MELLISA'S POV
After the call with Xavier, I sat in my living room, staring at the black screen of my phone as if it might somehow offer an explanation. The silence in the room was deafening, amplifying the growing discomfort in my chest.
Why did he hang up like that?
Why did he sound so distant?
My thoughts chased each other in circles, refusing to give me peace. He hadn’t been himself all day, and now this? The short responses, the way he brushed me off—as though I wasn’t even worth a full sentence. And that wasn’t just anyone on the other line. That was me. Melissa Brown.
I dropped the phone onto the couch and let out a frustrated sigh, pushing myself off the cushion and heading toward the kitchen. If I was going to overthink this entire thing, I might as well do it while cooking so
