Ethan strode into the apartment, his eyes flickering between Melody and the unfamiliar figure who stood next to her.
A sense of unease coiled tightly in his stomach as he wondered why another man was intruding in what he believed should be her private space.
His face squeezed into a grimace, seeming like that of someone who had just bitten into something bad. His brow was deeply furrowed, and his nose wrinkled in irritation, radiating hostility.
Maverick, with an air of calm curiosity, turned to Melody, his voice low and probing. "You know him?"
Melody's response was swift and unwavering. "That's my ex-boyfriend." The words tumbled out, sending a shock to Ethan who hadn't been updated about this decision.
Maverick's gaze shifted to Ethan. "Then what are you doing here, as her ex? Aren't all exes supposed to stay far away?" His eyes narrowed, sizing up the man who had met him with rudeness.
Ethan shot Maverick a glare, while Maverick remained unfazed. One look, and he could tell that he was way older than Ethan, and the guy was being disrespectful with his attitude.
Ignoring Maverick's taunt, Ethan advanced toward Melody. "Babe, why's there a man in your house?" The question dripped from his mouth as he sidestepped Maverick, positioning himself directly in front of Melody.
Melody's lips twitched, barely hiding her annoyance. "Babe? Really? How can you waltz back in here and act like nothing has happened between us? You show up and the first thing you ask is about the man standing here?" Her voice was sharp, marred by disbelief.
Days had passed with no calls or texts from him; the last message she had sent lingered in their chat, unanswered. It was clear to her that he had shown her no respect, and she was done indulging his endless disregard.
"I don't want to see you. Leave, Ethan," she asserted coldly, pivoting on her heels to retreat to her room. These men were a headache, and she feared that a long association with their drama would only shorten her lifespan.
Ethan caught her wrist just before she could escape, a gesture that sent a flicker of annoyance through Maverick. His expression darkened, yet he chose to remain on the sidelines, unwilling to intervene directly.
It was only now that Maverick fully registered who Ethan was. Her boyfriend, he scoffed inwardly.
No one could claim Melody now that he had reunited with her. He didn't care who they were, he was never going to let Melody slip away again.
Assuming, they were still on good terms, Maverick was going to end the relationship on their behalf, but it seemed like it was on the verge of breaking, so, there wasn't much for him to do. He shrugged.
He was just going to enjoy the drama.
Maverick closed the door behind them with a decisive thud as Ethan and Melody moved toward the sitting room. Ethan followed, seemingly intent on engaging her in yet another conversation.
Taking a seat on the couch, Maverick positioned himself to observe the unfolding drama with interest, an amused expression on his face as he anticipated Ethan's attempts to win back Melody—and how she would, in turn, dismiss him.
"Babe, I'm truly sorry for everything. I never meant to hurt you; you know I wouldn't," Ethan began, his voice laced with a pleading tone.
With a sharp turn, Melody confronted him, her eyes ablaze. "You're sorry? Ethan, do you even hear yourself? That day you stood me up at the restaurant, I waited for you, patient and hopeful, only to be stood up like a fool!" Her voice was filled with emotions that were threatening to spill without control.
"I called your number, it rang severally, yet you didn't pick up or even try to call me back. I texted you multiple times, and late at night, you finally informed me it was canceled. You were already on a business trip, for crying out loud! You could have told me before I wasted hours of my life waiting for you!."
The memory of it resurfaced, a reminder of how he had always left her hanging.
She had been hoping for him to reach out, yet he had chosen silence.
Ethan was the one who asked her out, yet he made her feel as though she was the one chasing him. She initiated their texts and calls almost every time. It was as if he was always waiting for her to do it first.
It was cruel, malicious even. The longer she let him linger, the more she regretted it.
"I swear, Melody! I wasn't informed about the trip until it was too late. I never wanted to hurt you; I've never done that before. It was an incident, and I'm genuinely sorry." He continued to plead.
Melody chuckled darkly, swiveling on her heels to face the other direction. Her heart aching and her eyes starting to well with tears.
Ethan bit his lips in frustration.
His eyes wandered until they landed on Maverick, who sat with an amused glint in his eyes.
The tension between them tightened. Maverick's lips curled into an amused smirk which only deepened Ethan's frustration, causing him to clench his fists in barely concealed rage.
"You need to go," Melody declared, her voice steady. "This relationship ended a long time ago. Your staying here won't change a thing, and if you push me too far, I won't hesitate to call the police on you."
Ethan clenched his jaw, a surge of frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Why must he endure this? Why must he tolerate her? The relationship hadn't even favored him in any way. She always acted like a saint. She shunned affection, resisting even the smallest gestures of intimacy, and he had pretended to be okay with it, waiting for a nonexistent future. She wanted to wait till they got married.
He scoffed internally; in this modern world, it was ridiculous.
Ethan had studied her from the shadows. Tailing her enough to discover that she truly adhered to her principles—faithful to the notion of purity before marriage, untouched by any man's advances, including his.
It had calmed him down, allowing him to accept the unfavorable relationship.
But now, he couldn't allow Melody to cast him aside. His ego was too huge; he could never let her be the one to terminate the relationship.
Swallowing his pride, he dropped to his knees, surprising Melody.
Meanwhile, Maverick cocked an eyebrow.