Marcus

As I step out of the factory, the weight of the day's work begins to lift from my shoulders. Finally done with work. Now I will get home, and get some sleep just to be here again in a few hours. Fucking great. I wonder if Melanie is still awake. I told her not to wait up for me, and it's past twelve now. But I really hope she's still up. I want to sleep with her tonight. Not to mention, I haven't seen her since yesterday morning.

I pull out my phone and quickly text Melanie, asking if she's still up. As I reach my motorcycle, I keep my eyes glued to the screen, waiting for her response. A couple of minutes pass, but there's still no reply.

Deciding to get going, I hop on my bike and start the engine. If Melanie answers while I'm driving, I'll pull over somewhere to check the text. We live close by anyway, so if she does text and tells me to come over, I'll be there in a heartbeat.

The ride home is a blur of streetlights and shadows, the roar of the engine a comforting soundtrack to my thoughts. I even pull over halfway, just to check my phone again, but there's still no message from Melanie. I can't help but feel a pang of disappointment, but I push it aside.

Arriving home, I park my motorcycle and glance at my phone once more, hoping for a message from Melanie. Still nothing. She must be asleep by now; I realize with a heavy heart. It's disappointing, but I suppose it's for the best. I'll have to accept the fact that tonight, I won't sleep with Melanie by my side.

With a sense of defeat, I dismount from my bike and make my way to the front door of my home. The familiar routine of unlocking the door and stepping inside feels almost mechanical, my mind still consumed by thoughts of Melanie.

Upstairs in my bedroom, I strip off my work clothes with weary movements, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up with me. The shower offers a brief respite, the warm water washing away the grime and tension of the day.

As I change into my pajamas and settle onto the bed, I can feel the weight of fatigue pressing down on me, dragging me into the depths of sleep. But before I surrender to its embrace, I reach for my phone one last time.

With a few taps of my thumbs, I type out a message to Melanie, my fingers moving with practiced ease. "Sorry I was so late," I write. "I miss you. Sweet dreams."

I leave my phone resting next to my pillow, its soft glow illuminating the darkness of the room. It doesn't take long for sleep to claim me, pulling me into its comforting embrace.

I wake to the relentless blare of my alarm clock, the sound cutting through the fog of sleep like a knife. Groaning, I reach out to silence the offending noise, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sit up in bed.

With a sigh, I reach for my phone, hoping for a message from Melanie. But as I unlock the screen, disappointment washes over me like a wave. Still nothing. I curse under my breath, wondering if she's upset with me for working late last night. Did I do something wrong? I can't help but wonder, the uncertainty gnawing at my insides.

I begin typing out a message to her, my fingers moving with a sense of urgency. "Good morning, beautiful," I start, my heart pounding in my chest. "How did you sleep? Can't wait to see you today."

Just as I'm about to hit send, a new message from Melanie appears on the screen. I freeze, my thumb hovering over the delete button, as I eagerly open her message. It reads, "Good morning. I was asleep when you texted. I'm so sorry you had to work late. I missed you."

A smile spreads across my face as relief floods through me. She's not mad at me after all. With a sense of contentment, I quickly delete my unfinished message and type out a reply to her. "Good morning, baby," I write, my heart overflowing with affection. "Don't worry about last night. I missed you too. Can't wait to see you later."

With a smile tugging at my lips, I read Melanie's response eagerly. "I can't wait either," she says, and my heart skips a beat at the thought of seeing her later.

I rise from bed and begin to prepare for the day ahead, my mind already racing with thoughts of spending the evening with Melanie. Should we go out to dinner, or would she prefer to stay in? I know I prefer the latter, but I want to make sure Melanie is happy with that option too.

After dressing, I grab my phone again and type out a message to Melanie. "Hey," I begin, my thumbs tapping away on the screen. "I was thinking, would you like to go out tonight? Maybe grab something to eat after work?" With a sense of anticipation, I hit send and head downstairs to grab some breakfast.

In the kitchen, I find my mom and Emily, the familiar scent of coffee greeting me as I enter. I greet them both with a kiss on the cheek, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Good morning," I say cheerfully.

