SWNOVELS Chapter 197
Layla adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose and offered some advice.
"Even if you can't let go, don't disturb her. Pestering her after a breakup is just harassment. Your repeated disturbances will only make her despise you more."
"Just try to move on," Layla said, "It's better for her, and for you. Believe me, time is the best healer. It can cure everything."
Time is the best healer, but that might not apply to him.
Melvin sat in his car, staring in the direction where Jocelyn had vanished. The urge to go after her was wriggling inside him. But finally, he controlled his urge and drove to a club.
He called Zephyr and Yannick, along with the usual gang of fair-weather friends, for drinks.
The gang, knowing it was time for fun, each brought a date. Those without one picked up familiar faces from the club.
One of the guys, aiming to butter up Melvin, had even specially brought along a bombshell.
As she walked in, she was given the cue to head straight to Melvin.
Zephyr couldn't intercept in time, and the woman sashayed towards Melvin.
Melvin's presence was like the moon among stars. While the stars also shone, they never quite captured attention like the moon.
She sat next to Melvin, poured a drink and offered it to him, "Melvin, this one's for you."
Melvin gave the woman a cold glance. She was certainly attractive and seductive, but it was all too forced, lacking the natural grace of Jocelyn. Jocelyn didn't have to do anything-just a glance or a flutter of her lashes was enough to send his heart into a frenzy.
"A toast to me?" Melvin asked indifferently. "For what?"
The beauty hadn't anticipated his response. Scrambling, she said, "I've heard so much about you and never had the chance to talk with you. Today's meeting must be fate. Shouldn't we drink to our belated encounter?"
She was smooth with words, a trait of those who frequented places of night-time revelry.
Most men would have clinked glasses with a woman like her, but Melvin wasn't interested.
He didn't want to embarrass her and simply said, "You and I, we have no fate. Go play somewhere else. Don't hover around me."
His impatience was evident.
The woman's hand trembled as she held her drink. She considered herself a knockout, a woman no man could resist.
Yet, this man had just snubbed her.
Her pride was wounded, but she dared not make a scene. She could only look toward the man who had brought her.
Seeing her plight, he signaled her to try harder.
If she could cheer Melvin up, wouldn't her future days be set?
But she didn't believe this nonsense. She leaned closer to Melvin, nearly pressing her softness against his arm when he suddenly stood up, leaving her to stumble.
The commotion drew everyone's eyes.
Zephyr frowned and shot a glare at the instigator.
The beauty's face flushed with embarrassment. Melvin's rejection made her wish she could disappear into the ground.
"Get out!" Melvin was already in a foul mood and had no patience for niceties.
The man who had hoped to ingratiate himself with Melvin panicked and hurried over, apologizing, "Melvin, I'm sorry, it's my fault. She's with me and doesn't know any better. Please, don't be angry." After he spoke, he quickly ushered the woman out.
The woman left, seething and biting her lip in frustration, knowing this wasn't her place to show anger. Reluctantly, she exited.
Once she was gone, the room returned to its previous buzz.
Zephyr settled next to Melvin, "Out with the old, in with the new. Don't dwell on it too much."
Melvin gave Zephyr a sideways glance, then turned to Yannick, "Maybe you should have your mom set you up with someone to marry, huh?"
Zephyr was speechless. He knew he shouldn't have mentioned that. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Okay, I'll keep my thoughts to myself." Melvin drank glass after glass, as if it were water.
"If you get too drunk, should I take you home or call Jocelyn?" Zephyr knew who Melvin was hung up on, but things were different now. He needed clarity. Melvin couldn't bear to hear Jocelyn's name.
His already uncontrollable emotions would surge at the mere mention of her.
"Home."
Melvin downed another.
Zephyr frowned slightly, "If you show up drunk at her place, she might soften."
"No need for that anymore." Melvin's eyes were filled with desolation.
"You're not going to persist?" Zephyr felt Melvin shouldn't give up so easily.
Melvin gave a self-deprecating laugh, "She'd hate me even more."
Now, he just hoped she didn't hate him.
"But, can you really just watch her walk away? What if she becomes someone else's wife someday?" Zephyr doubted he could bear that.
If Jocelyn got married, who knew if Melvin would lose his mind.
Melvin felt a sharp pain in his heart. If only he had restrained himself that night, Jocelyn would already be his wife.
But he ran away, pushed her away and lost her.
He couldn't imagine what he would do if she married someone else.
But the truth was he couldn't give her what she wanted.
And she wouldn't give him another chance.
"Men only live once. If you miss out, it's for a lifetime," Zephyr spoke with sympathy.
Zephyr didn't know if he was consoling Melvin or himself.
As Melvin pondered Zephyr's words, it felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, causing a painful and suffocating sensation. Zephyr said no more and returned to Yannick's side.
"What did you say to him?" Yannick inquired.
"Don't let go," Zephyr said earnestly in response, "when you finally find the one you love, you should always hold on tight."
Yannick looked at him intently, "Are you serious?"
"Some things you can fake, but not this. When it comes to love, you gotta go all in," Zephyr didn't look at Yannick.
Yannick chuckled, "If only life was all about going head-to-head, getting what you want. Imagine how many people would be living a nightmare."
"What do you mean?" Zephyr suddenly fixed his eyes on Yannick.
"I mean, sometimes letting go or stepping aside is what keeps the world turning," Yannick sipped his drink, "I don't doubt his love for Jocelyn. But if he can't make her happy, letting go is the kindest thing to do. To love someone is not to suffocate them."
Zephyr disagreed, "And how do you know Jocelyn doesn't love him back?"
"They're like two porcupines in love, trying to get close but ending up hurting each other with their quills. Sometimes, letting go is the greatest act of love."
"Nonsense," Zephyr scoffed, "Anyway, I believe in hanging on to the one I love. Even if it means going down in flames, I would never let go."
Yannick frowned slightly but said nothing more.
Melvin was about to pass out after too many drinks.
Zephyr asked him once more, "Should we tell Jocelyn?"
"No..." Melvin collapsed with thoughts of Jocelyn swirling in his mind.