probably wondering why you're not off shooting another flashy Gerard Cline film. Who, by the way, is absent...?"
"I kinda didn't invite him."
Mel was puzzled. "Why not?"
"I was afraid it would be weird. I mean, Tay's already here--"
"Well, jeez, don't put your life on hold on account of me," Tay joked sarcastically.
"No! That's not what I mean, well, I didn't want it to be too much. Too in your face. You know what I mean? Plus, we're not public yet..."
"Got it," Mel said. Drew was relieved that she didn't have to try to explain any further. "We should probably do some socializing," she continued.
Drew scrunched her nose up at the both of them. "Do we have to?"
"They invited us and we showed up. We don't want to be the snobby bitches we used to hate."
Drew sighed. The ever-logical Mel strikes again.
Begrudgingly to Drew, the three of them worked the room. They heard it all. "We were beginning to think celebrities only hung out with celebrities." "How's life after MMMBop treating you?" "Wow, it must be nice to be a big movie star now."
Drew wanted to gag. And then there were the fake bitches who picked on you in high school and deserted you when you became friends with Hanson, who now wanted to act like you were practically sisters, all the while fawning over Tay's presence. Drew thought it was cute how tightly he clung to Mel.
Their only relief came from the men. The men didn't seem to care. Tay finally seemed to loosen up a bit around them, drinking beer and talking about--well Drew didn't really care what they were talking about.
All she knew was that dragging Mel away from Tay was an act of congress but she wasn't going to dare mingle alone.
They met up with a group of girls they used to be friends with in high school. The few who actually stuck around even when Hanson became involved. Drew felt rotten for taking off and not keeping in touch
over the years and the conversation was spent apologizing profusely. Thankfully the ladies were still totally cool and Drew actually found herself having a little fun.
As they talked, the lights in the room dimmed and the DJ spoke over the loudspeaker. He said something about starting the night off by taking it back and then Eve 6's "Here's To The Night" began to play.
The girls gasped and grinned at Mel. "Mel, go and get your man!" one of them said.
Mel looked puzzled. "Why?"
"Girl, this was our prom theme and you didn't get to go! You have to dance with him right now!"
"Uh..." Mel glanced behind her at Tay across the room. A few of the men's wives had dragged them to the dance floor already. He smiled at her and gave a slight nod toward the dance floor.
"Oh my god, he's asking you, go!" another girl urged her.
Mel laughed. "Okay, okay!"
The group watched as Mel and Tay met out on the dance floor. They held each other close, totally oblivious to everything and everyone around them. Drew's heart warmed and she wanted to giggle at the aww's and sighs
she heard around her. She found herself checking her phone, secretly wishing that she had allowed Gerard to come after all. She loved Mel and Tay with all her heart but being their third wheel was the worst.
Drew was taken by surprise when she was approached by Matt Farmer. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Um, Drew. I wanted to apologize for being a douche in high school. I was only a douche because I liked
you. And you wouldn't even notice me. I was a stupid kid back then."
Drew smiled, touched at his apology. Matt had made her life hell in high school. "No apology needed," she said. "I appreciate you coming to speak to me though."
"Uh, so, do you wanna maybe dance with me for the rest of the song? I mean it was our prom theme and all."
Had this been eleven or twelve years ago, Drew would have told him to fuck off. But in lieu of being festive, she accepted his invitation and let him lead her to the dance floor.
____________________________________________________________
MEL
Meeting him on the dance floor, Taylor held Mel close. She practically melted in his arms. Every look, every touch almost felt so brand new to her, she wondered if they would ever "get used to" each other. His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. "This song is a little depressing," he said.
Mel gave him a mock pout. "It was my prom theme."
"Hm," he said, listening for a second. "I guess I could see it." Then his expression softened. "I'm sorry you
missed your prom. That year was kinda hell..."
Mel smiled up at him. "I wouldn't trade a single moment I spent with you for any prom in the world."
"Even though I was being a major asshole during that time period?"
"Especially since you were being a major asshole during that time period. But don't take that to mean you can continue to BE an asshole."
As he kissed her softly on the dance floor, the entire thing felt so cliché but Mel couldn't have cared less. She was exactly where she wanted to be at that given moment and, she knew, for the rest of her life.
Awhile later they were sitting at their table, the lights came up, and Eric Masters took his place at the small podium to address the room. Mel and Drew looked at each other and they realized that half the night was already gone and this was the first they'd seen of him. He started by thanking everyone for coming and apologizing for how late the reunion came and how he was impressed with the turnout. And then, of course, he had to address the big white elephant in the room.
The speech turned to senior superlatives. "Of all those silly senior superlatives we all voted on, I think only one came close to coming true. Anyone remember a little superlative called 'Most Likely to Marry a Hanson
Brother?' "
Mel rested her elbow on the table and hid her face with her hand. "Oh god," she groaned.
Tay looked over at her, amused. "Did that really exist?"
She sighed. "It was created especially for me. I had nothing to do with it. You were never supposed to know about it."
Mel wished he would shut up, but Tay seemed to be feeling chatty at that moment. "So...your classmates...thought we would get married?"
She looked over at him, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Who didn't?"
"Hm," was all he said as he looked back to the podium.
