Chapter 275

“Are you still ignoring me?” Adam asked, watching as Melanie walked over to the kitchen island and set down her food with an exaggerated huff.
Adir, who was busy colouring in his book, looked up without missing a beat and replied, “I think that means—yes.”
Adam rolled his eyes at the boy, which prompted Adir to roll his own eyes right back at him, wearing a smug little grin that made Adam sigh.
“You really need to stop troubling her,” Adir said matter-of-factly, his tone far too serious for someone his age. “She’s so mad at you today, she even snapped at Miss Melody just for saying your name.”
He shook his head slowly, then added in a dramatic tone that almost made Adam laugh, “You better give her a proper apology, before she snaps at someone else next. Maybe even me. And if I have to suffer because of your mistake, I will add salt to your coffee.”
Adam shook his head at Adir, unconcerned by the threat but instead turned to look at Melanie with concern, who, as Adir rightly pointed out, was still ignoring him.
“You need to go and wash your hands for dinner, Adir.” Melanie said shortly which prompted Adir to send an accusing look at Adam, blaming him for Melanie’s shortness with him.
“You need to go wash your hands for dinner, Adir,” Melanie said shortly, without so much as glancing at the boy.
Adir gave Adam a pointed, almost betrayed look, as if silently blaming him for Melanie’s clipped tone. Then, with the exaggerated dignity of someone making a noble sacrifice, he slid off his chair and trudged toward the sink.
Once Adir was out of earshot, Adam made his way to the other side of the island. “Melanie,” he said, voice low. She didn’t look up. Instead, she busied herself with unwrapping the container of food like it required all her concentration.
He reached out to touch her arm, but she sidestepped him without a word, her glare sharp enough to slice through whatever apology he had prepared.
Adam exhaled slowly and leaned back against the counter, folding his arms.
“You know it was an accident,” he muttered. “Come on, Melon… You can even yell at me, if you want. But now even Adir is getting involved. Also, why take out your anger on her? I mean, why would you snap at Miss Melody when it was entirely my fault?”
That had Melanie turning around and sending a sharp look his way before she carefully placed aside the kinfe in her hand, grabbed the contained of food in her hand and walked out, towards the table.
Adir returned just as Adam took a seat and cast a worried glance at Adam and then at Melanie, before looking back at Adam again, questioning if he had been forgiven or not.
“Come on, Adir. Sit down,” Melanie finally said in a light tone as she sent a look somewhere over Adam’s shoulder and said, “You too.”
Adam was about to ask sarcastically if she was expecting someone from the refrigerator to come out and sit by them, but then, he took a look at Adir’s perked up face and sighed. This had gone on long enough that even Adir was starting to get worried. And there was no need for that. So, he smiled and went to sit next to Melanie who did not give him another glance and instead talked to Adir.
“So,” Melanie began, pouring some food onto his plate, “did you finish that story in class today? The one with the dragon and the boy who couldn’t lie?”
Adir brightened at once. “Yes! And guess what? The dragon wasn’t bad at all. He just wanted someone to talk to. And then the boy taught him how to play football-can you believe that? A dragon playing football!”
Melanie chuckled, nodding as if this were a completely reasonable turn of events. “I can imagine him knocking over all the goalposts.”
Adam tuned out then. He could hear Adir chattering happily, probably explaining every detail of the dragon’s jersey and how it scored a goal with its tail, but all he could think about was Melanie sitting right beside him, smiling, laughing even, and still managing to act like he wasn’t there at all.
He sighed quietly. He had meant to explain everything-he really had. But by the time he’d returned from the Club that day, work had called him away again. And so, the entire misunderstanding where he had ended up hugging Melody instead of Melanie by mistake and how horrified he had been, had been left undiscussed. And then later, he had honeslty forgotten all about it.
And, he was sure, if he had been the one to explain everything, then things would not have been the same. But no, instead, his stupidity had come to light in the worst way possible.
He never imagined someone else had seen it and probably misunderstood.
But apparently, Laela had. She had spotted them from across the hall, assumed it was Melanie and him and taken a picture, laughing to herself, probably planning to send it later with a snide joke about how Melanie had abandoned her for him.
Only, it hadn’t stayed harmless. He’d just returned from the trip, only to see sitting quietly in the dark, staring at that picture.
He’d been stricken. Because even he, who knew exactly what had happened and how he had stepped away the minute he realized it wasn’t her, could see how suggestive that picture looked.
” Melon, I can explain this.” Those were the only words he could think of to say to her but somehow those words seemed to have an opposite effect on her. Her expression showes that she thought that he had probably cheated on her. He’d raised his hands and tried to tell her that he did not cheat, but before he could get another sentence out, she’d rushed away from there, locking herself into her room. And from there had begun their silent war…