Melanie

I stand outside my office building, my breath visible in the chilly air as I wait for Mallory to pick me up. All I can think about is Marcus. I miss him so much, and I had hoped to see him right after work. But when Mallory called and suggested grabbing coffee together, I couldn't say no. Now, here I am, waiting impatiently, when all I want to do is run into Marcus's arms.

I spot Adam's SUV turning the corner, and soon enough, Mallory pulls over in front of me. As get in the car, I lean forward and envelop her in a tight hug. "Hey, sis," I greet her with a smile.

"Hey, Mel," Mallory replies, returning the hug. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's okay," I assure her with a smile. "I didn't wait long."

Mallory grins as she pulls back into the driver's seat. "So, where should we go?" she asks, starting the car.

I shrug, feeling indecisive. "Anywhere you want, Mal. You're the visitor," I say, trying to sound casual.

Mallory groans playfully. "That sounded horrible," she teases.

I chuckle and play along. "Well, it's not my fault you decided to move so far away," I retort, giving her a playful nudge.

Mallory side-eyes me and smirks. "It's not so bad," she counters. "Maybe you should consider moving there too."

I shake my head adamantly. "No way. I'm not moving anywhere anytime soon. I just got my apartment, and I love it. I want to enjoy it."

Mallory nods, a hint of disappointment flickering across her face. "Right," she mumbles quietly, before adding, "Sometime in the future, then?"

I raise an eyebrow, curious. "Why are you pushing it?" I ask, sensing there's more to her suggestion.

Mallory sighs, her expression softening. "I miss you, Mel," she admits. "I want to see you every day. Is that so bad?"

A warmth blooms in my chest at her words, and I reach out to squeeze her hand. "No, of course not," I reassure her. "I miss you too, every day."

Mallory smiles, and we continue driving. Eventually, she pulls over close to a café by the river. We both get out of the car, and as we walk towards the café, Mallory links her arm with mine.

"Oh, by the way," Mallory says suddenly, breaking the silence. "I forgot to tell you. I got a car!"

I beam at her. "Congratulations! That's fantastic news. It's about time."

Mallory beams with pride. "Thanks! I wanted to show it to you, but it's smaller than Adam's SUV, so it was impractical to drive here with it."

"It's still amazing," I assure her, genuinely happy for her. "I can't wait to see it."

We step into the cozy café, the warm glow of the interior welcoming us in from the cold. Mallory and I find a quiet spot by the windows, overlooking the tranquil river. It's a couple of tables down from where I last saw Daniel, the memory still fresh in my mind despite the passage of time. As we settle into our seats, a waitress approaches to take our order, and I quickly decide on a cappuccino.

Once the waitress leaves, Mallory turns to me with a curious expression. "So, how have you been, Mel?"

"I've been good," I reply, forcing a smile. It's not entirely untrue—I've been good in many ways, especially with Marcus—but there's a part of me that feels guilty for not being completely honest with Mallory about everything. I know I need to talk to her about Marcus soon, but I'm not quite ready yet.

Mallory rolls her eyes playfully. "Since when have you become so enigmatic, Mel?" she teases. "Spill the beans! What happened with the breakup? How are you feeling about it? Have you heard from Daniel at all? You know, all that jazz."

I chuckle softly. "Well, as I told you yesterday," I begin, "Daniel was becoming increasingly controlling. He even forbade me from going to Adam's lake house with Evie. So, I decided I'd had enough and broke up with him over the phone."

Mallory's eyes widen, and she grins. "Ooh, over the phone? That's cruel, but he deserved it."

I chuckle, nodding in agreement. "Indeed he did," I reply, "but he keeps annoying me. The situation feels a lot like yours with Matt."

Mallory's expression instantly shifts to alarm. "What do you mean?" she asks, her voice tinged with concern.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to explain. "I saw Daniel yesterday," I begin, "outside the furniture store I went to with Evie. He demanded to talk to me, and when I denied him, he just followed Evie and me around town, probably trying to find out where my apartment is."

