Safe Harbor (Scoops Series Book 1), page 15
“Yeah, okay,” Blake said wistfully, watching him walk away.
Melanie finished up her filling and walked over to where Blake stood, leaning her elbows against the counter, her eyebrows raised in his direction.
“That’s Zach,” Blake whispered to her.
“He seems nice,” she said with a smile.
“My parents don’t know.”
“About Zach?”
“About…any of it.”
“Oh,” said Melanie, thinking through what to say next, but realizing it wasn’t her silence to fill.
“I actually haven’t told anyone yet,” Blake admitted quietly to her. “I noticed I liked guys almost eight years ago now, but never did anything about it. Until…”
“Until Zach.”
He nodded, looking at Melanie, his face full of expectation for what would come next. Like standing on the edge of a rock with a thirty-foot drop, wondering if he was ready to take the plunge.
“Are you ready to tell them?” Melanie asked.
“I’ve always thought I wasn’t, but now…I really want them to meet him.”
“So then do it,” she encouraged softly. “I mean, he’s probably the most handsome human I have ever seen in my entire life.”
“I know, it literally makes no sense to me.” His freckled face flushed once again.
“Why? You’re hilarious and fun to be around, but also a secret softie.” She nudged him back.
Blake looked out the window, watching as Zach walked down the Main Street sidewalk. “I know this is cliché, but remember the day that you saved me from the walk-in? I keep having nightmares about it.”
“Seriously? God, I’m going to hurt them.”
“No, not because of them,” he admitted. “Because I was locked in a closet that I couldn’t get out of. I don’t want to be locked in anymore.”
“Then don’t.”
Blake looked at her with such tenderness, it made her heart break. “This is your life, Blake,” Melanie reassured him. “You don’t have to live it to anyone else’s standards but your own. Why waste your time pleasing others when the life you want is right in front of you?”
The advice even surprised herself, realizing that maybe these were the words she also needed to hear.
Blake smiled shyly at her. “You’re so good at your job and you’re nice, it’s infuriating.”
“What are the little children gossiping about,” Jay asked, joining them up front, his Scoops hat backward on his head. Apparently, they were “little children” until they graduated from being newbies.
Melanie stood up straight. “Birthday Cake ice cream.”
“Seriously, that again? Blakey-boy, it’s disgusting.”
“Says the guy who likes Pistachio,” Blake jested.
The entire shop went silent. Melanie heard Rory take a dramatic breath in The War Room, then cackled like an evil witch as she charged to the front. “PISTACHIO?!”
“He’s lying,” Jay said coldly.
“Oh, no, I don’t think so,” Rory said, pointing a finger at him. “You’re acting like you got caught.”
“What are we all laughing about?”
Melanie twisted toward the counter, noticing Duncan was there. He was leaning against it, Leila glued to his side, rubbing his arm lazily.
“Depends, how do you feel about the Pistachio ice cream?” Melanie asked.
“It’s number 24 of 32,” Duncan said. “Surprisingly decent for Pistachio, but still terrible.”
“Wait, you’ve ranked all of them?” Blake asked.
“Five summers ago, I tried every flavor,” he said. “I found my old notebook with all of my ratings in it when I was looking for something to do that wasn’t just staring at a wall.”
“Wait, so what was number one?” Blake asked.
“Birthday Cake, obviously.”
“HA-HA!” Blake said, holding his hands up in triumph.
“You did that on purpose,” Jay said flatly.
“Sure didn’t,” Duncan said, chuckling a bit at the banter he was witnessing at Scoops. “Hey, Mel Mel, when do you get out?”
Her heart hammered in her chest. “Hopefully 10:30. It’s a weekday, shouldn’t be as busy.”
“Sick, so, wanna come to a party after?”
Jay shoved Melanie aside, sliding into Duncan’s view. “Did you just say party?”
Duncan nodded. “Wanna join us?”
“Are you kidding?!” Jay said, practically dancing with glee. “Dude, yes!”
“Calm down, tiger,” Rory said.
“You can all come. Just make sure my sister gets there, she can’t seem to escape ice cream boot camp these days.”
