John groaned out loud, shutting his eyes tight as he felt her. The feeling drove him crazy, the way their sweaty bodies clung together, the way her soft moans added to his excitement, the way she rhythmically slid herself up and down his hardened length. No matter the other drama, John Hennigan and Melina Perez had always been compatible in the bedroom. Their passion for each other burned hotter than ever and it made him feel secure that no matter the lingering problems they had, their lovemaking was a solid expression of just how much they loved each other. The bedroom door was slightly ajar and the pale shadows from the moon crept through the bedroom's half-open window blinds. Her naked body looked exquisite in that light and he couldn't stop himself from admiring how sexy she was. The feel and the look was almost too much and he was about to lose it.

"Fuck!" he gasped. "Melina, I'm about to…"

"Me too," she called out, her body tightening on the inside as she writhed on the outside. "I love you, oh baby, I love you so much. You feel so fucking good! Oh, Dave…"

It was a moment where time stopped, literally standing still. It was as if John had left his own body instantly forgetting about the insane physical pleasure he was feeling. All he could do was stop and think. What the fuck had just happened?

"Melina," he abruptly pushed her off of him.

She landed with a thud on the other side of the bed, gasping as she pulled the sheets over her nude form.

"John, honey, what's wrong? What are you doing?"

He tried to catch his breath. Reaching over, he flipped on the bedside lamp. Their eyes met and the look in his was not lost on her.

"You don't even know, do you?"

"Babe," she forced a smile. "What is wrong with you? I…"

She tried to touch him but he recoiled. It was like he'd an epiphany at two a.m. in the middle of sex.

"You just called me Dave," he said softly.

Crimson washed over her face. She apparently had been so wrapped up in the moment of climax that she hadn't realized her mistake.

"No. John, of course not. I mean…sweetie, are, are you sure? I mean, maybe you misheard…"

"Are you kidding me? I know what I heard. Melina…"

He stood, reaching for his underwear.

"I…I'm sorry. That, that was a total slip up, John. I am so embarrassed," she stammered.

"Wow," he kept repeating as he stood over by the bay window.

Arms crossed, he stared out in disbelief as the dark ocean's waves crashed against the sand. A few feet away, Melina kneeled, shaking, realizing the ramifications of her error. It was a careless slip of the tongue but one she knew would could cost her dearly.

"John," she gulped. "I didn't mean to, to say that. Please. I…I don't know what happened. I, John…I am so sorry."

She stood and walked over to him but he kept his back turned. It was an inevitable, epic moment.

"Melina, we can't do this anymore," he said quietly.

"John…"

"I'm serious."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this, us, it isn't working."

"Why?" her eyes clouded with tears. "Where is all this coming from? Up until now we've been fine, we've been so happy. Now you want to throw all that away because I made one mistake?"

"You called out another man's name while I was making love to you. The man you left me for, the man you obviously still have a thing for. I'd say that's one hell of a mistake."

"That's nonsense," she protested in a voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to call out Dave's name and just because I did doesn't mean that I was thinking about him or that I want him."

"Then what does it mean? Look, Melina, I don't believe you."

"Why?"

"I saw your phone a couple of weeks ago. I know you've been texting back and forth with him."

Her dark eyes grew wide.

"You, you've been spying on me?"

"I didn't mean to. I happened to find a message you wrote to him. It was wrong but I did look through your phone after that and I found all I need to know."

Shock, anger, guilt and sadness rushed her like a tidal wave.

"I can't believe you did that. I can't believe you went through my private things."

"I can't believe I did either. You know, when we first got together, Melina, I trusted you with all my heart. I never ever would have doubted you, not in a million years. But after what you did when we broke up and the whole Dave situation…it changed everything for me. Everything. Before we got back together this time I even told you that I never stopped loving you but that I couldn't trust you. What is a relationship without trust? It's nothing. The fact that I can't trust you eats me up inside. It kills me that I lowered myself to invade your privacy like that. But that's where we are Melina and that's why it can't work."

"You're breaking up with me?" her voice quivered.

"It's for the best. I want you to move back into the guest room and I think it's time you started looking for your own place as soon as possible."

"John, no, you don't mean that," she began to cry.

