(Edited by younghrtd2. Thank you for all your hard work!)

Chapter I

DAY 1

ÉMILIE ÉRABLE

It was a chilly fall night; the sky was clear, and a chilly wind blew through the streets and alleys. It wasn’t yet late enough for ice or snow, but the wind still had a bite in it. In a nondescript town, somewhere far away, a lone person was walking down the minor roads and back alleys. Émilie. Émilie Érable. A 25-year-old woman.

She was dressed in a black skirt, black tights, white heels, a pastel-pink shirt with a white frilly hem, and a pink woven jacket over all. She had long blonde hair with the tips dyed pink. She had a pink, woolly cap on, pulled tight and low, almost to her eyes. And from the other direction, her mask was high up, almost touching her eyes. She had large round eyeglasses on. The overall result was that only her eyes were barely exposed to the cold.

She had pink woven mittens on, and she had tucked her hands in them in the jacket’s pockets. Her grayish, greenish eyes were swollen and red. She had been crying; and in fact, she was still sobbing as she walked.

In her pocket, her phone went off every which way to Sunday. It buzzed, it beeped. Messages on different platforms, phone calls, video calls, you name it. She ignored it all.

There was no way she could look at the phone and now and not fall apart and cry again. She wished fervently that none of the messages was from the person she had just left: Nina Evans. Ninny. Nin.

Émilie’s crush for a long time, her girlfriend for a short amount of time; and now, as of half an hour ago, her ex.

Émilie had gone to visit her on her way home, but when she arrived, there was an unknown car parked in front of her house. Émilie didn’t really pay attention to it, thinking it might be her brother or parents visiting.

She went in and was just about to yell for Nina when she heard noises. Noises that should not come from a house where a girl in a relationship lived (and while her SO wasn’t there!)

Émilie felt a lump in her throat. She knew already what that meant, but from some morbid desire, she wanted to know for sure.

She opened the inner front door leading to the living room just a bit, and peeked inside. And she saw something that she would never forget, but what she would wish with all her heart wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

A guy was nailing her girlfriend on her couch! She had her ankles on the guy’s shoulders, and they were going at it without a care in the world.

Without really knowing why, Émilie took her ring off her finger and placed it on her palm. She looked at it and felt her eyes burn and her chest tighten. There was a massive pressure inside her chest and her eyes burned and begged for the releasing tears. Émilie refused the tears and bit her lip to stop them from coming. She slammed the door open and yelled at the copulating couple.

“Was this what you wanted all the time, Nin?” Émilie screamed. “Was I not enough? Was everything you told me a lie? Men are slimy? You are not attracted to men at all? You’d never let… never let any man touch you, there? Like he’s currently doing?” she yelled, and anger burned in her eyes.

“Em…” Nina said, and rose up.

The guy was awkwardly left standing beside the couch with a huge boner and a frustrated expression on his face.

Émilie swallowed hard as Nina walked towards her.

She was naked; her breasts swayed as she walked. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun on top of her head. Locks of slight curls had escaped and flowed onto her face. Her cheeks were red, and she was breathing heavily. Her blue eyes were sad. Her hands twitched and tried to find a hem to fiddle with but found nothing.

Émilie closed her eyes and tried not to think about the glistening wetness that dribbled down her inner thighs.

“Was everything a lie, Ninny?” she yelled, and opened her eyes. She looked straight into Nina’s eyes and found her answer there.

Nina didn’t answer her.

Émilie’s lip quivered. She opened her hand and looked at the ring. “Forever Yours,” it said.

Émilie looked straight into Nina’s eyes and threw the ring at her feet. “We’re done, Nina,” she said, and turned around.

“Em… Let me explain…” Nina said, and reached for Émilie.

She turned around and looked at Nina. Émilie couldn’t hold it anymore and her eyes were red and tears were running down her cheeks.

“Explain?!” she yelled. “How do you explain a dick inside you? How do you explain laying on your sofa with your ankles on a guy’s shoulders while he’s balls deep in you, fucking you like a stupid, angry bear? How do you explain that to your girlfriend, Nina, how? How do you explain having sworn never to touch a man? How do you explain saying you’re a lesbian that has no desire to even look at a man, let alone touch one? How do you explain that, Nina? How do you explain it while you’re so wet you leave damp spots on your living room floor because he was fucking you?”

Nina opened balıkesir escort her mouth to say something, but Émilie shook her head and closed her eyes. She wiped the tears off her cheeks and pointed down to the ring.