Eric was still speaking. "Well, here we are, all these years later, and they're still attached at the hip! Taylor Hanson, everyone!"
Tay's face turned red as the room applauded.
"And then there was one superlative we got completely wrong. Turns out, Ava Jones wasn't the one who would grow up as Most Likely To Go To Hollywood. Andrew Brooks is starring in the new Gerard Cline film that's about to be released. Give it up for her, ladies and gentlemen."
Mel smiled over at Drew, whose face was as beet red as Taylor's.
"And then there's Mel--"
"Shit, he's not finished," she mumbled.
"Sweet, little Melody Banks. Swiftly becoming Tulsa's most prominent philanthropist and face of Glamarazzi, she just emceed her first major Hollywood party with a little help from her favorite band of brothers. I'll say, it's a little surreal being in the company of such celebrity here tonight!"
"I REALLY don't like that guy," Tay said under his breath.
As Eric finished up his speech, Mel was ready to kill him. "He's supposed to be my friend," she said to Drew. "OUR friend."
"He didn't say anything THAT bad..."
"Please, he made a mockery of me and Tay. He said good things about YOU." Mel sighed and stood up. "I need to go to the restroom, I'll be back."
Mel was in the restroom mere minutes. Long enough to use it, touch up her makeup, fluff out her hair and spritz on a perfume refresher. Feeling her confidence slowly creeping back, she made her way back into the ballroom.
Her confidence faded quickly as she approached her table.
There sat Natalie, with Tay, alone. They were talking. She was smiling.
Mel's heart sank. She knew it. She knew this had to be too good to be true. Mel was so hurt she didn't even know which emotion to release first so she merely went on auto-pilot. Approaching the table, she
glanced at Tay, whose blood drained from his face, and then she looked Natalie directly in the eye. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Natalie glanced at Tay and then back up at Mel. "I was invited."
That was all Mel needed to hear. "You know what, this is great. Fuck this. I'm done. I'm out. Have a nice life."
She ignored Tay as he called her name. She nearly ran. She couldn't bear to look at him. Of all the low-down, disgusting things he could have done to her, this one was the absolute worst. How had he done it? How had he gotten her here? He didn't even go to this school. Oh, but he WAS Taylor Hanson. Tulsa would have probably let their golden child get away with murder.
She was halfway to her Jeep when she realized that Tay had her keys. No way was she going back in there. To her surprise, and her relief, she met Eric in the parking lot. "Eric," she said, walking up to him. "Eric, will you do me a favor? Can you give me a ride home?"
Eric didn't hesitate. "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay? Where's Taylor?"
Mel rolled her eyes, not really wanting to say it out loud. "In there with his ex wife. Now will you please just take me home?"
As they got into Eric's SUV, he said, "He's in there with Natalie?"
Mel looked over at him. "How did you know she was here?"
"Well because she came with me," he said, matter-of-factly. "I was out here looking for her when you came outside."
Eric began pulling out of the parking lot and then drove down the road. "YOU invited her? What the hell were you thinking?"
"I didn't know who she was!"
"Have you been living under a rock?"
"No! She just--she's a pretty girl who showed interest in me. Who knew she was just using me?"
"Using you for what?"
"To get to this reunion."
Mel sighed and rested her head against the window. Realizing now what she had done and how she had over-reacted, she broke into a cold sweat and cracked the window. Moments later, she began feeling woozy. How
would Taylor ever forgive her for that blatant display of distrust now? "Eric. Eric, stop the car, okay? Stop the car. I don't feel so good."
The road they were on was dark. And quiet. Mel didn't care. She just needed the vehicle to stop moving. Needing to be free of the SUV, Mel opened the passenger door and stepped out onto the ground.
_____________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Taylor watched Mel storm out of the ballroom in horror. Standing from the table, he went to chase her when he stopped and turned back to Natalie. "Goddammit, Natalie! I told you before to stay the hell away from me and I meant it! I don't know what brand of crazy you're using lately but I swear to god if you come near me or my girlfriend or any of my family again, I WILL drag this out in court and I WILL win. We are FINISHED."
With that he made his way swiftly out of the ballroom where Drew crossed his path. "Tay, what's going on? I just saw Mel leaving with Eric. I tried to call her but she's not answering her phone."
Taylor was stressing out, panic quickly taking over. He fought to keep his composure. "She left with Eric? Why would--fuck, her cell phone is in the Jeep. I can't call her either."
"Where's her gun?"
The question caught Tay completely off guard. What a random thing to ask. "It's--it's in the Jeep, too, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Where could he be taking her?"
Taylor looked around, frantically searching for an answer. "Uh, I don't know, home? Where else would they go?"
A serious expression came over Drew's face that made Tay's heart pound. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He impulsively began to shake out his left hand.
"Tay, I'm not trying to worry you or anything. And they're friends, so I'm sure it's perfectly fine. And Mel can take care of herself. But I heard a few stories tonight, about Eric, that were kind of disturbing..."
"Stories? What kind of stories?"
"He's kind of weird. He's been known to be a little violent with the suspects he arrests. There's a rumor going around that he's had stuff like domestic and sexual assaults expunged off his record so he could become a cop but I don't even know if that's possible..."
