The Italian's proposal

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Timothy

Timothy was on his way to Melody’s parents’ house; it was the only place he hadn’t looked for. He had called her countless times on her cell phone, wasting time dialing, knowing she wasn’t going to answer.

She was tired of him and his attitude and he knew it.

“Sir,” it was Clark, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized they were already in front of Melody’s parents’ house.

The detective had done the job right.

She was there, she hasn’t been out all afternoon, not even to the porch.

“Shall I wait for you or come back for you later?” he didn’t know what the answer to that question would be either.

“Wait for me,” how about Melody refused to see him, she had her reasons. He screwed up big time. And Equilay Thompson’s Bahamas account confirmed it. He has been stupid, blinded by Gia’s infidelity and betrayal, he judged Melody without listening to her.

Now she was gone.

An innocent in a world full of bullets in the air.

She was hit by one, and unfortunately, Timothy was the one who pulled the trigger and sentenced.

“No,” he regretted. “Go. I’ll call you when we’re done.” He wasn’t going to leave without her.

He always had been known for being a confident man, but at that moment, with the documents the detective handed him half an hour earlier, he didn’t even know how to walk safely and calmly.

Regret and guilt were two things he never felt before, at least not to this magnitude.

He called Hamlet, asking for Devina’s number, which his cousin didn’t like, as he knew they didn’t get along, but in the end, Timothy was forced to confess that he screwed up big time.

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“Did you find her yet?” was the first thing she said when Hamlet put her on the phone.

“No. But you were right.”

“I usually am,” he imagined her smiling complacently, she was tremendous, that woman.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Admitting it hadn’t cost him as much as he imagined.

The truth was, if he was responsible for hurting Melody, it was appropriate to be just as responsible for apologizing and begging for her forgiveness.

He did not see himself as a man who would kneel before anyone, but neither did he see himself as one who would mistreat and hurt.

The last one already did.

It cost him nothing to kneel if necessary.

“The first thing is to talk to her, go over to her and tell her that you know she wasn’t the one who stole the money,” she told him after a while with the line silent.

“You make it too easy; don’t you remember how she beat you up for thinking I sent you?” she didn’t want to imagine what it would do to him if he didn’t tread lightly.

“It’s not that I forgot, it’s that she acted out of how we conditioned her. I realize this now.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” Devina seemed to have all the time in the world, whereas he, needed to figure everything out now. He was a pragmatic man of action, not one to make a mess and walk away without sorting it out.

“You accused her of stealing from you, of planning something as ugly as a three-million-dollar embezzlement, I tried to help her by giving her the money,” she sighed and continued. “I influenced her to believe you were trying to blame her even more. Melody didn’t see it as help, she saw it as a ploy to prove her dignity and her sincerity. Not as an escape, which was what I was looking for.”

“You wanted her to leave me?” he didn’t understand why Devina had stepped in where no one called her.

“She’s an innocent woman, I saw it in her eyes. She’s a kid, at least she thinks no one’s doing any harm. She only recently realizes that her brother-in-law, who she believed in for years, stole from you.” Looking from that way, he only managed to feel like Satan himself, like a deplorable being. He thought of the restaurant and how he gave her Equilay Thompson’s statement and how he smiled at her all smug and wild. “She hardly realizes what the world is like. Did you ever stop to think how hard it must be to be pregnant and exiled by your own parents? I didn’t have anyone growing up to take care of me after my grandmother died. Not until I met my sister, not until I came into a good home and was adopted.”

“I didn’t know that about you, I’m sorry that...” he didn’t even know what to say to her.

“These are things of the past. What I want you to understand is that you must be empathetic, put yourself in her place, understand her or at least try to,” she said something to Hamlet and then went

back to him. “I know you like her, if you weren’t attracted to her, you wouldn’t be screwing your brains out so much to seek her forgiveness. For that alone I give you the vote of doubt.”

“Gee thanks,” he said sarcastically.

“Don’t hurt her. Go and listen to her. Tell her you screwed up, tell her you’re sorry and hopefully, hopefully, you’ll get her to forgive you,” she said goodbye and left him a little more at ease.

But now, as he stood in front of the house, the uncertainty returned.