“Oh, we’ll make sure she’s there,” Jay said, throwing an arm around her shoulders like they were best friends.
“Ew, get your hands off her, who knows where they’ve been,” Rory quipped, pulling her away from his grasp. She chuckled, high-fiving Rory in front of Jay’s sulking face.
“I’ll text you the deets, Mel Mel?”
She nodded, watching the two of them walk away, Duncan’s hand curled around Leila’s waist.
A party. It was finally happening. Her stomach was in knots. She felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Jay looked at Melanie and Rory pointedly. “I want to be out of here at 10:15. Sharp.”
“That’s impossible,” Rory said. “Plus, dear lord, I have nothing to wear to this thing.”
“I mean, me neither,” Melanie said, looking down at her uniform, realizing she would be attending her first party in a Scoops shirt. Hopefully a clean one.
She saw Tyler come up behind Rory, touching her back softly. She turned and listened to whatever he had to say, nodding furiously.
“I’ll pick you guys up,” Tyler said, looking at Blake. “Want a ride as well?”
Blake nodded as he glanced down at his phone, texting someone, a shy smile on his face.
“10:15,” Jay said toward Tyler. “We’ll set a record for the shortest closing time. Even if we have to turn away a line.”
“You know we can’t do that,” Melanie said.
“Who are you, Calvin?” teased Jay. “He’s not here, so, uh, who cares?”
Melanie’s heart twisted. She did care.
Where was he?
Melanie flipped the sign to Closed at 10:10, taking a look around her. The place was…spotless. And all the candy and sauces were already filled.
Rory rolled the vacuum up front, plugging it into the wall. “He’s about to set a record for the shortest closing time.”
Melanie glanced back, noticing Jay furiously washing the dishes in the back, his eyes determined and focused. No fooling around, no singing off-key.
“Maybe we should start calling him army boy.” She chuckled. “What else is there to do?”
Rory shrugged, flicking on the vacuum. “Count the tips?”
She snatched both tip jars and went for the desk, counting out the bills and coins as Rory and Jay finished cleaning up Scoops. By the time she had three piles ready to hand out, the two of them were finished, and Jay was practically bouncing off the walls.
“It’s 10:16, where’s Tyler?” he asked impatiently.
“Did you check out back?” Rory asked.
Jay bolted for the door, opening it up and finding Tyler standing outside, his Jeep parked behind him. He wore a faded pair of jeans and a loose black T-shirt that still hugged his massive biceps tightly.
“You’re one minute late,” Jay taunted.
“I’ve been here since ten, wise ass.”
Melanie flicked off the lights as they left, and Rory locked the knob behind them before sliding the extra key underneath the door.
Jay went straight for the front, opening the door to find Blake sitting there with his usual devious smile, his red bouncy hair spiked wildly in all different directions.
“Blakey-boy, out,” Jay said.
Blake just smiled, flicking Jay off.
“Do you want to get to this party or not?” Tyler asked.
He rolled his eyes, climbing into the back next to Rory, who was now rifling through a duffel bag, Melanie on her other side. Tyler kicked the Jeep on and rolled it out of the Scoops parking lot, down Main Street.
“Okay, black, or florals?” Rory asked.
Melanie frowned. “Huh?”
“Right, why did I even ask,” Rory shook her head. “Florals. You practically have flowers coming out your ass.”
Jay belted out a laugh as Rory pulled a floral summer dress from her bag, handing it to Melanie. She grabbed a black dress for herself, then slipped off her Scoops shirt.
“Oh my god,” Blake said, his face crimson.
“Yeahhhh, take it offf!” Jay whistled.
“Bras are basically bathing suit tops, stop freaking out,” she said, slipping the silky black dress over her head and pulling it below her hips and thighs. She then shimmied out of her shorts, shoving them back in the bag and grabbing a pair of black leather sandals.
“Where did you get these?” Melanie asked.
“Tyler stopped by my place.” She shoved the rest of her Scoops uniform into the bag. “We’re neighbors. He has a key to my house, offered to grab us a few things.”
