The sun rises with the sunlight through the curtain. Melody woke up, and her eyes flickered when the sunlight hit her face. She stretched her arms out, thinking it was another day.
She stares at the window before turning around. That’s when she saw Damian facing her, sleeping.
He looks so calm. Every feature on his face is perfect. She couldn’t find the ugliness on it not even a bit. How can a cruel man be this perfect? Her hand reached to touch his face but stopped above his cheek.
It’s not like she didn’t know he had been trying to confront her and fix it his way. She acts like his effort has not affected her at all yet… it is the opposite of that.
The thought of them going to divorce makes her tremble. She just can’t. It’s all because of the anger of his words.
After a while, Melody decides to step out and shut the door. She managed to have her morning shower quietly. She is wearing a yellow dress.
“Good morning, ma’am,” the servant smiles and greets her when they walk past her.
“Morning,” she grins and goes downstairs.
She is about to go straight to the kitchen but stops when she sees a familiar figure sitting in the living room. Melody furrows her eyebrows and decides to check who it is.
Riccardo sitting there, looking at his phone. What is he doing here? She saw him yesterday too, but she doesn’t have the mood to speak to him. Melody clears her throat catching his attention.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m just too caught up with my phone,” Riccardo chuckles and puts away his phone.
“It’s okay. Um… what are you doing here?” Melody walks into the living room.
“I just came to meet Damian, visiting him,” he smiles. “I bet he still… asleep?”
She nods. Riccardo slightly nods as a response. Melody crossed her arms on her chest, staring at him from head to toe. When he noticed that look from her, he let out a chuckle.
“Why are you staring at me like that, young lady?”
“Nothing. I just… notice how hard you try to get with Damian,” she says, leaning on the couch.
Riccardo smiles sheepishly, rubbing his neck, “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah. To me at least,” she shrugs her shoulder.
A servant came and put down a tea for him. She bowed before leaving. The maid was about to ask whether she wanted one or not, but seeing Melody smile and shake her head, she dismissed herself.
“So, did Damian give the attention that you want?” she arches her eyebrows.
He sighs, “Not really. I know he wouldn’t but that wouldn’t stop me.”
“You look determined for something,” Melody getting interested in their relationship.
“You don’t know how much… I am eager to fix this. I miss him. I miss the old us,” he says with a smile on his face.
He takes a sip of his tea.
“Are you gay?” Melody’s question made him choke on his tea. He coughed hard, put down his teacup and tried to stop himself from coughing. “Did I say something I shouldn’t?”
Riccardo wipes his mouth, “Why do you ask me that!?”
“I just… ask. Because the way you trying to stick to Damian makes me think of other stuff,” she shrugs her shoulder.
Her doubt in him makes Riccardo sigh. This is the first time in his life that people doubt his straightness. He leans on his couch, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I’m not gay, Melody. My love for Damian is not that way. It’s a friend way, for damn sake,” he grumbles.
Melody giggles, “Sorry. Sometimes my brain is not functioning well.”
“Yeah, I can see that very well,” he sighs deeply.
Wait. Friend?
Melody furrows her eyebrows when she remembers he says that. “Um… friend? But, Damian seems to hate you more than anything.”
Those words hit Riccardo so hard. He chuckles, knowing she is right, and he doesn’t deny it at all.
“I know that, sweetie. I think if he has a chance to kill me, he will.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” her reply made Riccardo arches his eyebrows.
“What you mean by that?” he required.
Melody sits on the couch, “Well, he probably said he hate you and anything but… I could see it in his eyes; it was not much more than that. As if… something else holding him.”
“You… think so?”
She nods. Riccardo knows he shouldn’t put hope in this, but seeing the way Melody says it, it might not hurt to put a little bit of hope, right? He chuckles a bit and ruffles his hair.
“You can see through him, huh?”
“A lot of time,” she smiles.
“How long have you known Damian?” he frowns.
“This year,” she replies nonchalantly.
She just met him recently and she already can see through him. His emotion, his expression and body language. She observes him without her knowing. Riccardo knows this married couple is attached without knowing.