My mom looks at me with concern, her brow furrowing slightly. "Good morning, honey," she replies, her tone gentle. "I thought you wouldn't be sleeping here last night. Did something happen?"

Emily chimes in with her own question. "Did Melanie kick you out already?"

I shoot Emily a mock glare, my lips curling into a playful smirk. "Something came up at work," I explain, dismissing her teasing with a wave of my hand. "I had to stay late, and Melanie was already asleep when I left, so I ended up crashing here."

My mom nods understandingly, her expression softening as she serves up a plate of delicious-looking French toast. "I understand," she says gently, her tone warm with affection. "Will you be staying here tonight too?"

I shake my head as I take a bite of the delicious breakfast she's prepared. "Probably not," I reply between mouthfuls.

Emily perks up at my response. "Ooh, Marcus is going to sleep with Melanie," she teases, a playful glint in her eyes.

I chuckle at her remark, knowing full well she's just trying to get a rise out of me. "That's right," I confirm with a grin, spearing a piece of French toast with my fork. "And one day, you'll sleep with someone you're in love with too." I shoot her a playful wink. "And I can't wait to make fun of you for it."

"Ooh, Marcus is in loooove," Sophia's voice suddenly chimes in from behind me

I roll my eyes at her playful jab, turning to shoot her a mock glare. "Grow up already, Sophia," I retort, though there's a hint of amusement in my voice.

Sophia giggles mischievously, pouring herself a cup of coffee before settling into the seat next to me. "I'll grow up when you finally introduce Melanie to us," she says, a playful twinkle in her eyes.

Sophia giggles mischievously as she pours herself a cup of coffee, her laughter filling the room. "I'll grow up when you finally introduce Melanie to us," she teases, taking a sip of her drink.

I sigh exasperatedly, wondering why my family is so fixated on meeting Melanie. "Why are you all so on my case about meeting Melanie anyway?" I ask, feeling slightly overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. "You never cared about meeting any other girl I've dated before."

Sophia slides into the seat next to me, her expression softening with affection. "Because this one is different, dummy," she says teasingly, nudging me playfully with her elbow. "We know Melanie is here to stay, so we want to meet our new sister."

Her words warm my heart, and I can't help but grin at her. "Alright, alright," I concede, chuckling softly. "We'll arrange something soon, I promise."

I finish my breakfast, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation for the day ahead. After exchanging a few more playful remarks with my family, I bid them goodbye and make my way back to my room to grab my jacket before heading off to work.

As I climb the stairs, my phone buzzes with another message from Melanie. I pause mid-step, a smile playing on my lips as I eagerly check the notification. But as I read her message, my heart sinks, and my brows furrow in confusion.

"Actually, I won't be able to see you after work, I'm sorry," her message reads.

A wave of disappointment washes over me, but before I can fully process her words, another message pops up, and my heart nearly stops at what I see.

"I will meet with Daniel after work," her message continues.

I freeze in my tracks, unable to comprehend the words in front of my eyes. My mind races, a million thoughts swirling through my head. Is this some kind of mistake? Surely she didn't mean to send this to me. Maybe she's meeting someone else named Daniel. But deep down, I know that's not true.

I stare at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard as I struggle to form a response. I type and erase several responses, my mind a jumbled mess of emotions. I pray silently that Melanie meant to write something else, that there's been some misunderstanding. But deep down, I know the truth, and it cuts me to the core.

I read Melanie's follow-up message, my heart heavy with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Mallory and Adam will be close by," she writes, "I just need to do this. Please understand, and I'll explain everything later."

A sigh escapes my lips, frustration and concern intertwining within me. Why would Melanie do this? What explanation could possibly justify meeting with Daniel again? The questions swirl in my mind, but I know I can't stop her. Melanie is her own person, capable of making her own decisions, even if I disagree with them.

With a defeated exhale, I type out my response, my fingers heavy with resignation. "Okay, just be careful, baby," I write. "I miss you, and I can't wait to see you."

Sending the message, I can't help but feel a sense of helplessness wash over me. All I can do now is trust Melanie and hope that she knows what she's doing.