Melody was buried under a mound of blankets the following day when she was awoken by someone torpedoing into her bed.

"What in the?"

"Wake up, Mel!" The voice she missed so much filled the blonde's heart with joy.

"Sadie?" as she attempted to unravel herself from the blankets to greet her best friend, Melody somehow tangled them both up, and they landed on the floor in a laughing heap.

It took them several minutes to both untangle themselves and stop laughing. Once they finally did, Melody sat up, looking at the pretty brunette in front of her.

"What are you doing here, Sadie?" She asked.

"I'm about to get to that, but first, what are you wearing?" Sadie took in the pink nighty, which only reminded Melody that last night wasn't a bad dream, and she cringed.

"That look is bad." Sadie cringed herself having sensed it, "you texted me about a date?"

"You never replied," Melody shot her a look.

"I forgot to charge my phone, and we left in a hurry"-

"We?"

"Mel, please give me a second before I get into why I'm here," Sadie said with a sigh. "Get dressed and tell me about this date."

"It was great, he was super sweet, and he's a model that rescues dogs."

"That explains the nightie," Sadie quipped; she took a seat at Melody's desk as she straightened up her mahogany curls.

"Oh no, it doesn't," Melody groaned as she started to rummage for some clothes, she threw on that old sweatshirt and then slipped on some leggings.

"We aren't having a second date," Melody explained.

"What, why?"

"Because he likes girls that like him," Melody said with a little laugh. "I was going to hook you up, but you said, we?"

Sadie averted her eyes, "what did you do, Mel?"

"I might have brought up Austin one too many times," Melody admitted.

"Some things never change," Sadie laughed.

"Then I sent him a goodnight text wearing this," Melody held up the nightie.

"The date?" Sadie asked.

"No." Melody said with a somber look in her eyes.

"Throne." Sadie's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You sent a racy text to Thorne?"

"I don't know what I was thinking," Melody groaned.

Sadie jumped up and grabbed Melody's phone." I need to see this."

"I haven't looked in the light of day yet," Melody cringed again as Sadie picked up her phone.

"Oh god, talk about a thirst trap!" Sadie laughed out loud.

"It's bad?"

"It's awful," Sadie confirmed, "but it's hot too, and he didn't delete it, because it's still showing as a read text."

"Really?" Melody perked up some, "is that good, do you think?"

"I mean, I'm sure he wondered all night since you never confirmed it was a mistake," Sadie mumbled.

"He does not care enough to wonder all night," Melody scoffed at that idea.

"Then why is it still here?" Sadie questioned.

"So don't go with it and pretend it was the wrong person?" Melody questioned.

"No." Sadie looked thoughtful as she set the phone down. "I think if he asks or brings it up, go ahead and admit you sent it, but, be a little coy about it."

"I don't know how to do that," Melody admitted, and Sadie cracked up.

"Less is more, just act casual, try and be cool."

"Mel? Sadie! Come on downstairs! Rafe, Drea, and Austin are here!"

"What." Melody gasped as Sadie burst into laughter.

"It is not funny!" Melody exclaimed at her, "why is everyone here?"

"Come on down, please!" Georgie called again.

"Coming, mom!" Melody yelled back.

"Five minutes, Georgie!" Sadie shut the door before Melody could open it.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to talk to you alone first," Sadie said.

"About?" Melody questioned.

"Cooper."

"What about Coop?" Melody asked, feeling confused.

"We're together," Sadie said quickly, and Melody felt so stunned she had to sit down.

"What? You and Coop?" Melody asked.

"I know it's crazy, He didn't know anyone in Sun City, so he'd come to visit me, and at first, we were just hanging out, but – well... yeah, and now it's getting pretty serious."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Melody asked.

"At first, I was in denial and kept telling myself it was nothing, then when it was something, I was worried you'd be upset. I've avoided talking to you because it's hard not to tell you!"

"Oh gosh, I thought you were getting sick of me and moving on," Melody admitted.

"What? Girl, never!" Sadie teared up at that and quickly embraced her friend. "I can't believe I let you think that. We were going to tell everyone over Christmas, but"-

"Coop is here too?" Melody asked.

"Yeah, Austin called us and said we needed to tell you, or he would," Sadie said. "So now Coop wants to tell everyone at once, apparently. So, you would think no one knew."

"Who all knows?" Melody asked.

"My brother and Drea, Austin, but he just found out, and we recently told my parents, oh, and your parents found out during an embarrassing facetime error."

"How embarrassing?" Melody asked.

"I seriously thought he was voice texting, so I started kissing his neck and stuff, and then your dad was all. Is that Sadie?"

"Oh god!" Melody cracked up so hard that tears ran down her face.

"Wait... that's like everyone." Melody commented with a frown.

"Yeah, sorry," Sadie said sheepishly.

"I was the last to know?" Melody couldn't hide her hurt.

"Mel, we were just worried about you. You've been so down on yourself with living back at home, not getting the job you wanted, being single, and so on. We didn't want to make you feel worse." Sadie explained.

"Sadie Joy!" Melody scolded, "Don't ever hide your happiness for me. I never want you to do that, okay?"

"You're not mad?"

"No," Melody promised as they hugged once again.

"You kiss Coop, though?" Melody shuddered at the idea.

"Yeah, that's part of it," Sadie laughed.

"That may take some getting used to," Melody said.

"Girls, are you coming?" Georgie called again.

"Let's go watch everyone pretend to find out for the first time," Melody rolled her eyes as she followed Sadie out and downstairs.

They headed down into the living room, where everyone was seated rather awkwardly. She noticed Auston next to Rafe from the corner of her eye; he avoided looking her away, making it all the easier to avoid looking his way.