“You can have that back. ‘Forever’ lasted slightly less than you promised, I don’t need it anymore. Don’t call me, Nin. Don’t talk to me. I never want to see your face ever again!” she yelled, turned around, walked out, and slammed the doors shut behind her.

So there she was, walking down the back alleys alone, her phone going crazy in her pocket. Tears falling from her eyes in a sad downpour, she pulled the phone out. 74 new messages. Twelve missed calls. Seven missed video calls. 45 discord notifications. And 237 more notifications. All except one from Nina.

Émilie closed her eyes, cleared the notifications and set the phone on silent. She opened it and looked at the one message which was not from Nina, a message from a friend she hadn’t seen in a while: Melinda.

Émilie and Melinda were good friends. Not like BFFs that spent every waking moment together, but friends that met a few times a week and hung out regularly.

Émilie opened the message.

(Melinda) I’m so sorry. I heard about Nina. Call me if you want. I’ll listen.

How’d she heard about it already? And.. never mind.

Émilie couldn’t handle that right now and threw the phone back into her pocket and continued to wander around. She reached a small park and found a bench. Sitting down on it, all walls and facades broke down and the waterworks broke out in full force. Émilie buried her face in her hands and cried and screamed with everything she had.

After a while, the tears ended, but the sadness didn’t. Her eyes just burned and begged for more tears, but they wouldn’t come. She screamed silently to the sky. Out of breath, panting and tired, she flopped down onto the bench and closed her eyes.

It would be just as well if I died right here, right now, she thought. Everything she believed in, everything she held dear was pulled away from her, taken in a cruel way. She felt useless, broken, insufficient. Was I not enough? Did even Nina want a man after all? Did everyone else? Were lesbians a lie and I the only one?

She pulled out her phone and looked at it. About 400 more notifications. Screw it, screw it all. She unlocked her phone and went through all the social media apps she had, plus the phone, and blocked Nina on all of them, then deleted her contact details from her phone and set a few of her accounts to ‘private.’

As she was putting it back into her pocket, it made a buzz. A new message from Melinda.

MELINDA WILLIAMS

(Melinda) Emi? Where are you? I know you’re hurting. Please talk to me.

Émilie looked at it and shrugged. It couldn’t make things worse, at least. She took a deep breath and opened the messages app and typed down a few letters.

(Émilie) Mel.

(Melinda) Emi! Wonderful that you replied! I was really afraid you’d do something stupid.

(Émilie) Me? Stupid? Never.

(Melinda) Ha ha. Emi. You’re a pro at stupid.

(Émilie) Eat a sock. How d’you learn about… about that?

(Melinda) My brother is friends with… him. The guy. He posted about it on Instagram.

(Melinda) Also, Twiggy saw you power walking and crying your eyes out and you were coming from her place. We messaged and put 1+1 together.

(Émilie) Hold up, he posted about it… while… you know.

(Melinda) The guy’s not a first prize, Emi. I don’t know how… You know what, never mind. Emi, where are you? We’re getting special cocoa right now.

(Émilie) I don’t know. Somewhere on the 5th. I walked without looking. In the park. Near the river.

(Melinda) I know the place. Don’t move.

(Émilie) ok.

Émilie put the phone back in her pocket and leaned back and lay on the bench. She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her breathing was still shaky, and she shivered involuntarily now and then, and her lower lip quivered. Her eyes welled up and tears pushed through the facade once more.

“Nina…” she sobbed. “I thought we had something together. I really thought we were great together… I liked you a lot, Nina…” she sobbed into her hands. She drew a long stuttering breath and wiped her tears. “Was it something I did?” She asked the world at large. “Was it just you and… something? Did you want a dick inside you that badly? Was it all a lie when you said that I and toys would be enough?” she said and pulled her hair.

It took Melinda about fifteen minutes to arrive. She left her car a few blocks away and walked. She was dressed in warm black pants, a pair of long dark brown boots, a black, thick woolen jacket, and a bright yellow beanie. Her bright red hair flowed from underneath the beanie and her green eyes glinted in the fading light. She carried a bundle of knitting in her hands.

“Emi!” She yelled and waved at Émilie. “I’m here! See, here, I brought balıkesir escort bayan you this to warm you up, I knew you’d be here freezing to death!” She yelled.

She walked to the bench and draped the knitting over Émilie’s shoulders and wrapped her in it. She knelt in front of her and wiped the tears off her face.

