AN:
This is a quick update, guys. Double updates. Please make sure that you read the previous chapter first (Chapter 55) before you read this one.

OK. Let's continue...

***

Later in the afternoon, Lais and I finally finish settling all my belongings in place. It's time for her to get back to her apartment, and I can sense that Jake's mood darkens once he knows that she's going to leave soon. Too bad for him, Lais doesn't seem to consider another option.

There's this mystery about Lais that makes me understand why Jake is drawn to her. It's like she's doing this push-and-pull thing with my brother, which rarely happens because girls usually fall hard and fast when it comes to him. There's definitely so much more than meets the eye between them.

When he sends her off at the front door, Jake says, "Thanks, Lais. Couldn't have done it without your help."

"No problem, Jake." Lais smiles, and haven't I told you before how breathtaking her smile is? It's the kind of smile that belongs to the supermodel Barbara Palvin. So pretty. "Bye, Melanie." She waves her hand at me, and I wave back.

Jake looks like he wants to give her a goodbye kiss, but everyone knows that it's not going to happen. I have to suppress a laugh. And just like that, she's gone. No hugs and no kisses for him. I've never seen any girl leaving his house without giving him a peck or vice versa. For most people, it's a normal thing. But for Jake, it's the other way around.

Once he closes the door with a soft thud, I smirk and raise an eyebrow. "Well, you sure you don't have anything to say to me about what just happened?"

He just shakes his head in disbelief and laughs.

Weekdays have arrived, and I find myself staring out the window of my room, sinking in this fluffy armchair, wearing a super comfy loose t-shirt and leggings, eating my favorite ice cream that Jake has bought for me like he promised to.

God, I feel like a lazy minion, while everyone else is busy in college or at work.

What am I going to do with my life?

I stare at my phone, which only has five contacts now. Jake, Mom, Dad, Stacey and Lais. I haven't used it so much like I did before I moved here. I haven't logged in to any of my social media accounts. I haven't even followed the news, afraid of what I may find in them. Who knows? There might be one telling about a psychopath getting arrested for kidnapping, blackmailing, molesting and attempting to rape a girl. And the said girl's nude photos exposed to the world -- although they might just blur my pictures on TV.

I shudder again. How am I going to move on if what everybody will remember of me are my nudes?

I scoff sadly.

Before, when I lived in New York with my parents, my life was properly planned and guided. I finished high school with good academic records. I was a good girl. I studied hard to get to the college of my dream, to the point that I had no time to think about boys. Then, once I got to college, everything beautiful and messy happened. I fell in love. I threw that good girl label off myself. I made mistakes. I wasn't careful.

Was it that wrong to give all my heart to the person I love? Who kept coming back to me even though I pushed him in the beginning. Who said that he loved me too. Yes, I was wrong to fully trust that he cared about me like my family always did.

But I thought that he was my brother's best friend, and so I thought that he wouldn't hurt me.

Now, I'm in my safe zone again. I have Jake taking care of me again. But how long am I going to be like this? How long am I going to depend on my brother and my family?

I straighten up and sigh. No, I can't be like this. I can't let all my hard work lead to nothing. I've been struggling my whole life to fight for my dreams, to have a bright future, to make my parents happy. It's always a fight, not flight.

Determined, I get up from the chair and walk to my desk. Then I sit behind it and open my new laptop. While everybody else is busy achieving their dreams, I'm going to make sure that I won't waste my time here either.

You can do this, Melanie.

A week has passed since I found out that Melanie's gone. I wish I could have taken more immediate action, but I still had to settle some things in Boston, such as renegotiating with my internship company to postpone the start date, giving them a proposal that I would conduct more feasibility studies beforehand.

And right now, I'm in Texas.

It's a fair guess to say that she would be living here with Jake, after all that has happened. It's possible that she went back to New York too. But judging by how Jake would react, I think that he wouldn't let Melanie out of his sight for the meantime.

I took the afternoon flight from Boston, and now, I'm in the headquarter office of the oil company Jake is working for during his internship period here. Sitting at the lobby, I glance at my watch, which indicates that it will pass the office hours soon.

My eyes travel to the surrounding, people in formal attires passing by. I curse the fact that I still can't contact Jake, which makes me look like a dumb person here, waiting for him to pop his head up.

Lucky for me, I catch sight of that dude stepping out from the elevator, talking to a girl before they part ways. Shit. He's too in a hurry that he doesn't even spare a glance at the lobby, going straight to another elevator leading to the basement. Goddammit. I won't be able to follow him because I have no access to that elevator.

But then, the girl who was with him just now walks straight to the lobby, and I think no further, approaching her. She halts when she finds me stopping her. She looks surprised.

"Sorry for interrupting you. I'm Jake's best friend." Yeah, right. What bullshit. Dude thinks of me as a stranger now.

"Vaughn?" she stutters.

I frown, surprised that she knows me. Jake isn't the type who easily tells girls about his personal life. Interesting. This isn't just some chick to that guy. I wonder how close the two are.

"Well..." She looks around, looking troubled. "I think Jake just went back..." she falters.

"I need to see him," I say, my voice firm, indicating that I won't take no for an answer. "Do you know where he lives?"

The girl just stares at me, openmouthed. She knows that I'm not going to move an inch unless she gives me the answer that I want.