Pulled(36)
Author: A.L. Jackson

“What, Melanie? Give him a chance to what?” she spat angrily.

“You know what, Erin.”

“Decide if he wants you?” she yelled. “Just stop it, Melanie. He’s devastated right now, and you’re sitting here thinking there’s a chance he doesn’t want you? This is all so f**ked up!” Her hands flew up in the air.

“I know.” I groaned and grabbed my head with my hands. Nothing was right.

“You’re really going?”

“You know I’d stay if there was any other way. I can’t risk him, Erin. Promise me you’ll never tell him. If he knew why I left, he would confront my dad, and I can’t handle another fight between them.”

She hesitated, nodding when she gave in. “I promise as much as I don’t agree with all of this.” She brought me in for a tight hug, whispering in my ear. “Don’t leave him waiting long. Please, Melanie, promise me. He’s dying right now, and I don’t know how long he can handle it.”

I didn’t know how long I could handle it either, or if I could at all.

The look on his face when he returned hours later killed me. He looked dead. The light had disappeared from his eyes, and there was no joy in his smile.

Unsure of where he stood, he looked

uncomfortably around the room. Reaching for him, I drew him to my side. Uneasily, he climbed into my hospital bed, lying behind me and pulling me to his chest. How we had tears left to shed, I didn’t know. Neither of us slept as we said goodbye the only way we could, holding each other through the night. His kissed me softly as the sun began to rise, our time coming to an end.

At nine, Mom came as she said she would, standing by the door while she watched Daniel cling to me, refusing to let me go. Julia stood crying at the back of the room while Patrick tried to convince Daniel that it would be all right. Two aides brought a wheelchair in to take me from my room, and Patrick had to physically pry Daniel from me as he begged me to stay.

I couldn’t breathe as I felt my life being torn from me, forcing myself to speak. “Daniel, you have to let me go.” The words stung, tasting foul in their untruth; it was the last thing I wanted him to do.

Finally, he released me, and two orderlies helped me into the wheelchair.

Soon my things were loaded into the trunk of the taxicab that sat waiting to take me away from my home.

Daniel stood and watched, silent tears streaming down his cheeks, his arms slack at his sides.

Patrick and the nurse helped me into the cab.

The pain was excruciating—not the one they were trying to shield me against as they gingerly placed me in the car, but the one created as I was torn away from my life.

“Melanie,” Daniel cried one more time before my dad shut the door in his face.

I reached for him through the window, just needing to touch him one more time, and his fingers reached out for mine.

“My love,” he mouthed, and the cab pulled away.

“His face,” I sobbed into Katie’s chest as she held me. “It was devastating. I knew right then it was a mistake. I had to go to him. I begged my mom to take me back, but she refused.” How could I have been so stupid? To let them take away the one thing that mattered to me? To force him from my life without giving him the choice? But in the end, I’d done what was best for him.

Katie’s face was stained with tears. “Melanie, was that the last time you actually talked to him?” I nodded.

“I just can’t believe he would do that to you. I could see it on his face last night. He still loves you just as much as he did that day.”

“I know he loves me. But I always knew he deserved more.”

“Hmm, I don’t think so, Melanie. I’m pretty sure you’re the more.”

She sat with me a long time, both of us saying nothing, deep in thought.

Sniffling, I glanced up at her. “Please, tel me what you’re thinking.

She grimaced and held me closer. Her voice was soft. “I think you broke his heart.”

I cried harder as I pictured Daniel’s face last night, finally accepting that in some way I had.

She held me until my tears finally subsided. I sat up, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand.

“Katie?”

“Yeah?”

“You know when you offered to help me the other day?”

She nodded.

“When you make your break, I think I’m ready to make mine.”

She exhaled a weighty breath and smiled. “Thank God.”

Chapter 13

I finally gave up. The anticipation was just too great. Rol ing to sit up on the side of my bed, I rested my elbows on my thighs and buried my hands in my hair. I fought futilely to calm the raging of my nerves, my heart still pounding just as hard as it had been since the moment I had seen Melanie last night. I had crawled into bed around two in the morning, hoping to find sleep. But I only found her. I had dreamed of seeing her face again and never all owed myself to believe it could actually happen. Now I couldn’t rest until I saw her again.

Last night had given me a newfound reason to live. What I’d seen in her eyes, felt in her touch—I couldn’t question it any longer. Melanie loved me.

Everything I had believed about the life she had left me for and the picture I had always imagined was so wrong.

I had never been so confused. The way she looked at me as if I had broken her heart. It haunted me. I thought she’d found someone to love, someone to make her happy, someone who wouldn’t remind her every day of what I had taken away. Instead, seeing her was like seeing a reflection of me, a mirror of my pain, my loss, my regret. A mirror of what stirred within me now—this love that had refused to die. She had found me. I had always felt her heart cal ing to mine just as mine called to hers, this power bringing us together once again.

What was I supposed to do about it now? She was married, and I didn’t even know if she wanted me.

Wel , I really didn’t believe that. I felt her—there was no denying her desire for me. The pul was just as strong as it had been the first time I had met her.

How could we ignore this? Even if she could, I couldn’t.

I stood and made my way to the shower, relieved to know it was almost time. Standing under the steaming water, I all owed it to relax me as I anticipated seeing her once again.

I put on a dark blue T-shirt and pulled on some jeans, unable to control the way my fingers trembled as I tried to button them.

Because I was unwil ing to cal , I sent a text to Dad, letting him know I would see him tonight and that I had meetings and wouldn’t be in the office today. I was not ready to face his questions. I would have a lot of explaining to do once I made it to my parents’ house, but none of that concerned me now. all that mattered was Melanie, and I was determined to, at the least, catch a glimpse of her today.