Massie visited my place.

She helped me tidy my kitchen and brought in some ingredients, so we could ‘bake’ together. I had told her I wasn’t motivated, but she claimed she could make me. Well, she was relatively correct. The silicon bear baking pan was cute. I wanted to know how a cake would look like as a bear stuffed with Nutella.

She brought a film we could watch together as well. A girls-night-in, she alleged. She was putting too much effort into cheering me up; I felt sorry for her attempts going in vain. Each of us sprawled herself on a wing of the corner sofa, popping popcorn in our mouths. The movie was a rom-com, without the com part.

Or I was merely too gloomy for it.

She threw popcorn my way. “If that scene didn’t make you laugh, I dunno what will.”

Kai’s corny jokes will.

I picked the piece she threw and threw it back at her. “How’s Kai?” I asked the question I had been itching to ask, “You visited him, no?”

I tried to have my time away for both our sakes to think better of our relationship. I even avoided him in university. Still, I sometimes wondered if I rushed my independence decisions. Maybe I rushed everything too fast for Kai to understand me, and that was why he came out with a bad reaction. Perhaps I should’ve done it gradually.

She shrugged. “He’s fine. Yeah, I checked on him the other day at his place. Was a mess, if you care to know, but I helped him tidy up.”

A mess… Wasn’t that how the places of upset people were like?

“Did you try to make him food too?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. He even asked me to assist him on how to bake biscuits.”

Oh… Maybe he wasn’t doing as terrible as I thought without me. “Did he… Did he ask about me?”

She nodded. “Just like you are now. Don’t worry; it’s a part of the process. I see your potential, guys. I trust you’ll bloom into a healthy relationship after this break. You’ll understand each other better.”

What if we didn’t even come out of that in one piece, in a relationship, anyway? The thought kept me awake at night. I wondered if our whole bond was wrong to establish in the first place. We lived in a dream at first, and then it was the nightmare stage. What if it was just sexual attraction? No, it couldn’t be that. I felt things I didn’t feel for any other than Kai.

In a passing thought, if Kai were to leave me, I’d only have Ryan left as a man in my life.

I swallowed and nodded bitterly. “I… miss him. Sometimes, I regret things.”

She didn’t comment. I wondered what was going on in her head and what she honestly thought of the recent events, especially when our issue occurred during her birthday vacation. I wished she gave me more insight into his thoughts about me.

A thick tear rolled on my cheek. I loved Massie and appreciated her sincere efforts at cheering me up, but I wished it was Kai I was spending time with at that moment. I couldn’t take his image off my head, and I hated how I knew precisely what he would be doing if he was with me right then. It was agonising.

I sat up and rubbed my face. Massie gave me a worried look, but I quickly said I got dust in my eyes.

“You can cry and vent out if you want,” she offered. “Don’t pent up feelings.”

I shook my head. “I’ll head in. Good night, Massie.”

\

Massie’s birthday party was going to be as lavish as the vacation back in the villa.

As her friends, we came a day early to help her prepare. The weather was gloomy and warned of rain, but the weather forecast promised of quick change the next day. We hung to the hope it wouldn’t rain during the party.

Ryan was standing on the ladder, and I was assisting him in hanging different things. Jay and Jason took care of pushing some furniture away to make more room. Massie and Kai took care of dealing with the event planners.

And of course, Kim, who barely did anything but comment on how things should look according to her personal views. I wished she would respect Massie’s choices more, even if she wanted a unicorn themed party. What was different was that she didn’t stick herself to Kai anymore, and she kept herself a considerable space away from Jason. Did he finally threaten her with what he knew?

“Melanie!”

I looked up at Ryan, startled. His face contoured with stress. “Huh?”

“I’ve been calling you for a while now! My leg is getting limp waiting for you.” His eyebrows met.

I handed him what I had in hand. “Sorry. There you go.”

He took it from me and hung it. “If you can’t stop thinking of the two, then act. Do something.”

I gulped. “It was going fine while we gave time for each other. Being around Kim in the same space now stresses me. I hope all my efforts don’t go in vain.”

He went down to my level and folded the ladder. “I’m starting to not be able to stand him. He’s been such an arsehole to you while he lets her annoy you even after what happened back in the villa. What’s he waiting for? He needs to get his crap together and finalise the matter.”

