Betting On Love ✯ George Russell

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❝ Engrave your name straight into my veins
Tattoos hurt less than you ❞

Melanie Albon POV

I've fucked up. I know it. But I had to. I knew everyone was pissed, they made it pretty clear to me. And I've come to learn Nina and Lance had it all planned out; they wanted to set us up, and they thought we would've stuck together. And I almost believed it too.

Finally, I showed my face two months later, at the beginning of February, for Nina's birthday. I knew all hell would break loose, but one thing was avoiding it; the other was not being there for my best friend's birthday. I can handle criticism.

"You came!" She says as I enter the house she had booked to celebrate it peacefully, and I smile.

"I would never miss it. Thank you for inviting me; I know we are not in our best phase," I am thankful, and she shrugs.

"It could be worse, but you will always be my girl," she kisses my cheek, and I laugh.

"You are alive!" My brother says as I see the look he gives me before hugging me.

"Pretty sad news, uh?" I comment and he slaps my arm playfully.

"Don't joke about it; you being a bitch doesn't mean I want you dead; I just want you to stop being such a bitch, tone it down a bit, maybe drop the pride," he suggests before Lily hugs me.

"Told you that was a bad idea but I'm glad to have you back," she whispers and I smile at her as we went to the bar.

I knew George wouldn't be here, but I still hoped he would come, but he and Nina aren't that close.

I stayed for the party until midnight. After that, there was a lot of drinking and dancing, and I wasn't exactly in the mood today, so I started leaving. I got to my apartment and saw the envelope someone slipped under my door while I was out.

I opened it to find new pictures of me, whether alone or with friends. One was from a couple of hours ago. I took it and dumped it into the drawer with the previous ones.

George is a public figure; I could never stay with him as someone like Oliver kept taunting me and harassing me. He could kill George's reputation in seconds with everything he has recorded and photographed during these months.

I only knew of it shortly before Brazil, and I would be damned if I was the reason George lost everything he has fought for since he was a kid.

But Nina was there the next day with an unexpected appearance.

"Spill it out. What is wrong with you? You love him too, don't tell me you don't. I am not that stupid. What can I help with?" She sits on the couch, and I laugh.

"Nothing is wrong. I don't love him; you've convinced yourself of that too long ago; you need to let that go," I sit beside her and give her a soda as I press the play button to keep watching the movie I was seeing.

"I'm sick of this game. Is it Oliver? Did he threaten you? He is a lowlife, he has nothing on you, we can all destroy him."

That's incorrect. He has everything on me. And on George too.

"It's nothing to do with him, I haven't heard from him. I just did what I had to do with George," it wasn't a complete lie. Oliver never called, only these envelopes showed up and I knew it was him.

"His birthday is in nine days, don't do this. He won't wait forever."

"He doesn't need to wait. I am not coming back. We will never be a thing.

"Why?" She is exasperated, and I shrug.

"Because I say so, and it takes two to be a couple, can you stop?" I am done with the subject, and she nods.

We had a whole afternoon back at being us. She told me about her Lance and all the months they spent hiding their relationship. Lance is a funny guy and he truly is the perfect match for her. And I love all this happiness for her.

Could I have ever felt that? I felt the love somehow, even before he said it out loud, I feared for those words to ever be spoken again, but once he said them, I wish I could say them back for once, with no fear of him being an abusive dickhead.

But I know the monster Oliver is, and none of them know it. Maybe I should've told them, but I was never good at showing my weaknesses. Before all last year's happenings, only Nina knew of Oliver, and now that everyone knows, I still don't want them to know everything.

"I know you have some ulterior motives for this all to be happening; I've known you long enough. Your actions might've been bitchy and hateful, but the look you gave him and the way you cuddled into his arms tell me everything I needed to know. His birthday is in nine days. Don't miss it. Seeing with Logan is harsh enough, so don't keep dragging this."

"I love you, Nina. Don't leave me," I didn't feel like lying anymore, and she hugged me.

"I will never leave you, I just gave you all the time you needed. I kept calling and texting to know you were fine; I know you need time to isolate after shit happens; you did the same with the douchebag," she mentions, and I nod.

We stayed on the couch as she comforted me. It's worthless to lie to someone who knows you better than you know yourself, and Nina is that person for me. I might not tell her what is happening, but I sure won't keep lying and repeating the same half-assed lies.