Melanie pov
"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. "Hehe 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.
"I-I'm sorry, Jake," I stutter. "But, can't you just leave for a while? I'm sorry, but I think I need to be alone now," I beg him, and he stares at me with a lost expression.
"Mel—" he insists.
"Please, Jake," I plea, and he stands up with a blank face, like he's still not recovered from the shock either.
"Q-okay," he whispers, and with that, I bury my face into the pillow again, crying. The sound of Jake's footsteps gradually fades away, but I can sense
that he's reluctant to leave me. After he completely disappears into the hall, my sobs break again.
No, I can't be like this. Be strong, Melanie. It's over now. Over. He belongs to someone else.
I walk into my bathroom and decide to clean myself up. After taking off my clothes, I step into the shower and turn the water on. It's warm, pouring down on my hair, face and body. I'm hoping that it would wash away the coldness I've been feeling since I lost Vaughn, but still, my insides remain frozen.
*****
Once I'm done dressing and blow-drying my hair, I step out of the bathroom and sigh as I look at my room.
Earlier, I was only thinking about myself. Jake must have been crushed as well, knowing what his best friend did to his sister.
I walk out of my room and head to his. "Jake?" I call, pushing his door that's already slightly opened.
When I look in, a gasp leaves my lips, and my hand covers my mouth as I stare in disbelief.
His room is a mess. The mirror is shattered on the floor. His books are all over the place, the shelves toppled on the ground. A few paintings are torn, scattered.
"No," I whisper, my voice shaking. He's lost himself, and I didn't notice it earlier because I was too caught up with myself inside the bathroom.
Where is he now? A question strikes across my mind, but I already know the answer.
He's angry. Furious. And he's after Vaughn right now. My pulse quickens. In his current state, I don't think
that he's in his right mind. Without thinking further, I rush to take my purse before leaving to catch him.
****
The ride back to Vaughn's apartment feels like torture. I hit the steering wheel when the red light stops me. Damn.
Please, Jake.
I can't stop worrying about the two important men in « my life. I'm driving like a madwoman now.
Once I reach Vaughn's apartment, I do exactly what I did earlier this afternoon. But tonight, I'm much more in a rush. When the elevator stops at the destination floor, I step out and totter toward Vaughn's door. It is slightly opened, and I'm guessing that Jake and Vaughn are too occupied with the shit they're facing right now to give a damn about a door.
Hearing loud voices from inside the room, I slowly sneak a peek through it. And there, inside Vaughn's apartment, they stand, facing each other. The icy
look they give to one another makes the haironthe . back of my neck stand.
"What the hell did you do to her, Vaughn?" Jake hollers, his voice filled with rage. "Did you think you could just do that to her?" he booms, and I'm afraid that everyone on this floor can hear. "You fucking bastard," he speaks the last sentence with greeted teeth.
To my surprise, Vaughn scoffs, and it sends chills under my spine. Suddenly, I have a feeling that I might not want to witness everything that's happening here. "Really?" Vaughn's voice is dangerously low and cold. "What did you expect me to do to her?"
My heart skips a beat, and I suddenly feel like everything stops moving. Darkness begins to seep into me. Jake is silent as well, probably feeling the same shock.
Then it's Jake's turn to scoff. "Fuck. I trusted you when I wasn't around." He sounds like he's ready to explode in a matter of time. "J trusted you!" he roars, making me jump due to the loudness of his voice.
But to my horror, Vaughn stares at Jake with no expression on his face.
"If it's about that other woman..." Jake begins, shaking his head in disbelief. "What the fvck did she say to you? What game is she playing?"
Hearing Jake speaking about Camila, Vaughn clenches his fist. His jaw tightens, and now his eyes turn even colder, piercing anyone who is looking at them. "She's fvcking pregnant, in case you haven't known." The coldness in his voice is just as unbearable as that in his eyes. "You basically act like a clueless motherfvcker here, don't you?"
I hold my breath as I hear his harsh words. Who is this guy? Is this the same person who used to look at me with loving eyes, to kiss away my tears and to hold me tight in his arms?
"Speaking about the pregnancy," Vaughn continues, venom in his voice. "You might want to tell me more about it."
The seconds that go by after that sentence almost make me collapse on my knees. My heart thumps, and I wish it would just stop beating.
"Since you are the father of her child." Vaughn said