Marcus

3 months ago

The days stretch into an agonizing silence, and Melanie remains an elusive ghost, vanishing without a trace. Calls and texts go unanswered, leaving me in a state of bewildered confusion. What happened? It all unraveled so suddenly, like a thread pulled from a sweater, leaving me with nothing but loose ends.

I sit in the quiet of my room, staring at my phone as if it holds the answers to the enigma that has become Melanie. We were more than great just weeks ago – dates, laughter, awesome sex – everything aligned seamlessly. Now, she's gone, evaporated from my life as if she never existed. I find myself replaying the past weeks in my mind, trying to identify any misstep that might have triggered this sudden withdrawal.

I scroll through our last conversations, searching for clues or signs of discontent. But nothing stands out. It's as if she decided to erase me from her life without a word of explanation. The void gnaws at me, and I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

To make matters worse, Mallory, dear Mallory, has been kidnapped by that dirtbag, Matt. Every instinct in me screams to see Melanie, to comfort her, to be there for her in this difficult time. But she remains elusive, slipping through my fingers like sand. The urgency of Mallory's situation only intensifies the frustration of not being able to reach Melanie.

I consider talking to Adam about what's going on. But he's already on the brink of madness with Mallory missing, and burdening him with my relationship drama seems insensitive. Adam would undoubtedly step in and try to talk to Melanie, but now is not the time for that.

My gaze falls on my phone again, a lifeline to the world that has suddenly become a source of torment. I sit up and take it in my hands, hesitating for a moment before opening the messaging app. Dozens of texts to Melanie, all unanswered. One more wouldn't hurt, right?

I type a message, pouring my heart into the words, "Melanie, I'm really sorry about what's happening with Mallory. I can't even imagine what you're going through. I'm here for you, anything you need, just let me know. Please, let me be there for you." I hit send, the message vanishing into the digital void like all the others before it.

Melanie

The soft ping of a message disrupts the heavy silence in the room. Evie glances over, a question in her eyes. "Is that Marcus?" she asks, her voice gentle.

I nod slowly, a knot forming in my stomach as I unlock my phone to read the message. Each word feels like a dagger, piercing through the fragile armor I've built around myself. "I'm here for you, anything you need," it reads. My heart breaks a little more at the blatant hypocrisy. He's pretending to care, acting as if nothing has happened.

"What's he saying now?" Evie inquires, her concern etched on her face.

"He's such a hypocrite," I mutter, the bitterness evident in my tone. "Pretending like he cares."

Evie studies me intently, her concern evident in her eyes. "How come you haven't blocked his number?"

I freeze for a moment, caught off guard by the question. Why haven't I blocked him? It's a question I've asked myself, yet the answer remains elusive. I meet Evie's gaze, searching for an explanation I can't seem to find even within myself. "I... I don't know," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

Evie places a comforting hand on my arm, squeezing it gently. "It's okay, Mel. You don't have to explain. Maybe it feels good to see him begging."

I nod, even though that's not it. The truth is, I've attempted to block his number more than once. Yet, each time, something inside me stayed my hand. A lingering attachment, a residual hope, or perhaps just a fear of severing the final thread that connects us.

A soft knock on the door diverts our attention. My mother enters the room, worry etched on her face constantly. "Is there anything else you two need?" she asks, her gaze shifting between Evie and me. It seems as though both my parents have aged ten years overnight.

Evie and I exchange glances before shaking our heads in unison. My mother steps further into the room, coming closer to the bed. She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, and I feel the warmth of her love, a balm to the wounds that refuse to heal. "Goodnight, honey," she murmurs, holding me just a little tighter.

"Goodnight, Mom," I murmur, my voice barely audible, as my mother pulls away from the embrace. However, before she can retreat completely, I notice the glistening trails of tears on her cheeks. Something tugs at my heart, and I instinctively reach for her arm, my fingers wrapping around it gently.

"Mom," I say, concern lacing my voice. She sighs, a heaviness in the sound, and meets my gaze.

"I just miss Mallory so much," she admits, her voice trembling. "I wonder where she is, if she's okay." The dam breaks, and my mother begins to sob uncontrollably.

I jolt off the bed, wrapping my arms around her. My own worries about Marcus and the shattered remnants of our relationship momentarily fade as I focus on comforting my mother.

"I'm here, Mom. We'll find her," I assure her, my words a desperate attempt to bring solace. The guilt gnaws at me — here I am, preoccupied with Marcus, while my sister is missing. Matt, that son of a bitch, will pay for every ounce of pain he's caused, especially if he has hurt Mallory.

After a few minutes, my mother's sobs subside, and she straightens herself, pulling away from our embrace. She offers a weak smile, attempting to regain composure. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just so darn hard," she apologizes, wiping away her tears.

"No need to apologize, Mom. We'll find her," I say, trying to infuse confidence into my words.

She excuses herself with a weary smile, bidding us goodnight as she leaves the room. The door closes softly, and I sink back onto the bed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Mallory's disappearance, my mother's anguish, and the turmoil with Marcus all converge, creating a storm of emotions that threatens to consume me.

Evie's arms wrap around me, providing a much-needed anchor in the storm of emotions that swirl around. "We'll find Mallory, Mel. She'll be okay," Evie reassures me, her voice a comforting whisper. I want to believe her, to grasp onto that flicker of hope, but uncertainty presses down on me.

A tear escapes, tracing a path down my cheek, and I sniffle, struggling to keep my composure. "I hope so," I murmur, my voice choked with both fear and longing. It's been two weeks since Mallory went missing, and the lack of leads or information feels like an agonizing void.

I let out a shaky sigh, the heaviness in my chest threatening to overwhelm me. "I miss her so much," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Evie tightens her grip on me, offering silent support. In the stillness of the moment, with Mallory's whereabouts unknown, all we can do is hold onto hope and cling to the belief that we'll find her, bringing her back into the fold of our family where she belongs.