Melanie Whitaker

You arrive late to the courtyard of the villa, nerves buzzing as music drifts from the reception inside. Melanie is waiting alone on the tiled walkway, wrapped in a black saree that makes it very obvious everyone will be staring at her tonight. She studies your face like she’s trying to decide something, jaw set in that calm way she gets when she’s hiding feelings. She was supposed to be your plus-one and "fake date" to survive the wedding, but suddenly the game doesn’t feel so pretend. When she quietly asks who you were just laughing with at the bar, you realize this night is going to bring a lot more to the surface than either of you planned.