Autumn POV:

The Infamous amount of old collected wine bottles stacked on a high shelf in Mel's bathroom is not enough to cheer me up—Not this time.

Even though I know how she got every single last bottle displayed. From the really expensive ones that she managed to sneak out of the club to the cheap ones she took from the college parties.

As my full tear eyes blinded me from looking any further, I tucked my head back into my arms as I tried to soften the noises of my crying, not wanting Mel to be worried about me.

After Damian just left, I didn't know what to do, whether to go after him or yell at Evan, asking him if he was lying or not.

I didn't know what I wanted.

I definitely knew that going back to my apartment, where I would be lonely in my thoughts—would not be a good idea.

So instead, I quickly took my things and went straight to Mel's apartment.

When I got to her place, I didn't even think that she was going to be home or not.

But thank god she was.

Without question, she had let me in. That was how comfortable we were with each other, I could break into her place and she wouldn't even get mad.

When I walked through her place and headed straight for the bathroom, she didn't ask any questions nor did she follow me.

That was probably thirty minutes ago.

Now as I sat on Mel's bathroom floor, I heard a soft knock on the door as the door opened and Mel pokes her head in.

Looking down at me, she notices my tear stained cheeks.

"Come on Autumn, let's talk about it" She softly says.

"What if I don't want to?" I challenged her.

All Mel has to do is give me one look and soon after that, I hop up off the floor and follow her into the living room.

Mel's living room is similar to mine, it is decorated in the most cozy way and it has her own unique style to it—

For example, she crotchets a lot and because of that, there is yarn everywhere, even places where you least expect them.

I have been in this apartment more than a dozen times, and it never fails to amaze me how creative she can be, especially with fashion.

As I waited for Mel to return from the kitchen as she stated that she needed to grab something. I try to come up with an explanation in my mind of how I wanted to explain what had happened earlier.

Given that Damian might not want anyone to know what is going on.

God, even thinking about his name makes me sink deeper into the couch—out of sadness.

Mel returns with a red wine bottle and two glasses and I already know what she is going to try to make me do.

"Nope, no, no and no" I immediately said, shaking my head.

"Come on Autumn, we're adults, and considering that you were in that bathroom for more than ten minutes crying, I think you need a drink more than I do"

I didn't retaliate, but I didn't say yes either.

But she still poured me a glass.

As I drank the wine, I sigh, "Me and Damian had a fight and I think he wants nothing to do with me now"

When I finished that sentence, the thought dawned on me, what if he really doesn't want anything to do with me now?

I shook my head as I went to take another sip of my wine, finding that it was empty—I reached over my pour myself more than what was originally given to me.

Mel didn't stop me, she just looked like she was lost in her head.

So I waited for her, while simultaneously clutching my wine.

"Why?" she suddenly asked.

"Why what?" I tilted my head.

"I mean, why did you guys get into a fight and why do you think that he wants nothing to do with you now?"

"I don't really want to tell you" I said.

"Come on Autumn, you show up at my apartment, you're crying in the bathroom, so something serious must have happened between you guys" she pushed, "Plus you said you guys got into a fight"

She paused before she continued, "So I think it's best you tell me, just like get it out, instead of bottling it up"

I was silent at first, I don't know what Damian would want me to say, or if he wanted me to reveal anything at all.

But in the back of my mind, I knew if I told Mel what had happen, then she would grill me to my fucking core. Because I know I messed up and she is going to make it known.

But fuck it, I thought as I poured myself my third glass of wine.

                                       *

After I had told Mel the whole thing, she just looked at me like I was the biggest idiot around.

And I probably was in this situation.

It took her five whole minutes to think about what I just told her, from Evan in the office building, to going to the park, what Evan was telling me, to Damian showing me unexpectedly then our little fight.

"So basically Damian's brother, this weird ass guy, came to your workplace and basically harassed you into talking with him" Her left eyebrow arched up, "And you didn't think to call the police or even Damian?"

"Well he said that—"

"But then you agreed to talk to him?" She cuts me off, changing her position in her chair, "Autumn, he could have been a serial killer for christ sake!"

"It was about Damian, so maybe he wanted—"

"So basically, if a stranger would come up to you and say that they were your long lost sibling, you would believe them?"

I stayed silent this time, knowing that she was right for that. I didn't know Evan at all and yet I still believe him and talk to him.

Stupid, stupid me.

"But then, you go to a park with this guy and he is saying all this shit about Damian and what not, and for some reason, you possibly think it's true"

My head suddenly felt heavy, probably heavy from the guilt that I was feeling.

"Then Damian showed up, and rightfully so, he was angry. Then apparently that's when you guys fought"

After she recap everything I just told her, I didn't know what to say—

"So why do you think you guys fought in the first place", Mel questioned.

"Maybe because he didn't tell me that he had a brother and it would make this a whole lot easier" I quietly said, questioning my own words coming out of my mouth.

"See, that's where you're wrong Autumn, Damian doesn't have to tell you everything that goes on in his life, I know you don't do the same for him" she paused for a moment, "You are not entitled to that, you can't force people to tell you everything"

Mel puts her wine glass down as she stands up, pacing around her living room, it looks like she is about to explode off of rage.

She stops as she grills her burning eyes into my skull. I only saw Mel like this twice in my life and those were the times that she was humbling me to the fullest.

"Honestly Autumn, do you even have a backbone? All my life, I only saw you get mad one time, but for the most part, you just let everyone walk all over you and that is why these things are happening, because you are easy to control!"

I stayed silent as I listened.

"You easily accept defeat, even when you don't deserve it. For example, Matthew breaking up with you, you just accepted it without any anger in the world, knowing that he played you and wasted so many years of your life for him"

As I thought about what she was saying, it would make sense, I just let things be the way that they are, knowing that I was wronged.

"And then this situation with Evan and Damian, it's like you don't have any common sense whatsoever, like have you not learned from experience that people will lie and disrespect you, even if they seem nice!"

Mel continues, "Honestly Autumn, I thought you would grow out of this scared-to-confront people phase and actually stand up for yourself" she sighs as she sat down, putting an arm around my shoulders, "You can't continue to live like this Autumn, you are guaranteed going to end up being used and I don't want that for you"

As tears filled my eyes, I tried my hardest to keep them afloat, but when Mel embraced me in a tight hug, the tears fell hard.

Mel was right about this, I don't know how I could be so native about my judgment of people, I keep telling myself that so many people would not harm me in any way but the truth is I kept being in denial.

After hugging for about a minute, Mel looked at me with a genuine smile on her face.

"Come one, I have some vodka in the cabinet, and I think we both need some right now" she suddenly said as she jumped off the couch and heading into her kitchen.

As I continue to stay seated, I realize that Mel is the only person who would tell me what was wrong with me, and I'm grateful for that because not many people have a friend like Mel.

She later returned to the couch with a full bottle of vodka and more glasses for us.

Mel is the truest of friends out there.

What will Autumn do next?

Thoughts on Mel?

-Summer Roe