Melissa

I woke up to a dull throb between my legs. Blinking against the early morning light pouring through the heavy curtains, I sat up and rubbed at my eyes. The room was still unfamiliar - it took me a minute to adjust to my surroundings. Then it hit me. This was my stepfather's house. My mom’s death was no longer just a tragic dream I could wake up from. It was real. She was gone.

Then I remembered the mystery man and the events of last night came flooding back to me. I was beyond horrified.

“Shit,” I whispered, my hand slipping beneath the covers, between my legs. I froze. I was still damp and my thighs ached. My whole body felt raw and sore in the most maddening way.

“What the hell did I do?” Stumbling out of bed, I nearly tripped over my own feet as I made my way to the bathroom. I flicked the light on and caught my reflection—hair tousled, lips slightly swollen, a redness lingering along the side of my neck where his lips had sucked on so hard. My stomach twisted.

The hot water from the shower didn’t do much to wash away the shame. It rolled over my skin like a confession I couldn’t hide from. I leaned against the cold tile wall, letting the steam cloud the mirror and my thoughts. My mom would be disappointed. No, fucking furious. She wasn't even buried yet and here I was, sleeping with some older man I’d just met. A stranger. A silver fox type of stranger who probably had no business looking that good or making me feel like that.

Thank God for birth control. The last thing I needed was to be pregnant with some handsome old stranger’s baby. That would be the cherry on this train-wreck sundae.

I stayed under the water until the sting between my thighs dulled and my legs stopped shaking. After drying off, I wrapped myself in one of the oversized towels and padded back to the room to find my phone. I needed to talk to my best friend.

Chrissie picked up on the second ring.

“Bitch, where have you been?” she screeched. “Are you okay? How’s your stepdad? Is he a total ogre?”

I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear. “Jesus, Chrissie. Turn it down a notch.”

She gasped. “Wait, you’re laughing. That means something happened. Spill, now.”

I sighed and sank into the edge of the bed. “Michael is not an ogre, actually. He’s... surprisingly decent and kind to me. And not bad to look at if you ignore the stress lines.”

“Oooh,” she crooned. “So he’s hot. Noted.”

“Can we not go down that road?” I muttered, massaging my temples. “Anyway, that’s not even the wild part.”

“Oh God. What happened? Tell me. Did something go wrong? Did you burn the house down?”

“Worse,” I groaned.

She paused. “Worse than arson?”

“I slept with someone. Last night.”

“Wait - what? With who?”

I hesitated for a second too long.

“Melissa.”

“My step dad's best friend,” I said all in one breath. “He’s also the co-founder of Michael’s company.”

There was silence.

Then a blood-curdling scream burst through the phone speaker. “YOU DID WHAT?!”

“Chrissie, for the love of God, my ears…..”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! You just got there, Melissa! Like, literally just stepped into that place and boom—new town, new D!”

“Please never say that again.”

“Was he hot at least? Please tell me he was hot.”

“He was...older. Way older. But yeah. Really fucking hot,” I admitted with a sigh.

She let out a long, dramatic gasp. “You’re officially living my dream. Tell me everything.”

“I can’t talk about this over the phone, okay?” I said, glancing at the closed door. “This place has ears.”

“Then text me the address. I’m coming over.”

“Chrissie…”

“No. This is non-negotiable. I’m already packing my bag. You can’t drop a bomb like that and expect me to wait around for updates like some common civilian.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll ask Michael first. But I’ve gotta go for now. I’ll call you later.”

“You better. If I don’t hear from you in six hours, I’m calling the FBI.”

“Love you, Chrissie” I laughed

“Love you too, bitch.”

---

I wandered downstairs and found Carolina in the kitchen with the chef, discussing breakfast. The smell of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee made my stomach flip, but I wasn’t in the mood for real food.

“Morning,” I greeted them quietly.

Carolina smiled warmly. “Good morning, Miss Melissa. Did you sleep well?”

I gave her a slight nod. “Could I just have some cereal?”

“Of course.”

She went to the fridge and grabbed a box of cereal and a bottle of milk, then poured it into a bowl for me and handed it over. I offered a faint smile in return and sat down at the counter. I picked at the cereal, barely tasting it as my mind spun.

“Um, Carolina? Do you know where Michael is?”

“In his study, dear. And Jamal left last night. He hasn’t come back yet.”

My heart jumped at the sound of his name. Jamal. Even hearing it sent a current of something electric through me, down to my very core. What the hell was that? I hated how my body reacted to anything related to him.

I thanked her and made my way upstairs, winding through the hallways until I found the double doors of Michael’s study. I knocked gently.

“Come in,” came his voice.

I stepped in and found him seated behind an elegant mahogany desk, papers spread before him in neat stacks. He looked up and smiled, his face softening in a way that reminded me so much of Mom it almost hurt.

“Good morning, Melissa. How did you sleep?”

“Alright,” I said, then hesitated. “Actually, I was thinking… I’d like to see the town a bit today. I don’t want to just mope around the house.”

He leaned back in his chair, considering me with thoughtful eyes. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll have the driver bring one of the cars around. And here….” he opened a drawer and pulled out a sleek black credit card, “....take this. Go shopping. Get whatever you need.”

I shook my head. “Michael, really, that’s too much.”

“Nonsense,” he said, standing and walking around the desk. “You’re family. I want you to feel comfortable here. That’s what your mom would have wanted.”

My throat tightened at the mention of her. “Thank you,” I said softly.

We walked outside together to the garage. He handed me the keys to one of the slickest cars I’d ever seen—a low, gleaming black machine that looked like it belonged in a music video.

“Have fun, Melissa,” he said with a warm smile, then turned back toward the house.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the car, the keys in my hand, the morning sun warming my skin.

A ridiculous grin broke across my face.

—---------------------------------------------------