If she wanted to hit him with a broom, so be it.

He got out of the car and watched Clark drive away, a part of him wanted to leave with him, take refuge in his penthouse and carry on as if nothing happened. But the part that contained his integrity, his remorse, and his attraction to Melody, kept him from leaving.

“Good evening,” he said when Melody’s mother opened the door for him. He recognized her, since the report given by the detective was extensive.

And from the look on the woman’s face, she knew who he was, too.

“Hello, it’s nice to finally meet you,” she said and stepped aside, making way for him, which he was curious about. He hadn’t expected such a simple and cordial reception.

Maybe some banging with frying pans and broomsticks.

“Tea, coffee or wine?” she asked after inviting him to sit down.

Lydia Redford’s cordiality surprised him to the extreme, he tried to behave as affable as possible, but it was impossible for him not to feel missed.

The house was cozy and elegant. A set of traditional mahogany furniture adorned the living room, giving it a contemporary and classic style, there were photographs of Melody and her sister as children, all the way up to their teenage years. He focused on Melody automatically, her face hadn’t changed a bit. She was smiling at the camera with all her teeth, even though she wore braces and her bangs on her forehead messed up in almost every picture. She was a happy child.

He stood, as Melody’s mother watched him, he was used to people’s stares on him, he grew up as the son of influential people, both, in Italy and in Manhattan and most of the world. His last name opened doors for him, but it also made everyone see him as a frivolous and unapproachable person.

And he was.

He realized now how petulant he was.

After discovering Gia’s infidelity, he lost his essence and charisma.

That was why Devina judged him so harshly. Because in her eyes, he was a cold and emotionless guy.

That’s how he let himself appear to the world.

“My Melody is a beautiful woman, always has been. I hope you can settle your differences tonight. I’ve always told her she should stop making such a big deal out of everything,” he realized at once to whom Melody came out so talkative, for, although he was her daughter’s fiancé, in truth, Lydia Redford didn’t know him to be saying such things.

“I find it amusing the way Melody communicates,” but he found it unnecessary to let her mother paint her as a drama queen.

“You say it like it’s a good thing. It’s not a good thing to be constantly drowning in a glass of water.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” he was beginning to think the woman wanted to tell him something else, but Melody’s father came out of one of the rooms at that moment and stared at him.

“Timothy Giannato, nice to meet you Mr. Redford,” he decided to take the first step and approach.

He had no idea what Melody said about him at his parents’ house, he hoped not so much that his father would cut him down with a razor. The report said he was a surgeon, and one of the best in Manhattan.

But something did not fit in all that, as it seemed as if the family was a jewel of union and love, that made him question why Melody left her parents’ house, even more, because being pregnant she did not have health insurance, being her father a doctor and her mother a teacher of letters.

“Charles Redford, Melody’s father,” the man shook his hand for a second and released him as he looked at his wife. “Did you offer Timothy something to drink?”

“Yes,” she said blushing, though she had been more amused, spreading uncertainty in him, than trying to be a good hostess.

“Tea is fine,” he said as he agreed to sit down. “Where’s Melody? I need to talk to her.”

“She’s taking a shower. You came at a good time, we are having a family dinner, since you will be my youngest daughter’s husband, the least we can do is invite you to dinner, so we can get to know each other,” Melody’s father sounded more like an accusation and challenge than an invitation. But he deserved all that.

The way they both behaved, it gave him to understand that Melody hadn’t rant at him or told him what kind of relationship they were starting to have.

Another detail that made him feel even worse.

She wasn’t looking to sow hatred in others at the thought of him, though it was well deserved.

“Thanks, but I don’t think I can stay long,” he just wished he could talk to Melody alone and be able to start from scratch with her.

“Dad, do you know where I can get my...?” the question died on her lips at the sight of him. Her eyes went from calm to immediately on guard.

He never saw her look so damned beautiful. She wore a flowered long-sleeved dress a little below her thighs, her white skin stood out attractively. Her black hair fell loose on either side of her face and down to her breasts. She was wearing white tights, which came down to her knees, with a bunny face on her knees. He noticed her eyes; they were bloodshot and cursed himself for being a bastard to her.

