breathe. | lamelo ball

seventeen

December 2nd, 2018

"Ashley, I already told you I'm not bout to tell her business. I'm telling you the truth and you can ask Jaygup."

Ashley rolled her eyes as she paced Melo's room. He sat on the bed and had watched her with bored eyes for twenty minutes now.

Melo had spent yesterday holed up in his room so he could think. He had decided he would continue things with Ashley and take it day by day. Melo left his fate up to the Universe like Rumi had often talked about. It felt nice, to not worry about outcomes and just go with the flow.

He had called Ashley over this morning to explain why he had been at Rumi's on Friday. She didn't believe him of course, and Melo tried his best to explain without telling Rumi's business but she wasn't having it.

"Josh would lie for you Melo, I'm not stupid. He would lie for her too," Ashley scoffed. Melo sighed, "C'mere Ash."

She came over and sat next to him with an angry expression as she waited for him to talk.

"Listen, some shit went down on Halloween and I had just found out. Josh and I had to take care of it."

"What kind of shit?" Ashley asked curiously as she leaned forward. Melo ignored his irritation at her interest in someone else's struggle.

"It's none of your business Ash."

"Mmmm," she said and fixed her face to one of fake disbelief, "Serves her right for messing with you right after we broke up."

Melo released a deep exhale and refrained from cussing as he said, "One, she didn't know because I ain't tell her. Two, don't be on some hater shit. We friends and we've always been just friends."

"Yeah right Melo," Ashley exclaimed as she stood up, "You're not fooling me and neither is that bitch. If you're saying what I think you're saying about Halloween she probably asked for it."

Melo sat up with his hands outstretched as words flew out his mouth with no filter, "Ashley bro you are really a sad fucking person. I promise if you speak on her name like that again you'll regret it more than anything you've ever done."

His voice was cold and sliced through the air straight to Ashley's heart. She could tell he meant every word and that was enough for her to shut her mouth. Melo got up and walked straight into his bathroom, slamming the door while she just stood there. When they first started dating Melo was protective over her like that but it dwindled within the first few months. Ashley felt her heart pang. She could compete with another female but she couldn't make Melo see her as the better option unless he wanted to. She listened to the water run in the bathroom and glanced down at his phone on the bed.

She quickly grabbed it, went to his Photos and started scrolling.