Page 8 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Melanie

I t had been over twelve hours since the kiss and Melanie still hadn’t been able to fully process it or her decision to abruptly leave after it happened.

She felt guilty for leaving Cameron so quickly, but the fact Dylan was so close to possibly catching them had scared her.

Melanie knew Cameron was very particular about not letting her family life overlap with her love life.

Granted, Melanie knew better than anyone that Cameron didn’t have much of a love life to worry about.

Not that Melanie had any room to talk. She was basically only legally married at this point. Melanie didn’t love Rob, not like she used to or how she knew she should. Rob deserved better than what Melanie could give him.

And now that Melanie had kissed Cameron, she had all the more reason to want to end her marriage. Because there was no way she could go the rest of her life not kissing Cameron again.

“Thanks again for letting me stay here.”

“Anytime,” Palmer smiled at Melanie as they stood at the kitchen island, sipping coffee. “I’m just honored you chose my place to crash after you finally kissed Cameron.”

“Don’t start again.” Melanie rolled her eyes, thinking back to when she’d showed up the night before on Palmer’s doorstep.

Palmer had opened the door in a sweatshirt and shorts with her dark blonde hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She put her hand on her hip as she narrowed her eyes slightly at Melanie.

“What did you do?”

“I kissed Cam.”

“Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah.” Melanie walked past Palmer and into her house. She plopped down on her couch as Palmer sat on the other side. “I was just getting ready to leave her house, and then suddenly something came over me.”

“Hormones.”

“Or alcohol.”

“They’re a dangerous combination.” Palmer pulled her legs up under her, turning toward Melanie. “So, what does this mean?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you two not talk about it?”

“No, Palmer,” Melanie dramatically groaned, “I left in a rush because her daughter was coming down the stairs.”

“So you just left? Melanie, why?” Palmer whined. “That’s not how you get the girl. You can’t kiss her then leave her with no explanation.”

“Well, excuse me for not reading the manual on how to kiss your best friend.”

Melanie’s comment had made them both laugh as they drank a glass of wine and talked until the early hours of the morning.

Palmer had been at Taylor Memorial Hospital for a few years, having transferred from a hospital in New Jersey.

She and Melanie had become quick friends and often worked together with patients.

As the labor and delivery nurse, Melanie often helped deliver the babies before Palmer stepped in as the postpartum nurse.

They made a great team, and Melanie was glad for a new friend.

Even when that friend was very opinionated about what Melanie should do about Cameron.

“All I’m saying is that I fully support you and Cam being a couple.”

“And I’m sure my husband would agree.” Melanie rolled her eyes as a silence settled between them. Biting the inside of her cheek, Melanie sighed. “Did I tell you I called Blaire Anderson?”

Palmer’s brown eyes grew wider. “The hot lawyer?”

“Yeah.”

“No, you left that detail out.”

“Well, I did. A few weeks ago. Before anything happened with Cameron. Well, not anything .”

“Was it after the infamous New Year’s Eve almost kiss?”

“Perhaps.”

“Girl,” Palmer smirked, “I knew then it was the beginning of the end.”

Melanie put a hand on her hip, waiting for Palmer to continue.

“The end of you and Rob and the beginning of you and Cam.”

“Well, both of those are still pending currently. I have to take care of one before the other. I’m not one to cheat, even if Rob does.”

The friends had talked the night before about the picture on Rob’s phone and they perhaps stalked Janet more on social media.

She seemed like a perfectly nice woman and if anything, Melanie hoped she could make Rob happier than she could.

Melanie knew it was probably a weird thought to have, but she couldn’t change how she felt.

“That’s why you’re one of the good ones, Mel.” Palmer winked at her, picking up her thermos of coffee and holding it up. “I’d love to keep chatting about your love life, but I’m gonna be late for work if I don’t head out now.”

“Go. Go. I’m sorry for keeping you. I should head home too and check on Hank and Lucy.”

“You know you’re welcome here anytime.” Palmer kissed her cheek before they headed out the front door together. “I love you. Keep me posted.”

“I will. Love you, too.”

Since she hadn’t planned on being out all night, Melanie was wearing the same clothes she’d had on the night before.

Not that she was worried anyone would notice.

As she pulled into the driveway, she sighed at the sight of Rob’s car in the garage.

Melanie parked her car beside his before heading inside.

Her pets instantly greeted her with wagging tails and she kissed each of them on the head.

“Hey, my babies. Mommy is sorry for staying out all night.”

Even though she knew Rob was home, she didn’t hear him anywhere.

She was going to check his office but was surprised to find him sitting at the dining room table.

She couldn’t remember the last time they’d ever sat there.

Formal events weren’t held at their house and they ate most dinners on their couch.

But Melanie could instantly tell something was wrong. Rob had his head down with his hands clasped in front of him. As Melanie stepped into the dining room, Rob slowly looked up at her.

