Melanie

As the persistent beeping of the alarm clock invades my dreams, I groan and roll onto my side, fumbling blindly for the source of the noise. Blasted thing. With a grumble, I manage to locate the clock and hit the snooze button, silencing its incessant chirping.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I stretch my legs and arms, feeling the stiffness of sleep gradually dissipate. Eventually, I force myself to sit up, blinking blearily as I take in the unfamiliar surroundings of the hotel room.

Stretching my limbs, I yawn and swing my legs over the edge of the bed, planting my feet firmly on the floor. Walking over to the window, I drag the heavy curtains apart, letting the sunlight flood into the room.

The view takes my breath away—mountaintops stretching as far as the eye can see, the snow glittering in the rays of the sun. I stand there for a moment, just taking it all in, allowing myself to appreciate the beauty before my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I turn away from the window and walk back to the bed, sinking down onto the soft mattress. After meeting with Jessica, I knew I needed some time away. Away from everyone and everything. So, when I got home on Saturday, I immediately started searching for hotels in remote locations. This one seemed perfect.

I haven't turned my phone on since I arrived, but I know I need to do it now. Evie will probably be worried sick, and as much as I don't want to talk about what happened, I can't leave her hanging like this.

With a sigh, I reach for the phone on the nightstand and dial the reception, ordering breakfast and coffee to be sent up to my room. I'll need the caffeine today, especially since I'll be working remotely. I'm so lucky Sonia is understanding about these things.

Standing up, I walk over to the armchair where I left my laptop bag the night before. Sitting down, I unzip it and pull out my laptop, setting it up on the small table in front of me. As I wait for breakfast to arrive, I boot up my computer, preparing myself for a day of work in this secluded paradise.

I stand up, feeling a sense of dread creeping over me as I reach for my phone on the nightstand. Holding it in my hands, I stare at the screen for a moment, steeling myself for what I know will come next. With a deep breath, I return to the armchair and sit down, my heart pounding in my chest as I power on the device.

As soon as the phone boots up, texts and missed calls start flooding in, creating a whirlwind of guilt within me. I can feel the weight of Evie's worry bearing down on me, and I know I have to do something to ease her mind.

I don't read the texts, not yet. Instead, I open the messaging app and type out a quick message to Evie, my fingers flying over the screen. "Hey Evie, I'm okay. Sorry for worrying you. I'll call you later." With a shaky breath, I hit send, hoping that my words will be enough to reassure her.

Almost immediately, Evie's response comes through, text after text flooding my screen.

"Melanie Hartley, you are in big trouble."

"I swear you are dead next time I see you. "

"You had me so worried. "

"Where the fuck are you?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. Evie's concern is touching, even if it's accompanied by a healthy dose of anger.

Taking a deep breath, I type out my response, trying to keep my tone light despite the gravity of the situation. "I needed some time away," I admit, my fingers flying across the screen. "So, I'm staying at a hotel for a few days."

Evie's response comes quickly, her words laced with both relief and exasperation. "You can stay as many days as you like, but keep the fucking phone on, for crying out loud." I can't help but chuckle at her blunt message and quickly type back, "Will do."

Evie responds with a quick, "Gotta get to work, Melanie. Better call me later," to which I simply reply, "I will."

Leaving my phone on the table, I hear a knock on the door. Standing up, I make my way to it and open it to find a waiter standing there with my breakfast. I sign off on it quickly, thanking him as he leaves the tray behind.

Sitting back at the table, I start eating my breakfast, savoring the taste of the French toast and sipping on the hot coffee. It reminds me of the French toast Marcus used to make for me. Well, not exactly like Marcus made them—his were way better.

A wave of sadness washes over me. It wasn't just me who was affected by Daniel's lies—Marcus was too. Let's just hope that Marcus will be there for me once he finds out the truth. After all, we've been through so much together—as much as I feel ashamed to be deceived this way, I can't imagine facing this alone.

As I dive into my work, my mind becomes completely consumed by the tasks at hand. I tackle each one with determination and focus, the hours slipping away unnoticed as I lose myself in the work. Before I know it, it's the end of the workday, and I'm surprised by how quickly the time has passed. As I prepare to shut down my computer, an email notification pops up on my screen. It's from Sonia.

