LOGINGAVINSilvio’s eyes narrowed dangerously. His hands flexed at his sides, muscles corded with tension. “You have her phone? How the fuck do you have it?”“That doesn’t matter,” I said quickly.“No,” he paused, his brows furrowed like he was spinning the thoughts in his head. “It matters.” He took a step closer, his face so close and so familiar. I had to physically stop myself from grabbing him into a hug. “Why do you have Melanie’s phone?” he repeated, but this time it felt like he was asking himself rather than me. “At this time of the night? Unless…” The frown deepened, then his eyes widened as if he had just realized the truth. “Are you sleeping with her?”Fuck. He was too sharp.I forced a cold, dismissive scoff to my lips, trying to sound casual, praying the residual fog from Cassandra's drug wouldn't give away my panic. “Don’t be ridiculous. She was at my place with her father earlier and forgot it on the table.”He didn’t look convinced. I know my excuse was really weak, but t
GAVINI don’t know how long I sat on the edge of the bed staring into space after Melanie left. It could have been minutes or hours. Time didn’t seem to matter anymore.The room still carried her scent. The sheets were rumpled from where we had been tangled together just a short while ago. The towel she used was still on the floor. Everywhere I looked reminded me of what I had just lost.Damn it.It was obvious the universe really didn’t want us together, because how on earth could things turn upside down so fast?I stood up, so many thoughts raging through my mind, but the loudest among them was a single truth: this needed to end. The mission had to wrap up. I refused to let it cost me, Melanie. She had become the most important person in my life, and I refused to lose her. I walked into the bathroom and looked at the mess we had made. Water covered the floor, and our clothes were soaked. It took me more than thirty minutes to clean everything up. The physical work helped a little,
MELANIEI stopped in my tracks. “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” She took a step closer, her face twisted with anger, making her look so ugly. “Gavin is mine. We were building a life together. A family. And then you came along, spreading your legs like some desperate whore. You think you can just take him from me?”If this had happened yesterday or even this morning, I would have gone straight for her throat. But right now, after everything with Gavin, I felt exhausted. I just needed to get the fuck out of her face.I let out a tired, bitter laugh. “Take him? I didn’t take anything. And I think you should go see a doctor because you are seriously delusional.”“You can’t lie about this,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. “You even came back wearing his clothes.” She wrinkled her nose as her angry gaze scanned what I was wearing.“If you think these are Gavin’s clothes, then you belong in an asylum,” I snapped back, trying to hide the panic I felt. “You’re pathetic. It’s honestly just sad.”H
MELANIEI slammed my car door shut and gripped the steering wheel so hard the veins on my hands popped out. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a rope around it and kept tightening it with every breath. I started the engine and pulled out of Gavin’s driveway without looking back. I couldn’t. If I did, I might turn around and run straight back to him like the idiot I apparently was.The road in front of me kept blurring. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand again and again, but the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Everything kept playing on repeat in my head: every conversation, every touch, every moment since I first met him. He had always seemed so genuine. So normal. How had I missed all the signs?How could I have been so stupid?I had no idea where I was even driving. I had told Vivian I wouldn’t be home tonight, but there was nowhere else to go. Eva was still upset with me. Derek was completely out of the question. And Reynold… that bastard was the last person I wanted
MELANIEWhat the hell was going on? Was I really so unworthy of real love?The thought kept repeating in my head as I stood there staring down at Gavin. How could everything I felt for him, everything I thought we had, turn out to be one big lie? How could the way he looked at me, the way he touched me, all be part of some plan?I blinked quickly, fighting back the fresh wave of tears threatening to spill as I stared down at Gavin’s face. His expression was filled with so much pain and regret that, for a second, my stupid heart wanted to believe him. Was that all an act, too? He stood up slowly from his kneeling position and faced me squarely, his hands clenched tightly at his sides like he was physically holding himself back from touching me.“I want to tell you everything, Mel,” he said, his voice rough and full of pain. “I hate keeping things from you. But knowing the truth could put you in real danger…”“Fuck. Fuck!” I screamed, the words ripping straight out of my throat. “When
GAVINHer question hung in the air between us. Even though she spoke softly, it hit me hard.“Melanie…” My voice cracked, filled with desperation. I took a step toward her, but she stumbled back, wrapping her arms around herself like she was trying to physically hold her shattered heart together.“Don’t,” she whispered, tears flowing freely down her face. “Don’t come any closer. Please… just don’t.”The pain in her eyes was unbearable. I had seen her angry, hurt, even vulnerable… but this was different. This was the pain of being betrayed by someone she trusted.At that moment, I hated myself more than I had ever hated anyone.“I can explain,” I said desperately, my own voice breaking. “It started that way, yes. But it’s not like that anymore. I swear to you, Mel. Everything changed. You changed everything.”She let out a bitter, broken laugh that tore through my chest like a blade. “Changed? You wrote a fucking profile on me, Gavin! You studied my weaknesses like I was some lab rat.
GAVINThe talk with Cassandra had gone to hell.I can't tell when we lost the ability to sit down and have adult conversations. There used to be a time when we could be cordial, even loving. Now every conversation felt like walking through a battlefield. And I knew exactly when it all changed.The
MELANIE“You…” My voice cracked, but I forced it to remain steady as I lifted the journal. “You had this the whole time? You’ve been reading my most private, pathetic thoughts about you for years?”Gavin swallowed hard. His jaw clenched tight. Those hazel eyes I used to get lost in were now dark wi
MELANIEMy legs went weak, and I almost fell to the ground. I quickly grabbed the edge of the couch to steady myself. Gavin had a fiancée? Like an actual woman, he planned to marry?And last night... last night I had begged him to fuck me. I came so hard on his cock while he filled me up, stupidly
MELANIE“Fuck!” Gavin swore under his breath. I sat up fast, the sheet slipping down to my waist, exposing my bare breasts. My heart pounded against my ribs as he put a finger to his lips, mouthing “Shh,” and answered the call on speaker.“Dalton,” Gavin said, voice still rough from fucking me.“H