Taylor could never describe the terror he felt at that moment. His spine tingled and his hair stood on end. He felt sick. "I have to go. Do me a favor and get Natalie the hell out of here before she causes any more damage."
Not waiting for a response, Tay raced to the Jeep and jumped in, completely ignoring the seatbelt. He frantically checked both of his phones for messages from Mel but found nothing. He sped out of the parking lot, narrowly missing a couple of cars along the way. Not having anywhere in mind to go, he automatically went the direction his gut took him in--Mel's house.
The drive seemed to take forever, though he had only been on the road mere minutes. Surely they hadn't gotten that far ahead of him. He had never prayed so hard in his life that he would simply just pull in the driveway right behind them and everything be okay...
As he drove down the dark, deserted road, the Jeep's headlights picked up the reflection of the tail lights of an SUV pulled over on the side of the road. Pulling off the side of the road, well before he got to the pulled-over vehicle, he could see the passenger's side. The door was open. He saw the back of the man, leaned over inside the vehicle. He saw a woman's leg extended outside the door. The foot wore Mel's platform heel. Taylor's heart sank. So this was it. This was how she retaliated. He should have known after the whole Jason thing that sex would be the place she would go whenever he pissed her off. Sex with another man. He didn't want this relationship to end. It had just begun again. God had granted them this second chance, why was he taking it away so quickly? Were they not meant to be after all?
Mindlessly, Tay stepped out of the Jeep. As much as it pained him, he had to confront it. He had to know it was real. That this was really happening. He had to know for himself that it was really over. There was no coming back from this.
And then his skin crawled again. He could hear her. She cried out Eric's name. But it was--it was her but it didn't sound like her. She sounded...different...she wasn't crying out in pleasure. She was--"Eric, no!! What are you doing? I said stop, get off me!!"
It was the menacing sound of the skin-on-skin contact that brought Taylor briefly back to reality before he completely saw a brand new shade of red. He stormed over to the passenger's side of the vehicle and what he saw almost made him vomit. He could only see Eric and parts of Mel. Eric had her pinned against the interior of the vehicle in such a way that there was no way she could get out of it. He saw her hair, her beautiful hair, an absolute mess. He saw glimpses of her fists as she tried to fight back. He had her pinned so well she couldn't even knee him. Tay knew that times at Mel thought that she was tough. Resilient. Invincible. That she could take on the world with her bare hands. And a lot of those times she was right. But she was also simply a woman--and a small one, at that. This time she had no chance.
Before he even knew what he was doing, Taylor grabbed Eric by the back of his blazer collar with both hands and, with force he didn't realize he possessed, ripped him off of Mel and threw him down on the ground behind him. Everything that happened from there resulted from pure adrenaline and psychotic rage.
___________________________________________________
MEL
It all happened so fast, Mel never even knew when Taylor had shown up. She almost had a religious experience as Eric was suddenly lifted off of her body, as she thought that this was it for her.
Tay was on Eric so fast Mel's head spun. When he had torn Eric off of her, Eric had tried to get up. With the headlights of the Jeep shining on them, Tay wasted absolutely no time with a hard kick to the ribs that very likely knocked the wind out of Eric. Without missing a beat, Tay followed up the kick in the ribs with a kick to the crotch. Having no mercy, Tay then straddled Eric, turning him over on his back. Grabbing his collar with his right hand, Tay planted two very careful left hooks into Eric's face. One! Two! Tay had Eric's head lifted
off the ground by his collar, ready to deliver the third blow, when he looked at his bloodied face, and forcefully dropped his head back onto the ground. Breathless, Tay stood over Eric, obviously planning his next move.
It was then that Mel had realized what Tay had done. "Tay!" she said, herself recovering from her own attack. "He's a cop!"
"I don't give a fuck what he is," he responded, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his upper lip with the back of his hand. He grabbed up a barely-conscious Eric by the collar once again and leaned down into his
face. "Is this how you get your rocks off, you sick son of a bitch? By hurting women?"
"You'll never get by with it," Eric managed to creak out past the blood in his teeth. "You attacked a goddamn cop."
"You're not a cop, you're a weasly piece of shit. I'll have your badge, mother fucker! Count on it! You fucked with the wrong Hanson tonight." With that, Tay delivered the blow that knocked Eric out cold.
After a couple of seconds, Tay dashed over to Mel. She had to tried to pull as much of her dress down and smooth her hair out as much as possible before he had a look at her. She didn't know why that mattered to
her. However, she couldn't ignore the stinging of her cheekbone from the back-hand she'd been dealt moments before Tay's arrival. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over with a fine-toothed comb. "What did he do to you?"
"Not much," she responded quietly. "I think you got here just in time."
"God, Mel, I thought--I'm so sorry." The adrenaline was obviously catching up to him and tears were in his eyes. He pointed behind him. "Say the word, Mel. Say it. Say it and I'll fucking finish him, I swear."
She shook her head frantically. "Tay, you're going to jail. You assaulted a cop, that's a felony!"
"No I'm not. He hurt you! I'm not going anywhere. But that asshole? There's a special place in hell for sick fuckers like him and I almost sent him there!"
