MELISSA’S POV
The cab ride back was a blur, like someone had pressed fast-forward on reality. I don’t even remember giving the driver my address. I don’t remember taking out my wallet. One moment I was standing in Xavier’s doorway, my pulse thundering like I’d just sprinted for my life, and the next I was in my apartment, leaning against the closed door as if it were the only thing keeping me from collapsing.
“What the f**k was that?” The words burst out of me, my voice trembling, echoing off the empty walls.
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. My chest was tight, every breath uneven, like my body was still trapped in that doorway with him. I dropped my bag on the couch, knocking over a pillow I didn’t bother to fix. My feet moved on their own, pacing a line into the carpet.
“This isn’t ri
