Second Thoughts by Jade Winters

and backtrack now.”
    “Guard dog? I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Sara’s eyes narrowed as she saw the confusion in Melissa’s face. “You really don’t, do you?”
    “No, that’s what I’ve been saying.”
    Sara sat on the edge of the bed and gripped her knees. “Melissa, I tried calling you, but couldn’t get through.”
    Melissa looked down at her hands. “I blocked your number after I emailed you and got no reply. How did you find out where I lived anyway?”
    “I found out your new address from our old landlord. I came by every day and your new flatmate told me you didn’t want to see me.”
    “Bettina told you that?”
    “Oh, so that’s her name. Bettina. It all makes sense now.” What a fool she’d been. Bettina as she now knew her to be had been keeping them separate because she wanted Melissa for herself. “Well that explains that piece of the puzzle. In the end there was nothing more I could do, so I went back to America. I wrote you a letter explaining everything; I suppose you didn’t get that either.”
    Melissa’s face paled as she shook her head slowly.
    “Why wouldn’t she have told you?”
    “I have no idea.”
    Sara could no longer meet Melissa’s eyes when she asked the next question. If she answered yes, she didn’t think she’d be able to stand the pain. “Were…were you in a relationship with her at the time?”
    “Of course not. I told you nothing started between us until six months ago.”
    Sara pressed her hands over her eyes, feeling full of regret. “I should have insisted on seeing you.”
    “It was most probably a misunderstanding.” Melissa protested weakly. “She probably thought she was looking out for me. I was in quite a mess.”
    “Surely that was your choice to make.” Sara knelt down beside her and took her hand. “I love you, Melissa. That’s why I’ve come back.”
    Melissa looked at her in shock. “Sara, I’m getting married next week,” she said in a low wavering voice.
    Sara tilted her head to one side and stole a slanted look at her. “Yes, I know but you’ve still got time to change your mind. Be honest, would you have got into a relationship with her if you had known what she’d done?”
    “Of course not, but...”
    “There are no buts. We would still be together if it wasn’t for her dishonesty.”
    Melissa combed her fingers through her hair. “I... Sara it isn’t that simple.”
    “Why isn’t it? You can lie to me but don’t lie to yourself. I know you, Melissa and I know your feelings for me haven’t changed.”
    “So what if they haven’t? What do you expect me to do? Go home and call off my wedding. This is crazy, Sara.” She snatched her hand back.
    “So you’re going to marry someone who lies and manipulates you?”
    Melissa shook her head numbly. “You’re making her out to be some kind of psychopath. She’s a good person, Sara. I’m sure she was just looking out for me.”
    Reeling, Sara pushed herself up onto her feet. Why had she thought she’d get any other reception than this? Did she really think Melissa was going to just run off with her to the States and live happily ever after? “I’m sorry. I’ve been foolish. I’ve made a right idiot out of myself.” She moved to the desk and flipped her laptop open. “You might as well leave now.”
    Melissa sprang to her feet, her question immediate. “What are you doing?”
    “Booking my ticket back to the States. I should never have come back here. You’ve got your own life now. I was stupid to think anything could have come of this.”
    “What? But I thought…”
    She twisted around to look at her, eyeing her whole body in the process. Her face turning a shade of pink, just like it did in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Sara had never wanted anybody as much as she wanted her at that moment. A hot flush swept through her body at the very thought of being naked with her again.
    “Melissa, there’s no point me hanging