Not From Around Here- A Hunter Hayes fanfic

Chapter 26- Can't Say Love in California

***Hey guys! Melody's POV is finally making its reappearance in this chapter! Finally ;) Do you guys even read these little notes before and after each chapter? Or am I just talking-rather typing-to myself? Oh well. Here is the chapter, hope you enjoy!***

Melody's POV

       Hunter's show in California is today. Meaning he's somewhere in the state, and since his show is just outside of Beverly Hills, he's probably thirty minutes away from me. Neither him or any of his band memembers have made any effort to contact me recently, which is good. Even though sometimes, when I'm about to fall asleep at night, I think about Hunter. How he's been lately, if he ever thinks about me. I doubt he's put much thought into me, seeing as I blew him off when I came back to California. Sometimes I wonder if he ever had feelings for me, or if it was nothing more than a friend helping-okay, a friend attempting to help-me. If it was anything more than that, he probably would've said something by now.

         I thought about going to his show tonight, then decided against it. All it would do is make me fall more in love with him, and I can't allow that. It would make things awkward for the both of us. As I lounge around in my apartment, I flop down onto the couch and turn on the TV. Grabbing the remote, I flip through the channels. "Drama, talk show, cooking, movie, movie, Hunter with a girl, talk show, romance, dra-" I stop my channel surfing, going back a few channels. Could I be seeing this right? There were pictures on the screen of Hunter and a girl, they were holding hands. They looked like they'd been laughing at something. I couldn't tell who the girl was, because she had on sunglasses and her head was down.

           I stared at the photo, my mouth gaping open. I felt numb. Totally, completely numb. So many questions buzzed in my head, I didn't even know what to do with them. Why were they together? Why were they holding hands? Who was the girl? The celebrity gossip show I was watching flashed a few more pictures of them up on the screen. I couldn't take it anymore, so I turned off the TV and just stared at the screen. I swear, I think I just felt my heart shatter.

How can a heart shatter if there was no one really there to shatter it?

      Hunter and I were nothing more than friends, if we were even friends in the first place. We were more like frenemies, but that's beside the point. I couldn't help but let a few tears well up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. I know Hunter probably hated me, and to be honest, until I got back to California, the feeling was rather mutual.

But if we were never really friends, why am I standing here in tears?

I thought about how much I wanted him here, just to offer a few kind words, or a hug, or something. Anything. But I remembered that I can't have that. I can't have him. I can't have what I want, and I don't like it.

         I threw the remote down onto the couch, and walked into my bedroom, flopping down onto my bed. Grabbing my phone from my bedside table, I decide that maybe some music will help. I open my Pandora app, not even bothering to see what station was playing. A few seconds after everything had loaded, I heard the one thing I wanted nothing to do with.

That dang piano intro to 'Wanted'.

Even listening to this song feels wrong, like it's not mine to freely listen to anymore.

        Turning my phone completely off, I put it back on my bedside table and fall asleep. At least then, maybe I'll forget about Hunter and this mystery girl for a while.

~4 hours later~

        Groaning, I get off my bed and walk into my bathroom. I take one look in the mirror and shudder. My hair is a mess, I have black mascara smeared all over my face from crying, and my eyes are red and puffy.