“Feel any better?” Melinda asked.

Émilie nodded slightly and sniffled.

“You look awful, Émilie,” Melinda said and smiled gently at her. “Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked.

Émilie appeared to think about it for a second, then shook her head.

Melinda nodded slightly at her and patted her arm. “Don’t worry, you needn’t hurry. Take your time. Tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll listen,” she said.

Émilie nodded at her. “Thanks,” she said weakly and flashed a small smile at her.

Melinda looked at her and blushed a little. She turned her gaze away and stood up.

“Can you walk?” she asked. “I’ll buy you a hot cocoa from the goth cafe downtown,” she said.

“Velvet and Razorblades?” Émilie asked quietly.

“Yeah!” Melinda said. “That’s the name of the place. They have amazing hot cocoas there. And you need one now,” she said. Melinda offered a hand to Émilie. “Get your French ass up, and let’s go! My car’s just there,” she said, and pointed toward the way she came from.

Hesitating, Émilie grabbed Melinda’s hand.

Melinda smiled at her and pulled her up. She grabbed Émilie with both of her hands, pulled her to stand, wrapped her hand around her shoulders, and carefully started to lead her toward her car.

COCOA

Melinda took Émilie to her car and practically pushed her inside.

Émilie was sitting on the right front seat, looking more depressed than Eeyore.

Melinda looked at her, closed her eyes momentarily and shook her head. Her lips turned upwards, and she sighed. Shrugging, she hopped into the driver’s seat and started the car. She glanced toward Émilie.

“You okay there now, Emi?” she asked softly.

Émilie nodded at her and gave her a sad, brief smile.

Melinda smiled at her and started driving. She occasionally glanced at Émilie, who was passively just looking out the window, her shoulders slumped and her hands hidden under the shawl or whatever that Melinda brought her. Melinda turned on the radio, but as soon as she recognized ‘Never, Ever’ by Hammerfall, she quickly turned it off. “Sorry,” she said.

Émilie looked at her and a single tear fell from her eye as she sniffled.

“Am I broken?” she said in a very quiet voice, almost whispering. Her voice quivered, and she sniffled afterward.

“No, you’re not broken, Emi!” Melinda said. “You’re an awesome person, and there’s nothing wrong with you! I don’t know all the details, but what N—What she did to you was wrong! And it’s not your fault, Emi,” she said.

She slowed down, then stopped the car and looked at Émilie. “Look at me, Emi. It was not your fault. Not. You did nothing wrong,” she said.

Émilie sniffled and nodded at her.

“Thanks,” she whispered. “It’s just… I thought we were good… I thought she actually was like… like me,” she continued, and her lower lip quivered again as she closed her eyes. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being bi,” she added. “But the way she swore all those things to me…”

“Shh, Emi. It’s gonna be alright. It hurts like hell now, I know, but it’ll get better. Look, we’re here,” she said and pointed outside to a small cozy cafe on the other side of the street.

She parked the car, went to the other side, and opened the door to Émilie, who let Melinda lead her out of the car and across the street.

They entered the cafe, and Melinda led Émilie to a table and sat her down. She fussed over her like a mother over her child. She made sure Émilie was comfortable, then walked toward the counter.

She stopped and turned to look at Émilie. “It’s normally a mint choice, but for these times it’s dark chocolate with orange flavor, right, Emi?” Melinda said.

Émilie looked at her, smiled weakly, and nodded.

“Yeah…” she said, then raised an eyebrow. “You remembered?” she asked.

Melinda put her hands on her waist and smiled widely at her.

“Of course. You’re my important friend, Emi,” she said and grinned at her. “I could never forget something like that. Just a bit, one dark choco plus orange special coming up!” she said, turned around, and walked to the counter.

Émilie looked after her and her lips turned slightly upwards. With friends like Melinda, the world wasn’t that bad of a place, after all. She’d live through this. She wouldn’t give Evans the satisfaction of having broken her.

A couple of minutes later, Melinda arrived with the cocoas. She put Émilie’s cup in front of her and sat opposite of her. Melinda smelled her cocoa with a contented smile on her face. The vanilla fragrance was clearly detectable, but not overpowering.

Émilie looked at hers and smiled escort balıkesir at the dark and thick liquid. She smelled the oranges there and the slight bitterness of dark chocolate. She took a sip from it, closed her eyes and leaned backwards. It felt a tiny bit thicker than normal, and the aroma was richer, the orange flavor more noticeable. It was so very good, and Émilie’s lips turned upwards on their own.

