Seventy-three

“Let me take you home,” Melanie told me and I nodded, not wanting to walk all the way back home. We got in her car and during the five-minute drive, none of us said anything. There was nothing to be said anyway.

“Do you want me to spend the night with you?” Melanie asked me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be alone or not. Did I want to talk about what happened?

“If you want to.” I shrugged. She turned off the engine and the two of us walked towards the front door. I had no key, but Carla was inside.

I rang the doorbell and a few seconds later, Carla opened the door for us. I didn’t want to sit in the living room, so I ascended the stairs and Melanie followed me. This house was so big. It was made to fit at least twenty-five people, yet less than five people lived there. I hated the sense of emptiness that filled it when Xander wasn’t around.

“Are you okay?” Melanie asked in a quiet voice when we entered my room after I threw my body on the bed.