Through Thick And Thin

Chapter 6

Sky winced as she glanced at the bruises forming on Melody's arm as the latter changed into something more comfortable. The welts would definitely be worse in the morning, and there wasn't much Sky could do.

It wasn't the bruises that had Sky worried, however. It was Melody's emotional state. She hadn't spoken a word since they arrived home. It was unsettling to Sky because normally, Melody would trash the hell out of Joshua Ray's name when she felt anger towards him. This silent Melody was unexpected.

A knock at the front door reminded Sky that she'd told David to come over. She glanced at Melody, whose eyes were widened fearfully.

"It's just David," Sky reassured her.

Melody visibly relaxed and nodded, so Sky went to open the door.

David walked in, relieved to see that the girls were pretty much unharmed.

"What happened?" he asked as Sky closed the door and locked it.

"It's a long story, and to be honest not really mine to tell," Sky said. "The short version is Melody's ex boyfriend is a horrible human being and is crazy on top of it all."

"Crazy like he stalks her?" David asked.

"Crazy as in he tried to kill me."

Sky and David turned and saw Melody sitting on the couch, looking utterly depressed.

"He's a criminal. He did...does bad shit. We did bad shit...it wasn't all him. But that's a long story within itself. He started to hit me all the time, so I left him. But since I knew too much about his business, he wanted me to die. I almost did, but I got lucky," she said. "I needed four surgeries on my stomach. They had to drill holes in my skull, so they could relieve pressure on my brain. I had to re-learn how to walk properly, use my arms and legs at the same time. It was the most grueling and traumatizing experience of my life."

David exhaled quickly.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said. "Truly."

Melody just shrugged.

"I'm over that. I'm just trying to figure out what he wants now," she said.

"Well, from now on, you're not going to be alone," Sky said. "Tell your boss in the morning what's going on, and to keep a lookout. I'll drive you to work, I'll pick you up or get Michael to."

"I can, too," David said.

"No," Melody replied. "No offense but I don't want you in the middle of this."

"No offense," David shot back. "But I didn't exactly ask. You guys need all the help you can get."

"He's right, Mels," Sky said. "We really could."

"Fine," Melody said. She looked up at Sky. "Then I get to ask someone to come help too."

Sky knew who she meant and groaned.

"No," she said.

"Yes," Melody insisted. "Come on, Sky. He and Michael are the only men I can trust right now. No offense," she said to David.

"None taken," he said.

Sky sighed as she looked at Melody's pleading eyes. Her gaze drifted down to the bruises and her mind was instantly made up.

"Okay," she conceded. She could put aside her crap for Melody.

David stood up and sighed.

"I'm going to head to the house," he said. "If yall need anything, you have my number. Goodnight, ladies."