Pulled (21 page)

She closed her eyes and exhaled. “Just think
about, Melanie.”

I didn’t want to think about it. “No, Mom. I’m
staying here.”

She nodded and hugged me for a long time, her
nose in my hair before she whispered, “Okay,” against my
head.

When Mom left to get some rest, Daniel took her
place. He was trying to give me time with her, but my heart
hurt every time he walked out the door. He was never far
and always returned the moment she left. I wanted to talk
to him about the things my mom had said, her suggestion
eating at me as every hour past. But every time he smiled
at me and kissed me, I’d convince myself I was just being
foolish.

We were both exhausted, and as soon as the
sun set, Daniel, once again, crawled in beside me,
holding me close as we drifted off to sleep.

I woke up Saturday feeling anxious to get out of
here. Only one more day. I could tell that everyone else
was excited to get out of here, as well. Julia’s eyes were
brighter than they’d been all week, Patrick was busy
preparing for me to stay with them, and Erin was bouncing
with excitement for her “sister” to come and live with her.

Daniel stepped out with his dad so they could discuss the
details, and Mom came in. When I saw her face, I knew
something was very wrong. She was nervous, not making
eye contact or saying anything. My heart sped up as her
anxiety filled the room.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

She stood beside me, all the compassion she’d
shown over the week wiped from her face. “Melanie, you’re
coming home with me.”

“What?” I shook my head.

“You’re coming home with me.”

“No, Mom. I’m not.”

“You don’t have a choice, Melanie. You’re still a
minor, and I’m telling you that you’re coming with me.” She
still wouldn’t look at me.

“What? You can’t force me. I turn eighteen next
month.”

“Melanie, you either come freely with me, or
we’re pressing charges against Daniel.”
Pressing charges? Against Daniel?

“How could you? After everything we’ve been
through, you’d do this to us? Just yesterday you told me
you wanted me to be happy! Please, Mom, don’t do this!” I
begged her.

I jumped when I noticed my father standing
against the wall. Fear raced up my spine. I could see it on
his face; he was here to destroy—not me—but Daniel.

My eyes darted between the two of them, silently
begging them not to do this. Mom turned her back to me,
unwilling to face me. She kept her voice cool, but wasn’t
able to hide the way it shook. “Just be ready to go
tomorrow. I’ll be here at nine. I’ll speak with Daniel’s
parents to let them know I’m taking you home.”

“Mom, please!” I cried, but she walked from the
room, never turning back. Dad didn’t say a word. He just
pushed away from the wall and followed behind her.

I sobbed against my pillow. How could they do
this? For months, I’d hidden my pregnancy from my father
to protect Daniel, and now he’d done what I’d feared most.

He was taking Daniel from me. I was terrified of being
away from Daniel, but I would do anything to protect him.

I’d just have to stay away until I was eighteen. Then my
parents could do nothing to stop me from going back to
him.

But would he still want me? Would the time away
make him realize he was better off without me?

Gasping against the pain, I accepted that I at
least owed him that time to decide.

“Hey.” Daniel smiled as he walked through the
door, his face dropping as soon as he saw mine. “What
happened? Are you okay?”

This was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever
done.

“I’m just having a really hard time, Daniel. I think
I need some time away to heal.” How could I sit here and
lie to him? The last thing I wanted was time away from
him. But I’d never allow my father to hurt him, and beyond
that, I owed him that time

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going home with my mom for a few months. I
just need to deal with this on my own.”
Lie, lie, lie.

“No.” He shook his head adamantly. “No,
Melanie. You need me as much as I need you. Please,
don’t leave me.” Tears started running down his face,
matching mine as our hearts broke a little bit more.

I didn’t know how we would get through this. I
needed him more than anything, and I couldn’t imagine
life without him even if it were only for a month or two.

“Please, Daniel. Just let me go, just for a little
while. Then I’ll come back to you. I promise. I love you
more than anything. I just have to go now.” At least this
time my words were the truth. I touched his face, praying
he could feel my love, praying he’d understand that the
last thing I’d ever want to do was to be away from him. I
was doing this for him.

“I...Melanie...” he cried, his voice shaking. “Is this
because you blame me?”

“No!” I yelled. How could he possibly think that?

My voice softened to a whisper. “No, Daniel. Never.”
He moved forward and took my hand in

desperation. “Then stay.”

Tears poured down my face, and in my

selfishness, I wanted to agree. I shook my head, knowing
this was for the best. I was too tired to fight my parents and
loved Daniel too much to take this option from him. “I
can’t.”

He took a step back, his mouth twisted in
despair, and he turned to leave the room.

“Please, Daniel. Wait for me,” I cried out in my
own need.

He paused at the door and looked over his
shoulder. “Forever.”

Then he walked from the room. For the first time
ever, he needed to escape from me, running from the
pain I’d inflicted on him. I held it together long enough for
the door to close before I let go. I could hear myself
sobbing, but I couldn’t stop.

“Melanie, what the hell happened?” Erin grasped
my shoulders, shaking me. Reaching out, I clung to her,
weeping into her shoulder.

“You’re going home with your mom?” I pulled
back from her and realized she wasn’t trying to comfort
me. She was pissed. Her face was hard, her eyes
narrowed, filled with accusation.

“You just broke him, Melanie.”

This sent a new wave of guilt over me, more
tears pouring down my face.

“Erin!” I wailed, clutching her to me. “I love him. I
promise. More than anything,” I said, gasping as I tried to
make her understand. “Promise me you’ll never say
anything, but I need you to know. You’re the only one I can
tell,” I begged her as I sat up, digging my fingers into her
arms.

She shrugged off my arms and sat back, waiting
for an explanation.

“My parents are going to press charges for
statutory rape if I don’t go with Mom. I have to protect him,
Erin.”

“What? That’s total bullshit, and you know it,
Melanie. It doesn’t even apply. You’re seventeen.” She
shook her head, still not understanding why I would do
what they said.

“I know it’s just a threat to pull us apart, but there’s
something about the way my dad’s acting, like...I don’t
know. I’m scared, Erin, for Daniel.”

“That’s crazy. Your dad’s just mad.”

“It kills me to go, Erin. I’ll go for a few months until
things cool down. Besides, it’ll give Daniel a chance.” I
pressed my lips together when I realized I was about to
voice it aloud. Erin caught it immediately.

“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 fucked 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 actual y 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 stil 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, final y accepting that in some way I had.