Dear Reader. I want to tell you this ends well, sadly it does not. Jeff was in love with Melinda. He was in love with Melinda from the moment she walked into the small diner he worked at. He even worked up the courage to tell her about this love. Melinda was a local introvert writer. Her day consisted of coming to the diner alone to write, read, and people watch.
The diner Jeff met Melinda in was as typical as diners come. Great coffee, with breakfast being the meal most adored by the patrons. Jeff spent weeks serving Melinda her breakfast, impressing her with his knowledge of literature, and telling dumb jokes to make her laugh.
Eventually, Melinda relented to this courting. A book they both read was made into a movie and they agreed to accompany each other to review how bad Hollywood made the book. It was bad. However, Jeff and Melinda were just awkward enough to find themselves having sex and starting a more official relationship. Just on an outward judge of things, Melinda, although nerdy hot, was the catch. Jeff was the typical last pick in everything, but he made up for this by staying reasonably fit and incredibly nice.
The relationship between our lovers was full of the highs and lows we come to expect from such things. Jeff played the role of a constant supporter and always did his best to make Melinda feel special. Melinda went along with this, but in the catacombs of her introversion, she knew, she entertained this relationship with Jeff because she was utterly lonely. Her loneliness didn't spur from a lack of prospects. She saw how men looked at her, she was just shy.
The diner was not the only place Melinda came for inspiration. She also enjoyed the park. One day, at her usual bench, a man she felt a fire for initially struck up a conversation with her. He saw her scribbling furiously in her notebook and understood immediately. They were both writers. Once a forest fire is lit, it's hard to save the trees. The relationship and the meetings between the two increased. The common threads and the attraction we're both extremely equal. Melinda, wanting to be happy, decided she better tell Jeff.
Breaking the news to Jeff was awful. He didn't take it well at all. Jeff was devastated. He begged he cried, he did everything in his power to keep Melinda. Nothing worked. Melinda being the introvert she was, was completely fine with being alone. She had a new casual relationship with her new writer and could really do without Jeffs's God awful clinginess. Truth is, she didn't feel sorry and was happy to be rid of Jeff. She even decided to stop coming to the diner.
Jeff completely lost his mind. He read all the books they had in common relentlessly, to the point of memorization. He wrote love letters to her, he sent flowers and gifts. Mostly, Jeff ate his pain away. His distracting behavior at work lost him his job at the diner, his growing girth made it hard for him to even stand as long as he needed to. On top of his misery, Jeff added drinking. He drank every night, reading her writing, poetry, looking at pictures of them. All while stuffing his face with the most unhealthy food depression could buy. It had been more than half a year since the relationship ended. Jeff had not seen Melinda in all that time.
One night, in his desperate drunken hopelessness. He simply couldn't take it anymore. Knowing she had not left the city, aware of where her spare key was, he waddled to his car, determined to see her. Not for once thinking, she maybe didn't. Arriving at her doorstep, lifting the potted plant, the key to his love and happiness waited. He quietly opened her door. Walked the few steps into her artist studio, and saw her sleeping peacefully.
Drunk out of his mind, he decided he would sleep next to her and let her awake to the surprise of his love. He gently lowered his two hundred and seventy plus frame onto her bed. It creaked with the pressure, but Melinda was always a very heavy sleeper. Jeff smiled to himself, he could smell Melinda, feel the warmth of her next to him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep in his alcoholic stupor.
Sunshine peeked through the blinds and the morning shined in all its bright beauty. Jeff was very groggy, but he could recall the events of last night. He knew where he was. Reaching for Melinda, he felt empty space next to him. He did notice her bed was awfully uncomfortable since he last slept there. Opening his eyes now, he nearly died from what he saw. She was not next to him, because she was under him, not breathing, suffocated to death, by his heavy love.

© Rising Darkstar