Pulled(19)
Author: A.L. Jackson

straightened up a bit.

“We have to telllyour dad.”

She sighed. “I know. I’m just so scared. Every day I leave my room, promising myself that I’m going to tell him, but as soon as I see him, I lose my nerve. It was like I wanted to spare him the worry, but I let it go on too long. How am I going to tell him now? ‘Hey Dad, you’re going to be a grandpa in three months.’ He’s going to flip out!” She clenched her fists in frustration.

“We can’t wait any longer. You’re showing, and people are starting to notice.” I raked my hands through my hair and breathed out heavily, the sound hanging in the air. “I talked to Erin. She said the whole school is talking about it. Your dad is going to hear about it, if he hasn’t already. I think we need to tell him tomorrow.” She bit her lip, fighting tears. I knew she was scared, but there was no way around this.

“It’s going to be okay, Mel. I’ll be there with you, okay?”

I wiped the solitary tear that ran down my girl’s cheek, and she nodded against my hand, giving her silent promise that we’d get this out in the open tomorrow.

“So what are we naming this little thing?” I affectionately rubbed her stomach, trying to lighten the mood. We had tonight left, and I didn’t want to ruin it with the worry of tomorrow.

We flipped through page after page. There were so many names it was overwhelming. “Daniel, look at this.” She pointed to a name.

I read it aloud, “Eva.” I let the name run through my head and it clicked in my heart. “It’s beautiful, Melanie.”

She sat up a little further. “It means “life” in Hebrew. It’s perfect.”

She placed both of her hands on her stomach, cradling her child, whispering, “Eva, my life.”

“God, I love you, Melanie.” I kissed her, tasting her sweetness as I ran my hands over her belly.

Melanie whimpered against my lips. She shifted, and pressed her body against mine.

I made love to her softly, slowly—carefully, her body still perfectly fitting with mine. Every touch was like fire against my skin, her love for me undeniable in the wake of her fingers.

“Melanie, my love. You’re so beautiful,” I whispered against her cheek.

Her breath tickled against my ear as a low,

“Daniel,” tumbled from her lips.

The energy that bound our souls together was suffocating, her fire roaring through my veins.

“Melanie, you feel so good.”

Never could I desire another. There would never be anyone who could make me feel this way, anyone who could bring me complete ecstasy in one passing touch or ease my soul with the warmth of their eyes. There was only Melanie.

Sleep was difficult, only falling into short bursts throughout the night. I felt anxious about meeting with Steve. Telling him that Melanie was six-months pregnant, and we’d been hiding it from him this whole time was not going to go over well. If he had a real temper, this would bring it out in him.

Melanie stirred next to me in the early morning hours. Turning, she wrapped her arms around me, fingering the hair on the back of my neck, her simple touch soothing my nerves.

“Hey, you awake already?” Her voice was raspy and low.

“Yeah. Couldn’t sleep.”

She sat up on her elbow facing me, her hair falling to the side over her shoulder, pooling on the bed below her. Her skin was paler than normal in the early morning light, her lips swollen and red, and her green eyes intense as they searched mine.

Her hand moved from the back of my neck to cup my cheek as her thumb rubbed under my eye, trying to smooth away the stress. I had tried to hide my own fear about telling Steve, but it was obvious I was not looking forward to this any more than she was.

I turned my head into her palm, kissing the tender skin there.

Sadness washed over me once again at the thought of taking Melanie back. This was her home now, and I wanted her to be here with me. These next three months were going to feel like an eternity, and the worst was yet to come. I couldn’t imagine coming back to this house and our king-sized bed by myself after we were married while she was alone in the small room at the end of the hall in her dad’s house. It was just so wrong.

We lay together for what seemed like hours without saying a word, simply showing each other our love through touch. I could never get enough of her.

We’d been in bed most of the morning, and it was time to put an end to the procrastination. Melanie got up to take a shower while I packed her things.

With reluctance, I started my car and drove us in the direction of Colorado Springs. Traffic was light, so at least we’d save a few minutes of worry.

Melanie hadn’t said anything in the last half hour as she stared out the window. “Are you ready for this, baby?”

She jumped, startled. “Oh.” She blinked a couple of times. “I guess as ready as I’ll ever be.” She bit her thumbnail. “I just don’t know what he’s going to say. I’m really scared.”

I glanced at her. Tears ran down her face, the moisture on her cheeks reflecting the sun shining through the window.

She groaned aloud into her hands, shaking her head at the thought. “I mean what if he has you arrested or something!” She sounded like she was on the verge of hysteria, the true fear she’d been harboring coming out. It dawned on me then that she hadn’t been hiding this from Steve to protect herself from his wrath, but to protect me from it.

“Melanie, I know you’re afraid of what he’ll do.

Yes, he’s going to be pissed, and I’m willing to deal with whatever anger he has toward me, but he’ll never keep you away from me.” I tried to reassure her with the promise in my eyes, a promise that no matter what, we would never be apart. Her green eyes melted my heart as she looked at me.

Melanie jerked under my hand, every muscle in her body tensing as she screamed, “Daniel!” My head snapped forward, but there was nothing I could do. My vision barely registered the streak of red before my head filled with the sound of crumpling metal and shattering glass. Searing pain consumed me as a desperate cry for Melanie fell from my lips—her name pounding against my ears as blackness washed over me, forcing me into darkness.

My hands gripped the steering wheel, my

knuckles white, as I gasped for air. I couldn’t tel if my chest was caving in against my heart or if my heart had ruptured through my chest.

“Daniel, what the hel is wrong with you?” Vanessa yel ed, her voice cracking. I glanced at her and saw the terrified look on her face as she held onto the side of her seat with one hand and the door handle with the other, her back pushed up against the seat, leaning away from me in defense.