come clean

ashley

"Just let me know if you see her, alright? This is very serious."

"Okay."

"Thank you." I could hear the tiredness in Zo's voice. I removed the phone from my ear and ended the call.

"Is he gone?"

I nodded slowly.

"Good. I was getting tired of being quiet."

I rubbed my arm awkwardly as she continued to make herself comfortable as if I told her to make herself at home.

It was 4:00 in the morning and Denise came banging at my door for whatever reason. I asked her what was going in and she begged me to let her in first. So I did. It didn't help that I just got a call from my ex boyfriend's brother either. I was starting to get a little nervous.

Denise became my friend when I first started dating Melo. At the time she was with Zo and we got along really well. Whenever I would be over there for Melo, she would be over there for Zo, so we just started bonding and became really good friends. Sometimes it was weird though just because Denise was almost 30 and I just turned 18. But she was a nice friend.

Now we're both exes of the Ball brothers. Funny right? Denise still wants Zo though. He just don't want her. She would always drone on and on about how much she needed him. She never stopped trying to come up with plans to get Zo back but they all failed.

She was slowly but surely going crazy .. but for love.

And I was too. Until I realized what I was worth. When Melo and I first broke up for the last time, I had a mental break down. I shut myself in my room for the first month, and like Denise, I started scheming to get back at Maya, Melo's girlfriend, for getting with him.

But then I realized that it wasn't Maya's fault that Melo didn't love me. It wasn't Melo's either. It was mine for making Melo have so much control over my emotions and how I felt about others just to please him. I was insecure. I was scared that I would never be enough for him. And maybe I wasn't, but that was fine.

It was okay that I wasn't the love of his life or he didn't love me because now I love myself and I now know my worth. I know that someday,  there will be someone who actually realizes that.

I really wanted Denise to realize that also but maybe.. she was just too far gone. What she was about to tell me was going to prove that real quick.

"Okay you have to be quiet my parents are sleeping. They would kill me if they knew I snuck you in!" I dragged my hand across my face stressfully.

She walked into my dimly lit living room. She plopped down on the soft creme couch and propped her feet on the ottoman.

I really didn't want her here right now. Recently, Denise had been insulting my new friend, Maya and it didn't sit right with me. She had continued to shit talk Maya constantly. The poor girl didn't even do anything to Denise.

I was all about positive vibes and good energy and Denise wasn't bringing any of that to the table.

"Okay so can you please tell me what the hell is going on?" I sat down on the seat across from her.

"Well. Um. So I made a mistake." She began rubbing her chipped acrylic hands on her leggings.

"What mistake?" I asked slowly, not sure if I was ready to hear what was about to come out her mouth.

"It's just that- she ruined everything for me. The Ball family completely turned on me because of her." Tears began to escape her eyes.

"I don't think that's her fault-" She cut me off.

"No Ash! It is! She fucked it all up for me! None of them talk to me anymore! I'm not even eligible for child support anymore." Denise raised her voice and began pulling on her extensions. Some pieces fell out as she began rocking back and forth.

My eyes widened as I realized what she was doing.

"Denise! Stop what are you doing to your hair?" I wasn't a professional but I did know that her pulling out her extensions like that probably wasn't safe.

"She's a problem! A big problem! I thought I could get rid of her."

"Wait.. what did you do?"

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone else. I just wanted to hurt Maya. Thats it."

"Denise! Be specific! What did you do?"

"I- I was the one who started the Chino Hills Apartment fire! Okay? I said it! There! Now Kyle Kuzma is in the hospital because of me and Maya's friend is dead!"  I was frozen in my place, to shocked to move. I didn't think Denise would go as far as trying to killing someone.

"Everyone got hurt except for Maya! Wow!"

"Do you even hear yourself? Maya is hurt! You almost killed her brother! You basically killed her best friend! Are you happy? You're ruining her life! Denise what has gotten into you? Huh!? You used to be such a sweetheart and so kind. What happened?"

She dropped to the floor and began crying. She really didn't have a right to.

She loved Zo but it was no longer a good thing. People were getting because of it.

I was conflicted but after a few moments I slowly tip toe out of the living room and back into the hallway. I pull out my phone and clicked messages:

ashleyalvano: she's here.

zo: thank you 🙏🏼

As soon as I saw the message, I powered off my phone. I knew I made the right choice. I just wanted Denise to get better, maybe this was the only way.

-

maya

"You're literally the least interesting to look at!" Kim said to Kourtney. I let out a soft chuckle as I continued to watch them argue.

I had been in the bed for the whole day. I only got up to use the bathroom. I had no motivation to do anything. All I wanted to do was wait for the news that Denise got arrested. Thats all I wanted to hear.

Melo had been keeping me company during this time and I can't deny that he made me feel better. So when he announced that we was going out, I got a little sad. I didn't want to be selfish because it was always healthy to spend some time away from your significant other. But I couldn't help but yearn for Melo's warmth as soon as he left the bed though.

He had been gone for an hour now and I was still in the same spot. That was until I got an incoming call from my phone. I scanned the caller i.d with my eyes. It was Mikey.

I was a little hesitant to pick up the call simply because I didn't feel like talking to anyone right now but I decided on answering it anyways.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Yo, Maya. Have you been on instagram?" He asked me.

"No. Why?"

"TheShadeRoom just posted a pic of your man and some bitch."

"Uh.. what why?" I had no clue what Mikey was talking about.

"Just go look for yourself okay? That nigga ain't shit. I swear." And with that, he ended the call.

So I headed on over instagram to see what all the fuss was about. My hands were starting to shake.

Melo wouldn't cheat on me. Not after all he said and the way he felt when he thought I cheated? No. I refused to believe it.

Until I saw the post. There it was. A picture of Melo with a girl with curly hair and a short dress at a bowling alley? She had his hand in hers. She seemed to be pulling her somewhere. God only knows what they did.

I could only imagine.

Why? I was genuinely confused. Melo wouldn't hurt me like this. He wasn't like that. Atlease I thought he wasn't.

Maybe I had to think again. I just really didn't want to.

Warm and wet salty tears travelled down my face as I continued to look down at my screen.

Wow.

Before I knew it, the door swung open and there he was.

The Cheater.