"Mel!" Coop gave her a big broad smile brushing his long blonde hair from his face, she forgot everything else and went to hug her little brother. "Come sit," Coop led her to the loveseat across from Austin. "Is this an intervention?" Melody joked to lighten the mood, Rafe laughed, and it caused Austin to look up at her, his eyes looked stunned for a moment and then again, he darted them away.

She looked over to see Sadie pulling at her shirt and frowned in confusion, then she looked down and nearly screamed out loud. She was wearing Austin's shirt... The one he gave her at fourteen, in front of him. This just kept getting worse by the second.

Sadie started to laugh, and Melody shot her a dark look.

"What is going on here?" Georgie asked. "Why all the big drama?"

"Is this about Sadie and Coop hooking up?" Doug guessed.

"Dad!" Coop exclaimed. "We were going to explain it better than that..."

"Everyone knows now, Coop," Sadie said giving him a sweet smile that made him light up. "No need for some big formal meeting."

"I realize I'm failing at life, but no one here needs to keep their good news from me, got it?" Melody added, giving Cooper the same look, she gave Sadie.

"Don't say that Mel. You're just figuring things out," Doug spoke up.

"Honey, I did catch her fighting with her pillow last night," Georgie told him, and he chuckled.

"Mom! Can we not tell everyone that?" Melody felt her cheeks flame up.

Doug was laughing and Georgie joined in as they got up to head to the kitchen.

"I've heard of girls having pillow fights but solo?" Rafe asked, "How does that work?"

"Can everyone forget they heard that please?" Melody buried her head in her hands.

"No way," Coop snickered.

"Stop it Coop," Sadie warned him.

"Listen, Mel. Coop and I got to see my parents," Sadie came over, "You good?"

"No, but nothing could be worse, so please go on," Melody mumbled.

Rafe and Drea got up to leave, leaving her alone with Austin... and her mortification, of course.

"Bell, are you all right?"

She looked up at him and offered a weak smile.

"The wine went down a little too easily last night," she admitted.

"I guess that explains the mistaken text," he mumbled.

Of course, he brought it up, coy, be coy... she told herself.

She opened her mouth and found no words. Why did Sadie think she could do this?

"It wasn't a mistake, Austin," she blurted out instead; her cheeks were so hot that her dad could probably shut off the heat.

"What? But... what?" he looked so confused, and she wished the couch would suddenly swallow her.

When it didn't, she got up and found herself pacing, "I got your text, and I was going to say goodnight, but then I got it in my head to send a pic, and then somehow wearing that seemed like a good idea... It was really the wine, my date, and Taylor to blame."

"Blame for what? Can you stop pacing and talk to me?" she heard him stand, and she froze near the stairs, he was right behind her.

"For being an idiot and sending you that," she mumbled without turning around.

"Why did you?"

"Austin, can you just go away?" She begged.

"No," he said with a little lighter tone. "You're supposed to help me decorate today, remember?"

"I'll call you when I'm done dying of embarrassment."

"I'm the one that's embarrassed and confused."

She turned to face him, irritation sweeping across her face at his earnest and innocent expression.

"Stop that," she said.

"Stop what?"

"Pretending I didn't say it when we both know I did," she folded her arms around her chest.

"What?" Austin asked, "You mean in your text?"

"Ugh!" she groaned irritably and whirled around, she realized she was being childish, but she stomped up the steps, and he followed her right into her room.

"You did get into the wine last night," he remarked as he glanced around.

"To be fair my mom has been on me to clean the closet out," Melody said dryly.

"Haven't seen that shirt in a while, I bet," he motioned to the old sweatshirt she was wearing, of course, he recognized it.

"Why are you still here?" She asked.

"Because you're not okay, and I don't leave you when you're not okay."

"That's a lie; you were gone when I needed you the most." Melody didn't mean to sound bitter, but she couldn't help it; now that the Band-Aid was off, it was all coming out.

His eyes widened and he grimaced, "when? What happened?"

"What?" she nearly laughed, "You know what happened; you were there. I get it, of course; you couldn't be there for me when you were the one that broke my heart, but you never checked. You never once asked if I was okay, or even just told me why you were so against it."

The room went silent, Austin was pale, and his lips were parted, his eyes filled with confusion and concern as he took a step back, landing against her dresser.

"What do you mean I'm the one that broke your heart?" his voice was nearly a whisper.

"Don't pretend you weren't there!" Melody cried out. "This is so hard to talk about as it is."

"Of course, I was there, but I'm missing something. I was so freaked out that I almost kissed you, and I was so worried you would flip out. I didn't think right that night at all."

"You thought I was someone else," she said miserably as a lump formed in her throat.

"At first, but then I knew," he stunned her with that, and she looked up at him. "I was mad at myself; I was supposed to watch out for you, not want to kiss you."

"You weren't mad at me?" she had to sit down, and she pulled her pillow into her lap.

"You? Of course not, Bell. Why would you think I was mad at you?"

"What was I supposed to think? I told you I loved you, and you almost kissed me, and then you told me you'd never kiss me, and not in a very nice way either."

"Huh?" he cried out, his eyes wide with a realization that made her instantly realize he didn't know what she'd said that night.

But he did now...

"Oh, deck the halls," she muttered out loud.

The door burst open, and Georgie poked her head in. "Mel, are you hungry?"

She abruptly stopped talking when she saw Austin standing there and felt the tension in the room.

"It's fine, mom. Austin was just leaving, and yes, I'm starving," Melody said quickly, walking past Austin, who was still standing there frozen. She was relieved for any excuse to get the heck out of that room. She couldn't imagine she could mess it up any worse at this point.