"Great job today, Melanie," the email reads. I can't help but smile at her words of praise. Quickly, I type out a reply, expressing my gratitude. "Thank you, for everything," I write before hitting send.

With my work for the day completed, I power off my computer, feeling a low grumbling coming from my stomach. I realize that I hadn't even stopped for lunch—I was so engrossed in my work that I completely forgot.

Glancing at the clock, I see that it's still a couple of hours until the dining room opens for dinner. Rather than wait, I decide to order in again, knowing that I'll need something to tide me over until then.

I stand up from the table and walk over to the phone, dialing the number for room service to order some food. Once that's taken care of, I sink down onto the bed, lifting my legs up and sitting cross-legged as I dial Evie's number.

The dial tone rings in my ear, and I find myself biting nervously on my lower lip as I wait for her to pick up. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I hear her voice on the other end of the line.

"The fuck, Melanie, where the hell have you been?" Evie's voice is filled with anger and concern. "I was so fucking worried, I thought you were dead! What the hell happened? Who was that woman you met?"

I furrow my brows, wondering what Evie knows. "What are you talking about, Evie?"

Evie lets out a frustrated sigh. "Me and Marcus went crazy yesterday, trying to find you," she explains. "So we went to the Juke Joint, where the bartender told us that the woman you met didn't seem like a therapist at all. What happened, Melanie?"

I look up at the ceiling, feeling a weight settle over me as I close my eyes, preparing myself to tell Evie the truth. Here it goes. "You were right, Evie," I admit quietly. "You were right all along."

There's a pause on the other end of the line as Evie processes my words. "What do you mean?" she finally asks, her voice laced with confusion.

I open my eyes, my gaze fixed on the view out the window. "Daniel is manipulative," I say slowly, the words heavy on my tongue. "I know that now."

There's a moment of stunned silence before Evie responds, her voice barely a whisper. "How?" she asks, sounding dumbfounded.

I take a deep breath, bracing myself for her reaction. "That woman I met?" I explain, my voice trembling slightly. "She wasn't Daniel's therapist. She's his fuck buddy."

"What?" Evie's exclamation is loud and filled with disbelief.

"Yep," I confirm, popping the 'p.' "Apparently, Daniel was never seeing a therapist. It was all a lie just to weasel himself back into my life. He wasn't drunk last Friday either. Jessica and the bartender confirmed it."

"Melanie, I'm so sorry," Evie's voice is filled with empathy.

My eyes water, my voice breaking as I ask, "Why are you sorry, Evie? You tried to warn me, but I wasn't listening."

"Still, it hurts to know you're hurting," Evie says softly.

Taking a shaky breath, I confess, "I feel like such a fool."

"What are you talking about?" Evie scolds gently.

"I was the only one that couldn't see past his lies," I admit bitterly.

"Melanie, you're a good person," Evie reassures me. "You want to see the good in people. There's nothing wrong with that."

I chuckle shakily, tears threatening to spill over. "There is when people are getting hurt. People I care about."

"Marcus," Evie says, her voice softening.

"Yeah," I reply, a tear falling freely down my cheek.

Evie lets out a heavy sigh. "Marcus doesn't mind, Melanie. He only cares about you, nothing else. He was devastated yesterday. I told Marcus that you reached out to me and that you're okay, but you really should talk to him."

"I'm so ashamed to talk to him," I admit, my voice filled with guilt.

"I understand," Evie says sympathetically, "but you have to find it in your heart to get over this emotion, because there is absolutely no reason you should feel ashamed. Marcus is dying to hear from you. He doesn't care, really."

I take a deep breath, taking in Evie's words. "Okay," I finally say, "I will talk to him."

I know I need to call Marcus, but the thought of facing him after everything fills me with dread. Will he understand? Will he be as forgiving as Evie says? I can only hope.

Because finding out about Daniel's lies hurt like a bitch, but it will break me a million times worse if Marcus is appalled by my inability to see through Daniel's deception. The fear of disappointing him, of losing his respect and understanding, gnaws at me like a relentless beast.