“This is different,” she whispered, still with closed eyes. “It’s somehow richer and… more flavored,” she added.

Melinda smiled at her widely. “That’s because I asked for the special edition,” she said.

“Special Edition?” Émilie said, opening her eyes a little and raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” she said and nodded toward the counter. “She added a couple of pieces of real dark chocolate and a drop of orange extract,” she said, and looked at Émilie with a tender expression. “I thought you’d want to have an extra special drink today,” she said.

Émilie nodded at her and a small smile creeped onto her lips.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Melinda smiled at her and just nodded slightly. She didn’t want to bother Émilie too much.

They drank their cocoas in relative silence, and then talked about anything and nothing; just had the kind of small talk friends have when they don’t want to discuss something heavy.

It was almost evening when they exited the cafe. They walked to Melinda’s car in silence.

At the car, Melinda looked at Émilie and tilted her head slightly. “Will you be okay, Emi?” she asked.

Émilie looked at her hesitantly and flashed a little awkward smile. “I’ll be… okay, Mel. Thanks,” she said. She sat down in the front seat and Melinda looked at her doubtfully.

She shook her head. “Emi…” she said, “why don’t you come spend the night at my place? I don’t want you to be alone today.”

Émilie looked at her. “Really…?” she said. “You’d be okay with me there? I mean, I’d like it, I don’t wanna be alone either, but… is that really okay?” she asked nervously.

Melinda smiled at her. “Of course, Emi!” she said. “You’ll always be welcome in my home. You’re my dear friend, Emi. Why wouldn’t it be okay?” she said.

Émilie shrugged slightly. “I mean, just like that, with little warning? What about your boyfriend or…?” she said.

Melinda smiled gently at her. “I’m single, Emi. There are no boyfriends,” she said.

Émilie glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. “I thought… never mind, my bad. In that case, I’ll gladly accept your invitation,” she said.

MELINDA’S

They drove to Melinda’s place in relative silence, exchanged maybe a couple of words, if anything. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but a silence that sprouted from the lack of need for any talking. They just watched the scenery and the road.

Melinda parked the car and got out.

Émilie followed her to her apartment like a silent ghost tethered to the living world. The door had a nice little sign on it that said ‘Melinda Williams’ in pretty cursive.

They got inside.

Émilie looked around her with her eyes wide open. The apartment looked nice; the walls were white, the furniture shades of yellow and brown. There was a big living room, a separate guest room, bedroom and a decently sized kitchen. Plus a large bathroom.

“Mel…,” Émilie said. “When did you move? This is much nicer and larger than your last place.”

“Oh,” Melinda said, “did I forget to mention that to you? Well, we haven’t seen each other in a couple of weeks or so. I moved just last week, got a last-minute, magnificent offer for this place, and decided to move on the spot.”

“It’s really nice, Mel,” Émilie said. “I bet the rent is high though. How can you afford it?”

“Eh, that’s the secret here. The rent is only a very tiny bit higher than my last place,” Melinda said. “There’s something about the apartment that made it difficult to market, so the owner offered me a deal on it. Yeah, I know! It sounds fishy, but he actually listed all the troublesome parts, and most of them matter little to me. Like, see my bathroom door? It’s so tiny; it’s so narrow! You can’t fit a washing machine into the bathroom, so that’s one point,” she said, and walked to the kitchen.

“And look here. There’s no place for an oven, and the cupboards are rather short. And then there were a couple of things with the heating and AC, but those didn’t sound bad,” she said. “And there’s the fact that this is quite far from the Uni, which is their prime source of renters. Doesn’t matter to me, though, as I don’t need to go there physically, except very rarely.”

“You were lucky…” Émilie said. “Unlike me…” she said, and her lip quivered again.

“Emi…” Melinda said, and put her hands on Émilie’s shoulders. She pulled her close and hugged her. “If it helps you, let it out. Nobody will judge you here,” she said.

She felt Émilie shudder, then shiver. She heard little sobs and patted her back gently. “Cry, Emi. Cry if it helps. It’s okay to cry,” she whispered gently into her ear and held her close.

Émilie sobbed and then cried against Melinda’s shoulder. She cried so much her knees buckled and Melinda had to support her weight.

She led them to the living room, sat down and placed Émilie’s head on her lap and caressed her hair while she wept.