Mike 

None of this was supposed to happen. 

Last night, most of all, wasn't supposed to happen. 

"Ashlyn, wait," sidestepping Melody to run after Ashlyn before she walked out the door, I called out after her, "Please. At least give me a chance to explain!" I know that I didn't deserve the chance to be listened to, but at the same time I couldn't handle the broken situation resting entirely on my shoulders- unsolved. And, if she really was going to leave, she would never let me see her to talk this all out. 

What we had, despite how strange, was all I had. Ashlyn was the only one who understood me on a level no one else could

There was a gentle sigh behind me, "Geez, I'm sorry, Mike. By the way you handled me last night, I had no idea you had someone back home-"  

That was it. Piercing a glare over my shoulder, I whisked Melody into my bedroom and slammed the door behind me, "What the fuck do you want from me?"  

Unbothered and almost oblivious to the wreckage she tossed me into, Melody strolled around the walls of my room and thrummed her fingers across the spines of the books on my bookshelf, "I just wanted to see how you have been doing, that's all." 

The innocence in her voice was entirely deceiving, but it was impossible to be as sharp as I wanted. She looked harmless with the way she observed each object in my room with a genuine curiosity, almost as if she wanted to see how I been living over the years. Of course, she missed a lot. I changed from the weak sack of shit I was- made sure of it.

After Melody, I couldn't let anyone manipulate me again, and thanks to her I learned. I learned how naïve I was to believe that it was possible for me to have friends. Because of my name, the only thing I could be was a networking opportunity or title, and my so called friend group was a spider-web of intertwined objectives of convoluted plans. If you weren't manipulating or lying, then you were the one being manipulated and lied to. 

So, to survive, I done some shit, things I am not too proud of, but it was what got me through. No one has manipulated me since, but I guess my plans to change have gone to shit when I went to see Melody last night. 

She's got me wrapped around her finger, and I hate it. Gritting my teeth, I avoided responding back to her, crossed my arms, and stayed by the door. It's probably best if I stop talking to her, knowing how a few minutes ago I almost let down my guard and forgave her. 

This was what she wanted from me, a game. She wanted to test me out and see how I changed.

"You done?" I questioned, softening my voice but unable to restrain my irritation.  

Slowly turning towards me, head tilted like she didn't understand why I would be upset, Melody pursed her lips, "You were the one that dragged me here. I thought you would have something more to say."  

I shrugged my shoulders, "You came here first. Is there something you have to say? Or explain?"

"Explain?" 

Crystal blue eyes with a face masked with absolute obliviousness, it was hard to tell if Melody really had no idea or if she was playing dumb. I would like to think that she was, but it was never that simple with her. Never. She was the kind of person to start a conversation with a clear and set agenda in mind. Melody was never the type to just 'swing by' and check in. There was a reason why she was here. 

The difficult part was finding out what. 

"Explaining why you kissed me without my permission in the kitchen right after I said I no longer wanted to see you would be a good place to start. Especially when my girlfriend walked in. Are you trying to break us up?" 

"Oh, Mike," Melody giggled right after she rolled her ruby lips into a polite grin, "you really have gotten a lot brighter, but I'm no fool either." 

She was trying to provoke me. I knew she was, but biting my bottom lip I maintained a steady, unwavering gaze and tried to solve her cryptic, open ended statement. Didn't have any idea how to feel about that complement either. It was backhanded in a way. Even though I improved, the underline was that she would still always be one step ahead. 

The egotistical bitch. Why do I allow her to contact me?

Seeing that I had no response or any further questions, Melody continued, "All I'm saying is that if you really did care for your girlfriend you wouldn't have slept with me last night," turning on her heels and strutting towards me, Melody smirked when she ran her fingers down my arm, "And, you wouldn't allow me to be here for so long, but here I am."  

I shut my eyes and turned my head away. No, she can't be right. I would never depend on her this much. She may have been the best thing to enter my life but when she left she ruined me, so why would I keep her around like the pathetic mess I was before?

I was beyond that. I had to be, yet I couldn't find it in me to tell her to leave. 

And, taking my silence as some sort of compliance, Melody wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gently pecked my neck with a kiss, the warmth of her lips intoxicating and burning a knot in my chest that I couldn't swallow. She really knew how to get what she wanted, and the more her kisses crept towards my lips the more persuasive she became, but at least for the sake of my own pride I swerved her last kiss and pulled out my phone.  

"Sorry, I'm busy today," I mumbled while scrolling through my read messages to find any excuse to leave.  

"Hm," Melody mused while resting a delicate finger beneath her chin, "so later?" 

Coughing to fill the absence of my reply, I turned my back to make it a little bit easier to ignore her and scanned through the last message I sent to Garrison. Damn, it had been a while since we last hanged. According to these texts, it was before break started, which only means that the wild hell ride that my life became when Ashlyn entered had lasted this long. Can't decide if it felt like an eternity or one incredibly long nightmare. 

Though, before I could start thinking about Ashlyn and the fuckfest this morning was, I shot Garrison a text. 

Me: hey. know of anything tonight

Not even a second passed before I saw the three bubbles pop up in response. My man.  

Garrison: Only if you're looking for anything out of town. 

Garrison: You know it's the holidays. Everyone is out. 

Fuck. Forgot about that. 

With the million of hours I spent at the set of Blood Run preparing to shoot for the finale, I forgot that other people had the luxury of traveling during break. We were almost finished filming the last bits of the episode, so I have to go in on set early tomorrow morning to tie up, but after that I have about a day before break ends. 

So, you know what? Fuck it. 

Me: how about tomorrow night? what's lit

Garrison: You feelin upstate New York?

Garrison: Or Ontario, Canada

What the fuck was in Canada? Maple syrup vodka shots?

"Mike?" 

Kicking it back into my armchair and throwing my feet onto the coffee table, I crosschecked the people I knew who were vacationing in Canada to famous clubs or bars. Entranced in my research and the possibility of getting as fucked up as I could, I dismissed Melody with the curt wave of my hand, "Bye."  

She must have left quietly because I didn't even hear the door close behind her. All I could hear was Ontario and whatever the hell was there calling my name. 

It was going to be the place that would get me back on track. Ashlyn was only a distraction, and like before vodka would help me get over it and accept the fact that I was Mike Nor. I had no time for friends or family. I didn't have the luxury to trust anyone. I only had myself, and one day I will be fine with that. 

A/N: 

lol. 

uhm. 

update. 

now I think you would like me to write another chapter of this story instead of complaining about my life cuz.. yeah. anyway. I'm writing the next one. just all the love and thanks to the people still reading <3. ~I'm such a shitty updater, I know. I will give another offering~