The festival wound down slowly, with students laughing and taking endless pictures under the twinkling fairy lights.
Melissa sat on the grass near the music club booth, hugging her knees to her chest.
Ginny had wandered off to get more snacks, and Dayne was talking with a group of seniors a little further away.
She was alone — and that's when Alec approached again.
"Mind if I sit?" he asked, voice softer than she remembered.
Melissa didn't answer.
Alec sat anyway, a careful distance away from her.
The silence between them was heavy, full of the things unsaid.
"I know you probably hate me," Alec said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Melissa stared straight ahead, refusing to meet his eyes.
"I deserve it," he added.
Melissa's fingers dug into the grass. "Why are you here, Alec? Why my college?"
Alec sighed.
"I didn't know you'd be here. I swear. I applied months ago."
Melissa still didn't look at him.
He let out a bitter laugh. "Not that you'd believe me anyway."
"You're right," she said, voice sharp. "I don't believe you."
Alec went quiet for a moment.
Then, almost too quietly to hear:
"I tried... that day."
Melissa blinked, finally turning her head.
"What?"
"I tried to stop Amelie," he said, staring at the ground. "I tried to tell her it wasn't supposed to go that far. That... hurting you wasn't part of it."
Melissa's stomach twisted painfully.
"But you didn't," she whispered.
Alec finally looked up — and for the first time, his eyes weren't cold.
They were raw.
"I was a coward," he said simply. "I let it happen because I didn't want to lose my place. My popularity. My easy life."
Melissa's vision blurred with unshed tears.
"You were my first love," she said, voice cracking.
"And you destroyed it like it was nothing."
"I know," Alec said. "And I'm sorry. But... I never forgot, Melissa. Not for a single day."
Melissa stood up abruptly, the grass sticking to her jeans.
"I can't do this," she said.
She turned to leave — and nearly crashed into Dayne.
He stood there, holding a cup of coffee he'd clearly gotten for her.
Melissa took a shaky step back.
"Lisa," Dayne said quietly, noticing the tension in her whole body.
"You okay?"
Melissa nodded — too fast, too fake.
Dayne shifted his gaze to Alec, and something cold settled in his expression.
"I think you should leave," Dayne said to Alec, voice low and dangerous.
Alec smirked, but it was an exhausted, broken sort of smirk.
"Looks like you've got your knight in shining armor already."
Melissa flinched again.
Dayne took a protective step in front of her, blocking Alec's view.
"I said leave."
For a moment, Alec looked like he wanted to argue.
But then his shoulders slumped, and he turned and walked away into the crowd.
Melissa stared after him, her heart a war zone of emotions.
"You don't have to explain," Dayne said gently, offering her the cup of coffee.
Melissa took it with shaking hands.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"For what?" Dayne frowned.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
They sat down together quietly, not touching, just existing side by side.
And for the first time that night, Melissa allowed herself to breathe.
Maybe... just maybe... she wasn't as alone as she thought.