Melody's POV

I watched him leave in shock. He looked like he was so lost in his thoughts that he made himself sick. I wasn’t sure if I should stay or follow after him.
What did wives do in these situations? Maybe he needed a moment. Evelyn met my eyes, and I could almost feel her pushing me to the door. Sighing, I stood and wished them all a good night before walking out as well. What the hell was I supposed to say to him?
Honey, are you okay? Fuck no.
Liam, what the fuck was that? Then we would fight.
Liam, are you okay? He would try to have sex.
“Melody?”
Turning around quickly, I came face to face with Cora.
“Yes?” I shouted, causing her to jump. She was so sweet, I almost felt sorry for her, but she needed a spine and quickly.
“Umm . . . I was wondering . . . umm . . . ” “Ahh, I hate when people waste words. What’s wrong with you?” The Coraline I met was living high off glue and unicorns. This one seemed liked she had been roundhouse kicked off cloud nine.
She took a deep breath and stood straighter, which was still quite short.
“I’m losing Declan,” she stated directly.
“That sucks,” I replied. “Evelyn is the other way for couples counseling.”
She glared at me before shaking her head. “I don’t need Evelyn’s help, I need yours. Ever since you came, Declan has been looking at me differently . . . like an annoyance.”
“That could be the constant giving, you’re rarely with him. So again, Evelyn . . .”
“Mel—and I am going to call you Mel because we are family and you can’t kill me.”
“Are you sure?” Declan was going to have to get a new wife if she didn’t get to the point soon.
“Only in this family would charity work be deemed a flaw.” She sighed.
“But they notice me. They see me. Every time I write a check, help rebuild a house or a community center, you should see their faces. It’s like I’m an angel to them, I’m important, needed. Do you know what that feels like?
How it feels to be praised like that?”
She didn’t give me a chance to speak before laughing to herself. “Of course you do, you’re the great Melody Giovanni.”
“Cora get to your point.”
“I love Declan, and I don’t want to lose him. But I see the way he looks at you,” she muttered, and I really hoped this conversation wasn’t going where I thought.
“There is nothing—” “No, I know,” she said quickly, her eyes wide. “I know Declan would never cheat on me even if . . . I want him to look at me the way those kids do when I hand over a check. I want him to light up like he once did. So I need to be more like you. I need you to help me be more like you.”
“Not gonna happen,” I replied. “There is only one Melody Giovanni, and there will be no second edition.”
“Mel. I don’t want to be you. I want to be like you. I want to be able to shoot a gun. I want to learn how to fight. I’ve always wanted to learn, but it was never our place. But then you came in shattering glass ceilings and literally breaking down walls. I want to see if you could train me. I don’t need to become the best, but I want to be able to feel in control, and I want Declan to see me more than just a—” “A good old housewife,” I finished for her.
She frowned, her nose flaring. “Yeah. I want to get into the ring and show him there is so much more to me.”
“Why not ask him yourself?” Declan was a great fighter, he and Liam boxed every morning.
“Because he has stopped seeing me. Everyone has stopped seeing me! I know what that means for our future. If I don’t do this, Declan and I will only grow further apart and he will resent me. I would rather die than have that happen.” She looked so scared that I almost wanted to help her.
“Cora, you have to train for yourself, not Declan, or any man for that matter,” I replied, and she looked at me as though I was the one who was crazy.
“Declan is me, Mel. We have always been in sync, and then somewhere down the line, the music changed for one of us, and now I’m looking for the right station to get back to him. He would do the same for me. He has done the same for me. It’s what married couples do. So, please, help me,” she begged, and I wasn’t sure what to say.
“I’m busy, Cora.” The look of disappointment in her eyes bothered me.
“However, Adriana can stay behind and work with you while we are gone for the week. Then after that, I will see. Be prepared for months of bruises and pain.”
Coraline grinned, pulling me into a large hug.
“Thank you!”
“You’re touching me.”
“Sorry,” she said, letting go quickly. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, goodnight,” I told her before leaving. Coraline was good at getting what she wanted from me, and the last thing I wanted was to agree to anything else.