ALEX
I sit alone in my Oxford dorm room, staring at a picture of Melody on my phone. The digital image doesn't do her justice, but it's all I have to deal with the ache that gnaws at me. I know I've been smothering her with constant attention and affection, which is why she asked for time and space apart before I left for England. She didn't have the emotional energy to be a proper girlfriend, considering everything going on in her life. Bloody hell, she was kidnapped, and her stepmother Nancy was nearly beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend. Poor woman's still in a coma.
The image of Melody in my hand does little to ease the pain inside me, but I can't tear my eyes away. Should I let her go? Is that what's best for her? My heart constricts as my fingers tremble around the phone. There's n