"Tears won't work this time. I'm sorry. You know this isn't right. You know things aren't the same between us and they never will be. Dave dumped you again for his wife and your ego can't handle that so to make the nights less lonely and to get at him, you run back to me."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. Melina, it was never about you and me. It was about you not having Dave, it was about Mallori, it…"

"There it is," she spat. "At least now we're getting to the truth, the real reason. It's about Mallori. It's always about your precious Mallori."

"I've said what I needed to say, Melina."

"And now it's my turn. You say things are different? They're only different because you changed. This whole time it wasn't me who was lying it was you. You lied to me and you lied to yourself. You never wanted to be with me, you wanted her."

John looked at her. Maybe she was on to something. He loved Melina and always would but he knew he was no longer in love with her. From the beginning, their short-lived reunion had felt almost forced. He wasn't happy and neither was she. He had spent more time in his relationship worrying about Mallori than he had his own girlfriend.

"You're right."

"Excuse me?" her tears turned to anger.

"Melina, the mistake here was you and I getting back together. We are completely two different people than we were when we first started dating all those years ago. What we had was magical and beautiful but it's over. It's been over for a long time and we both know it. I just didn't want to admit it. You moved on a long time ago and maybe now it's my turn. Mallori is a wonderful girl. She has been a very special friend to me and during that time I developed real feelings for her."

"I don't want to hear that."

"I know you don't but I'm trying to be honest here and I wish you'd do the same. Tell me the truth. That night at the Ball, did you help Maryse set up Mallori?"

Melina avoided John's eyes.

"It doesn't matter now."

"Yes, it does. It matters very much to me. I want to know."

"Fine," she said angrily. "Fine, John. Is that what you want to hear? I knew that Mallori liked you and I knew you liked her and I got jealous. Maryse and I were both tired of her walking around backstage like she owned the place so Maryse came up with the plan and I was in on it."

John's voice turned cold.

"That is absolutely revolting. How could you stoop so low?"

"I didn't know it was going to be that bad and after I felt really horrible about it."

"Not as horrible as Mallori felt."

"Of course because we both know it's all about her and whatever she feels and what she wants."

"Melina, you and I can never be together. After everything we've shared together, I at least hoped we could be friends. Considering what you just told me, I feel like I don't know you anymore and I'm starting to wonder if I ever did."

"I love you. I love you, John and I know you love me. You're just fooling yourself. You let her con you into feeling sorry for her. You know damned well you could never have with her what you had with me. For the past few months we have made a life together. We started over. Yes, I kept in contact with Dave but it doesn't mean anything because I'm with you. Things have been so great and tonight you just completely flip the script on me out of nowhere. That isn't fair. You've been playing house with me and not 20 minutes ago, we were having sex in your, our bed."

"Melina…"

"I saw the look in your eyes when you were inside of me. I felt how you touched me. You can't tell me that's not real or that you don't feel something for me still. Every time you made love to me you were into it. Even if you think you wanted her, I know what I felt and it certainly didn't feel like you cared about Mallori."

"I was wrong," he simply said. "I made a lot of mistakes too and it's time I man up and own up to them. I have to make things right with her. As for us, I don't know what will happen but I do know right now that even as much as I care for you, I get sick when I think of what you were capable of doing to another human being."

"So that's it? You just abandon me? For her. Fine, John. If that's what you want, fine, but you know it will never work out. You can't walk away from me, from us. If you want Mallori Reed so much, what are you still doing standing here half naked with me?" she said, methodically letting the sheet drop to the floor and expose her uncovered body.

John looked at her standing in the pale moonlight as it glistened on her every womanly curve. Melina was as gorgeous and sexy as ever. He had never been able to resist her.

Until now.

"That's a good question," he responded, slipping on a pair of jeans. "I'm gonna go crash on the couch. Leave your key when you move out."

He walked away without looking back. Letting Melina Perez go was the hardest thing he'd ever have to do but as difficult as it was necessary, he only left with a sense of pure relief. A weight had been lifted and the truth had set him free. Whether or not he ended up with Mallori was irrelevant. He knew he had to stop using Melina as a crutch. She was a significant part of his past but it was time to move on. Now John could only look towards the future.