CHAPTER 79

MELANIE.

I HADN’T REALIZED I WAS GRIPPING SOUL TOO TIGHTLY UNTIL HE YOWLED.

I immediately eased up and he escaped, shooting me a resentful look before slinking out of the room. I barely paid him any attention; I was too focused on Blaine.

Jordan was equally frozen, and Blaine was looking between the both of us expectantly, waiting for one of us to say something. Jordan and I exchanged a glance loaded with meaning. If Blaine remembered everything, that meant he also realized that he’d been living a lie for the past few weeks. I wondered why he was still calm.

“When did this happen?” Jordan finally asked.

“About two days ago. I didn’t call to tell you because I wanted to have this conversation in person”, Blaine replied.

His eyes came to rest on me, “I remember everything about you now, Mel. I’m sorry I forgot in the first place”.

I shook my head. “No need. It wasn’t your fault”, my voice was little more than a faint whisper.

“Oh yeah, the people who took Mel and me, they’ve been taken care of?” he asked Jordan, who nodded.

“That’s good”, he said and fell into silence. He still hadn’t confronted us, and I was starting to think he hadn’t actually realized until he spoke again.

“Can I speak to you alone now, Mel?” he asked. Jordan stiffened even more.

“I would prefer to remain here, if you don’t mind. Whatever you’re about to talk about wasn’t her fault”, I was surprised he intended to defend me instead of throwing me under the bus.

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “I never said anything was her fault, or that there was even a problem at all. Is that your guilty conscience speaking, brother?”, he asked calmly.

I’d never seen Blaine pissed before, so I didn’t know his indicators. However, if he was anything like his best friend, then he was very very angry.

They stared at each other for a few long seconds before Jordan unfolded his arms. “We both know I don’t have one”, he said and started to walk out. His eyes connected with mine briefly, then he was out the door. I had the sensation of being unarmed in a gunfight before I turned back to Blaine.

The silence hung in the air and wrapped around us while he stood looking out the window, probably gathering his thoughts. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Listen, you have every right to be angry”, I started but he held up a hand.

“Why did you do it?”, Blaine asked so softly I thought I’d misheard until he repeated himself, turning to face me.

“You had already assumed… you had just woken up, and you were confused. I didn’t want to confuse you further”, I replied. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.

“So you acted like you were my girlfriend, not because you actually wanted to be, but because you didn’t want to confuse me. Man, it’s worse than I thought”, he bit out.

“It’s really not like that”, I said and his eyes flew open. The hurt evident in them cracked my heart.

“Really? What is it like then? Because I remember you telling me before Switzerland that you didn’t want a relationship or anything too serious and I tried to respect that. So tell me, what is it like?” he blew up, making me jolt slightly.

I felt like a horrible person. “I also told you that I really liked you, and that hasn’t changed. I really do care about you, Blaine”. I said to him resisting the urge to wrap my arms around him, he looked so lost.

“Just not enough to want to date me, you had to be forced into it”.

I shook my head; he was beginning to confuse me. “What exactly is the issue we’re dealing with here?”, I asked.

Blaine ran both hands through his hair, tugging at the ends.

“Isn’t it clear by now? Fine, I’ll tell you. When I was still asleep in the hospital, it was your voice I kept hearing constantly. It was your voice that pulled me back to the surface. When I woke up and you were actually there, I thought it must be a sign. I didn’t know who you were, but I wanted to. Jordan didn’t say anything about you being involved with him, so I took it as my chance to make a move. After all, what other logical explanation could there be for you being in my hospital room when even my family wasn’t aware I was there? I knew you weren’t really my girlfriend, but when you didn’t refute it, I held onto the slim hope that it was actually true. Look

who’s the fool now”, he finished.

I was stunned speechless. All this while a part of him had known it was all a charade. I can’t imagine how much pain he must’ve been through having something he wanted but knowing it wasn’t actually true. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this much self-disgust. I rose up and went to him. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry”. I whispered, my throat tight with restrained tears.

“It would’ve been better if you’d just corrected me back then, instead of making me fall for you even more. How long did you intend to continue lying to me if I hadn’t remembered, huh? Months? Years? When you spent time with me, were your smiles genuine? Or were you just faking it while marking time like a prisoner? Your files said you went to acting school, so I know it wouldn’t have been too hard for you.”

The barb struck exactly where it had intended to. “Everything was real, Blaine. You’re a good person. I’m sorry that it turned out this way, but we were just trying to help you during a difficult time”, I tried to placate him but he was having none of it. The door swung open and Jordan stepped back in. “She’s right, you know”, he said.

I was grateful for the assist but I don’t think Blaine would appreciate it much.

“You”, he rounded on Jordan. “You are supposed to be my best friend. You’re supposed to have my back, yet you instigated this. I feel so lucky, having the greatest friend in the whole fucking world”, Blaine spat out bitterly.

“You can’t blame everybody else for something you started. If you knew she wasn’t yours, why didn’t you say so?” Jordan asked, confirming that he’d been listening to our conversation. Jordan wasn’t the type to placate or take anybody’s feelings into consideration and his best friend’s was no exception. He would bluntly tell it like it is, which is not what Blaine’s state of mind needed right now. I knew shit was about to hit the fan when I saw the color rise up in Blaine’s face.

“I should’ve known. You know, I’ve been asked multiple times why I stuck with you when you were clearly such a dipshit. I always replied that we’d been through enough shit together and I understood why you acted that way but you were different with me. I realize I was wrong. You have no redeeming qualities, you are nothing but a dipshit, sitting all high and mighty while you have your lackeys go about ruining lives for you”, his hand swept to me.

Jordan’s eyes narrowed. “You can take shots at me, but you will not speak to Melanie in that manner”, he said.

Blaine had had enough. “I will talk the way I fucking want to. If you know you care so much about her then why don’t you just take her? You think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her, or she at you? Clearly you have the hots for each other. Why don’t you just fuck already and get it over with, that’s if you weren’t even already doing it behind my back”. He yelled and stormed out, leaving the room in complete silence.