In which I fall in love with my brother's best friend.
*****
"Don't pretend like you don't feel anything." His voice is low, sending shivers down my spine.
"What do you mean?"
"You know damn well what I mean."
"I don't know what you're talking about...
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, guys. The story will keep unfolding. From now on, buckle up :)
PS: Pardon the explicit language in this chapter.
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"Mel?" Jake rasps, shock skating all over his face. "What happened?"
I'm lack for words, not expecting him to just suddenly emerge in my doorway. I should have been prepared for this, because he'd said that he would come here this week.
Tears are still streaming down my cheeks when he approaches me, and I can see that the closer he is to me, the more panic he becomes when he sees how broken I am.
"Mel?" he stutters. I'm sure that he's never seen me like this before, and that makes it even harder for him to swallow what's really happening.
I face him, sitting on the bed as he kneels down before me. "I'm sorry. It's just--" I don't want to make him worried, but I already did.
Then, I tell him everything. About Vaughn and me.
About how chemistry sparked between us at the beginning before it turned into something more. About how he always took care of me. How I fell for him, hard and fast. How I allowed him to take my virginity. How he moved into our house to protect me.
Then, about how he suddenly became distant, ignored me and cheated on me. And that in the end, he left me without a word.
Jake's fist is shaking with fury the moment I finish talking, and I begin to regret telling him all of that. "Vaughn--" he hisses. "Vaughn did this to you?"
I quickly try to resolve the situation. "He-- he apparently had a reason to do that," I say even though it doesn't make sense to me. Until now, I'm still wondering if Vaughn is still the same person I knew. Despite everything that he's been going through, he's been unfair to me. But seeing Jake so consumed in his anger, I feel like I have to say something to fix everything. "Somehow, I always knew that he's still not over the girl he loved. They're trying to build a family." Saying that sentence makes my heart shatter all over again.
Vaughn will carry on with his life, with the girl he loves and their child.
Jakes frowns, disbelief crossing his expression. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about his ex, Jake," I whisper brokenly.
He stares at me in confusion. "Camila?" he echoes, and hearing that name makes my heart sink again. "That's...not possible," he falters.
Now, it's my turn to be confused. What does that mean? Am I missing something?
But I don't want to think about this anymore. I've had enough.
