*Melanie*I stared at my phone, not sure what it was that I was looking at. I had been sent an email about some readjustments in the contest rules. Something about not being in any entanglement or relationship while we were still part of the contest. I wondered if Damon instigated the new rule after what happened the other day at the gym.I had no doubt he probably thought that I was following him. Even I was confused as to how we had managed to live without so much as bumping into each other but now it seemed like it was all it could do. I decided that I was going to add some activity that was going to ensure I got out of the house and the best I had come up with was securing a gym membership.I figured that a gym was probably the most social place I could find where people didn't actually interact and chit chat. Not to mention the annoyingly huge amount that I'd paid was sure to get me out of the house thrice every week.I dropped my phone on my bed and continued with folding my clo
*Damon*She was doing it again. Buttering my friends up. This time it was just Shayla. I narrowed my eyebrows at Shayla, trying and failing to keep my irritation in check. She wasn't doing anything wrong. If anything she was probably doing something right trying to know the contestants on a more personal level. It just irked me that she would become friendly with this contestant out of them all.I felt like Melanie was getting relaxed and familiar with them in a way that she never would with me. I felt her letting her guards back up as if to prove my point. The smile that had been on her face just seconds ago was suddenly nowhere to be seen. She seemed to instinctively take a cautious step backwards and stand up straighter."Help me with these would you?" Shayla said with more attitude than she was used to displaying. I arched an eyebrow when she literally dumped the files she'd been holding on my arms. She gave me a smug look, turning to fix her gaze on Melanie. "Damon will show you
*Melanie*I was losing my mind. Yeah, that was it. I was absolutely going crazy. That would explain why I've been hearing Damon's voice echoing somewhere in my head on fucking repeat. It was so annoying. I wanted to just reach deep inside my head and yank his stupid voice out before it turned into some kind of catchy sound track.Your eyes are so fucking beautiful.Why exactly had he felt the need to say that? He could have just kept his damn opinions to himself. At least then I wouldn't be constantly hearing his voice inside of my head. Wouldn't be feeling like a thousand butterflies had erupted in my stomach. Because his confession had gotten to some part of me I didn't even know existed.I released an angry breath and then rubbed my forehead. I didn't need him to start complicating things and putting me through an emotional rollercoaster. It would definitely make my life a lot easier if I felt nothing for him but dislike. If his touch didn't make me hot all over. If his voice didn'
Damon"Can you believe some of them?" Jake asked in amusement, taking a swig of coke. I huffed, my gaze trailing round the room and a corner of my lips lifting at the look of irritation on his face. He wasn't wrong though. The contest had kicked up about four hours ago. Jake and I were helping out but basically, Shayla was in charge of the entire thing and practically would be to the end. I trusted her judgement that much.She had decided that we start with something simple. The first round was basically a reveal more about yourself round. They had to communicate everything vital thing that mattered to them however they wanted to. What they liked, what they didn't like, what they did for a living, the kind of dreams they had for themselves and things like that. Some had just made a speech. The others had decided to get a little more creative with the task, acting out a mime or singing about their life. A few had even danced to a song that talked about what their life had been and wha
*Melanie*"Mel, did you by chance see my hair dryer?" Hailey asked from her bed. I bit my lip in annoyance, barely containing my eye roll. I wasn't sure why but somehow her voice had started to irritate me all of a sudden. And that was absolutely ridiculous because Hailey was an absolute sweetheart with all her smile and charm. "Mel?" She called out again."Don't call me Mel." I deadpanned in a flat voice, shooting her a look from the corner of my eyes. "Only my friends called me that." Her eyes widened in genuine surprise and she raised her both hands in surrender but not in a way that was mocking. It made me feel guilty. Even Raven and Maddie were looking at me with a confused expression.I was a bitch.I was acting out of character. It was like my mind and my body and my heart were no longer working together. I was acting extremely childishly. I knew it, but somehow my brain was struggling to catch up. I knew what was really getting me irked but I didn't want to admit it. It was st
*Damon*I pulled my car into the driveway, finding an empty parking space to park in. I stepped down, shutting the car door and looking at the building in front of me with disgust. My father's lawyer had contacted me again late in the evening yesterday through my PA, asking that I show up this morning for an important meeting with him. I gazed down at my Rolex, realizing that I was right on time.I had hoped to be a little late to piss the old man off.I practically marched into the building, quickly locating his secretary and asking her to inform him of my arrival. She came out more than five minutes later to invite me in. I held down the bile that seemed to rise in my throat once I noticed her hair was looking more disheveled than it had been when she'd walked inside. Not to mention her shirt was a little more rumpled and her lipstick had been cleaned.Asshole.I shot her a dirty look, letting her know she wasn't fooling anyone by sleeping around with someone who was more than twice
*Melanie*I glanced at the wall clock placed in a corner of the diner and felt a sense of relief wash over me. I had actually done it. I arrived a whole fifteen minutes earlier than I should have. I'd been confused when Shayla had reached out to me, asking if I was free so we could go out for lunch. I'd even almost said no. Then I realized that for whatever reason I didn't actually want to get on her bad side.I ordered a glass of non alcoholic wine, waiting patiently for Shayla to show up. A part of me feared that Damon had said something to her about me. Maybe something about the whole episode the other night. Or something that wasn't nice. I hadn't gotten the weekly email so I wasn't exactly sure whether or not I'd passed the first round.I briefly wondered if she was taking the pain to personally inform me that I hadn't made it to the next round. I discarded the thought as soon as it came. I wasn't special. There was no reason for her to do so much just to let me know that they ha
*Damon*I stared at the couple bickering playfully a few feet away from me and thought about how lucky they were to have found each other. They were old, probably in their late sixties or early seventies but you could tell that they were still very much in love even after all the years they'd obviously been together. Sometimes I wondered what that was like. Meeting someone and deciding along the way that they were the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.Growing up, all my parents had ever done was fight and then ignore each other. It had been so bad that I had known despite being so young that things weren't okay between them. I'd always wondered why my mother had stuck with him. Why she hadn't just packed up her things and left. It was later I realized she had refused to leave her marriage because of the vows.It was very sad really. It was obvious they were no longer in love but she strongly refused to ask for a divorce. And she wasn't even that religious. One thi