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The city's quiet and Melody welcomes the stillness, the cool air easing the crawling sensation over her skin. The row of benches only lit by dim street lights stretching out as far as she could see. The delicate rustling of leaves the only sound. Melody inhales, trying to get a grip on her emotions, clear her mind. Part of her knows how dangerous being out here alone was.
Melody knew, but she couldn't stand being in her room anymore. She had to get away. She'd ripped up her dress, scrubbed at her skin till it's red and sore. Still, Melody can't get rid of his smell, the remnants of his touch on her skin.
For the first time in so long, Melody felt beautiful, desired. Pietro had made her feel that, his words, his actions they all seemed so genuine. The whole night played over and over in her mind, she kept trying to find something she'd missed. Some clue that Melody should have seen.
Why couldn't she ever learn? She's someone people use, never enough for people to value, only something to pass the time.
Melody contemplates walking back to the tower when her phone vibrates in her pocket with another message. She wanted to ignore everything, forget everything. So Melody watches the stars, shining through the trees and over the imposing buildings of New York. She watches until the sky turns a lighter blue, then pink and golden as the sun rises. Even as the park starts to come to life filling with families and tourists, Melody can't bring herself to leave.
"Why don't you answer your phone?! Do you know how worried they are about you?"
Surrounded by wisps of blue, Pietro towers over Melody. She daren't look up, afraid of what she'd say, what she'd see in his eyes. Of course he wouldn't admit that might care enough to worry about her. Pietro sighs and sits next to Melody on the bench.
"Have you been here all night?" he places his hand over hers, stopping Melody from picking at the hem of her hoodie and tentatively interlocks his fingers with hers, "I'm sorry."
All that anger and hurt Melody had been pushing down all night seeps over her chest, I'm sorry? That's it?
"I trusted you, even after everything you did... I believed you Pietro..." she hears the crack in her voice, daring to glance up at him, "do you know what it's like to hate everything about yourself? To never be beautiful, wanted? To give anything to feel normal?"
"Just once I thought I could, with you." Melody drags her hand from under his, desperate for a glimpse of understanding, that he'd be honest this time, but he can't even look at her.
"Those things I said-"
"Which things?" Melody chuckles, wiping her eyes, "what am I saying? I already know."
Pietro held her face and in spite of herself Melody leans into his palm, "I didn't want to hurt you. This with you, its, I don't know how to-"
Yet he did, again. Melody doesn't want to hear excuses, didn't want him to have to lie to her again, "you know what? It's fine, Pietro. You sleep with everything that moves. I knew that. How many girls have been in that bed since I got here?"