He took her in his arms and she clung to him tightly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so terrified in her entire life. Standoffs against hardened criminals didn't compare to the fear she was filled
with pinned underneath Eric.
Tay pulled away from her long enough to take his cell phone out of his pocket and dial the sheriff's department. "This is Taylor Hanson. You have a member of Tulsa's finest covered in blood out here on the side of the highway. He tried to rape my girlfriend and I caught him in the act. She has the bruises to prove it. He's lucky I left him alive. Someone needs to come out here and scrape him off the ground. Medical attention is required. This better not go public or I'll sue this entire city."
Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone and shoved it back in his pocket. Walking back to Mel, he put his arm around her. "Do you need to go to the hospital or anything?"
She shook her head. "I just want to go home."
Helping her into the Jeep, he checked her over once more and gently kissed her bruised cheek. She winced in pain but it was the kind of pain she would welcome any day of the week. He was so gentle and careful with
her. She loved him so much.
Before he drove off, he sent a quick text on his phone and then dropped it into the console. Not bothering to close his messages, Mel spied Drew's name on the screen. Great. She would be a basket case.
______________________________________________________________
DREW
"I found them. He attacked her. She has a couple of bruises but she's otherwise okay. Can't say much for the other guy. I'm taking her home."
The text Drew received from Taylor made her blood run cold. Not really knowing what move to make next, she found herself looking around herself in the lobby--and spying Natalie coming from the bathroom.
The hairs on Drew's neck stood on end as Natalie approached her. "What in the fuck are YOU doing at MY high school reunion?"
"Actually, I'm looking for my date." Natalie's venomous sing-song voice was infuriating at this moment. "You might know him. Eric Masters?"
Drew had never fought so hard in her life to keep herself together. "He left with Mel half an hour ago," she responded.
"That doesn't surprise me," she said, snapping her clutch back together. "That woman sure has a way with my men."
Drew gaped at her. "Did you know that Eric attacked her?? That if Taylor hadn't found them when he did, he would have raped her??"
She thought she detected a flicker of concern cross Natalie's face but the moment was gone within a second. "Serves her right, I guess," she muttered.
"You know that could have been you, you stupid little bitch!"
Natalie hesitated before her next statement. Boldly she said to Drew, "Well it wasn't, was it?"
And then Drew reacted. She had no control over her own limbs as she back-handed Natalie across the face in front of God and everybody in the middle of the lobby of the Hyatt.
Natalie held her face, her expression that of pure shock.
"Don't even think of calling the cops," Drew said. "Your ex just bloodied one all over the connector. And you couldn't possibly win a public battle against ME."
At those last words, Drew walked out of the hotel doors and straight for her rental car.
________________________________________________________
MEL
They rode in silence much of the way home, save for only a few words. "I should have been able to take him," Mel said quietly. "I was trained for situations like this."
"You can't always be prepared for everything," Taylor responded.
Mel remained silent for the rest of the car ride. How could she let this happen to her? How could she have over-reacted over Tay talking to Natalie like that? Why couldn't she have controlled her temper and
approached the situation differently? Why did she have to cause a scene and demand Eric take her home? Why hadn't she been able to lay Eric out all over the side of the road like Tay had? She should have been able to cripple him. She'd been trained for that...
She looked across the Jeep at Tay. He kept his eyes on the road, never looking away. He was silent. His jaw tight. She had a hard time reading him. Was he still coming down from the rush? Was he worried about the police and what kind of trouble he might be in? Was he pissed off at her?
He had to be pissed off at her. She walked out on him and then caused him to commit a felony--something he never would have done had it not been for her. Why couldn't she just be normal and sit and look pretty and keep out of trouble like all the other women?
Mel was so afraid. Not of Tay, but of what might be going through his mind at that moment. Had she fucked up? Had she completely ended their relationship for being so stupid? Meekly, she said to him, "I love you."
He glanced over at her. She could see his smile in the dark, softly aglow with the dashboard lights in front of him. He took her hand and entwined his fingers in hers. The tenderness of his touch told her everything she needed to know. "I love you, too," he responded quietly.
Minutes later, they pulled into Mel's driveway. Tay turned off the ignition but he didn't move. Sitting in the dark, quiet Jeep in the dark, quiet driveway in the middle of the dark, quiet neighborhood, Tay said only two
sentences. "First thing in the morning, I am submitting a change of address. By this time tomorrow night, I will be moved into this house."
Mel had not a single word to say.
___________________________________________________________
NATALIE
Eric Masters parked his SUV and turned off the ignition. "I'm so glad you decided to come with me tonight," he said to Natalie.
Natalie, in her white, strapless dress, whipped her head over at him. "Okay, let's get something straight. I know about you. I know all about you and your little crush on Mel."
"Uh, how--how did you--?"
"Please, it was easy to find out. Besides, I noticed you looking at her all goo-goo-eyed at the bar awhile back."
"You were there?"
"Yes. I'm Taylor's ex-wife. And he's in there with Mel right now. It seems we have something in common. You want Mel and I want my husband back. If we work together we might be able to make something
happen tonight."
"You--you lied to me."
"I didn't lie, I just simply didn't go into detail. Besides, you're getting a date out of it that you otherwise wouldn't have gotten. So do we have a deal or what?"
