Page 116 of Stroked Hard
“Car accident?” Melony asks on question.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was not how I wanted Melony to find out. I turn to Holly who doesn’t look happy. Yup, she thought I already told her.
When the accident happened, we kept everything quiet, for the most part, as best as we could, not wanting to draw media attention for obvious reasons. So I can understand Melony’s confusion.
My worst nightmare comes true when Holly continues. “I was paralyzed from the waist down in a head-on collision with a tree. Damn thing totally branched us,” Holly jokes, getting a smile from Melony. I, on the other hand, hold my breath, hating every second of this. “Hollis over here has been harboring guilt over the entire thing because he was the one driving.”
My mom gasps and I see her hand fly to her mouth.
Shit. Fuck. Hell. Fuck. All of the above times one thousand. What the hell, Holls?
“Son, you never told us this,” my dad says.
“We don’t have to talk about this right now,” I suggest, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.
“No, we are a family, and we discuss these things,” my mom adds. “Everyone makes mistakes, honey. Some more costly than others, but Holly would never hold animosity toward you over what happened.”
“I haven’t,” Holly adds. “Just don’t ever look at your phone when driving, ever again.” I know she’s teasing but it still stings.
“You were texting and driving?” Melony asks, her voice uncertain.
My dad kisses the top of my head and leans over me to speak to Melony. “We all do stupid things, Melony, but it’s how we rise from them that defines us.” Turning to me, he speaks sincerely. “You’ve punished yourself enough. Holly is an incredible diving coach, and is changing the world with the motivation she’s able to instill in others. It’s a blessing in disguise. She’s helping others, a trait she was born to do. Isn’t that right, baby?”
“It is. I am more fulfilled now than ever. In a funny way, I kind of have to thank you.”
Melony is silent while my family shines praises me, telling me how I’m a good person, how I am an amazing brother for sharing my goals with Holly. How I am a good example of rising from the ashes and moving forward. There is so much praise, hugs, and kisses coming my way that I’m overwhelmed, so fucking overwhelmed that I don’t notice Melony slowly sinking further and further inside herself.
Fuck me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
MELONY
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Melony. When we are all back in the States, you must come over for dinner. Marion makes a wonderful teriyaki chicken with pineapple that will blow your mind,” Al, the jolly man, says.
“Sounds wonderful.”
I smile at Hollis’s family, say my goodbyes, and wave one last time as they depart from our little circle.
Without skipping a second, Hollis forces me to look up at him and asks, “Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
As a woman, you can never say fine and believe a man who cares is actually going to let you get away with that little one-worded answer. Never works, no matter how many times we try it. And shocker, it doesn’t work now.
“Where’s your hotel? We need to talk.”
That’s exactly what I don’t want to do. I feel incredibly nauseated from everything that I want to slink away, and forget this night ever happened.
They love him. They love him with every bone in their body.
They are proud of him.
They can’t stop speaking of him, of both of them, of the product they were able to create.
They cried when saying goodbye.
They said goodbye.
