Chapter 156


    Jocelyn called Harrison to let him know she was safe as she returned to her apartment.


    After a shower, her phone began to buzz incessantly.


    She nced at the caller ID. It was not a saved contact, but she knew every digit by heart.


    It was past nine, and she let the phone ring out until silence took over.


    Lying in bed, insomnia held her captive.


    She checked her phone, and it was nearly midnight.


    She got up for a ss of water when a faint noise by the door caught her attention.


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    Heart pounding, she set her ss down and tiptoed to the peephole. All she saw was a pair of shoes.


    The owner was presumably leaning against the wall.


    The scene reminded her of Melvin.


    It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled something like this.


    What madness had struck him tonight?


    The only surprise was that he’d only called, not knocked.


    She leaned against the door but didn’t open it.


    Yasmine Martinez had left Yanova City with Preston Turner. Zephyr was probably the only one she


    could call now.


    After some thought, she dialed Zephyr’s number.


    The phone rang a long while before someone answered.


    “Hello?” The voice was husky. It was not Zephyr’s.


    “Is this Mr. Hayden? I’m Jocelyn,” she ventured.


    “Uh, yeah, it’s me.” Yannick Hayden responded.


    Without wondering why Yannick had answered Zephyr’s phone, she said, “Could you pleasee and


    take Melvin back? He’s lying outside my door.”


    Yannick sounded surprised. “He’s at your ce again?”


    The way he used ‘again’ was subtle.


    Jocelyn rubbed her temples and sighed, “I’d appreciate it.”


    “You really don’t care about him anymore?” Yannick asked suddenly.


    Jocelyn paused, and then managed a bitterugh. “Yeah.”


    “He’s been trying hard, you know.”


    “Oh?”


    “I mean, if you haven’t let go, please maybe give him a chance. By that you’re giving a chance to both


    of your futures.” Yannick said unusually earnestly, “He’s just got a sharp tongue, but he truly loves you.”


    Her heart raced; a tempest tossing waved inside her


    She replied looking down and fidgeting with her fingers, “Juste get him.”


    Clearly, Yannick hadn’t expected her to be so resolute.


    “He didn’t knock, right? If he’s not harming, just leave him be. He’ll leave when he sobers up ” Yannick


    advised. “It’ste. Get some rést. Bye


    The call ended abruptly.


    Jocelyn stared at her phone, then peered through the peephole again. He was still there.


    With a harpened heart, she pretended nothing happened and returned to her bedroom. She shut the


    door and tried to sleep under


    covers.


    But-leep eluded her.


    She restlessly tossed in bed and eventually sat up. She stared angrily at the bedroom door, then flung


    off her nkets in a fury. She went to the living room and put her hand on the doorknob. She took a


    deep breath and opened the door.


    Melvin was slumped against the wall, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.


    He seemed worn out. His brow furrowed with unknown thoughts.


    Jocelyn didn’t intend to invite him in; if he wanted to sleep here, so be it.


    Out ofpassion, she fetched a nket from her room and covered him. That was all she would do.


    Their eyes met as she adjusted the nket. He was awake, or maybe he never slept.


    Their gaze locked, and she felt somehow nervous.


    Melvin smiled at the nket. “You got a heart.”


    Jocelyn stepped back to the door. You’re awake. Go home!


    “Did I bother you?” He didn’t move, instead pulling the nket up to his neck, eyes on her. “Don’t mind


    me.”


    Jocelyn thought he was crazy.


    He had his own ce yet came to sleep on her doorstep. Who was this performance for?


    “Have you no shame?”


    “I didn’t put shame on you” Melvin closed his eyesfortably. “Don’t disturb me.”


    Jocelyn was at her wits end with his stubbornness.


    She went inside and closed the door firmly.


    She would as well be a fool if she got back to him out there again!


    She kept tossing in bed until 2 a.m. and finally slept. Fortunately she didn’t need to rise early next


    morning, so he slept until past


    ten.


    After freshening up, she wondered about the man outside. Had he left? What would the neighbors think


    if they saw him sleeping in the hallway?


    She dressed and stepped outside. No one was there, not even the nket.


    He was gone.


    Jocelyn couldn’t fathom Melvin’s antics. She had breakfast and headed to school.


    That evening, she heard faint sounds by the door again.


    Peering through the peephole, it was a repetition of the previous night. The only difference was Melvin


    had brought the nket himself.


    Jocelyn decided he’d lost his mind.


    For five days, Melvin slept at her doorstep under that nket without disturbing her.


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    School resumed, and Jocelyn’s work kept herte. As she left work, she saw Melvin’s car parking


    nearby. He didn’t greet her, but the car followed at a distance when she walked home.


    Back in her apartment, she expected Melvin to follow, but he didn’t.


    She waited until midnight, but no sounds came from the door.


    She looked through the peephole, and the hallway was empty.


    Feeling a mix of relief and emptiness, she went to her room, hoping to avoid insomnia. But restless


    dreams gued her and vanished upon waking.


    Her phone’s urgent vibration startled her-it wasn’t Melvin, but Zephyr.


    “Hello?


    You need toe to Melvin’s ce, right now!” Zephyr sounded desperate.


    Confused, Jocelyn asked, “What happened?”


    Don’t ask questions, just hurry up.” Zephyr urged again, his voiceced with urgency. “If you don’t


    come now. someone’s going to


    the


    sosad tacalun awake. Har sleepiness vanished in an instant. She knew it was inappropriate to rush


    out like this, but she couldn’t help herself. She grabbed her coat and halled a cab to Melvin’s ce,


    dialing Zephyr as she went to ask his whereabouts.


    No sooner had she hung up than a dark green sedan rolled up. Its headlights shed briefly as a


    signal. The car pulled up beside Jocelyn and Zephyr called out, “Get in.”


    There was no time for questions. Jocelyn yanked open the back door to find Melvin gasping for air, his


    face flushed with fever. His jacket was off, leaving him in just his shirt its top buttons ripped open in his


    struggle to breathe. Even from a distance, Jocelyn could feel the waves of heat radiating from his body.


    “What happened to him?” she asked, rm edging her voice.


    Some lowlife tried to strong-arm him into submission. He resisted and called me to get him out of


    there.” Zephyr exined, ncing at the two of them in the rear-view mirror. “Jocelyn, you should know


    Melvin’s got a loyal heart.”