Oswaldo’s P.O.V

I see it now, there is no getting Melody away from Max. She might not know it as yet, but she loves him. It was all there, in the tone of her voice when she spoke to him, even in the way her eyes lit up when she heard his voice. I’m not saying she doesn’t love me. I know she loves me very much, I’m just saying that she loves him too. So tell me, what’s a guy to do, when he finds out that his girlfriend might be in love with another guy? When you guys find the answer please do enlighten me.

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“You going out again with Max? Babe, it's Valentines, you’re supposed to be spending it with me.”

She never stop getting dress. She continued, walking around the room throwing outfits together. The way she was acting you’d thing she was going on a date. Shit! Do I need to worry about my girlfriend? I sincerely hope not.

“I’m just gonna go spend a couple of hour with Max then I’m all yours.”

I wanted to ask, doing what? But I know that would just piss her off, so I didn’t. It just feels like I’m sharing my girlfriend with another guy. One that would very much like to have her for himself and might be very well planning on ways to take her away from me. At this point, I’m not so sure he won’t be able to.

I watch her drive off with Max. I waited for 5 minutes before I got into my car and followed them. I know you guy must be thinking that I’m a dick of a boyfriend for, not trusting my girlfriend. But I don’t really give a shit what any of you think. I do trust Melody, it’s Max I don’t.

After getting lost and driving around for about half an hour. I finally saw Max’s car parked in the parking lot, of one of the finest restaurants in the city. I should know because I’ve been wanting to take Melody there for quite some time now. She always turned me down. Telling me I don’t need to wine and dine her, all she wanted and needed from me was my love. Well, it looks like Max gets to take my girl out for me, on the day for lovers. Well, ain’t life a bitch!

I parked my car and got out. I went into the restaurant and got a table in a dark corner in the back. The place is big so they can’t see me. However, the table I’m at offers me a perfect view of them.

I ordered the roasted carrot and fennel soup for my starter and the salmon gravadlax for my main. I decided to forgo dessert. What! Did you people think I was gonna starve myself? A guys gotta eat, even if he’s spying on her girlfriend and his ex-best friend.

I sat and watched them for a while. I watched Max stare at Melody and seductively moved her hair out of her face. It pissed me off every time he did it. I wanted to go over there and beat the crap out of him, but then if I did that I’d lose Melody. If she was me spying on her, I don’t think she’d ever forgive me.

I was about to leave when a familiar voice stopped me.

“Oswaldo Richards, why are you hiding at the back of the restaurant spying on your best friend and his date?”

I turn to see Cassidy Millard, Max’s middle school crush. However, this wasn’t the same Cassidy I remembered, who was a little anorexic and shy. Always using her hair to hide her face. No, this Cassidy was by far more beautiful. Her vibrant red hair was simply beautiful and her green eyes glowed. Wow! Time has really been good to her.

I smiled. “Cassidy Millard, you’ve um… wow! You look beautiful.”

She laughed a rich sound. “Thank you. You’re not looking so bad yourself… for a stalker anyway.”

I laughed with her. “So,” she asked. “Why are you spying on Max and who is the stunning beauty he’s with?”

Well, that brought me back down to earth. I looked over at Max’s table and saw him holding one of Mel’s hand and brushing the hair out of her face with his other hand. I clenched my fist. If that dumbass touch her one more time like that again, I’m going over there and punch is lights out! Idiot needs to go find his own girl and leave mine alone!

“Well, it looks like Max is really into her. Who is she?”

I turned to answer her, but mainly to stop myself from going over there and doing something stupid.

“She’s my gir…”

“Don’t look now but Max just leaned in to kiss her,” Cassidy said, cutting me off.

“What!” I said. I turned just in time to see Max kissing my girlfriend. I felt the rage built up in me. I wanted to hurt Max really bad and I was pissed at Melody for allowing him to kiss her a second time.

“Easy there tiger or you might explode. Who is this girl that have you so worked up? Max looks like a hopeless love sick puppy and you look about ready to kill him.”

