Toxic Hearts (Toxic Love #2)

Chapter 1 Melanie

MELANIE

Day three. Three days of pretending, of playing a role for these clueless idiots.

So far, no one has caught on to how wasted I got last night—not that they ever would.

I’ve spent years perfecting the art of deception, masking my demons with a practiced smile and steady hands.

That’s what makes me a pro at being a functioning alcoholic.

Abigail’s lakehouse had once been a quiet retreat, where she and Colt could escape the world's noise, but after purchasing it, she saw a greater purpose for the space. With funds from Toxic Wishes, the album that had changed everything for her, and her growing success as a songwriter for some of the biggest names in the industry, she transformed the house into a rehab-halfway home for those who had nowhere else to turn. It became a sanctuary for people who couldn’t afford traditional counseling or rehab—a place where they could heal without the weight of financial strain.

The lake itself, still and reflective, became a symbol of second chances of recovery and redemption, and maybe that’s why I chose to go here instead of a luxurious rehab center.

After my parents' final ultimatum–get sober or be cut off for good—I needed a place that didn’t just offer shelter but hope.

Loco’s eyes lock onto mine, unblinking. He’s waiting.

“You need to go out?” I ask. A slight tilt of his head is all the confirmation I need.

Sighing, I roll over and slide my feet into my Marc Jacobs slippers.

As I make my way toward the door, the rich scent of bacon and freshly brewed coffee floods my senses, momentarily cutting through the haze in my mind.

But the moment I step outside, I’m met with a wall of uniformed bodies—soldiers, standing there like they own the place.

“Hi,” The man dressed in a camouflage uniform says.

“Can I help you?” I cross my arms over my chest as they stare me down.

I’m used to beautiful men. With my dad being a film producer, I grew up around them, but I never met one perfect.

And that’s precisely what this guy was: perfection.

I could feel my heart pumping harder in my chest the longer our stare-off lasted.

“Ya, we’re here for breakfast.” The perfect-looking man says.

Loco starts barking, and a guy behind the perfect-looking guy says, “Are you serving us today, pretty girl?” Some guys snicker behind the perfect-looking guy.

I scoffed. “What makes you think I’m going to serve you?”

“You certainly don’t look like you are here for the same reason we are, and you certainly don’t look like you are an addict?” The blonde guy says.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover. Besides, you’re not my type, Commando.”

Oohs and ahs swarm the front porch as I stare back at the guy next to Mr. Perfect.

“Funny, you say not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what you are doing to me,” the blond guy says.

“No, I just know trash when I see it, and the tattoos scattered all over your neck and forearm tell me all I need to know.”

“Trash, huh? So this trash is good enough to fight for your ass but not good enough to tap it?” The crowd bursts into laughter, and I want to slap him, but it’s only my third day here on Abigail and Colt’s property, and I am not about to start trouble.

I unfolded my arms, releasing them to my sides, and brush past the blonde guy, bumping into him on purpose.

Ashole.

“What, no goodbye kiss?” the same blonde guy calls out. Loco continues to bark behind me, guarding the house like he always does, no matter where we go. Loco hates men.

I’ve trained him well.

I walk out to my car to grab some treats that I left behind last night. When I turn back around, Loco’s teeth are the only thing I can see as he growls at the guys.

“This dog is a fucking rat. I can’t stand dogs like this.” I hear the familiar douchebags voice

That’s it. I slam my door shut. “Excuse me?” I say as I march back up the porch stairs, looking straight at the blonde guy, who looks like he stepped off a set of Beach Boys mixed with the outsiders. The perfect mixture of pretty bad boy.

“You heard me, your dog is fucking annoying, kind of like you, so move your dog aside before I do it for you. With my shoe.” He isn’t much taller than me since I’m five nine.

“If you touch my dog, I will cut your d-”

“Hey hey. Alright, let’s all just calm down.” I look down and see Mr. Perfect is touching my arm. When I look back up, he releases it quickly.

“My friend had a rough morning. He’s just blowing some steam off, and he’s not a fan of small dogs.”

“Ya, well, I’m not a fan of assholes with small dicks. Can I kick him in the balls too?”

A faint tip of his lips curls upward, and I know he’s fighting back a laugh. “Can you please get your dog so we can go inside?” Mr Perfect says.

“Please,” another guy says, “I don’t fuck around with those small dogs they are the one’s that will bite at your ankle. Ask my nana. She saw me get run down by one, one time.”

Rolling my eyes. I whistle, and Loco immediately stops barking and runs outside to do his business.

“Useless dog,” the rude blonde guy says. I continued to glare at his back.

“I hope she’s not staying here,” another man whispers as the group of guys follow each other inside.

“Sorry about that, my friend can have no filter at times. I’m Niccolo by the way, well Nick.”

“Did I ask for your name? Niccolo?” I say, standing up straighter. The wind blows causing my long blonde hair to fall over my shoulders.

He flinches and steps back a little. “Wow, okay. You know we’re not all alike.”

“Could have fooled me. Don’t they teach you basic one-on-one social manners in soldier school or is shooting bullets and killing people, all you know how to do, and I’m not just talking about the guns you hold in your pants?”

“Ya know, I was trying to be nice and apologize on behalf of my friend but that stick is stuck up your ass so far you can’t even see it.” He clicks his teeth with a laugh. “Man, you are all alike.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Mean’s I know your type.”

I let out a laugh. “Is that right?” and what kind of type am I, Nick?”

“You’re a spoiled little girl who drives a car her parents paid for.

” He motions behind me, pointing to my convertible Mercedes.