She glanced up at the rearview mirror to get a look at Tyler. She noticed how he kept sneaking peeks at Rory as she got ready.
“Okay,” Rory said, finally sitting still. “Your turn.”
Melanie flushed. “I’m not taking off my shirt in front of everyone.“
“Why not?” Jay teased, leaning over to look at her. “It’s just like a bathing suit.”
Rory shoved him hard as Tyler pulled onto a dirt road that winded down to a sprawling beach house along the river. Cars were haphazardly parked, and she couldn’t find Duncan’s car in the sea of vehicles.
Once they were parked, Rory pulled Melanie behind the tree and helped her get ready, tying the bow of the floral dress as she twirled her hair into a braid.
“Crap, your shoes,” Rory said, looking down at her pair of filthy Converse. Even after trying to clean them, they still had faint stains from various syrups and rainbow jimmies.
Melanie shrugged. “I doubt anyone at this party is going to notice.”
“Says the girl who still hasn’t been kissed,” Rory teased, holding up a pair of hoops to Melanie’s ears, nodding, then gesturing for her to put them on.
Her stomach turned, realizing she hadn’t told Rory the truth yet. “Uh, well—”
“Are you two done yet?!” Jay called out rather impatiently.
“Oh my god, chill OUT,” Rory yelled, holding her back and assessing her work. “Decent, let’s go.”
She looped her arm through Melanie’s as the five of them walked up to the house, music already booming from twenty feet away.
“I feel like I’m going to be sick,” Blake admitted.
“And you haven’t even started drinking yet,” Jay jaunted, nudging his side.
Melanie exhaled. The thought of drinking really didn’t excite her. As they walked through the entrance of the house, she heard a massive cheer as Duncan pummeled toward them, lifting Melanie up into a tight hug.
“Mel Mellll!”
He swirled her around, swaying slightly and almost dropping her to the floor. Tyler lifted up a hand to steady Duncan as he placed her back down.
“Shots!”
Duncan charged into the kitchen with Jay eagerly following behind, the rest of the Scoopers at his heels.
She stepped into the kitchen where Duncan was already handing out fluorescent green cups to each of them, a clear liquid swirling around at the bottom that smelled like gasoline.
“We’re supposed to drink this?” Melanie whispered to Rory.
“Just pour it down your throat,” Rory said softly back. “Helps if you plug your nose.”
She nodded, watching as Duncan added a heavy pour to his cup before lifting it to all of them in a cheers. Everyone followed, then tipped their own cups back.
She hesitated, the smell of the drink already making her want to vomit. It didn’t make any sense to her why people would drink this for fun. But with Duncan’s eyes boring into her with such enthusiasm, Melanie knew she didn’t really have another option. She pinched her nose and poured the drink down her throat, the burning causing her to cough viciously.
Duncan shrieked in delight, throwing an arm around her as he poured her another one. “Mel Mel, we finally did it! We’re at a party together!”
Leila appeared in the kitchen, touching Duncan’s arm. “They’re here.”
“Oh, shoot,” he said, placing the big bottle of vodka down on the counter. He smirked at Melanie. “Boyfriend duties, be right back.”
“B-boyfriend?” Melanie asked breathlessly.
Duncan smiled, teeth and all. “Officially off the market, Mel Mel!”
She smiled back at him as he left the kitchen, looking down at the very large shot that Duncan just poured her. She frowned. “This stuff is awful.”
“Sure is,” said Rory, reaching over with a bottle of fruit punch and pouring some in her cup. “Sugar makes it better.”
“Sugar makes everything better.”
Tyler tapped Rory on the shoulder as she poured. “Hey, you look nice.”
“Oh my god, thank you, you’re a lifesaver,” Rory said, reaching around and hugging Tyler from the side. “We would look like the hot mess express without you.”
Melanie looked up at his face, noticing the way it lit up when Rory hugged him. She discreetly lifted an eyebrow in his direction, noticing him bristle at her gesture. She smiled slyly back at him as she took a sip of her drink. Even with the fruit punch, it was still horrible.