______________________________________________________
DREW
Drew walked into the ballroom, immediately looking for Mel and Taylor. Her short, clingy, nude-colored cocktail dress couldn't possibly be ALL everyone was staring at. It was so quiet in there, how boring was
this thing going to be?
Drew spotted Mel and Tay at the bar and looked around her, bewildered, as she made her way over. She hugged the both of them and looked around her. "Tay, how do you do it?"
"I don't know. You just...do. You never get used to it, you just learn to expect it and cope with it."
"I could understand coping with strangers," she said. "But these are people I know. They're looking at me like I'm some stranger, like I'm not supposed to be here or something."
Mel smiled. "They're probably wondering why you're not off shooting another flashy Gerard Cline film. Who, by the way, is absent...?"
"I kinda didn't invite him."
Mel was puzzled. "Why not?"
"I was afraid it would be weird. I mean, Tay's already here--"
"Well, jeez, don't put your life on hold on account of me," Tay joked sarcastically.
"No! That's not what I mean, well, I didn't want it to be too much. Too in your face. You know what I mean? Plus, we're not public yet..."
"Got it," Mel said. Drew was relieved that she didn't have to try to explain any further. "We should probably do some socializing," she continued.
Drew scrunched her nose up at the both of them. "Do we have to?"
"They invited us and we showed up. We don't want to be the snobby bitches we used to hate."
Drew sighed. The ever-logical Mel strikes again.
Begrudgingly to Drew, the three of them worked the room. They heard it all. "We were beginning to think celebrities only hung out with celebrities." "How's life after MMMBop treating you?" "Wow, it must be nice to be a big movie star now."
Drew wanted to gag. And then there were the fake bitches who picked on you in high school and deserted you when you became friends with Hanson, who now wanted to act like you were practically sisters, all the while fawning over Tay's presence. Drew thought it was cute how tightly he clung to Mel.
Their only relief came from the men. The men didn't seem to care. Tay finally seemed to loosen up a bit around them, drinking beer and talking about--well Drew didn't really care what they were talking about.
All she knew was that dragging Mel away from Tay was an act of congress but she wasn't going to dare mingle alone.
They met up with a group of girls they used to be friends with in high school. The few who actually stuck around even when Hanson became involved. Drew felt rotten for taking off and not keeping in touch
over the years and the conversation was spent apologizing profusely. Thankfully the ladies were still totally cool and Drew actually found herself having a little fun.
As they talked, the lights in the room dimmed and the DJ spoke over the loudspeaker. He said something about starting the night off by taking it back and then Eve 6's "Here's To The Night" began to play.
The girls gasped and grinned at Mel. "Mel, go and get your man!" one of them said.
Mel looked puzzled. "Why?"
"Girl, this was our prom theme and you didn't get to go! You have to dance with him right now!"
"Uh..." Mel glanced behind her at Tay across the room. A few of the men's wives had dragged them to the dance floor already. He smiled at her and gave a slight nod toward the dance floor.
"Oh my god, he's asking you, go!" another girl urged her.
Mel laughed. "Okay, okay!"
The group watched as Mel and Tay met out on the dance floor. They held each other close, totally oblivious to everything and everyone around them. Drew's heart warmed and she wanted to giggle at the aww's and sighs
she heard around her. She found herself checking her phone, secretly wishing that she had allowed Gerard to come after all. She loved Mel and Tay with all her heart but being their third wheel was the worst.
Drew was taken by surprise when she was approached by Matt Farmer. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Um, Drew. I wanted to apologize for being a douche in high school. I was only a douche because I liked
you. And you wouldn't even notice me. I was a stupid kid back then."
Drew smiled, touched at his apology. Matt had made her life hell in high school. "No apology needed," she said. "I appreciate you coming to speak to me though."
"Uh, so, do you wanna maybe dance with me for the rest of the song? I mean it was our prom theme and all."
Had this been eleven or twelve years ago, Drew would have told him to fuck off. But in lieu of being festive, she accepted his invitation and let him lead her to the dance floor.
____________________________________________________________
MEL
Meeting him on the dance floor, Taylor held Mel close. She practically melted in his arms. Every look, every touch almost felt so brand new to her, she wondered if they would ever "get used to" each other. His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her. "This song is a little depressing," he said.
Mel gave him a mock pout. "It was my prom theme."
"Hm," he said, listening for a second. "I guess I could see it." Then his expression softened. "I'm sorry you
missed your prom. That year was kinda hell..."
Mel smiled up at him. "I wouldn't trade a single moment I spent with you for any prom in the world."
"Even though I was being a major asshole during that time period?"
"Especially since you were being a major asshole during that time period. But don't take that to mean you can continue to BE an asshole."
As he kissed her softly on the dance floor, the entire thing felt so cliché but Mel couldn't have cared less. She was exactly where she wanted to be at that given moment and, she knew, for the rest of her life.
Awhile later they were sitting at their table, the lights came up, and Eric Masters took his place at the small podium to address the room. Mel and Drew looked at each other and they realized that half the night was already gone and this was the first they'd seen of him. He started by thanking everyone for coming and apologizing for how late the reunion came and how he was impressed with the turnout. And then, of course, he had to address the big white elephant in the room.