“Who has an opinion about everything, especially the government and laws about guns, since they are so bad and so mean,” he says in a mocking girl tone.

“But in reality, you know nothing about the real world since your only worry is a nail breaking right after getting them done.”

I fake laughed in his face. “I don’t even like getting my nails done, it’s unsafe to sniff the chemicals."

“Oh, right, because it’s not organic enough for you.” He says with a playful tone but nothing about his body language is playful.

“How about you go eat your free meal, Mr. Integrity.” I seethed.

He begins walking off but stops abruptly before climbing the stairs to the porch

“People like you made me sick. While I was fighting for my life and your’s, you’re out here, free, complaining about your perfect fucking life because you have nothing better to do than worry about a damn dog.” He turns around and marches back up the stairs.

His words stab through my chest and I let out a breath, “Great. What a great start, Mel.”

Loco is running up the stairs the second he sees Nora. I liked Nora, but man she was nosey.

“You coming inside dear. You didn’t eat dinner last night so I know you have to be starving.”

I would rather eat horse manure than go back in there with those guys.

“No, I’m alright. I’m going to run down to the coffee shop and grab something. Don’t wait up.” I wave a hand in the air, and I'm thankful I have my keys on me so I didn’t have to go back inside to face those assholes again.

“Mel!” Nora calls out right before I sit down in my driver's seat. “Dinner is at six sharp, I expect you to be there since my son and soon to be daughter in-law are allowing you to stay here.”

“Ya, okay. Should I call you grandma too?”

“If you’d wish,” she says with a warm smile, shutting the door behind her.

“People here are so weird.” I mutter to myself.

An hour later I showed back up with my half-drank Starbucks coffee.

Luckily I found one not too far away. I slowly opened the door, scanning the room and listening for voices.

Nothing. I let out a brief sigh of relief before heading up to my room so I could shower and get ready for dinner later.

As much as I wanted to avoid the whole nature of people, especially men who thought they had authority, I didn’t want to upset Nora since she was right.

Abigail is letting me stay here. Granted, everyone in this house stays here for free but she didn’t know I needed to be here like the people here did, but maybe even more so than everyone else.

I walked downstairs after an hour of putting on make-up and my brand new outfit I found in my closet that I happened to throw in my suitcase before I left.

It was something simple but still slic—designer jeans with a simple white T-shirt from Armani.

Although I’ve only been here a few days, I could tell people didn’t dress up much, and I wasn’t talking about only the people in the house.

I went to the mall, what they called a mall here anyway, just to get out and see what was around the town.

It was like I was in a different country compared to L.A.

I didn’t mind it, because I knew it was temporary but it’s not your typical bougie-type of scene.

I wasn’t used to not spending so much time on myself, so naturally, I chose to do so still, even if most of the people here didn’t.

When I walked in the kitchen to grab a water I saw Nora alongside another woman. They both were chatting it up so they didn’t notice me grab a water bottle off the counter right away.

“Melanie dear, so glad you could make it.”

“Me too,” I say, holding back the sour taste in my mouth.

“Meet Bianca, old friend of mine. She’s helping me cook dinner. Homemade Lasagna. Our house favorite.”

“Yummy, hope it’s better than the pigs in the blanket we had the other night.” I take a sip of my water.

Bianca’s face goes rigid. I put on a fake smile and say, “I’m sure dinner will be lovely.” I held out a hand and she reluctantly took it. “So very nice to meet you. Beautiful girl you are..”

She says and I instantly recognize the accent.

Italian. It reminded me of the first time my parents ever took me to Italy and I fell in love with the place so much I wanted to learn how to speak the language.

It’s the one place that felt like home, and freedom even though it was thousands of miles away from my home back in L.A.

“Would you like to help us?” Nora asks.

“Believe me, it’s better for me to be out of the kitchen than in it.” I say.

“You don’t like cooking?” Bianca asks, and I chuckle a little at that.

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it, I just-well never have cooked anything except maybe a grilled cheese sandwich a few times.”

Bianca wrinkles her nose at me as Nora laughs. “She was raised in California.”

I scrunch my eyebrows at her, “And that means I can’t cook?”

“No, it just means…well, nothing. How about you help set the table at least.”

“Fine,” I walk over to the cabinets and I’m met with a pair of piercing blue eyes. A little girl who reminded me of myself. Beautiful, alone, and scared.

“Nora, is my Niccolo coming to dinner tonight?”

My Niccolo? Is this his daughter or something? Why wouldn’t she call him dad?

“Yes sweetie, he’ll be here with the gang.” She looks down and ruffles her platinum blonde hair.

“Since it’s a special day today, I made him this.” She holds out a drawing with a man holding a girl, kissing her on the cheek, with an american flag in the background.

“Oh, honey, that is beautiful,” Bianca takes the piece of paper from her. “He will love it.” She bends over and gives her a gentle kiss on the cheek. The little girl smiles and turns her attention to me.

“Who are you?” She says with venom in her tone. Geeze for a little kid she’s definitely got some sass. I like her.

“I’m Melanie, but you can call me Mel. I”m one of Abigail's friends.”

“I’m Faye. Are you here for the birthday party?”

“Birthday party?” I say in confusion.

“Ya, it’s Abigail's birthday and Niccolo’s celebration,” she says enthusiastically.

Shit, it’s Veterands day which meant it was Abigail’s Birthday, how could I forget. “Yes, yes, I am if you girls will excuse me. I need to go take care of something vital.”

Nora eyes me, but I’m almost out the front door before she can say anything. “I’ll be back before dinner,” I assure, shouting before slamming the door shut and jogging to my car.