Part 3You Deserve To Lose Me

Before we checked out of the hospital, Connor ran down to the pharmacy on the first floor.

I watched him walk back into the room, holding a small paper bag. "Are you getting a cold?" I asked, confused.

He froze. A heavy silence stretched between us before he hesitated, shifting his weight.

"It's not for me. It's for Melody."

"She texted a few minutes ago saying she was running a fever, so she asked me to pick up some meds."

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

The terror of my nightmare flooded my veins, making my skin prickle. I couldn't stop the barrage of questions.

"Why are you buying medicine for Melody? Since when do you two text? Since when are you close?"

"Do you have feelings for her? When did this start?"

Seeing my escalating panic, Connor quickly set the bag down and reached for my shoulders.

"Caro, stop overthinking. How could I ever like Melody?"

"You're the only one I care about. But Melody... Melody saved my life. I'm just repaying a debt."

I recoiled. "She saved your life? When? Why don't I know about this?"

Connor finally confessed the secret he had been keeping for months:

"Two months ago, I was walking back from a party. I was crossing the street, and a drunk driver blew a red light. I didn't see it coming."

"If Melody hadn't shoved me out of the way, I would have been the one with a shattered femur."

I knew Melody had been injured. Of course I did.

But I had no idea she had broken her leg saving Connor.

Suddenly, everything clicked. It made sense why, despite missing the final two months of senior year and being confined to a hospital bed, Melody had seemed completely unfazed. She was constantly posting bubbly updates on her Instagram stories.

Her favorite captions were always:

"My favorite private tutor is here again! I’m so spoiled!