Pulled(78)
Author: A.L. Jackson

She shook her head, laughing. “I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t remembered.”

We finished breakfast and refil ed our cups, settling onto the sofa. Melanie lay against me, and I wrapped us in a warm blanket. In silence, we watched the snow flurries melt as the flakes landed in the water.

We lay like that for what seemed like hours, lost in thought. I ignored my phone ringing on the kitchen table, unwil ing to get up and interrupt my time with Melanie. It became increasingly difficult when it continued to ring every fifteen minutes or so.

When the phone began to ring again, I groaned and threw my head back into the pil ow. I tried to keep my frustration in check, knowing there was only one person who could be so obnoxious.

“Just get it, Daniel.” Melanie sat up abruptly, her frustration as apparent as my own.

“I don’t want to talk to her.” Yes, I was acting like a child as I considered smashing the phone that all owed my mistakes to fol ow me across the country. Didn’t I deserve a reprieve from her hounding? She had no right cal me, especially here—especially on Christmas Eve.

“What if there’s something wrong?” Melanie was always the voice of reason, though she clearly had no idea of just how unreasonable Vanessa actually was.

“There’s nothing wrong, Melanie. She does this constantly. I just ignore it. It’ll only encourage her if I answer it.”

“Wel , you can’t ignore her forever. She’s your…your son’s mother.” With as much effort as she put into being strong, pain still laced each word. She couldn’t even look at me when she said it, staring at her lap while she did what she believed to be the right thing.

I reluctantly stood when the incessant ringing began, picked up the phone, and hissed into it, “What do you want?”

I stood with my back to Melanie, facing the wal , hoping to spare her the conversation. I winced when I heard the whiney voice. “I…I was just cal ing to say Merry Christmas.”

She was kidding me? Eight cal s to wish me a Merry Christmas? I sucked in a deep breath, trying to control my anger.

“Vanessa, nothing has changed. I told you not to cal me unless it’s about the baby.”

There was silence before she spoke, quiet, pleading, “Please, Daniel. It’s Christmas and…and I’m alone.”

I exhaled heavily. I had no idea how to deal with this woman. She was completely obsessed and driving me insane. I felt a soft, warm hand come to rest on the bare skin of my lower back, soothing—Melanie literally standing by my side while I dealt with Vanessa. I pulled Melanie to me, leaning on her for support. I swal owed hard, desperately trying to be civil to the woman who was trying to ruin my life—the life that had just been given back to me.

I spoke to her, my tone even and void of emotion without portraying the complete hatred I felt for her,

“Vanessa, I’m sorry you’re alone on Christmas, but you have to understand. That has nothing to do with me.” I couldn’t believe I’d gotten that out and still maintained my composure. I focused on the electricity that circulated through my body as Melanie comforted me.

I continued in a control ed voice, “You need to leave me alone, Vanessa. You’re just making this harder on yourself.”

I could feel her objection through the phone before she even voiced it. “I’m not giving up on us, Daniel.”

“Then you’re wasting your time.” I said it soft, actually feeling sorry for her for being so incredibly pathetic.

“Daniel—”

“Just leave me alone, Vanessa, please.” Melanie squeezed me, taking some of the burden and sharing in this hopeless situation.

I waited, praying Vanessa would agree and just, I don’t know, move on with her own life. Really, I should have known better than to hope for something like that.

“No.”

I shook my head at her futile determination, realizing it was no use. There was nothing I could say that would convince her to stop this foolish game.

“Goodbye, Vanessa.” I ended the cal before she had a chance to respond. I shut off the phone, not willing to give her another chance to disturb our holiday.

I looked down at Melanie who gazed up at me, her eyes filled with concern. I hated myself for putting her through this. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

She shook her head sharply. “I’m here no matter what, remember?”

“Yeah,” I said as I kissed the top of her head.

I knew she would be. There was no question of her devotion, but how could I not feel terrible for putting her through it?

We were going to have to deal with Vanessa for at least the next eighteen years.

I held the knife steady as I cut into the tomato, slicing through it before turning it to the side so I could dice it, taking the one job Melanie had trusted me with very seriously.

Even though we were alone, it was still the first Christmas we’d spent together in years, so we’d decided to dress up for dinner just like we would have done had we been spending it at my family’s house. Right now, I was really enjoying that decision. Melanie moved around the kitchen, looking absolutely amazing in a red dress, her cle**age peeking out through the V-neck. She had the long sleeves pushed up over her forearms as she cooked, keeping the fabric out of her way. The skirt swished around her knees as she made her way back and forth between the counter and oven.

I found it difficult to pay attention to the task in front of me. My body was painfully aware of every move she made, even though I was trying to give my regard to the very sharp blade coming dangerously close to the tips of my fingers.

She glanced over my shoulder. “I’m ready for those whenever you’re finished.”

“Just a sec.” I finished up quickly, proudly presenting her with the bowl of tomatoes so she could layer them over the top of the casserole.

She pecked my lips swiftly. “Thanks.”

I sat back and watched as she spread them over the top of the mixture and slid the dish into the oven.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” I inspected the bottles nestled in the smal rack and picked out a red that would go wel with our dinner.

“Mmm, yeah. That’d be nice.” She moved on to prepare the salad.

I popped the cork and filled two wine glasses halfway.

“Here you go, beautiful.” I set the glass next to her on the counter, reaching up to massage her shoulders, regretting that I was so incompetent in the kitchen. I figured I could at least make her feel good while she made my favorite dinner.