The Best Man novel Chapter 56

"Fuck you, Kevin", I mouthed, flicking him off, and he laughed, returning the gesture at me

"Drugs? Jail? Strippers?", Mellisa prompted over the phone in shock. "What the hell is going over there?"

Even though everything said was a lie, my throat went dry, and I couldn't actually come out with it because she began panicking

"It's nothing, I'll call you back later okay?", I hang up before she could even answer me and walked back to the table, finding them all grinning widely at me

"Are you good?", Kevin wiggled his eyebrows at me, and they all started laughing

"You're all full of shit", I pointed to each and one of them. "All of you"

"You're welcome", they all chorused together and continued laughing

When we got back from the game drive a few hours before we departed to go back home, I noticed Mellisa was pacing around in the lobby, before walking to inquire at the reception

"Mel?", I thought I was mistaking her for someone else, but it turned out it was really her. "What are you doing here?"

She huffed out an obvious sigh, walking towards us

"So that's what we're doing now?", she folded her arms. "We're switching our phones off?"

"My battery died", I responded, clearly telling what was nothing but the honest truth, but she didn't look like she believed me

"What is this about drugs and going to jail I heard earlier on the phone? Are you on some sort of trouble?", she kept coming with the questions.

"That was just a joke, none of those things actually happened", Olivia cleared out the air and Mellisa's eyes shot directly her direction

"Was it supposed to be funny? Because I didn't find it funny", Mellisa asked dryly, causing Jess to scoff mockingly.

"It's not our fault you have a weak sense of humor", Jess snapped, causing Mellisa to narrow her eyes at her before turning to look at me

"Do you think it's okay to just go about the whole weekend without talking to me?"

"Well, it's not like you died", Olivia chipped in, venom dripping from her voice. Kevin and Nathan were the last to join us, they got left behind because there were chasing each other around in the parking lot.

"What in the toxic relationship is going on here?", Kevin started circling around us, clearly not surprised about Mellisa's appearance

"Kevin, do yourself a favour and stay out of this", Mellisa warned him, only for him to make the downward head tilt, showing no facial expression

"Or else what Mel?", he challenged. "You're going to get Sarah to try to break up with me again?"

"Seriously?" Mellisa rolled her eyes. "Is this why you're in my business? That was months ago"

"Don't do that face", he chuckled while looking away, but I didn't stop. He sighed heavily before looking down at me again.

"Okay, tell you what?", he quizzed, and I arched my eyebrows, daring him to continue. "I'll see if I can find a way to get away from the dinner quicker, and then I'll be on my way here to spend the night with you"

"That could also work", I smiled a little, and he breathed out a laugh

"Alright then", he grabbed my face to plant his lips against mine in a slow, passionate kiss before breaking away from me to kiss both the back of my hands

"I'm going to miss you", I said when we slowly let go of each other's hands when he was on the other side of the door

"I'm going to miss you too", he leaned to peck me on the lips again before winking and pulled the door closed behind him. I heaved out a sigh as I carried my bag to the bedroom to unpack the clothes I didn't wear and put the rest in the laundry basket.

When I walked into my room, something felt weird. Some of my things had been moved a little because I could see they were not the way I left them, but then it could have been Anna because she texted me Saturday, asking if it was okay if she borrowed my straighter because hers wasn't working anymore. It could have been her because she's the only other person who had keys to my apartment.

I wasn't going to overthink a lot about this, so I decided to push it at the back of my mind and started unpacking. I felt my phone vibrate into my back pocket, a message notification popping in, and I slid across my screen to open it, only to see the message was from an unsaved number,

I miss you, Livy

~Greg