Marcus

The air at the bus station is charged with anticipation as I stand there, waiting for Natalie's bus to arrive. Today is the day—Melanie will finally meet Natalie, and I'm hopeful that this will clear up the misunderstanding that has strained things between us.

Finally, Natalie emerges from the crowd, her eyes lighting up when she spots me. Without hesitation, she rushes over, throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace. "Marcus!"

Returning the hug, I grin. "Hey, Nat." I greet her, and as I pull away, I take her duffle bag. Natalie looks around her. "Do you have your bike?"

I shake my head, gesturing toward the direction we'll be heading. "Nah, the hotel is nearby. We'll walk."

Natalie raises an eyebrow, her playful smirk in place. "Can't believe you brought me all the way here just for a girl."

I chuckle, defending my decision. "This girl is special."

She mockingly retorts, "Special, huh? If she's so special, why didn't you tell her you have three sisters?"

I shoot her an annoyed look, and we start walking out of the bus station. Natalie's comment hangs in the air, and I know she's just teasing, but there's a nugget of truth in her words that stings.

"She'll find out today," I assure her, keeping my tone confident.

As we make our way to the hotel, Natalie glances at me, her curiosity evident. "I've never seen you act like this for a girl before."

"Melanie is different," I admit, a genuine smile playing on my lips. "I've never felt like this with anyone before."

Natalie wraps her arms around mine and leans her head on my arm, feigning sentiment. "Oh, my big brother is in love," she playfully gushes.

I roll my eyes, pretending annoyance, but deep down, I'm not bothered. I am genuinely in love with Melanie, and the prospect of introducing her to Natalie tonight fills me with anticipation.

"When do I get to meet Melanie?" Natalie asks.

"Tonight, at Adam and Mallory's place," I inform her.

"Great," Natalie responds, her excitement matching mine.

Should I tell Natalie about Daniel? It's a crucial piece of information, and if Melanie is going to meet my sister, she should know what she's walking into. Taking a deep breath, I decide honesty is the best policy.

"Actually, Natalie, Melanie will be there with her boyfriend, Daniel," I admit, bracing myself for her reaction.

Natalie frowns, clearly surprised. "You didn't tell me Melanie has a boyfriend."

I groan, realizing I've opened a can of worms. "After the whole misunderstanding, Melanie got back together with her ex—or, well, not exactly an ex. It's complicated."

An eyebrow raises on Natalie's face, clearly intrigued. I let out a heavy sigh, deciding to share more details to give her the whole picture. "Melanie was seeing Daniel before, but they were never officially together. Daniel was playing games with her. Now, though, they are together, but he still plays games, manipulates her."

Natalie nods, absorbing the information. "That's too bad for her."

"Exactly," I agree, relieved that she understands. "For tonight, all I want is for Melanie to see that you're my sister and nothing more. No drama, just clarity."

Natalie squeezes my arm in reassurance, a supportive glint in her eyes. "Got it, big bro. We will make it a drama-free night then."

Once we reach the hotel, Natalie immediately heads to the bathroom to get ready. I decide to change into something that will make a good impression. It's been months since I last saw Melanie, and tonight is important. I settle on a crisp white shirt, neatly tucked into a pair of charcoal-gray slacks. I glance at myself in the mirror, adjusting the collar, and feel a sense of satisfaction with the choice.

I sit on the bed, my phone in hand, and start scrolling through the messages exchanged with Melanie. A nostalgic smile plays on my lips as I read through the banter and jokes. However, as I reach the last messages—the ones I sent without receiving a reply—my heart sinks. The unanswered texts hang in the air, a stark reminder of the unresolved tension between us.

Closing the messages app, I lock my phone and take a deep breath, attempting to push away the unease that lingers. After tonight, everything will be okay again. I don't know what my next move with Melanie will be, but I trust that I'll figure it out. Right now, my focus is on her meeting Natalie. She needs to know that Natalie is my sister and nothing more.

My phone buzzes in my hands, jolting me from my thoughts. It's a text message from Adam. I unlock my phone, reading the message: "Daniel and Melanie got here an hour ago. When are you and Natalie arriving?"

I glance at the clock, realizing we're running a bit late. "Natalie, you ready?" I call out, hoping to speed things up.

Her voice echoes from the bathroom, "Almost done!"

I quickly type a response to Adam, "We'll be there soon. Natalie's finishing up."

Within moments, Adam replies, "Waiting for you. Daniel is unbearable. Brace yourself."

My heart rate picks up at the ominous message. I shoot back a quick text, "What's happening? Is everything okay?"

"You'll see for yourself. Just be cool," Adam texts back.

Natalie emerges from the bathroom, looking effortlessly chic in plaid gray pants paired with a sleek black shirt and matching heels. She spins around, a playful smile on her face, and asks, "How do I look?"

I jolt up from my seat, a bit distracted, and dismissively mutter, "You look good. We need to leave."

Grabbing Natalie's coat, I help her put it on. "Jeez, you're in a hurry," she comments, raising an eyebrow.

I nod, slipping into my jacket. "Yeah, we need to get going." I'm feeling a sense of urgency, a need to be at Adam and Mallory's as soon as possible.

"Let's go," I say, and we leave the hotel room, making our way to my bike parked outside. I hand Natalie a helmet, and we quickly gear up.

"Ready?" I ask, revving up the engine.

Natalie nods, gripping onto me. "Let's roll."

With that, we speed off towards Adam and Mallory's apartment, the anticipation building with every passing moment.

Melanie was supposed to arrive yesterday, but Mallory received a call a couple of days ago, Melanie explaining that something came up, and she'd be arriving on Saturday morning instead. Mallory didn't pry into the details, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Daniel was somehow behind the change in plans.

They were supposed to arrive earlier this morning, and now, with only an hour having passed since their arrival, I can't help but wonder about the delay. Melanie would have been here yesterday if it were up to her alone, I'm sure of it. Daniel's influence seems to be casting a shadow over her decisions, and it's disconcerting.

I pull up outside Adam and Mallory's apartment, the engine of the bike humming as I help Natalie off. After unmounting the bike, we make our way to the apartment. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, each step bringing us closer to whatever awaits inside. We reach the door, and I ring the bell, my heartbeat racing with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

I feel my heartbeat in my eyes, as footsteps approach and the door clicks open.