The speech turned to senior superlatives. "Of all those silly senior superlatives we all voted on, I think only one came close to coming true. Anyone remember a little superlative called 'Most Likely to Marry a Hanson
Brother?' "
Mel rested her elbow on the table and hid her face with her hand. "Oh god," she groaned.
Tay looked over at her, amused. "Did that really exist?"
She sighed. "It was created especially for me. I had nothing to do with it. You were never supposed to know about it."
Mel wished he would shut up, but Tay seemed to be feeling chatty at that moment. "So...your classmates...thought we would get married?"
She looked over at him, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Who didn't?"
"Hm," was all he said as he looked back to the podium.
Eric was still speaking. "Well, here we are, all these years later, and they're still attached at the hip! Taylor Hanson, everyone!"
Tay's face turned red as the room applauded.
"And then there was one superlative we got completely wrong. Turns out, Ava Jones wasn't the one who would grow up as Most Likely To Go To Hollywood. Andrew Brooks is starring in the new Gerard Cline film that's about to be released. Give it up for her, ladies and gentlemen."
Mel smiled over at Drew, whose face was as beet red as Taylor's.
"And then there's Mel--"
"Shit, he's not finished," she mumbled.
"Sweet, little Melody Banks. Swiftly becoming Tulsa's most prominent philanthropist and face of Glamarazzi, she just emceed her first major Hollywood party with a little help from her favorite band of brothers. I'll say, it's a little surreal being in the company of such celebrity here tonight!"
"I REALLY don't like that guy," Tay said under his breath.
As Eric finished up his speech, Mel was ready to kill him. "He's supposed to be my friend," she said to Drew. "OUR friend."
"He didn't say anything THAT bad..."
"Please, he made a mockery of me and Tay. He said good things about YOU." Mel sighed and stood up. "I need to go to the restroom, I'll be back."
Mel was in the restroom mere minutes. Long enough to use it, touch up her makeup, fluff out her hair and spritz on a perfume refresher. Feeling her confidence slowly creeping back, she made her way back into the ballroom.
Her confidence faded quickly as she approached her table.
There sat Natalie, with Tay, alone. They were talking. She was smiling.
Mel's heart sank. She knew it. She knew this had to be too good to be true. Mel was so hurt she didn't even know which emotion to release first so she merely went on auto-pilot. Approaching the table, she
glanced at Tay, whose blood drained from his face, and then she looked Natalie directly in the eye. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Natalie glanced at Tay and then back up at Mel. "I was invited."
That was all Mel needed to hear. "You know what, this is great. Fuck this. I'm done. I'm out. Have a nice life."
She ignored Tay as he called her name. She nearly ran. She couldn't bear to look at him. Of all the low-down, disgusting things he could have done to her, this one was the absolute worst. How had he done it? How had he gotten her here? He didn't even go to this school. Oh, but he WAS Taylor Hanson. Tulsa would have probably let their golden child get away with murder.
She was halfway to her Jeep when she realized that Tay had her keys. No way was she going back in there. To her surprise, and her relief, she met Eric in the parking lot. "Eric," she said, walking up to him. "Eric, will you do me a favor? Can you give me a ride home?"
Eric didn't hesitate. "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay? Where's Taylor?"
Mel rolled her eyes, not really wanting to say it out loud. "In there with his ex wife. Now will you please just take me home?"
As they got into Eric's SUV, he said, "He's in there with Natalie?"
Mel looked over at him. "How did you know she was here?"
"Well because she came with me," he said, matter-of-factly. "I was out here looking for her when you came outside."
Eric began pulling out of the parking lot and then drove down the road. "YOU invited her? What the hell were you thinking?"
"I didn't know who she was!"
"Have you been living under a rock?"
"No! She just--she's a pretty girl who showed interest in me. Who knew she was just using me?"
"Using you for what?"
"To get to this reunion."
Mel sighed and rested her head against the window. Realizing now what she had done and how she had over-reacted, she broke into a cold sweat and cracked the window. Moments later, she began feeling woozy. How
would Taylor ever forgive her for that blatant display of distrust now? "Eric. Eric, stop the car, okay? Stop the car. I don't feel so good."
The road they were on was dark. And quiet. Mel didn't care. She just needed the vehicle to stop moving. Needing to be free of the SUV, Mel opened the passenger door and stepped out onto the ground.
_____________________________________________________
TAYLOR
Taylor watched Mel storm out of the ballroom in horror. Standing from the table, he went to chase her when he stopped and turned back to Natalie. "Goddammit, Natalie! I told you before to stay the hell away from me and I meant it! I don't know what brand of crazy you're using lately but I swear to god if you come near me or my girlfriend or any of my family again, I WILL drag this out in court and I WILL win. We are FINISHED."
With that he made his way swiftly out of the ballroom where Drew crossed his path. "Tay, what's going on? I just saw Mel leaving with Eric. I tried to call her but she's not answering her phone."
Taylor was stressing out, panic quickly taking over. He fought to keep his composure. "She left with Eric? Why would--fuck, her cell phone is in the Jeep. I can't call her either."
