chance meeting,
love lasting.
on a seemingly normal night, a famous creator raids a smaller streamer and sets off a chain of events that lead him to his dream girl.
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For exactly thirteen days, I was haunted by my phone. The blank notification panel mocked me. The read receipt from eleven-thirty that night reminded me of my mistake.
I told Melody the next morning after it all happened.
I expected ridicule, some comment about how I shouldn't have let it happen.
Instead, Melody threw her arms around me and held me tight while I cried. Her hands brushed through my hair and along my back rhythmically until my breathing slowed.
When she pulled back, all she said was, "That boy lost a girl who would've loved him with every broken part of herself."
I carried that with me for days, desperately trying to convince myself that it was his loss. Like I wasn't the one shattered by his disappearance.
Melody and Ronnie acted as my "parents" since I couldn't bear to face my mom. She called a few times in the past two weeks, but I let each one go to voicemail. But, being the woman she was, she didn't push me.
Melody, on the other hand, took pride in it.
"You should send him a badass breakup song and tell him he ain't shit." She posed in an attempt to look intimidating, but it came off as ridiculous.
"I don't think that's the answer, babe," Ronnie said, setting a plate of spaghetti in front of her. "Eat before you make any more great suggestions."
She glared at him but still accepted a fork.
He looked over at me expectantly. "You sure you're not hungry?"
"I'm fine, Ronnie," I said, standing up from the table. "I'm actually tired. I think I'll head home—"
"NO!" Melody stumbled out of her seat to block the kitchen door. "We haven't figured out what to do about Mr. Asshat yet!"
I sighed. "Mel, it's fine. I'll meet you at the bar tomorrow and we can talk about it more over shots. I just want to sleep in my own bed tonight."
She pouted at me. "Really?"
"Yes really. I think I can manage one night in the house."
Five days ago, Melody insisted that I started staying with her for my "protection." What she meant was, "Let's camp out in Ronnie's house for days, so we can gossip and eat Doritos all night."
Though it sounded stupid, it was exactly what I needed.
For about three out of those five days.
Today dragged on because I wanted nothing more than to hide in my room with Nemo. At Ronnie's house, one or both were always around, checking on me and asking questions. I loved Melody like a sister, but I couldn't cry in front of her again.
And I desperately needed to.
Melody must've seen that because she sidestepped into Ronnie's arms and let me pass.
