Chapter 3

Melissa POV

“We’re fine,” I said quickly, though my voice shook.

“No, we are absolutely not fine,” Aria cut in, giving me a look that very clearly said, "Are you out of your mind? “Troy was our ride. I am not calling an Uber at midnight from a biker lounge parking lot. Do you know how many true crime podcasts start exactly like this?”

“Aria…”

“It’s not safe.” The stranger said quietly.

Those ice-blue eyes found mine, and I could see the faintest smirk on his face. “I’m not a serial killer”

I giggled softly, putting my hand over my mouth. “That’s exactly what a serial killer would say.”

“Fair point.” The almost-smile held. “I’m offering anyway.”

Aria grabbed my arm. “We accept. Thank you.”

His car was a sleek black Audi parked at the far edge of the lot, of course it was.

Aria climbed into the back without hesitation, pulling me in after her. The door closed. The engine turned over with a low, smooth sound, and we pulled out of the lot.

The seats were leather, it felt really comfortable, after a short while I pressed myself against the window and stared out at the passing streetlights.

Aria lasted approximately four minutes before her head dropped onto my shoulder, her breathing going slow and even. I glanced down at her. Her purple hair fanned across my arm, her mouth was slightly open and she was out cold.

I don’t know what made me look up.

But I did … and my eyes found the rearview mirror, and his were already there.

He wasn’t looking at the road. He was looking at me. His gaze moved over my face and then, slowly, it dropped lower to the neckline of the red dress. And then to the tear at my thigh where I’d ripped the fabric. Back up. As unhurried as if he had all the time in the world and I didn’t want him to stop, I leaned back exposing more of my body to him.

My breath snagged somewhere in my throat.

Then he looked back at the road. Just like that. Like nothing had happened. Like I’d imagined it.

I turned back to the window, trying to calm my breathing.

Why does a complete stranger make me feel like this?

Maybe it’s because I’m angry, I was betrayed by that jerk after all.

I pressed my fingertips to the cold glass and tried to think about literally anything else. 

It didn’t work. I couldn’t get my mind off the hot stranger sitting in front. 

Stop it Malissa.

My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It was my Mom.

I sat up, dislodging Aria slightly, and answered before the second buzz. “Hello?”

“Melissa.” Mom’s voice was clipped. “Where are you? You were supposed to be here today. Gavin came all the way from Boston just to meet you .”

My stomach dropped. I’d forgotten completely. I was supposed to meet my moms fiancé earlier this morning but I had forgotten.

“I’m so sorry.” I pressed two fingers to my temple. “Something happened. I’ll call and apologize tomorrow, I promise.”

“You certainly will.” The disappointment came through clearly. Then, she said softer: “I need to tell you something, Melissa. Something important. But not tonight … When you’re home.”

Something in her tone made me sit up straighter. “Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Come home tomorrow.” Another pause. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Good night.”

I lowered the phone. The car was still quiet. Aria hadn’t moved.

I looked up at the mirror without meaning to.

He wasn’t looking this time. 

I forgot to meet my mother’s fiancé today. I was feeling very guilty but I wasn't in support of the engagement … she was barely forty, and it had only been three months, and something about the whole thing had felt rushed and wrong from the beginning. But she was happy. Or she seemed happy. And I’d still managed to forget.

I pressed my cheek back against the cold glass and closed my eyes.

The car slowed and stopped in front of Aria’s building.

I nudged her gently. She made a sound of protest and didn’t move. I nudged her harder.

“Aria. We’re here.”

She lifted her head, blinking. Then I looked around. “Oh.” A pause. “Good.”

I started to reach for the door handle.

“Will you be okay?”

His voice came from the front seat, low and even, and I paused.

I looked up. He had turned in his seat to look at me fully.

“Yes,” I said. “Thank you. For everything.”

A beat passed.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

I hesitated for exactly one second. “Lisa.”

Something moved through his expression but it was too brief to read. “Ben.”

I held his gaze for a moment longer than I needed to. Then I looked away, reaching for the door. “Good night, Ben.”

I climbed out. The night air was cool against my skin. Behind me, I heard Aria say something cheerful to him that I didn’t catch, and then she was beside me, and the Audi pulled away from the curb, and was gone.

I watched the taillights until they disappeared around the corner.

Stop it, I told myself again. I couldn’t.

