CHAPTER 1

Melio's POV

"You really have to come down here Melio, it is much more lively and much more fun than Dublin. Miami will help you forget your pain trust me on this." I sighed, it may be  easy for  Mackenzie, but for me it is very difficult, I have all these memories about this city, where I had my first kiss ever with thee 'Christian Jacobs'. Christian and I were like  opposite pair, I mean I am plus size and his a quarterback, but he chose me anyways, against all odds against societal definition of perfect, we had our own share of ups and downs and I wasn't just ready to accept the reality that stood bare in front of me.

Before graduation, Christian and I had a little heated argument about prom night, he was with Joyce Michaels the girl who recently transferred to join us, rumors had it that she came specifically for Christian and not to mention she is also pushing her modelling career with her sisters help. Even the cheerleader Gianna could not be compared to her, she was everything I wasn't, a beauty who beside Christian looked like a princess from a fairytale.

Till date I feel that however my relationship with Christian got south has something to do with me. I should have known that making that video will draw unsolicited attention, and I think this part I wasn't ready for. During one of his training sessions in our fourth year, I had made a recording of him during one of  his off team hockey practice, and it went viral, since then brands called, top hockey teams wanted to sign him on and sponsor him to go pro. I was happy for him, I mean my man was going viral, yet I did not prepare myself for how that kind of attention would shape our relationship, Christian became a passive participant in our relationship making me mostly the girlfriend and boyfriend, Mackenzie cautioned me a lot about how this will break me if it went sideways, yet I kept making excuses just like now,

"Maybe his overwhelmed too, I mean the attention his getting is a bit unplanned and his just trying to process everything". I would often tell Mackenzie anytime he ditched me or didn't call back to apologize.

"Seriously and how is that an excuse? Or did you solicit for this attention? No Melio, you helped him like any good and loving girlfriend would, why is he now punishing you for that? Oh please! Correct me if I am wrong, he hasn't said a thank you for everything instead he complained at first and now his telling you indirectly to deal with the fame you gave him?

You used your anonymous I*******m account that could have brought you thousands of dollars to raise funds to promote him, and now, he can hardly stand you for a second."

"It's not that way Mackenzie, he is just overwhelmed, I mean I would be too". I said trying to justify Christian's insensitivity towards me.

"Well if fooling yourself and believing in this sinking ship is what makes you happy, then you're good to go". I remember this conversation with Mackenzie like it was yesterday, cause right after we had that conversation was prom, where everything went wild in my relationship with Christian.

"So now you're too busy for me, but free to help Joyce try on  different foods? Seriously Christian what do you take me for? You were asked to kiss her and".... I was cut short more like stopped by Christian's roaring high pitched anger driven tone.

" For God's sake Melio, I didn't kiss her, she kissed me, what was I supposed to do, throw her into the trashcan cause I didn't want to upset my girlfriend? You wanted us to go public, I did even after I told you that this will bring about issues, but you asked me to prove my love, now I did, and somehow I am still not meeting your standards, am I even important in this relationship or just a part of it?  Do you ever think or care about how I feel?" 

Seriously I am happy for some reason this came up and came from his mouth straight. Now we can iron things out straight and well.

"I was the one who put that video out there, trying to be a good girlfriend who supports her man, but no I did not get a 'thank you' from you, instead you became more and more distant like though I am some disease". I said with every bit of pain in me and I am sure he could feel my pain cause for some minutes he kept still, I just hoped that he understood that I was trying to make us work, I mean people did predict that we would not last past the third year in school and look at us now, I hoped we will find peace with this and bury this issue for good, but what came out of Christian's mouth after that five a good minutes pause sent me into the trance.

"I didn't ask for any of that, I never asked you to put me out there, to make that video, I would have still gone pro after the game, and you know that, my parents have connections, your help was more of a you thing, and had nothing to do with me."  I wished at this point that the earth will open up and swallow me, cause did I just hear wrong or did Christian Jacobs just straight to my face said that I was doing too much and my help wasn't something he asked for? And to make that bad enough, he just walked out on me, like I disgust him, seriously is he for real?

I sat there on the cold bench outside the hall trying to get my head straight, did I really do too much? Am I the problem here? Have I been selfish? Did I really not care about him? I was so lost in the trim of my thought that I did not notice Mackenzie there.

"Melio, if you're not making out with you boyfriend, you better have a reasonable excuse why you refused picking my calls cause clearly you're fine, and I am here worried that you left me in there with those trust fund wolves". She came to a pose when she noticed that I was not responding to anything she said.

"Mel, are you ok? Mel, Mel? Her shake brought me back to reality, as I looked up to her my eyes glistened, from tears I had kept in for so long.

"Mac, I just had a fight with Christian, and Mac, I think his right". I said and now I was crying a river of tears.

"His right about what now?" She asked rolling her eyes cause she also got to witness the brief kiss between Joyce and Christian.

"Said it's my fault for putting the video out there, that he feels suffocated in this relationship and that he never asked me to do anything help him go pro, I mean how did I ever forget that his parents are wealthy and could have gotten him to any length in any career he choose, hockey not being an exception. Mackenzie I just ruined my relationship without even having to cheat".

"That spineless dutch bag! Well my friend it is not your fault, wipe those pretty eyes of yours, listen a pig will always be a pig even if you give it the coziest bath. If Christian fails to see you, trust me others will and you do not have to beat yourself up about that. Please let's go home and have the night of our lives, after now we have graduation to look forward to, do not let Christian ruin your evening."

I gathered all the courage in me and walked out of school with Mackenzie holding my hands as  trying to let me know that she's here for whatever may come.