Until the Melody Fades

My heartbeat screeched to a halt.Wiping the blood from my nose in a panic, I whipped my head around to see Evan standing there. The moment he saw me, his pupils contracted sharply, his eyes filled with disbelief."Evan, do you know her?" The girl next to him clung to his arm affectionately as she looked at me with curiosity.Evan stiffly tore his gaze from my face and pulled her into his arms, his voice as cold as the chilly wind that blew across the lake. "No, I don't."Two years of love, and he said he didn't know me.I forced a bitter smile on my lips, but my heart felt like it was being pricked by a thousand needles, the pain so overwhelming I almost couldn't breathe.Before I could even gather my thoughts, Evan stuffed the camera into my hands. "Are you going to help us or not? We don't have all day."The girl, thinking that he wasn't being very polite, gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he's got a terrible temper!"Then, she turned toward Evan, her voice filled with ge

Jane stood behind him, looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry, Miss Quinn, but the heater in our room's broken. Can you let us use your shower, please?"Out of instinct, I was going to refuse, but Evan sneered as if he could read my mind. "What, are you worried that we're going to dirty your room, Miss Quinn? Don't tell me you're that stingy."Or maybe… You've got someone hiding in there that you don't want us to see?"Utterly baffled by his audacity, I tugged the door open as hard as I could. "Well, come in then!" After Jane went into the shower, the two of us were left in the room. The sound of running water filled the air, and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Evan stared straight at me the entire time, and the pressure of it was so much it made my scalp tingle. Just as I was about to turn around and escape to the balcony, his voice rumbled, "How much longer are you going to avoid me, Melody?"He stepped forward to grab my hand and I, panicking that he mi

I forced myself to stay calm, wiping the blood from my nose with what little strength I had left. "Oh, this? The air's just too dry here.""Then what about these marks on your arm?"I withdrew my arm, putting on a calm facade. "Just got scratched by some wild grass by the lake, that's all."Evan's brows were tightly knit, and he stared straight into my eyes, as if he was trying to ascertain whether I was telling a lie. After a moment that seemed far too long, he let go of my hand, his voice filled with irritation. "You're an adult, so act like it. Don't be so careless."It seemed like he was going to say something else, but Jane knocked on the door. "Evan, what's taking you so long? Have you gotten my scrunchie yet? Oh, your mom told you to call her, so remember to do that, okay?""Yeah, got it." Evan's face flashed with irritation, but he still accepted the missed call from his mother. Even though the phone was a fair distance away, I could hear his mother's cheerful voice, c

Accepting the bright red lipstick from her, I carefully applied it in front of the mirror.The woman in the mirror looked almost the same as before, except for how she was frighteningly pale.Then, the two of us left the washroom. The moment we stepped out the door, Evan walked over, a frustrated expression on his face. "What's wrong? Why were you in there for so long?"His gaze fell on my lips, now far too vivid against my bloodless face, his tone carrying a hint of admonishment.I was struggling to form an answer when my aid came in the form of Jane, helping me out of my bind. "She was feeling uncomfortable because of altitude sickness just now, but now she's feeling much better."Evan's tone remained admonishing, and he seemed frustrated. "How could you come all the way here when you've got altitude sickness? You're so hard-headed it's impressive." After that, he brushed past me and opened the driver's door himself, his voice stiff. "Go, sit in the back. Rest."I stared at

Oncology?Evan's head went blank, and it was as if he'd been struck by lightning,Melody had cancer?She was the very picture of health before they broke up, rushing around all day in her barbecue shop, filled with more energy and light than anyone in the room."That's not right. Can you check if it might be someone with the same name?"A little irritated, the nurse turned the screen towards him. "Look. Melody Quinn, late-stage cancer, ward 302."Seeing the words on the screen, Evan felt like his entire world was going to collapse.He refused to believe it!Staggering towards the ward, he prayed to God that it was all a mistake, that it was just someone with the same name, and that it was a coincidence!Until he pushed open the door to ward 302.The woman who occupied his thoughts day and night was passed out on the hospital bed, her complexion so grey and pale it was terrifying.Just as he barged in, the nurse who was changing out her IV drip looked over at him and frowned.