Indulge Me

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

MIAAfter Melissa’s mother had left yesterday morning, I had felt off. Something about the way she’d barged into the house made me feel much lesser than her. She had been the woman before me, had almost spent more time with Michael than I had been alive, knew more about him than I did.

“Hello?!” Serena said, waving a hand in front of my face. “You going to finish your work, so we can hang out, or no?”

I glanced down at the computer with my psychology work on it and frowned. The sunlight flooded in through her apartment window, and I could hear Victor and Damien playing video games in the other room.

“Sorry, I was thinking.”

“Daydreaming about Michael?” she asked, brow raised.

“Just about everything.” I typed some words into my document and submitted it through the online system to my professor.

I had been taking summer classes, and I wished it were over already. Melissa and Serena had both graduated last semester, and I had been so caught up with Mom’s health and everything else that I had to drop two classes.

So, here I was, in the middle of summer, studying and writing stupid reports.

“I’m so happy you’re graduating soon!” Serena said, squealing. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and smiled down at my computer. “It might not be on time, but so close!”

I sighed down at all my work I had to do. “Yeah, I wish I’d had some time for myself, some time to actually enjoy college, but I wouldn’t change anything.”

“Well, let’s take a break.” She pulled me to the bed. “Have you heard from Melissa?”

I arched a brow and glanced over at her. “She came over to see Michael once a few days ago when I was visiting Mom. He hasn’t said much about her since. I think they’re talking, but not as much as they used to talk.”

She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her Contacts to Melissa’s name. There were some unanswered texts from her, some answered ones. I frowned at the phone and at how desperate Melissa seemed over text to talk to someone. Part of me felt so bad about it.

“Are you going to text her back?”

Serena shrugged and sighed again. “I don’t know. I don’t want to after what she did.”

“She won’t talk to me. Maybe you can get it through her head that Mason isn’t good for her. I don’t want her to be abused too.” I wiggled my toes and gulped. “I think that might be good. You can tell me if she seems different.”

I knew Melissa wouldn’t say anything about being used by him. She was a headstrong girl and didn’t take anyone’s s**t … but she seemed different with Mason. Like he had a magical d**k for her or something.

“Are you sure?” Serena asked. “I’ll go get coffee with her. But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to be friends with her again. How could I trust her with Damien if she did that to you?”

I sighed and rested my head against her shoulder. She had a point. At least Melissa wouldn’t try to come on to my man now. I smirked and wrinkled my nose. Okay, not my best joke, but still funny.

“Mason has been texting me,” I said.

She sat up and widened her eyes. “Are you being serious? What a sicko.”

“If you go out with her, tell her. I have screenshots.”

She giggled and lay back down. “Of course you do.”

After a few moments of silence, I said, “They moved my mom from the hospital to St. Barbars yesterday.”

My stomach felt light with butterflies. I hadn’t had a chance to go see her, but I was so happy that she was getting better. It was a slow process, but it was happening. Her memory was still shot. She didn’t remember that I had visited her the day before, and it made me sad, but James kept up a happy attitude, which was more than helpful.

“Yay!” Serena said. “That’s amazing news!”

I smiled. “I think she’s going to do better there. She has someone else in her life now who will keep her strong. And she’s not living in that disgusting assisted living place anymore.”

“You think she’s getting it on with James?” Serena asked, giggling.

I playfully slapped her on her shoulder and stared up at the ceiling. “Ew.”

“What? She’d better be getting it. That woman has been through hell.”

My nose scrunched up, yet I let out a soft laugh. James seemed like a great guy and had been visiting her quite often. I wouldn’t doubt that they’d done something together, but in the hospital? I shivered. Goodness, I hoped not. I lay in the same bed as her some days.

My phone buzzed, and I lifted it to see Michael’s name.

Michael: Want to visit your mother at St. Barbars when I get off work?

I glanced over at Serena, who was smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey, go get your man. You don’t stay in this honeymoon phase forever.”

Victor and Damien started yelling from the living room about a video game that they couldn’t seem to win.

She glanced over at the door and let out a laugh. “I have my hands full here, anyway.”