Love Will Save You // Ryan Follese

Chapter 27: Loverboy, You're Playing Those Hearts Like Toys

-Chad- (OH SNAP. BETCHYA DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.)

Something about that delivery kid didn't seem right. I stared at him as he left the porch, feeling like I knew his face from somewhere, but I wasn't able to put a name to it. I noticed he was walking back from the way he came, so I decided to follow him. He started walking quicker and quicker until he stepped onto a porch three houses down from where Melanie lived, but he walked right in. I knew something wasn't right when he slipped up and started to call Melanie by her first name, so I walked to the door and knocked until some Russell Brand wannabe and a guy with a stupid looking purple stripe in his hair answered the door.

-Melanie-

I heard someone knock pretty loudly on the front door, so I got up and peeked out the window, curious as to who was here. As soon as I looked, I threw the curtain closed and slid down the wall onto the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked, immediately sitting straight up.

"He's here! Why is he here?!" I whisper-yelled, feeling tears fall down my face.

"Who? Who's here?"

I just looked at him and a shocked expression crept onto his face, instantly knowing what I meant. Ryan jumped off of the bed and came over to where I was sitting as quickly as he could. He sat down and pulled me into his lap, holding me closely as I cried on his shoulder.

Nash walked in saying, "Some guy says he's here for the skinny kid with the stupid-ass haircut." Ryan looked at him and Nash threw his hands into the air, "His words, man – not mine."

"Well, is there any way you can get rid of him?" Ryan asked quietly.

"That depends. Is he from the IRS? Are we losing the house? Do you owe anyone money?" I was still crying on Ryan's shoulder when I felt him nod toward me and Nash immediately understood, "Oh, yeah, I'll get rid of him."

"Don't kill him," I said quietly before Nash walked out of the room.

"But he-" he stopped when he saw the look I was giving him. He sighed, "Fine."

Nash walked away and I looked up at Ryan, "What if he doesn't leave?"

"Then we'll call the cops," he said, wiping my cheeks. I sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked, cradling me in his arms again.

"If it wasn't for me, this wouldn't be happening."

"You can't keep blaming yourself like this, Melanie. I told you before that I'm not letting you get away again, and your ex-boyfriend isn't going to scare me into doing it either."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, and we just held each other until we heard Danielle's scream a couple minutes later.

-Ryan-

I looked at Melanie, picking her up and setting her back down on the bed, "Stay here."

I ran out just as Nash yelled, "Go ahead, dick! Touch her again, I dare you!"

I saw Danielle standing behind Nash and Ian, tears falling as Jamie hugged her as closely as he possibly could. Everyone was glaring at Chad, who was now standing in our doorway.

"What the hell is going on here?!" I yelled, looking straight at Chad.

"How do you know my girlfriend?" he asked angrily.

I was about to answer when I heard Melanie's voice from behind me, "I'm not your girlfriend."

"Mel..." I whispered.

She shook her head, "This is my fight, Ry. Not yours." She turned to Chad and repeated, "I'm not your girlfriend – I haven't been for the past three years."

"Baby-"

Chad started before Melanie cut him off, "I'm not your baby, I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not your anything. I haven't been since the day you broke up with me because of that stupid-ass bet with your fucking friends." She paused and looked at me, then looked back at Chad and continued, "And I'll never be your anything again because I realized that what we had was nothing compared to what I have now, but I would like to thank you for everything you did to me." Everyone stared at Melanie in shock and she just smiled, "Thank you for being an asshole and causing our breakup and making me want to kill myself. Because if you hadn't done that, I probably never would have found out about Hot Chelle Rae and they wouldn't have saved me from doing something so stupid. I wouldn't have gone to their concert last year, and I wouldn't have met them." She looked me in the eyes, "And I wouldn't have met the best thing that's ever happened to me." Melanie walked over to the door and opened it, motioning for Chad to leave. He was in enough of a state of shock that he actually did walk out the door as Melanie smiled again, "And if you have a problem with my happiness... Well, that's just too bad because honestly, I just don't care." She closed the door behind him and turned back to the rest of us, "And that is how it's done." We all stared at her and she started talking again, "However, I may have to go back out there and beat the shit out of him for touching Danielle..."

Danielle sniffled and pushed herself up off of Jamie, looking at Melanie and rolling her eyes, "Quoting Honestly was bad enough."

"Please, you know you loved it," Melanie teased.

Danielle giggled and walked over to Melanie, hugging her tightly, "Of course I loved it!" They pulled away and Danielle smiled, wiping her face.

"You okay?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can we just talk for a second about how much of a badass you are though?" Danielle squealed.

"Oh, no," Melanie laughed, "That was a once in a lifetime thing. I feel like I'm gonna throw up!"

"You didn't act like you were gonna throw up," Ian chuckled.

"I was in the moment and really pissed off," she giggled.

"Irregardless, what you did was still pretty badass," Jamie smiled, pulling Danielle back into his arms.

Melanie shrugged, "I know it won't be the last time he'll try something. I figured I should stand up to him now and stop hiding before he thinks he can walk all over me like he used to."

I pulled her into a hug as Nash exclaimed, "Hell yeah! Show him who's he's dealing with!"

Melanie simply laughed, "Exactly. So who's hungry?"

We all immediately looked at Danielle and she just smiled innocently, "What?"

"You know what," Ian chuckled.

"I do," she laughed.

I grabbed my car keys off of the kitchen counter, taking Melanie's hand as I walked toward the door, "Then let's go eat!"

"We eat out too much," Melanie laughed.

"We really do. How about we cook something at home?" Danielle suggested.

"We will tomorrow. I've really been craving a Big Mac," I chuckled.

"Oh, so you're craving things? Are you pregnant, Ry? Who's the father? Is it Nash? I knew something was up between you two," Melanie teased. Everyone busted out laughing, especially Danielle.

"Girl, I will hurt you," I joked.

"You could never hurt this pretty face," she replied, sticking her tongue out at me. I laughed as I opened her car door for her.

Right before she sat down, I kissed her cheek and whispered, "I wouldn't dream of it." I noticed her blush lightly and smiled to myself as I closed her door and jogged to the drivers side. "Everybody buckled?" I asked before pulling out of the driveway.

"Sir, yes, sir!" they said in unison, saluting me.

I rolled my eyes and laughed as I pulled into the street, "At ease, soldiers." They all smiled and lowered their arms and we just talked and joked about anything and everything the rest of the day.

~

Title: "Loverboy" by You Me At Six