Chapter Six

Melanie was currently at home telling her mother about Nick. Her mother nodded her head, "So I see… I thought you were dating, um…what is his name? Robert? Yeah, Robert!" Linda questioned. Melanie shook her head, "No mom! He's just a friend. Robert and I are still together."

"Okay… Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you lately… what's with the heavy makeup?" Linda asked.

Melanie noticeably tensed and cleared her throat, "Umm, what?"

"The makeup Mel."

Melanie played it off by acting confused and annoyed, "You're a makeup hater now??" She asked with an attitude.

"Of course not, but you've been putting a lot on lately… why the sudden need for that much foundation? You don't need it." The mother said confused as to why her daughter had a sudden desire for heavy makeup.

"I'm fine mom, I just like makeup. Maybe you haven't been paying attention because I've always put on the same amount." Melanie lied with an unreadable facial expression.

Her mother still felt like something was weird, but gave her a "if you say so' type look and went back to watching TV.

Just then Melanie was thinking about how Robert hasn't called her yet. She's been home for a while now and he hasn't called her yelling about something. Since he hasn't called, she decided to call him. After three rings he finally picked up," Hey Robby! I love the message you sent me this morning. It was so sweet." Melanie said in a dreamy voice. Robert nervously laughed a little before replying, "Y-Yeah! I'm glad you liked it. I would've called…b-but um…I'm busy." Robert said. Melanie was about to speak, but she heard Robert saying "sssssh!" to someone.

"Robert what are you doing?" Melanie asked curiously.

"Um, what did you say Mel?" Robert asked trying to play it cool.

Melanie runs her hand through her silky hair starting to get frustrated, "Who…Is…There?"

"Oh, um... It's just Lindsey. We're watching a movie. We haven't hung out in a while."

Melanie felt like something was wrong, but she swept it under the carpet as usual. Just like she does everything else.

"Oh…alright. You know…it's funny I've never met your friend before. Melanie says suspiciously.

"So, what? I've never met your friends either." He rebutted back.

If Robert was there she'd look at him like "Dude really?"

"If you care to remember darling, you don't let me have any friends." Melanie says getting frustrated.

Linda turns her head to Melanie and gives her a confused look. Melanie shakes her head and waves her mother off.

"Yeah well…. I gotta go babe Ok? Don't wanna talk during the whole movie,'' said Robert while dryly laughing.

"But I don't hear anything playing…?" Melanie questioned beginning to wonder if Robert is telling the truth.

"Oh, we didn't start it yet and Lindsey wants to hear it already so…" Robert said trying to hint that he needed to go.

Melanie took a big breath and let it go, "Alright, bye." Melanie said.

"Bye." He said and instantly hung up.

After they hung up Melanie went upstairs to take a bath while Robert was not watching a movie with his "friend"…

Robert turned back around to Lindsey and smirked, "Now, where were we?" He asked moving closer to the girl. She shook her head laughing, "She was always so naïve." She mumbled flipping her hair and lying down on the couch.

Robert laughed before smashing his lips onto hers.

It's next Tuesday and the last 7 days have been heavenly for Melanie. She and Nick have been getting a lot closer, Christina has been oddly too busy to bother Melanie lately, and although he's been busy also lately, Robert has been treating her like a queen in her opinion. He's been buying her jewelry, clothes, spending more time with her, hitting her less, in Melanie's eyes everything is pretty close to perfect right now, but not everything that glitters is gold…

Melanie did say yes to the Teen awareness event at Nick's church. The only reason she said yes is because she knows Nick see's she really doesn't go anywhere…so why would she say no to something like this? Plus, she's starting to believe that Robert is changing around for the better. So, she doesn't think very much will apply to her.

It's 5:00 and Linda and Bob went away for a week vacation, leaving Melanie alone. Linda's first plan was to take her daughter with them, but Bob didn't want Melanie to go. She was upset at first, but she didn't want to be stuck with him for a week neither. So, she told her mom it was alright to leave her alone.

Since she has nothing to do until tomorrow, she's at Robert's house listening to music and cuddling.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow?" Robert asked Melanie while playing with the ends of her silky hair.

"I'm going to um, an event with a friend tomorrow at a church." Melanie says trying to walk her way around telling Robert she's going to an abuse awareness event with Nick. Those two things together would not make him a happy camper.

"Going with whom? What kind of event Melanie?" Robert asks while kissing her forehead.

Melanie starts to become nervous, "Just a new girl I met…. and she didn't tell me in detail… She just thought I'd like to hang out with her, so I said yes." Melanie says then smiles at the end.

He hums in response and continues to play with her hair and talk about random things and relax.

As they were relaxing, Nick was currently at his house arguing with his mother.

Nick groans and sighs heavily because his mother is not listening to him, "Mom, I'm telling you! That dude is hurting her! I see bruises on her sometimes; she avoids conversations of that boyfriend of hers. When I mentioned the abuse thing at our church her eyes went wide as golf balls. It took her daayys to answer me!" Nick said raising his voice at his mother. He is getting frustrated.

Monica sighs and puts her head in her hands before speaking up, "Honey, calm down ok? I know you're worried about her, but I don't see any signs. Her smile is bright as the sun, she's beautiful, never depressed, from what you tell me a straight A and B, rarely C, student! I don't know what you are seeing honey…" Monica states.

"People can play happy real good mom. When I asked her if she could go to the event she almost slipped up and said, I have to ask my boy- I MEAN mother".

Monica nods her head," Well all I can say is be there for her and make sure she goes tomorrow and listens." Monica says to her son.

"Oh, I will."

Later that day:

It's now 9:00 and Melanie is starting to think it's time for her to go home.

Melanie let's out a big yawn and turns over on the couch to face Robert and talk," I'm gonna go home babe. It's getting late." Melanie says then pecked his forehead. She was getting ready to get up, but he held her in his arms tightly, "I would rather like it if you stayed baby." Robert mumbled while planting wet kisses down her neck and rubbing her sides. She's not going to lie, it kind of felt nice, but she knows her body is worth more, and she told him already that sex was not going to happen until she's married.

"Robert, I told you before-" Melanie's sentence was cut off by Robert's lips. He started to kiss her and she did kiss back, but he started rubbing her stomach and his hands began to travel near her chest area. That's when she came to realization and stopped it.

"Robert! I said no! How many times do I have to say this?" She asked hurt that he even has the nerve to keep pushing her to do something she said no to multiple times. You're supposed to respect the people you love. Robert's face flushed red and his squeezed knuckles turned white. "Well I say yes." He said as Robert forced Melanie on the couch roughly. The teenage girl instantly became frightful and starts thrashing around helplessly. "Robby stop!! Robby stop!!"