Mallory's jaw goes slack, and she mumbles, "Holy shit."

"Yeah," I admit with a heavy sigh, "I ended up sleeping at Evie's house last night just to shake him off. But I know I can't keep this up forever."

Mallory shakes her head, a worried frown etched on her face. "No, you can't," she murmurs, her gaze drifting out the window.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, Mallory takes a deep breath and says, "Ugh, I can't believe I'm going to say this." She turns to me, her expression serious. "You should probably meet Daniel again."

My eyes widen in shock, and I can't help but yell, "What?"

Mallory holds up her hands defensively. "I know it sounds crazy," she begins, "but if the situation with Matt taught me anything, it was that maybe if I had just talked to him, nothing would have happened."

"Do you really believe that?" I ask, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

Mallory nods solemnly. "I actually do. Matt has regretted everything that happened. He's back to his old self. Don't get me wrong, what he did was fucking messed up, but maybe it's better to not push further an already troubled mind."

I ponder Mallory's words, weighing the pros and cons of meeting Daniel again. Maybe she's right. Maybe if I see him and make him accept our breakup, he'll finally back off. Rubbing my temples, I turn to Mallory and say, "Maybe you're right. I'll think about it."

Mallory offers a small smile, her eyes reflecting genuine concern. "I hope it works out for you," she says softly. "And if you want, Adam and I will be around when you meet Daniel, just to make sure you're safe."

I smile gratefully at Mallory's offer, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "I would like that," I reply, nodding in agreement.

Mallory smiles warmly and reaches for my hand, squeezing it gently. "Other than Daniel harassing you, how are you handling the breakup?" she asks, her voice filled with genuine concern.

I return her smile, feeling grateful for her support. "Pretty good actually," I reply honestly. "I haven't regretted it one bit. I'm sure Daniel is out of my system once and for all."

Mallory grins, relief evident in her expression. "That's so good to hear," she says sincerely.

I nod in agreement, feeling a sense of validation. "I know you never liked him," I say, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Mallory twists her lips in a grimace. "I hated the way he treated you," she admits, her voice tinged with frustration.

I sigh, feeling a pang of regret. "I can't believe I let him walk all over me," I confess, shaking my head.

"I'm glad you see clearly now and have taken Daniel out of your life," she says sincerely.

I smile back at her and say, "Me too."

We sit in a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. Eventually, the waitress arrives with our order, and we thank her before taking a sip of our drinks.

As I put my mug down, I notice Mallory grinning mischievously at me. "So, about Marcus..." Mallory begins, her tone playful.

I feel a surge of anxiety, but I try to keep my expression neutral as I ask, "What about Marcus?"

My heart skips a beat, instantly panicked at the thought of discussing Marcus with her. I don't want to give myself away, especially considering I haven't talked to Mallory about him yet. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself for her question.

Mallory rolls her eyes, clearly seeing through my attempt to deflect the conversation. "Come on, Mel," she says teasingly, "are you really going to let Marcus get away?"

I shrug nonchalantly, trying to mask my inner turmoil. "I just want some time to myself," I reply evasively. "If Marcus is really who he seems to be, he'll wait for me."

"Exactly because Marcus is who he seems to be, you shouldn't wait any longer," Mallory insists, her tone earnest.

I smile at her words but remember Daniel's warning. Repeating them to Mallory, I explain, "I have to mend the situation with Daniel first before considering anything else."

Mallory curses loudly, her frustration palpable. "Fucking men, with their fucking male egos," she mutters. "They just see women as objects, don't they?"

I shrug helplessly. "Apparently," I reply, my voice tinged with resignation. "But you can see now that I have to wait a bit."

Mallory groans in frustration and reaches out to grasp my hand. "You should talk to Daniel as soon as possible," she urges.

I force a smile, though I don't feel it, my heart gripped with an uneasy feeling. "I will," I assure her, hoping to ease her worries, even if I can't ease my own.