"Where's her gun?"
The question caught Tay completely off guard. What a random thing to ask. "It's--it's in the Jeep, too, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Where could he be taking her?"
Taylor looked around, frantically searching for an answer. "Uh, I don't know, home? Where else would they go?"
A serious expression came over Drew's face that made Tay's heart pound. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He impulsively began to shake out his left hand.
"Tay, I'm not trying to worry you or anything. And they're friends, so I'm sure it's perfectly fine. And Mel can take care of herself. But I heard a few stories tonight, about Eric, that were kind of disturbing..."
"Stories? What kind of stories?"
"He's kind of weird. He's been known to be a little violent with the suspects he arrests. There's a rumor going around that he's had stuff like domestic and sexual assaults expunged off his record so he could become a cop but I don't even know if that's possible..."
Taylor could never describe the terror he felt at that moment. His spine tingled and his hair stood on end. He felt sick. "I have to go. Do me a favor and get Natalie the hell out of here before she causes any more damage."
Not waiting for a response, Tay raced to the Jeep and jumped in, completely ignoring the seatbelt. He frantically checked both of his phones for messages from Mel but found nothing. He sped out of the parking lot, narrowly missing a couple of cars along the way. Not having anywhere in mind to go, he automatically went the direction his gut took him in--Mel's house.
The drive seemed to take forever, though he had only been on the road mere minutes. Surely they hadn't gotten that far ahead of him. He had never prayed so hard in his life that he would simply just pull in the driveway right behind them and everything be okay...
As he drove down the dark, deserted road, the Jeep's headlights picked up the reflection of the tail lights of an SUV pulled over on the side of the road. Pulling off the side of the road, well before he got to the pulled-over vehicle, he could see the passenger's side. The door was open. He saw the back of the man, leaned over inside the vehicle. He saw a woman's leg extended outside the door. The foot wore Mel's platform heel. Taylor's heart sank. So this was it. This was how she retaliated. He should have known after the whole Jason thing that sex would be the place she would go whenever he pissed her off. Sex with another man. He didn't want this relationship to end. It had just begun again. God had granted them this second chance, why was he taking it away so quickly? Were they not meant to be after all?
Mindlessly, Tay stepped out of the Jeep. As much as it pained him, he had to confront it. He had to know it was real. That this was really happening. He had to know for himself that it was really over. There was no coming back from this.
And then his skin crawled again. He could hear her. She cried out Eric's name. But it was--it was her but it didn't sound like her. She sounded...different...she wasn't crying out in pleasure. She was--"Eric, no!! What are you doing? I said stop, get off me!!"
It was the menacing sound of the skin-on-skin contact that brought Taylor briefly back to reality before he completely saw a brand new shade of red. He stormed over to the passenger's side of the vehicle and what he saw almost made him vomit. He could only see Eric and parts of Mel. Eric had her pinned against the interior of the vehicle in such a way that there was no way she could get out of it. He saw her hair, her beautiful hair, an absolute mess. He saw glimpses of her fists as she tried to fight back. He had her pinned so well she couldn't even knee him. Tay knew that times at Mel thought that she was tough. Resilient. Invincible. That she could take on the world with her bare hands. And a lot of those times she was right. But she was also simply a woman--and a small one, at that. This time she had no chance.
Before he even knew what he was doing, Taylor grabbed Eric by the back of his blazer collar with both hands and, with force he didn't realize he possessed, ripped him off of Mel and threw him down on the ground behind him. Everything that happened from there resulted from pure adrenaline and psychotic rage.
___________________________________________________
MEL
It all happened so fast, Mel never even knew when Taylor had shown up. She almost had a religious experience as Eric was suddenly lifted off of her body, as she thought that this was it for her.
Tay was on Eric so fast Mel's head spun. When he had torn Eric off of her, Eric had tried to get up. With the headlights of the Jeep shining on them, Tay wasted absolutely no time with a hard kick to the ribs that very likely knocked the wind out of Eric. Without missing a beat, Tay followed up the kick in the ribs with a kick to the crotch. Having no mercy, Tay then straddled Eric, turning him over on his back. Grabbing his collar with his right hand, Tay planted two very careful left hooks into Eric's face. One! Two! Tay had Eric's head lifted
off the ground by his collar, ready to deliver the third blow, when he looked at his bloodied face, and forcefully dropped his head back onto the ground. Breathless, Tay stood over Eric, obviously planning his next move.
It was then that Mel had realized what Tay had done. "Tay!" she said, herself recovering from her own attack. "He's a cop!"
"I don't give a fuck what he is," he responded, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his upper lip with the back of his hand. He grabbed up a barely-conscious Eric by the collar once again and leaned down into his
face. "Is this how you get your rocks off, you sick son of a bitch? By hurting women?"
"You'll never get by with it," Eric managed to creak out past the blood in his teeth. "You attacked a goddamn cop."
"You're not a cop, you're a weasly piece of shit. I'll have your badge, mother fucker! Count on it! You fucked with the wrong Hanson tonight." With that, Tay delivered the blow that knocked Eric out cold.