“Timothy,” the energy in the room grew heavy and it wasn’t just him who noticed.

“Mel, daughter. Timothy came to talk to you. We’ll leave you alone,” Charles looked at him and the threat was implied in his eyes, but he still said staring at him. “Be incredibly careful with my daughter. She’s had enough.”

“I don’t mean to hurt her,” and he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

“I hope so. Because money doesn’t matter to me, none of my family members care how rich you are, my daughter doesn’t deserve to be treated with disdain.”

“Dad...” Melody walked up to them and put a hand on her father’s back. “Leave us alone for a moment, we’ll be on the porch. It’ll be all right.”

He felt like a phony standing in front of Melody’s parents, when hours before, he thought their daughter was a wretch.

“We’ll be in the kitchen, your mother told me your sister is coming for dinner,” Melody didn’t look at her mother, but it didn’t take it for him to realize something was going on there. Melody looked at him without fear and walked to the front porch of the house.

It was surrounded by a relatively low wall, made of brick, Melody sat there and looked at him with her left eyebrow raised.

“First of all,” he said sitting down next to her and leaving the envelope on top of the wall, with the documents that contained all the family information of Equilay and Melody herself, bank accounts of both and the proof that her brother-in-law kept the money in an account in the Bahamas. He felt her warmth and smelled her scent of wildflowers. That smell he could never forget. “Did you eat?”

She looked at him quizzically and wrinkled her brow. Her big gray eyes were undaunted. She was strong. One of the strongest women he knew, taking care of a child alone, never minding that the father was absent, shouldn’t be easy. He didn’t know the root of her relationship with that guy, he didn’t care about it either. It irritated him just to think of another man being with her, and that surprised him.

“What?”

“I heard you didn’t eat. You left without lunch,” he replied taking her hand. She tried to let go, but he didn’t let her. “Look at me Melody, look me in the eyes and believe me when I say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for judging you lightly and not listening to you when you said you didn’t do it.”

She stopped struggling and stare at him.

“You...”

“I believe you. I know you had nothing to do with the three-million-dollar robbery.”

“But this morning...you believed...” she let out a sob and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Easy,” he wrapped one of his arms around her and held her there, close to his chest. “Sorry... I’m sorry. I really am. I don’t care what you ask, I’ll give you anything, but I want you to know that I know I was a bastard, and I don’t deserve you to help me, or to marry me. I don’t deserve to have you even as a friend,” he knew he was babbling, but once he started, he felt he couldn’t stop. “I don’t deserve anything from you.”

She lifted her head and turned away as if Timothy burned.

“You think you can just apologize and that’s it? That everything will be fine? Our engagement was in the paper! It was a secret between you and me. No press. Have you seen everything they say about me? That I’m a freeloader and a slut? You did that!” she began to draw in a forced breath, and Timothy worried about her well-being. “You feel good, telling me you’re willing to give me anything, don’t you? That’ s got your conscience clear. “

“No, cara mia. I don’t...” she stood up from the wall and folded her arms. “Don’t be like that...”

“Don’t be like what? You come to my house because you realize you fucked up. Looking for me to forgive you, after you kidnap me and force me to live with you, because you don’t trust my word, because you didn’t think I was really marrying you.”

“Your brother-in-law set you up! I fell for it! I told you I’m sorry!” he got up too and tried to approach her, but Melody moved several steps away. “I realized you were just an innocent in all this. That’s why I’m here.”

“You set me up with your sister-in-law!” she shrieked under her breath. She walked towards him and without giving him time to stop the blow, she slapped him across the face. “You don’t deserve my forgiveness! I’m all over the press because of you damn it, now everyone sees me as a freeloader.”

“I didn’t do that,” he defended himself as he put his hand on the side where she hit him. Truth be told, with such small hands, it was surprising how much pain she could cause. But he had it coming, that and more. “I didn’t do the publication.”

“I know it wasn’t you,” she acknowledged, “it was your ex. It was that Gia person. Don’t ask me how I know, but I know.”

“You’re very smart Melody. Thank you for not thinking it was me.”

“That doesn’t take the guilt off you. Don’t be happy about it.”

