Melissa hadn't seen Alec again since the cafeteria incident. Yet, somehow, his presence was still everywhere—lurking in the corners of her mind, woven into the hallways she crossed, hidden between the notes of music she tried to lose herself in.
She hated it.
And today, fate decided to mock her again.
She was running late to the music club meeting, Ginny beside her, laughing about something silly. Melissa was just about to smile when she turned the corner and—
Bang.
She collided into someone — tall, broad-shouldered — so hard that she stumbled backward.
"Careful," a familiar voice muttered.
Melissa froze. That voice. That scent.
Alec.
She staggered two steps back instinctively, clutching her bag like a shield.
"Melissa," Alec said, almost breathless, almost…soft.
Ginny grabbed Melissa's arm protectively. "Come on," she hissed under her breath, trying to pull her away.
But Alec didn't move. He stood there, his brown eyes unreadable.
Not mocking. Not arrogant. Just... there.
"You should watch where you're going," Melissa said, voice brittle, recovering first.
She hated how her voice trembled.
"I was looking for you," Alec said.
Melissa's stomach twisted. "Well, congratulations. You found me," she spat.
Ginny tried to pull her again, but Melissa shook her off. She couldn't keep running forever.
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.
Alec's jaw tightened. He glanced at Ginny, then back at Melissa. "Not here. Can we... talk? Alone?"
Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but Melissa lifted a hand. "It's fine," she said.
(Was it really fine?)
"Five minutes," she told Alec sharply. "Not one second more."
Alec nodded.
They moved outside, to a quiet bench near the old music building.
Melissa stayed standing.
Alec sat, elbows resting on his knees, looking like he didn't know how to start.
Finally, he said, "Amelie and I broke up."
Melissa blinked, feeling absolutely nothing.
No satisfaction. No anger. No pity.
"Not interested," she said.
"It's not about that," Alec hurried. "I owe you an apology. For...everything."
Melissa crossed her arms, heart pounding painfully in her chest. She was not going to cry.
"You used me," she said, voice low. "You humiliated me in front of everyone. You made my first kiss a nightmare."
Alec looked wrecked.
"I know," he whispered. "And I can't undo it. But...I want you to know, it wasn't because you weren't good enough. It was because I was a coward."
Melissa let out a bitter laugh. "Coward. Right."
"I liked you," Alec blurted. "After the project...I liked you."
Melissa flinched.
She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want him to ruin her already broken memories even more.
"But I was scared," Alec continued. "You weren't like others. You were... real. And I was too much of a selfish jerk to handle it."
Melissa stared at him. Was this regret? Was this guilt?
Or just another game?
"You should have thought about that before," she said flatly.
She turned to leave.
"Melissa!" Alec called after her, voice desperate. "Please... can you ever forgive me?"
Melissa didn't turn back.
Forgiveness?
Maybe one day — for herself.
But not for him.
Ginny was waiting anxiously near the building.
"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.
Melissa nodded stiffly. "Let's go."
As they walked away, Melissa felt a strange, heavy emptiness inside.
Not rage. Not sadness.
Just... exhaustion.
Later that night, as Melissa sat on her bed, sketching in her diary mindlessly, her phone buzzed.
[Dayne George]: "Heard from Ginny that you had a bad day. If you need a distraction, I can lend you my awful singing voice. No charge."
Melissa smiled despite herself.
Maybe, just maybe, not every boy was like Alec Fernandes.
Maybe there was still some hope left for her heart.