I got up from my table, not answering Cassidy. My head wasn’t in the right place, my only thought was getting Max the hell away from Melody. Without thinking I went over to their table and sat down. Startling them both.

“Well isn’t this nice,” I said, looking at both of their shocked faces. “This is like the second time, isn’t it? The second time that I catch my best friend with his tongue in my girlfriend’s mouth.”

I heard a gasp from behind me, that when I realised that Cassidy had followed me over. Max and Melody notice her presence too. Max eyes widen with recognition, but Melody’s was narrowed with suspicion. She looked at Cassidy to me and back. A trail of jealousy passed over her face before it became hot with anger.

“Who the hell is she?” Melody asked.

I don’t think she has the right to judge, after what she just did.

“And what the hell are you doing here, Richie?” Her eyes got even stormier. “Did yo ass follow me here?”

I didn’t have to answer, she saw the truth in my eyes. She quickly got up from the table, grabbed her purse and stormed out. I forgot all about the others and follow her out. When I found her, she was standing trying to hail a cab.

“Mel, come on I’ll drop you home.”

She turned tear filled eyes on me. I felt my heart broke. I don’t like making her cry, it kills me to see her beautiful eyes filled with sadness. But I have to remember that she was the one who was caught kissing another guy.

“So you ain’t trust me now, is that it? You’ve reverted to following me because you think that I’ll cheat on you with Max?”

The tears were fast falling down her face. She used her hands and forcefully wiped them away, smearing her mascara. She still looked beautiful though. Without saying a word I walked over to her and pulled her into my arms. She snaked her hands around my waist and buried her face in my shirt. I stroked her hair, soothing her cries.

“Melody are you ok?”

The sound of Max’s voice pissed me off. Melody slowly pulled away from me and nodded her reply. Son of a bitch! I’m sick and tired of his punk ass! Why can’t he get a life and stop interfering in mine. 

I hold Melody’s hand and turn to face Max and an amused looking Cassidy. If this dumbass say one more thing, I swear I’m gonna lose it.

“Stay the f*** away from her Max!”

I felt Melody pulled her hands away from mine. She was doing that cute thing she does with her eyes and lips whenever she gets angry.

“Don’t talk to him like that! You ain’t my keeper Richie, you don’t get to tell me what to do!”

I am sick of this! Are we back to square one? Is she saying that we’re not in a relationship anymore? What the hell is it about Max that she likes so much anyway?

“Mel, I’m not doing this again with you. It’s either we’re together or we’re not, I don’t want nothing in between. I don’t like his dumbass but I know you do, so I accepted that you’re gonna stay friends with him regardless of what I have to say. But is this what you do when you’re out with him? Is kissing part of your friendship? Are you sleeping with him as well, Mel?”

*Crack!*

I might have deserved that slap, but I was too pissed off to apologise for what I said. I caught them kissing! Kissing! For the second time. What the hell am I supposed to think? I thought I knew what type of girl she is, but I’m not so sure I know anything about Melody Gibbs.

I can see that she shaking from the rage.

“I ain’t no hoe, you jackass! I don’t go around sleeping with random guys, yo white ass should know that!”

She turned and walk away and I followed after her, but so did everyone else. I grabbed her hands and turned her to face me. I wasn’t finished talking to her as yet.

“Where are you gonna go Mel? Let just go home and talk about this.”

She pushed me off of her and started to wildly swing her purse at me. “I ain’t going nowhere with you, you idiot!!”

I grabbed the purse and pulled it, bring her towards me. Her tears were getting to me. I wrapped my hands around her and let her cry. She was begging me to let her go, but her hands were fits tight in my shirt and her body was pressed up to mine. I knew she didn’t really want me to let her go. I was starting to forget about the world and everyone in it, like I always do when she’s in my arms. However, that dumbass had to speak.

“Bro, she said to let her go. Just let her go man.”