“It doesn’t matter. But I want you to know she won’t be bothering you anymore. I’ve took care of that.”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles. Not you, not anyone.”

“I didn’t fight your battles. She wanted to hurt you, and as a result, she picked on me. I’m not going to let you get hurt that way.”

“No one can hurt me. Only you, right?”

“Melody,” while accepting her anger, he couldn’t help but think that her behavior was influenced by something else. He didn’t know her completely, but he knew something, other than her situation with him, was wrong.

“I thought it could work you know,” she wiped away her tears and continued speaking slowly and quietly, looking out the window, as if she didn’t want her parents to hear them. “I thought we could pull off your damn proposal. I didn’t want anything more from you, not even your money, I spent Sunday night thinking about what to ask you that was reasonable, in exchange for helping you. Even without knowing that you were going to collect such a millionaire inheritance. Because I’ve never cared about money.”

“I know...” he wanted to hug her, but she put her hands up, stopping him.

“No, you don’t. If you knew me, you wouldn’t judge me, you wouldn’t believe Equilay,” her lower lip trembled slightly, and he didn’t know what to do to comfort her.

Because he was the problem.

“Everyone believes him. To my family I’m the screw-up. The dramatic one. And you’re just like them.”

He didn’t know his heart was whole, until he met Melody.

He thought he lost all trace of feeling, when he found Gia with that man in the apartment. But seeing Melody, her eyes puffy, her gaze bright and looking at him like he was just another one of those hurting her, that proved to him that, yes, he did have a heart, and he just handed it over to that gray-eyed brunette without her even knowing it. She was too good for anyone, she was having a hard time, and he hadn’t helped in any way to make her life better.

Paula was right. She was sad and with good reason.

“Come,” he reached over and covered her with his arms. She began to struggle, but he wouldn’t let her be moved. She couldn’t. He wasn’t going to let Melody suffer any more, not if he could help it.

As long as he could, he would protect her from anything.

“It’ll be all right,” he told her putting his chin on her head and hugging her tight. He felt her wrap her arms around him a few seconds later.

“I’m tired,” he thought he had imagined it, but she said it again. “I’m so tired. I hate being a burden on my family, just because I didn’t abort like they wanted me to.”

“They don’t want you to have that baby?” he couldn’t believe that confession or the family he’d met minutes before.

“No one thinks I’m capable of taking care of it,” she murmured. He stroked her hair slowly, to calm her down. It was quite cold outside, and she was barefoot, even though she had her socks on, he worried about her health.

“Let’s go inside to warm you up. It won’t do you good this cold,” he found it easy to worry about her.

“No,” she turned her face up and looked at him sadly, “stay with me a little longer. I’m not ready to go in and see my mother’s eyes judging me.”

“Your mother is the one who wants you to have an abortion?” he couldn’t believe a parent would ask that of her own daughter. there was so much he didn’t know or understand about Melody.

“It’s complicated. But I’ve already realized it’s hopeless. I’ll always be a hopeless case to her.”

“You’re not a hopeless case Melody,” that she considered herself that way bothered him, as he realized the influence her mother had on her. “You’re a strong woman, who decided to have your child alone, I’m not interested in what’s going on with the father of your child. I’m not going to force you to tell me anything. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. I...” he wanted to tell her that he would be more than happy to take care of her and her child. While he didn’t love her, he knew he could grow to love her like no one else could. “I can...”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said interrupting him. “Just don’t go now. That’s enough for me. I’ve had too much for one day.”

“I’m not going away, cara mia. Non me ne andrò, sono completamente tuo,” he would be hers until she said otherwise and, even then, he sensed, he found the one he would love for life.

“What does that mean?” she asked without looking at him, pressing herself against his chest. He felt her small and fragile. “I don’t know Italian.”

“I’ll teach you,” he wasn’t ready to pronounce everything he felt for her at that moment. He had to be clear first as to whether his heart was involved or not. Even though his brain was screaming at him that she was who he needed to be whole and be himself again. “I’ll teach you anything you want.”

They stood in silence, held in each other’s arms like that, their hearts beating at the same quickened, full rhythm.

“Can you forgive me?”