“You seem to know him more, Melody. You and Damian must spend a lot of good time together,” he smirks, with envy in his eyes.
Good time?
Melody clears her throat, “Not really. We have much more to… bickering, I guess.”
“Really? It’s seem not like it,” Riccardo smiles softly. “Don’t lie to yourself. It can ruin everything.”
“I’m… not lying…” she frowns.
Then, Riccardo remembered about the divorce file he had seen yesterday. Maybe this can bring the true feeling of her.
“Hm. I see. If you say so, I bet you don’t mind it if Damian asks for a divorce, don’t you?” he bluntly said.
Her eyes widen, but she manages to control herself. “Why you say that…”
“Well… I notice something. I don’t know what happened, but this fight led to divorce, am I right?” Riccardo guessing.
She didn’t say anything. Her eyes stare at her hands, clutching to each other. Seeing Melody not answering him, he takes that as a yes.
“You shouldn’t just jump to a conclusion,” he crossed his leg.
“Jump into conclusion?” she frowns, clenching her fist. “You don’t know what I hear. He… He said something awful about me. I just did him a favour… which is leaving.”
“I thought you knew Damian well enough. It’s seem like you don’t,” he sighs.
“What do you mean…”
Riccardo looks up at her, “Melody, among a lot of people I met, Damian is the only person who didn’t know how to fix things, show emotion or be honest with himself.”
“A lot of people agreed to the third one. Damian can’t be honest with himself. He keeps lying to himself to protect himself from getting hurt. He doesn’t have any intention to hurt you or anyone.”
“He just… too stupid to be honest in what he truly wants.”
His words sink into Melody’s head. It sounds like him. It sounds like him. Damian is not someone who can be honest about what he wants. He always uses the hard way to express what he wants.
“No one taught him how to express what he wants,” Riccardo added. “So please… bear with him just a little while…”
“What makes you think I will stay with him a little longer? I had enough…” she says firmly.
He leans forward, “Melody, please. This is my first time seeing Damian being affected by someone. When I saw him comforting you at the hotel, I couldn’t help but be stunned. He never be that gentle toward anyone not even a women,”
Her hands trembling. He was right. Damian comforted her with a soothing touch and words, and not even once did he leave her alone. Not only that. The memory of Damian broke down in tears in front of her…
That’s the only time he being honest to himself.
“For me… if it not for Damian, then for me. I know I’m not anyone to you but for me… please. Bear with him a little bit longer. Just a little bit,”
“If… If you still can’t stay with him… then you are free to go,” he pleaded.
His voice sounded so broken, the way he begged her. Melody stares at him for a moment. He looks desperate for her to stay. She sighs, clutching her dress. She wants to stay too, but…
It just hurt.
“If he can’t be honest… then you have to help him. Lead him toward it. I promise you… it is worth it,” Riccardo confronts her.
She pauses for a moment, thinking. Then, she sighs deeply. “Fine. But I will leave if it is still not worth it.”
“Yes. You can,” he nods.
Melody huffs, “I will try to give excuses when the divorce paper comes.”
“Thank you so much, Mel,” he sighs in relief.
She gets up, “You should be going now. I bet he doesn’t want to meet you in the meantime. Damian will kick you out knowing his personality.”
“Yeah, he already said that yesterday,” Riccardo chuckles.
Melody smiles and turns around to leave. As she is about to step out of the living room, she stops. She turns to Riccardo, who is just about to get up.
“You said… you are his friend. Then, why does Damian hate you?”
His movement halted. He looks at her before smiling a bit. “Well, it’s not a good story to tell.”
“But you know I’m curious about this,” she frowns.
He chuckles and walks toward her, “It’s a story that probably changes your perspective toward me, Melody.”
“Why…. you say that?” Melody tilted her head.
Riccardo didn’t say anything to that. The memory where Damian cries in pain and screams to him flashes in his mind. He clenches his fist and tries to control his expression. Not wanting Melody to be afraid.
“Maybe next time, yeah?” he ruffles her hair before walking away and shutting the front door.
Melody standing there alone. She sighs deeply, knowing she has to find another way to get that secret. She knows there’s a bad past that happened between those two.