The bathroom felt painfully small all of a sudden.
Too warm. Too quiet.
Mel stood near the sink with her arms folded tightly across her chest, refusing to look directly at Adam Horovitz after what he'd just said.
You are pretty.
The words kept echoing in her head against her will.
Not because they were romantic.
Not because they fixed everything.
But because Ad didn't say things like that.
Not to her.
Especially not in that voice.
Soft. Honest. Unprotected.
Ad rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before finally moving toward her.
Slowly—like approaching a startled animal—he sat down on the edge of the bathtub beside her.
The old porcelain creaked faintly under his weight.
For a second neither of them spoke.
Then quietly:
"You are my best friend, Melanie."
Mel immediately squinted at him suspiciously.
There it was.
That name.
Nobody called her Melanie unless they were teachers, angry adults, or trying to make some dramatic point.
And Ad knew that better than anybody.
"What did you just call me?" she asked flatly.
The corner of his mouth twitched despite everything.
"Well," he said lightly, "that got your attention."
Mel rolled her eyes hard, shoving at his shoulder as she stood.
"You're annoying."
"Yeah, yeah."
"I mean it."
"You always mean it."
She tried to move past him toward the door, eager to escape before this conversation got any heavier—
But Ad caught her wrist gently and tugged her back down beside him again.
"Will you relax, please?"
"I am relaxed."
"You look like you're about to punch me."
"I'm considering it."
"That's the Mel I know."
Normally that would've earned him a laugh.
This time it didn't.
Mel exhaled sharply, staring down at her hands instead.
"Can we just forget about this?"
Ad's expression softened immediately.
Forget about it.
That was always their move, wasn't it?
Make a joke. Move on. Pretend nothing mattered enough to sit with.
But he could tell this mattered to her.
And honestly?
It mattered to him too much now.
"I don't think you actually want to forget it," he said quietly.
Mel frowned slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
YOU ARE READING
Signals Crossed
RomanceThis is a story about childhood friendship that has stood the test of time even into adulthood. Central to the story is the friendship between Mel and Adam. As close as they are, they just can't seem to get it right. The one thing they seem to get r...
