Ello guys!

 

I am so so so so so so sorry! I have been a bit slow with the writing this week, so I’m afraid there was no Popular! Hopefully there will be some next Tuesday though and things will go back to normal!

 

Thanks so much for sticking with me xx

 

Chapter 37

 

“I’m going to kill him,” he eventually replied.

 

Mel looked up at him, alarmed at the anger in his voice.

 

“Don’t be daft Mark, he’s your best mate,” she replied, “I’d rather you just stayed out of it.”

 

“I’ll bloody kill him,” he repeated, ignoring Mel entirely and standing up.

 

“Please don’t say anything,” Mel said calmly, looking up at him with tear stained eyes.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I’ve asked you to.”

 

“But he has to know.”

 

“He doesn’t”

 

“He has to know eventually,” Mark argued, “he may start to notice when you grow a huge bump.”

 

Mel pulled herself up to her feet and placed a hand on Mark’s arm.

 

“Please don’t tell him Mark, I’ve told you because I trust you as a friend, you can’t let me down.”

 

“But…” Mark started to argue.

 

“Let me sort this out myself,” Mel continued, “it’s something I need to do alone.”

 

“You definitely keeping it?” Mark asked.

 

Mel looked up at him in surprise.

 

“I couldn’t get rid of my baby.”

 

“Maybe it’s the best option though,” Mark said sensibly.

 

“I can’t get rid of it, its part of me,” Mel muttered, “its part of me and Chris.”

 

“You need to get this you and Chris thing out of your mind,” Mark urged her.

 

“How can I ever get him out of my mind now?  Part of him is growing inside me.”

 

Mark took a deep breath and looked straight down at her.

 

“I have an idea, I’ll help you bring your baby up.”

 

Mel fell into silence, looking up at him in wonder before letting out a little chuckle.

 

“Don’t be absurd.”

 

She started to walk back towards the party, wiping her eyes as she went.

 

“I’m not!” he replied, following her down the corridor, “I want to help.”

 

“Fine you can help, but not like that.”

 

“Please,” Mark replied, “I just want to do what’s right for you.”

 

“And don’t you think that Christian should be doing that?” Mel asked.

 

“I could be a great Dad.”

 

“I’m sure you could Mark, but I don’t love you, and eventually it would all just fall apart.”

 

“How do you know if we don’t try?” Mark asked.

 

“It’s not going to happen,” she said firmly, “the baby needs its Dad.”

 

“The baby needs its Dad or you need its Dad?”

 

“Both,” Mel admitted, “I have to cling onto the hope that I can still have him.”

 

“After what he’s done to you?” Mark asked in disbelief.

 

“It doesn’t change anything”

 

“Well it should.”

 

“When are you going to understand,” Mel suddenly raised her voice and spun round to face him, “I love him and its not going to go away.”

 

“But he doesn’t deserve you,” Mark muttered.

 

“I’m sorry Mark, I need to have him, for the baby’s sake.”

 

“He’s with Ella.”

 

“I know, but I’m hoping the baby might change that,” Mel smiled weakly at him, “something good has to come out of this mess.”

 

“OK fine,” Mark grunted.

 

“You’ll help me then?” Mel asked.

 

“Help you how?” Mark asked suspiciously.

 

“Help me get Chris.”

 

“Not this again!” Mark replied in exasperation, “I keep telling you that you are better off without him.”

 

“OK, let me phrase this a different way.”

 

“You’re not going to change my mind Mel,” Mark warned.

 

“Help me get Chris for the baby’s sake.”

 

“Don’t blackmail me.”

 

“I’m serious Mark, my baby needs its father.  Help my baby get Christian back.”

 

“I’m not sure Mel,” Mark said, his voice beginning to falter.

 

“Please Mark,” Mel begged, “I’ll do anything.”

 

“I can’t Mel,” Mark said gently, “I can’t get involved, it isn’t right.”

 

“Don’t let my baby grow up without a Father please,” Mel had begun to cry again, little droplets of water forming in her eyes and cascading gently down her face.

 

“Please don’t cry.”

 

“You don’t have to do much,” Mel continued, “just help Chris see sense, make him realise he needs to be with me, he can do the rest himself.”

 

“I’m not promising anything but I’ll do what I can,” Mark finally agreed.

 

Squealing in delight Mel threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

 

“Thank you so much,” she said, holding him even closer, “you are a truly amazing person.”

 

Mark glowed slightly red with embarrassment before pulling away, taking her hand and pulling her further towards the party.

 

“You sure you are ready to go in here?” he asked, “we could always just go back to your chalet for a chat.”

 

“Nope, I’m fine,” Mel beamed at him, “never better, I just want to go in and forget all about this for one evening.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yes I’m sure, stop worrying about it.”

 

Mark examined her for a moment, he had to admit it she did suddenly seem a lot brighter.  She was practically grinning from ear to ear now, a very different girl to the one that had been crying in his arms only a few minutes earlier.  She was obviously made of stronger stuff than he had originally thought.

 

“OK, if you’re sure,” he said.

 

They reached the main door to the venue and Mel pulled it open, the sound of the music immediately greeting them and pounding on their eardrums.

 

“Promise me something,” Mel suddenly yelled to Mark over the music.

 

“What?” he shouted back.

 

“Don’t say a single word to Chris, not until I’m ready.”

 

Mark looked for a moment like he wasn’t going to agree, his eyebrows furrowed in a deep frown but eventually he opened his mouth and replied.

 

“OK, I promise.”

 

Mel breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Mark onto the dance floor.

 

They were met immediately by an over excited Ben.

 

“Where on earth have you two been?” he screeched at them, “you are missing all of the fun.”

 

“Bet they were shagging!” Paul replied matter of factly.

 

Mark blushed and looked down at the floor.

 

“They were shagging!” Paul said gleefully, “they look guilty as hell.”

 

“What have you two been up to anyway?” Ben asked, taking a deep breath of his cigarette and blowing it up into the air.

 

“Nothing,” they both replied in unison.

 

“Ahhh, denial,” Paul said, circling them both like a leopard about to pounce on its prey.”

 

“Yep nothing,” Mark replied.

 

“That normally means something,” Paul replied.

 

“Stop talking bollocks Paul,” Mel grinned – she had seen the look on Christian’s face when the whole conversation had started and he did not look happy.

 

“What’s up with you?” she asked him.

 

“Nothing,” he replied, returning his attention back to Ella.

 

“Nothing my arse!” Mel muttered to herself.

 

May be she had been mistaken but he had looked jealous to her, jealous of the fact that she could be with another man.  Smiling to herself she took Mark in her arms and they fell into a slow dance.

 

But as she felt her stomach press against Mark she knew that she now had something – something that could possibly make Christian hers forever.