I shook my head. “Don’t, Ryan. Don’t let your friendship be affected by us. Besides, she stays a part of this friends’ group and is bound to bump into him from time to time. He can’t cut her from the whole group.”

His hand came up to rub my shoulder. “You can’t stop me from worrying about you still. Also, father left you in my hands. I ought to grant his wish.”

Really… Why did he need to bring up our—his father in that? I knew what his mention of him meant, but I was still unprepared. I pushed the matter to the back of my head and focused on what we initially talked about.

“I want him. I don’t want us to be over because of this. It came unexpectedly.”

Speak of the devil: a voice beside me said, “We won’t.”

My cheeks heated up. He wasn’t supposed to hear that.

“And Ryan, she is right. Our friendship” —he pointed his hand between himself and his friend— “doesn’t have to do with our relationship.” He pointed between himself and me.

Ryan’s fists clenched. “She is my sister. Her affairs matter to me.”

Before Kai could reply, Ryan was already leaving the scene. He zipped up his jacket and exited from the backdoor. I gave Kai a frown then proceeded to follow my brother.

“Ryan, come back. That jacket isn’t enough to fight the rain!” I called.

“If I stay in front of him anymore, I’m not sure of my reaction.”

My raised voice and Ryan storming out seemed to gather everyone’s attention to the scene. I followed Ryan outside, trying to convince him to get back inside, while everyone stood at the doorway.

“Is everything okay?” Massie wondered.

I felt it in my gut they would ruin the girl’s event for the second time. I felt sorry for her. I had to work my best to prevent it from happening.

“No!” Ryan hollered back to her. “Not with Kai acting like an oblivious fúck.” His eyesight moved to Kim. “And not with Kimberlee still acting eighteen or nineteen—I don’t fúcking care. Something is clearly wrong. Everyone in this group needs to face it!”

Awkward. We all avoided looking into each other’s eyes. I felt my breathing get unstable as anxiety was growing in my stomach. I felt the whole problem revolve around me somehow.

“Well, if she never came in, we’d still be a happy group like we always were,” Kim retorted nonchalantly, receiving glares from everyone.

“Or if you didn’t execute that prank, Ms Funny,” Jason shot back. “Don’t make me add more words to that.”

Kai rolled his eyes and walked up to me. He gripped my forearm. “Can I have a word with you?”

I was still hurt by Kim’s words, processing them and the truth behind them in my head. No, I didn’t want to talk. I was uncomfortable, and my mind was occupied, but only Ryan seemed to notice that.

My brother came up to me and took me out of Kai’s grasp. “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to?”

I felt like a toy getting shoved between the two. If they didn’t stop the trivia, I was going to break down. At that moment, I wished to run away and leave everything behind. But I couldn’t do that before ensuring they wouldn’t fight each other.

“Oh, please, Ryan. You’re only her brother for… How much? A few months? Stop acting like her guardian angel.”

“What?” Jay and Jason said in unison.

My discomfort increased. I needed to breathe. That wasn’t the way I planned to reveal that piece of information. Everything happening was uncalled for. We came to help Massie, but it was quickly turning into a disaster.

Ryan snickered. “Look who’s talking. The twenty-one-year-old guy who can’t get his shít together after his ex.”

The world seemed to stop spinning after that sentence. Everyone was silent. Only the whistle of wind could be heard, and no one moved. Massie came up and nudged Ryan’s shoulder, making him take a step backwards. His hand came up to rub where she pushed him. He obviously started to regret his words as he couldn’t look up anyone in the eye.

“Ryan Martinez, you did not just say that,” Massie seethed. Her face was red, and her eyes shooting daggers. “You two get your shít together, or leave my place this instant.”

“I’m leaving. I’m not gonna ruin your event again, Massie. I’m sorry,” I announced.

I turned around to run and leave everyone behind, defeated. Kim was right; that all wouldn’t have happened if I had never come in in their lives. Kim won. I was not strong enough to carry on that war. Maybe another day.

Until I tripped on my steps and a scream ripped from my throat.

. . .

I laughed writing the last part 😂 she tried to sound serious but fell.

Do you think Mellie will die?

How curious are Jay and Jason?

How much do you hate Kim?

Do you hate Kai? What do you think he wanted to say?

Expectations for next chapter? Do you think the birthday party will go well?

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