Inside Aria’s apartment, I made it as far as the bathroom before everything I’d been holding gave way.

I took off the dress and let it fall to the floor, and then the tears bursted out like a dam. I slid down the wall with my back against the cool tile and pulled my knees to my chest and just fell apart.

Aria was on the floor beside me. Her arms came around me without a word, and I cried into her shoulder … it came from the deepest part of my soul, I grabbed her shoulder like it was the only thing I had left stopping me from totally falling apart. “ I…I loved him, Aria. Why did he do that to me?”

“I’ve got you,” she said quietly. “I’ve got you. Let it out.”

I cried until I had nothing left. Until my eyes were swollen and my throat was scraped raw. When I finally pulled back, I felt wrung out and empty.

Aria held my face in her palm. Not worried about all the tears and probably snot.

“Can we please,” she said carefully, “talk about the kiss.”

I dropped my face into her hands. “Aria, no…”

“Melissa.” She pulled my cheek together, raising my face to look at her. “That was like something out of a movie! A romantic movie! The way he just pulled you in? ”

Heat moved through my face despite everything. “It was intense actually.”

“Intense?” Aria laughed. “Melissa, that man looked at you like you were the only person in the entire club. Like you were the only person in the entire world.”

I bit my lip, remembering those ice-blue eyes. The way his arms had felt around me. The taste of his lips.

“ It was just adrenaline ,” I said weakly.

But even I didn’t believe that.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The next morning the warm smell of coffee and burnt toast filled Aria’s kitchen as golden sunlight streamed through the window, painting everything in soft morning light. I sat at the counter wearing her oversized t-shirt, with my legs tucked under me.

My eyes felt swollen and gritty from crying. My head pounded with a dull ache that wouldn’t go away.

“You know, I still think you should have gotten that Greek god’s number yesterday.” Aria sipped her coffee with a very serious look on her face . “It’s just a shame you didn’t get to fuck him. I mean, did you look at the same man I saw ?”

Despite everything, a laugh bubbled up in my throat. “You are just a slut.”

“I’m a slut with excellent taste,” she corrected, grinning. “That man was criminally fine.”

“I gave him a fake name, so I wasn’t actually planning a redo.” I picked at the edge of my coffee mug, not meeting her eyes. “Plus, he looks way older than me.”

“Does that matter?”

“ No, not really.” I sighed, running my fingers through my tangled hair. “ But I’m also coming out of a relationship. I don’t think I should be swayed by hot guys so soon . That’s how I ended up with Troy in the first place.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but…”

My phone rang, cutting her off.

Mom’s name flashed on the screen, and my stomach immediately clenched with anxiety. Mom never called this early. Something was wrong.

“ Hello?”

Loud, gasping sobs came through the speaker. 

“ Mom? Mom, why are you crying? What’s wrong?” Panic clawed up my throat, making it hard to breathe .

Her voice was broken, barely recognizable through the tears. “Melissa, baby, please come home. You need to come home now.”

I was already standing. Adrenaline flooded my system, making my hands shake. “Mom, are you hurt? Did someone hurt you? Are you okay?”

“No, but I need you. Please come home.” Then the line went dead.

“Shit Aria, something is very wrong. I have to go home. Now.”

“I’ll come with you,” she said immediately, already setting down her coffee, her face filled with worry.

I was already moving, grabbing my wrinkled red dress from last night off her bathroom floor. I didn’t care how it looked. I didn't care about anything except getting to my mom.

“No, I’ll text you.” I was pulling the dress over my head, my fingers fumbling with the zipper. “I know you have class today.”

“Mel…”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.” But my voice wavered on the last word, betraying the fear coursing through me.

———

The drive home felt endless. 

I tried calling Mom back three times. Each time, it went straight to voicemail. 

What happened? Is she hurt? Is someone dead?

My mind raced with horrible possibilities , each one worse than the last. 

My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. 

When I finally turned onto our street, my heart literally stopped.

A moving truck sat in our driveway like a vulture. All our furniture…our worn couch, my dad’s old recliner that still smelled like his cologne, boxes and boxes of our belongings…were scattered across the front lawn like garbage. 

I felt a mixture of shame and fear.

Two men in crisp suits stood near our front door, they were bank officials. I recognized the logo instantly, and my stomach dropped to my feet.

No.  

This can’t be happening.