“Jay’s about to do a keg stand, wanna go watch?” Tyler asked.
“Oh, absolutely.” Rory giggled, grabbing Melanie’s hand and pulling her toward the back porch.
She held her drink in her hand for the majority of the night, pretending to take sips, but not actually letting any of it touch her lips. She realized that if she just carried around a cup with liquid in it, people were stupid enough to think she was drinking. Duncan included.
At some point in the night, he sloshed over to her, his eyes drooping and his gait sloppy as he plopped down on the couch next to Melanie, the cushions bouncing underneath him. He leaned into her, his breath a mixture of stale beer and a side of vodka. “Mell Melllllllll.”
She smiled tightly, patting his knee. “How you doing, Dee?”
“Ssss-so good. Sooo happy you’re here.”
It made her want to cry. She looked away, trying to fight back the tears in her eyes. She loved having him again like this, being a part of his life, talking to him regularly…even finding out that he has a girlfriend now. But she wondered if it was all worth it. Was it worth seeing him like this? Having to endure the drunkenness just to have access to her brother again?
Her eyes glossed over the room in front of her, noticing a lot of the other kids doing the same thing. Chugging drinks, cheering, drunkenly stumbling around the house. The whole scene made her anxious. Was everyone like Duncan when it came to alcohol? Was she the one who wasn’t normal about it?
She looked at her brother who was now leaning his head against her shoulder, falling asleep. Her heart hammered in her chest as she started patting his cheek, panicking. “Dee, wake up.”
He grumbled.
“Dee, don’t fall asleep, wake up,” she said, looking around the room. “Maybe it’s time to take you home.”
“I don’t have the car,” he mumbled, barely clear enough for her to understand. “No keys, remember?”
Shit. She noticed Leila slinking up to them, a wide smile on her face, clearly oblivious to the state her boyfriend was in. “Leila,” Melanie said, her voice sounding as panicked as she felt. She didn’t care. “Duncan, he’s falling asleep, what if—”
“Chill out, sister friend,” she said, reaching over to stroke Melanie’s hair like a cat. “I’ll take him upstairs, he can sleep it off.”
“Um,” she said, looking at Duncan, a tightness rising in her throat. “Will you keep an eye on him?”
“Of course,” she said, her smile distant. “I got him, sweetheart.”
Leila lifted him from the couch, patting his butt before disappearing.
Melanie sat there frozen for a moment, realizing she wanted out. Now.
She started searching the house, looking for Rory or any of the Scoopers. But after a few rounds around the party, she went from panicked to petrified. She couldn’t find any of them.
She checked the back porch one last time and found Jay talking to some tall blonde, his arm curled low around her waist. “Jay, thank god, where are they?”
He bristled, his shoulders tightening as his face darkened. “No idea, those losers bailed.”
“B-bailed?”
“Yeah, I don’t know, whatever.” A look flitted across his eyes that made it pretty clear he cared more than he was letting on. Before Melanie could ask, he turned back to the blonde next to him, focusing all his attention on her. She knew enough to know she was being dismissed.
Her hands were shaking as she left the house, heading for the tree where Tyler’s car was parked.
But it wasn’t there. It was gone.
“Oh god.” She felt herself crumbling as tears flowed down her cheeks. Duncan was passed out, and she had no way of getting home. She walked toward the street and sat down on the curb, curled her legs into her arms, and sobbed.
Then, a rogue thought popped into her mind. Calvin.
She knew she shouldn’t do it. He clearly canceled on his shift because something important came up. But as she sat there on the side of the road, she realized she didn’t have many other options. Calling her parents would be a nightmare, and Duncan wasn’t even supposed to be here in the first place. It pained her, knowing how pathetic she was for not having anyone else to call. And she had absolutely no idea how Calvin would feel after knowing the truth. About her, and her family, and Duncan.
But…she didn’t think she had any other choice. So she took a deep, uneven breath, and dialed his number.
He answered on the second ring. She heard a screen door swinging shut in the distance on his end as he spoke. “Hello?”