“We need to talk.”

The four words hit her like four perfectly aimed bullets. Melanie could barely catch her balance on the nearest chair before she felt her knees give out from under her. She sat slowly, still processing what Rob had said as he continued.

“Yeah, we should.”

“I think it’s safe to say that neither of us has been happy for a while. And I don’t think it’s fair to either of us to keep lying to ourselves that things will get better.”

Melanie wanted to say something—anything—to negate what he was saying, but there was nothing to say. Rob was right. Standing, Rob moved to a chair closer to her. He gently put his hand on her arm and squeezed.

“I love you, Melanie. So much. And it is because I love you that I think a divorce is what’s best for us. This way, we can still be friends. I mean,” he nervously laughed, “that’s basically all we’ve been the last few years anyway, right?”

Melanie hated the way he made her laugh, even when she didn’t want to. She shook her head a few times as several tears dripped down her face onto the wooden table.

“I’m so sorry for springing this on you.”

“It’s not that,” Melanie shook her head. “I’ve been wanting to bring up the topic of divorce to you, too, but I didn’t know how. I’m so sorry, Rob.” She slowly looked up at him to finally look into his sad blue eyes. “I know things haven’t been great between us the last few years.”

“And that’s my fault.” Rob inhaled sharply. “I’ve been keeping something from you, and I know that’s added to the downfall of our marriage.”

Taking in a deep breath, Rob said the words she knew were coming, but she still wasn’t prepared to hear.

“I met someone. Her name is Janet, and we met at the country club last summer. We hit it off and I don’t know.

” He ran his hands through his hair. “One thing led to another, and I thought it was just a one-time thing, but it’s not.

I… I love her, Melanie. And I want to be with her.

Like fully with her. Not hiding and hoping no one sees me with her. ”

Melanie felt sick to her stomach. Even though she had her thoughts that Rob was cheating on her, hearing the confirmation was more than she had been prepared for.

“I am so sorry, Melanie. I never meant to hurt you. I promise you that. Please believe me.”

“I do.” And Melanie did. She didn’t know why, but she did.

“And I promise I’m going to make this divorce as easy on you as I can. We can split everything and you can have the house. I’ll sign it all over to you. I want to do that. Please.”

Melanie’s mouth felt dry as she asked, “Are you moving in with Janet?”

Rob’s silence spoke volumes. They sat in the uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, each seemingly processing what all had just happened.

“This doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends,” Rob smiled shyly at her. “If you want that. I’d understand if not.”

“Can divorced people be friends?”

“I think so, yes.” Rob’s smile dropped ever so slightly. “You deserve to be happy, Mel. So do I. And I think we both know that we don’t make each other happy. Not like we used to.”

Melanie couldn’t deny that what Rob was saying was true.

She didn’t like admitting it, but it was true.

A part of her was even thankful he’d brought up the subject of divorce first. She’d been talking herself out of bringing it up for weeks but now that Rob had, she felt freer than she had in months.

They talked for a while longer about what their next steps were and decided to contact their lawyers. Melanie was beyond tired as she called to make an appointment with Blaire the next week to begin the filings. She hoped it would be as easy as Rob said it would be.

As Melanie sat up in her bed with Hank and Lucy asleep on either side of her, she scrolled through apartments for rent in the Cove.Being divorced would be a whole new world for her, but no matter what the next phase of her life held, Melanie had to admit she was excited to experience it.

With Cameron.

“What?” Melanie asked aloud in the empty room, shocked by her own musings. Hank and Lucy looked up at her, both tilting their heads in equal concern. “I don’t know, babies.”

As Melanie pet their heads, she didn’t have to think too hard about why her subconscious immediately went to Cameron.

Cameron was her best friend, yes, but there was something more between them now.

The kiss had changed things, for better or for worse.

She’d need to talk to Cameron, and soon, about the kiss and the divorce.

That kiss.

Melanie kicked herself for leaving without an explanation as to why she’d kissed Cameron.

Granted, Melanie didn’t fully know why she did.

Something had just come over her that made it impossible to resist kissing her.

And judging by the way Cameron had leaned into the kiss, Melanie knew the feeling was mutual.

After years of wondering if her feelings for Cameron were mutual, Melanie finally had her answer.

There had always been something different about Cameron.

From the moment Vera had introduced them, they had been the best of friends.

They were like sisters from another mister; soulmates even.

At least on some level. Cameron completed Melanie in ways she didn’t know she needed.

She could put Melanie’s broken pieces back together better than Rob ever could.

And now, with any luck, they might have the chance to finally explore a relationship.

Sinking into her bed, Melanie sighed dreamily. Thoughts of Cameron filled her mind as she turned on an episode of I Love Lucy and drifted off to sleep.