Page 62 of Light

Not in this bed where Melissa gasped my name like it meant something. Not on these sheets that still feel warm with her memory.

“Kayla, I don’t think this is?—”

The sound of the front door slamming open cuts me off.

Fast footsteps. Coming hard through the shop.

Kayla blinks at me. “You expecting someone else?”

Before I can answer, the door to the room bursts open and Melissa storms in.

Her eyes fly around the space before locking on me, then Kayla, then the bed. The silk sheets. The beer bottle. Kayla’s hand still on my belt.

Pure rage.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Melissa—” I start, but it’s too late.

She charges.

Kayla barely has time to let out a yelp before Melissa grabs her by the hair and yanks her off the bed. They crash to the floor in a flurry of arms, high-pitched screams, and curse words.

“Get off me, you psycho bitch!”

“You want to crawl into my man sheets, you better be ready to bleed on them!”

“Melissa, stop!” I dive in and hook my arms around her waist, pulling her off Kayla just as her fist flies again. It misses, but only barely.

“Let me go!” she snarls, squirming in my grip. “I’m not done with her.”

Kayla scrambles to her feet, dress crooked and hair a mess. “You’re insane. I didn’t know this was your man.”

“I’m not her man,” I growl, still holding Melissa back.

“You sure?” Kayla spits, glaring at both of us. “Because your dick seemed confused.”

“That’s enough. Get out,” I snap.

Kayla hesitates, then grabs her purse from the floor and storms out, muttering under her breath.

The second the door slams behind her, Melissa goes still in my arms.

I loosen my grip, and she turns to face me.

“I should’ve known,” she says, her voice shaking but not with sadness. Not anymore. “You’re exactly what I thought you were.”

I bite down hard, jaw tight. “You walked away from me.”

“I was scared,” she fires back. “I needed space. That doesn’t mean I wanted to find you playing peekaboo with the first willing set of legs.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I snap. “Not yet. And don’t act like you didn’t make it clear I don’t belong in your life.”

“You think this is about what you deserve? I came here to show you something. Something important. But I guess I should’ve expected you’d be too busy unzipping your pants to care.”

“Melissa, that’s not fair.”

She laughs, bitter and raw. “Neither is life, Light.”

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