Disco Balls and Plane Tickets
Chapter 18
Melissa: “I had the best time today,” I smiled as I started in his bright blue eyes. “Me too,” he sighed as our hands locked again and he pulled me in for a final embrace. “I wish you didn’t have to go,” I whispered. “I know, me too, but I’ll call you tonight when I get back from the meeting and we’ll talk about tomorrow, ok?” I nodded my head not looking up, instead examining the cross necklace he wore around his neck as I played with his rough, but soft fingers. I loved his hands. “Ok,” I felt his warm breath on my forehead as he pulled a stray hair from my eyes and let his hand dance on my check for a second. He tilted my face up to look in my eyes. “I love you,” he whispered and I felt that warm fuzzy feeling return to me and my pulse raced. “I love you too, Taylor.” I closed my eyes as our lips touched. When it was over, I held onto him a little longer, caught in his smell and the soft soothing lull of his heartbeat. I didn’t want to let go, but I knew I had to. “Well, I gotta go,” he said sadly as I felt him slip through my hands. “Bye,” we both seemed to say at the same time. He slid behind the glass door and as I walked off, I turned my head to see him go just as he mouthed the words, “I love you,” raising a hand to wave goodbye. I felt an emptiness at the loss of his presence, but at the same time the giddy feeling that comes with being in love. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent that still lingered in my clothes, Taylor’s scent. I sighed before snapping back to reality and leisurely made my way back up the stairs to the hotel room. I finally reached the door of room 246 and fished in my pockets for the key. Turning it in the lock, I gave it a little push and stood back after jumping a foot. I entered a room filled with laughter and the flash of white caused by flying pillowcases. “What in the…,” a look of confusion brushed my face along with a tiny grin as the all out war in the room didn’t cease. “Hold on,” I slammed the door and clumsily, threw my hands over my head, ducking with my eyes closed in an attempt to cross the war zone featherless. “Ouch!” My arm took a beating by a couch cushion Heather gripped tightly in one hand. “Sorry,” she laughed before they started beating the shit out of each other again. “Ok, care to be a bit quieter, I have a long distance call to make,” I yelled above the screaming, which didn’t really stop. “Fine,” I picked up the phone as if in defense and pointed it around the room, “anyone hits me and I’ll shove this so far up your….” Hearing my threat, Lillie turned and charged at me with a flimsy pillow, before being hit by Rachel with an even bigger pillow. As they fought over the fairness of the sizes of the three weapons at hand, I dialed the number, placing a collect call. So I heard the familiar voice I had been waiting a good part of the day to hear. “OMG! Melissa! I miss you so much,” Hillary’s voice cut in. “How’s Europe? Where are you now?” “It’s incredible, Hill! I’m calling from Venice! I’m having the time of my life! And guess who’d here too!” “Who,” Hillary questioned excitement building in her voice. “Taylor,” I giggled at the name that sent shivers down my spine, “he surprised me at a performance yesterday! Omg, Hill! I wish you were here! So, tell me what I’ve missed? How’s the weather in Atlanta? Has the heat killed you yet?” “Omg, Melissa! You’ll never believe what's been going on here! Right after you left, it was all over the Internet and the tabloids and those Hollywood gossip shows on TV….” I cut her off laughing, “Ok, who killed who? Cause I knew there was some tension between the Backstreet Boys and Nsync….” She laughed before practically screaming over the line, “Melissa! They know! They know all about you and Taylor! All the headlines read ‘Mysterious Angel Steals Pop Star’s Heart’! Melissa, people are talking all about it on those fan sites and it’s not pretty what they’re saying. Its kinda scary, Lissa. I’m just glad they haven’t found out where you live.” “Omg! You’re kidding!” I sat silent as I felt my chin drop to the floor in shock. “Does Taylor know,” I asked her, worried for him. “Yea,” she sighed, “I’ve been talking to Zac and he said they were both watching Entertainment tonight the other day and bam! There it was.” I sighed, speechless.
Chapter 19