After a couple of seconds, Tay dashed over to Mel. She had to tried to pull as much of her dress down and smooth her hair out as much as possible before he had a look at her. She didn't know why that mattered to
her. However, she couldn't ignore the stinging of her cheekbone from the back-hand she'd been dealt moments before Tay's arrival. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over with a fine-toothed comb. "What did he do to you?"
"Not much," she responded quietly. "I think you got here just in time."
"God, Mel, I thought--I'm so sorry." The adrenaline was obviously catching up to him and tears were in his eyes. He pointed behind him. "Say the word, Mel. Say it. Say it and I'll fucking finish him, I swear."
She shook her head frantically. "Tay, you're going to jail. You assaulted a cop, that's a felony!"
"No I'm not. He hurt you! I'm not going anywhere. But that asshole? There's a special place in hell for sick fuckers like him and I almost sent him there!"
He took her in his arms and she clung to him tightly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so terrified in her entire life. Standoffs against hardened criminals didn't compare to the fear she was filled
with pinned underneath Eric.
Tay pulled away from her long enough to take his cell phone out of his pocket and dial the sheriff's department. "This is Taylor Hanson. You have a member of Tulsa's finest covered in blood out here on the side of the highway. He tried to rape my girlfriend and I caught him in the act. She has the bruises to prove it. He's lucky I left him alive. Someone needs to come out here and scrape him off the ground. Medical attention is required. This better not go public or I'll sue this entire city."
Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone and shoved it back in his pocket. Walking back to Mel, he put his arm around her. "Do you need to go to the hospital or anything?"
She shook her head. "I just want to go home."
Helping her into the Jeep, he checked her over once more and gently kissed her bruised cheek. She winced in pain but it was the kind of pain she would welcome any day of the week. He was so gentle and careful with
her. She loved him so much.
Before he drove off, he sent a quick text on his phone and then dropped it into the console. Not bothering to close his messages, Mel spied Drew's name on the screen. Great. She would be a basket case.
______________________________________________________________
DREW
"I found them. He attacked her. She has a couple of bruises but she's otherwise okay. Can't say much for the other guy. I'm taking her home."
The text Drew received from Taylor made her blood run cold. Not really knowing what move to make next, she found herself looking around herself in the lobby--and spying Natalie coming from the bathroom.
The hairs on Drew's neck stood on end as Natalie approached her. "What in the fuck are YOU doing at MY high school reunion?"
"Actually, I'm looking for my date." Natalie's venomous sing-song voice was infuriating at this moment. "You might know him. Eric Masters?"
Drew had never fought so hard in her life to keep herself together. "He left with Mel half an hour ago," she responded.
"That doesn't surprise me," she said, snapping her clutch back together. "That woman sure has a way with my men."
Drew gaped at her. "Did you know that Eric attacked her?? That if Taylor hadn't found them when he did, he would have raped her??"
She thought she detected a flicker of concern cross Natalie's face but the moment was gone within a second. "Serves her right, I guess," she muttered.
"You know that could have been you, you stupid little bitch!"
Natalie hesitated before her next statement. Boldly she said to Drew, "Well it wasn't, was it?"
And then Drew reacted. She had no control over her own limbs as she back-handed Natalie across the face in front of God and everybody in the middle of the lobby of the Hyatt.
Natalie held her face, her expression that of pure shock.
"Don't even think of calling the cops," Drew said. "Your ex just bloodied one all over the connector. And you couldn't possibly win a public battle against ME."
At those last words, Drew walked out of the hotel doors and straight for her rental car.
________________________________________________________
MEL
They rode in silence much of the way home, save for only a few words. "I should have been able to take him," Mel said quietly. "I was trained for situations like this."
"You can't always be prepared for everything," Taylor responded.
Mel remained silent for the rest of the car ride. How could she let this happen to her? How could she have over-reacted over Tay talking to Natalie like that? Why couldn't she have controlled her temper and
approached the situation differently? Why did she have to cause a scene and demand Eric take her home? Why hadn't she been able to lay Eric out all over the side of the road like Tay had? She should have been able to cripple him. She'd been trained for that...
She looked across the Jeep at Tay. He kept his eyes on the road, never looking away. He was silent. His jaw tight. She had a hard time reading him. Was he still coming down from the rush? Was he worried about the police and what kind of trouble he might be in? Was he pissed off at her?
He had to be pissed off at her. She walked out on him and then caused him to commit a felony--something he never would have done had it not been for her. Why couldn't she just be normal and sit and look pretty and keep out of trouble like all the other women?
Mel was so afraid. Not of Tay, but of what might be going through his mind at that moment. Had she fucked up? Had she completely ended their relationship for being so stupid? Meekly, she said to him, "I love you."
He glanced over at her. She could see his smile in the dark, softly aglow with the dashboard lights in front of him. He took her hand and entwined his fingers in hers. The tenderness of his touch told her everything she needed to know. "I love you, too," he responded quietly.
Minutes later, they pulled into Mel's driveway. Tay turned off the ignition but he didn't move. Sitting in the dark, quiet Jeep in the dark, quiet driveway in the middle of the dark, quiet neighborhood, Tay said only two
sentences. "First thing in the morning, I am submitting a change of address. By this time tomorrow night, I will be moved into this house."
Mel had not a single word to say.
___________________________________________________________