(The Ex)
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Melanie pov
I can't believe what I'm looking at. After scrolling down quite a while, I see pictures of Camila with Vaughn. And they are beautiful but at the same time heartbreaking for me. In one picture, she kissed his cheek while he laughed, closing his eyes. In another, it's the other way around. There's a picture in which she kissed the tattoos on his nape.
There's also a picture in which they did multiple silly poses in a photo booth. The more I look at them, the more I feel a lump in my throat as I realize that they're definitely an item.
My thumb stops scrolling as I find a picture of them having a romantic dinner with the magnificent Fiffel Tower in the background Vaughn kissing her hand while looking at her with so much adoration in his eyes that even a picture can't do anything to make the emotions feel less real. Her caption reads 'Love the way you look at me.'
I click the photo and hold my breath when the link to Vaughn's Instagram profile pops out.
It's so lame what I'm doing, but I finally come to a conclusion about stalking through social media. It's indeed very powerful.
What I'm going to do next will be a key point, because even though Camila's pictures have given me more information than what I expected, if I see any of those in Vaughn's Instagram then I'm totally done.
I gulp and click the link. I swear that I'm not breathing as I'm scrolling through his pictures.
Chill, Melanie. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I need oxygen to live.
Not so much information is visible on Vaughn's profile. He doesn't post frequently, and there are only a bunch of pictures showing objects such as motorcycles, other automotive and landscapes. Some photos of him with his football buddies celebrating the game are the only exceptions.
But then, something makes me immediately change my mind.
My heart freezes as I find a picture of him and Camila kissing in the middle of the football field, him wearing his uniform, her tiptoeing and circling her arms around his neck. He looks so gorgeous, manly and dangerously wild, all the while making it crystal clear that he's all hers. And it's also explained in his caption that shouts only one word. Short but powerful. 'Mine.'
That's the only photo of them in his entire profile, but then it speaks volumes, so loud in my ears. And it feels like a slap on my face.
I've never thought before that I would witness such emotion from Vaughn. In those photos,
he looks... in love. I've never seen that side of, him before. I barely know him.
All these things I'm witnessing make me
think even more that what we had last night was nothing more than a mistake. I wonder what happened to them that made him do something so reckless. As far as I remember, _ , they broke up.
"Broke up six months ago," Jake voice echoes in my ear as remember our conversation at the bar the first time I met Vaughn.
I look at the date when Vaughn posted the picture. Indeed, it has been there for more than half a year. I get back to Camila's profile, and the pictures of them are all the old ones as well.
In fact, she hasn't posted any single picture in her Instagram for the past seven months. Now, that is strange.
It's like she's been shutting off from social media after their breakup.
My stomach drops at that thought, for the last time I witnessed something like this was when Selena Gomez disappeared from social media after Justin Bieber moved on. That's the most heartbreaking story I've ever known (but I wish them both happiness anyway), and I suddenly feel sorry for Camila.
Shaking my head, I shut my phone off and throw it on the bed. I cross my arms on my chest and close my eyes, trying to calm myself down.
This is bad, Melanie. This is really bad.
I'm not ready to fall for Vaughn Cooper.
*****
I'm deep in thoughts when my phone buzzes in the middle of my Energy Economics class. Wondering who it is, I tap the screen, and a message from Vaughn pops up.
Vaughn: Hey
My heart leaps, but I choose to ignore it, trying to focus on what the professor is teaching in front of the class.
Ten minutes pass by, and my phone buzzes again.
Vaughn: 🙃
I almost smile from his cute emoji. He knows that I've read his message but haven't replied. This guy here is trying to use his trick on me, huh? Well, I'm just going to tell him that I'm currently busy. That's it. I really am.
Me: I'm in class.
Vaughn: Me too.
Vaughn: Can't focus.
I put my phone away again. I don't think that I can multitask while he keeps bothering me.
After a few minutes, his message comes again. Vaughn: Are you not going to ask why?
I roll my eyes, knowing where this conversation is going. Yet, I'm curious about what he's going to say.
Actually, I do want to hear him say it.
So, I betray the voice in my head as I type a reply.
Me: Why?
Vaughn: Keep thinking about you kissing me❤️
My heartbeat doubles. I want to scream in his face that it was the other way around, that he stole my first kiss.
Which I gladly accepted. Duh.
I don't reply to his message until halfway through the class.
Vaughn: Ouch. You're ignoring me.
After some battles happening in my own thoughts, I decide to make my point to him again.
Me: Energy Economics. I don't want to fail. Vaughn: Perfect.
Vaughn: You won't, if you let me teach you again.
Vaughn: Or 'teach' you again. I don't mind both.
My face flushes. How dare he flirts with me in the middle of my class? I should have ignored him from the start.
Me: Shut up. Vaughn: Come on. You loved it.
I grip my phone so hard to the point that I wanted to break it. This is so embarrassing. He knows damn well that his touch makes me turned on.
God, how am I going to survive this troublemaker?
Me: What the hell are you trying to say? Vaughn: Aw. Feisty. Vaughn: You're cute when you're in denial.
Me: I'm not. I just came to my senses. I lost my mind yesterday.
His reply doesn't come for a while. But then it pops up again.
Vaughn: You don't want it?
My mouth drops open. What does he mean? His sentence is too vague.
Want what? The kiss? Or is he talking about something bigger?
Like... Us?
I shake my head in denial. I can't believe what I'm thinking about.
Me: Nope. I don't want it. Whatever it is you're offering to me.
I tap my fingers on the desk impatiently. This complicated thing has just started but already makes me restless. So much for a crush. Vaughn: Really? We'll see about that later, sweetheart.
My eyes widen at his texts. I just challenged Vaughn Cooper. And I just made myself involved in big trouble.