Heartstrings

Chapter Twenty Two: Love Me Harder

Reid

Mallory was shining tonight. When I saw her at the party, lit up by the friends she surrounded herself with, I was briefly reminded of the butterfly my ex-girlfriend used to be. Alighting on flowers to take in sap, she glowed brighter with every feed.

After a year of pining for Mallory, I realised that she never stopped loving me. My mind was spinning, drunk off my happiness. Tonight was the stuff of my dreams.

As I left the party, heading up into the hotel, I realised that I needed to talk to Nina. I leaned my head against the elevator wall, closing my eyes as it took me up to the eighth floor. My feet carried me to our room when the lift stopped. I knocked on the door cautiously.

Nina answered, her eyes shadowed with dark circles. Wordlessly, she turned and walked back to the bed, sitting on the edge cross-legged. I approached warily, leaning against the wall opposite so I could face her.

Nina stared at me with undisguised wariness, asking, "Where were you last night?"

I sat by her cautiously. "This isn't going to work out, Nina."

She didn't react. Her eyes permeated my own, accusing. "You didn't answer my question. Were you with her?"

I was shocked by the vicious edge to Nina's voice. We both knew who she was talking about. "Yes." I answered flatly. "I didn't cheat on you."

"It's too late for that, isn't it?" Nina dismissed bitterly. She got up from the bed, wrapping her dressing gown around her body. "Thanks for wasting two years with me. I thought you cared more than that."

I sat on the bed, watching Nina angrily shove her things into a suitcase. Once she zipped it up, ready to leave our room, I broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Nina retorted. She tipped her head up as she stared back at me. "I thought you were different, Reid. I thought you actually cared this time."

I frowned at her. "This time?"

Nina rolled her eyes. "I lied to you when I said we were friends before. You hated me because I loved you, and you couldn't handle it. You only care about Mallory, and I'm sick of it."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, completely at a loss to understand.

"You'll realise that Mallory was never good with you. Nothing like how we were." With that parting blow, she stalked out of our room. Before she turned the corner, she gave me a withering glare of pure hatred.

I stared at the spot where she stood a second ago, bewildered. In the last few minutes of our conversation, Nina became a completely different person. 

The night of Mallory and I's last date floated to my memory. Mallory sitting on the rain-covered sidewalk, staring up at me with mascara streaked down her cheeks. How could you not see that?

Nina felt scorned by me. I empathised with her, but I was starting to realise that Mallory knew her ex-friend's character more than I did. After two years together, Nina and I's relationship was still on the surface-level. She never fully trusted me.

I went down to the lobby, where I noticed Nick waiting by the elevator. Once he saw me, he approached with a wary look in his eyes. "I need to talk to you."

I gestured to the restaurant next to us silently. We took a table. Nick stared at me, clearly wondering what to say. I just stared at the windows and crossed my arms, waiting for him to start the conversation.

"What were you doing with Mallory yesterday?" he began at last.

I glanced at him, surprised. "Why are you assuming I was with her?"