I slowly set Melody aside then turned and punched Max in his stupid ass face. Cassidy screamed, moving to help Max up off the ground. She helped him to his feet then turned to me saying.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! You two have known each other since forever, and you’re gonna let some girl come in between you and destroy your friendship.”

She turned to face Melody. “You should be ashamed of yourself. What kinda of girl are you, playing two best friends against each other? You don’t deserve either of them.”

Melody gasped. She looked from me to Max then back to me again. The look in her eyes made me curse. I know that look, I’ve seen it in her eyes before. That looks only means one thing, she’s planning to run away from our relationship. But this time I’m not gonna let her, I’m not gonna made it easy for her to throw away what we have. Not this time.

She turned and started running. I didn’t let her get very far. I grabbed her around the waist and turned her to face me. She screamed.

“Let me go! Let me go! Please Richie, just let me go.”

I felt my heart contracted from the pain in her voice. Her soft sobs turned into hard violent ones. She was still fighting in my arms, screaming to be let go. But I’m not doing it. I’m never letting her go.

“No!” I said and I meant it.

“Please, please, please!!” She started to plead. But I shook my head. Letting her go meant letting the best part of myself go. I’m not doing it!

“I’m not letting you go, Mel. I can’t let you go, I won’t!”

“Why” she asked, still crying.

I answered. “Because I love you and you love me…” She started to shake her head. “…and as much as you might try to deny it, I know you do. Look, I don’t care that you kissed Max, you have some sort of feelings for him, and I get it. But I just can’t let you walk out of my life Melody. I know you think you’re doing it for me, but the truth is, Max and I are never going back to that place we were before. Lines has been crossed, there is no going back for us. And you didn’t do that, he did. So you can give up all talk about us breaking up and let’s just go home.”

She didn’t look too convinced. Her body language was telling me that she still wanted to run. So, I held her face between both my hands and kissed her. Softly at first, then more forcefully. Using my tongue to explore all the wonders of her mouth. I pressed her body flat against mine and thoroughly kissed her causing her to moan against my lips.

I pulled away and looked at her. “Let’s go home.”

She nodded then give a small smile. She looked pass me to something or should I say someone then back at me again.

“I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me. You need to know that I’d never willing kiss another guy. Ever!”

I was about to kiss her again, but I bet you can guess who interrupted it. Max!

“Melody, look I’m sorry I didn’t mean to kis…”

“Save it Max! I ain’t trying to hear it. I done told yo ass many times, I’m with Richie and I ain’t no two timing hoe. I think it’s best if we don’t speak to each other for a while.”

I could see the deep hurt in her eyes. I wanted to kill Max for making her hurt. I held her and turned to walk away, in the direction of my car. But Max just wasn’t getting the message to stay away from her. The fool grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving. That was my breaking point. I just snapped.

I pushed him away from her, grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him up against the nearest wall.

“Richie stop!”

Melody screamed. But I was too far gone, I’ve had enough of his ass trying to take the one good thing in my life away. I punched him in his face a few times then in the gut. I never give him a chance to react. I could hear the girls screaming behind me to stop, but I didn’t care. I kept on beating the crap out of him. I didn’t stop until I felt Melody’s hand on my arms.

Max slid to the ground, his eyes were swollen, lips were busted and bloody. He looked like he’d been in a boxing ring and forget to protect himself against his opponent. I looked down at him and said.

“Touch her one more time and I promise that will be child’s play compare to what I will do to you next time.”

I turned, leaving Cassidy to help him to his feet. I looked at Melody, I expected her to be angry at me. However, there was only concern in her eyes.

“Are…are you O-ok?”

I held her hands and squeezed him then I nodded my reply. She let out a soft cry then crashed into me, almost knocking me over. She buried her face in my shirt and hugged me close.

She pulled away to look into my eyes. Tears falling from hers.

“Let’s go home.”

I nodded then laughed. “This goes down in record as the worse first Valentine ever.”

She looked about ready to cry again and I kissed her lips to reassure her that everything was ok. I pulled away and said.

“I love you Mel. Happy Valentine’s Day.