Pulled (36 page)

“Melanie,” I said as I breathed out. I removed the album from her hands, set it aside, and wrapped her up in my arms, kissing her tear-fil ed eyes. She buried her head in my chest.

“It’s okay, Daniel. I’m just thankful to have had it...to have a face to put with Eva’s memory.” God, I couldn’t even imagine what she must have felt when she found it. I could remember Eva’s face, the way she felt in my arms, the way she smel ed, even the little sounds she made. But Melanie only had the smal picture.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I wish you would have seen her.”

“Me too.”

“Can you believe we would have had a nine-year-old by now?” I barely choked out the sentence, and Melanie’s arms tightened around my waist.

“She would have been amazing. Smart and

sweet. She would have had your eyes,” she said as she pul ed back to look at me with glistening eyes and a smile on her face.

“And your hair.” I ran my hands through her hair, twisting my fingers through the curls as I imagined it on a little girl with my eyes.

I buried my face her hair. It felt so good to comfort her, to talk to her about it, to final y feel like the man I was supposed to be, and to be there for his family. This was what Melanie needed, what I needed, to mourn together over our lost daughter. Yeah, it was nine years late, but it was necessary and surprisingly welcome.

Melanie stepped back, released a heavy breath, and shook herself off. Squeezing my hand, she whispered,

“Thank you.”

I shook my head and tucked her hair behind her ear, taking the opportunity to touch her face. “I needed that as much as you, Melanie.”

Her face lit in understanding, and she graced me with a smal , peaceful smile. We breathed easy, that heavy moment leaving us feeling light and free.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” I asked.

“Please.” She nodded.

I kissed her on the corner of her mouth before making my way to the kitchen where I selected a bottle of red wine and dug through the drawer to find an opener.

Melanie sank into the couch. She relaxed against the plush pil ows, her legs drawn up under her.

“So, what do you think of the place?” I gestured around the room, watching closely for her reaction. I knew it was nice by most people’s standards. The kitchen was sleek and modern, sharp lines and high ceilings making a perfect flow into the attached living room. Brown leather couches sat almost intrusively on the beige carpet, situated around the flat screen TV that rested on the entertainment console in the corner. She hadn’t seen the rest of it, only missing the bedroom and a smal office. Immediately, her gaze went to the view of the Chicago lights twinkling through floor to ceiling windows that opened to the balcony.

To me it was the most inviting part of the whole place.

“It’s beautiful.” I didn’t know if she was simply referring to the view or the apartment. Even after al the work Erin and Mom had put into it, I had found it cold and hol ow. But with Melanie on my couch, it suddenly felt warm.

A place I would look forward to coming home to at the end of the day because she’d be here, waiting for me. Her eyes stil focused outside, and her brow furrowed as she continued to think. She turned back to face me expectantly as if I should know what she was thinking. I had no clue.

“I’m thinking you’re going to need to move.” I should have expected that. This place was nothing like the little house I’d bought for us. It had been perfect for her, for us, but that was when we were going to have a family, and I wasn’t sure if she stil wanted something like that.

“That’s fine. We’l move wherever you want.” I grabbed two glasses on my way back, settled in beside her, and placed them on the coffee table. I took a moment to pour us each a glass. I handed Melanie hers before taking my own, mirroring her pose with my elbow perched against the back of the couch and one leg tucked up under me, our knees overlapping.

“Maybe a little house out by my parents?” If I knew Melanie, she’d want to be near them. I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt at that thought, Melanie and my family. I could hardly wait for them to be together again, but I would need to give that some time. Sneaking around was proving hard enough, let alone adding my family to the mix.

“Not for me, Daniel. I would be perfectly happy here just because I’m with you.” She shifted, lifting her head from her hand so she could reach out to touch me. She brushed her fingertips along the top of my knuckles. “I meant you’re going to need a different place for your son.” My son. Who could imagine two words could sting so much? My son. Not our son, but Daniel’s son, Vanessa’s son. Would I ever be able to think of him and not feel sick?

The worst part was that Melanie was the one making me of aware of my responsibility to him. Moving had never even crossed my mind, but as I looked around my apartment, I couldn’t imagine a child being here.

Real y, though, could I see that child anywhere? In any aspect of my life? Not at al . And that terrified me.

“Wil you help me?” I pleaded, my words fil ed with desperation. It was clear I was asking a lot more of her than help finding an acceptable place for us to live. I hated putting so much pressure on her, the responsibility I was asking her to take on, passing my mistake on to her. She’d promised that whatever came our way, we’d deal with together, but this was different; I wasn’t just asking her to tolerate it, I was asking her to be a part of it.

Her muscles tensed slightly. If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I would have missed it. The sorrow that invaded her passed just as quickly as it had come.

When it was gone, an expression of determination took its place. “I’l be here for you.”

“You are the most remarkable person. Do you know that?” I didn’t wait for an answer, knowing she was likely to disagree. I lightly brushed my lips against hers and silently thanked her for being an amazing woman.

She rewarded me by unfolding her gorgeous legs from beneath her and leaning against me. I reclined against the arm of the couch and stretched out my legs as she settled between them. I pul ed her back to my chest, and we lounged on my couch.

It was perfect, her hair bunched up over my shoulder, her fingertips playing along my pant leg, her body draped over mine as we shared the bottle of wine. I mindlessly twisted a lock of her hair around my finger, the curl eternal as I wound it round and round.

She glanced back at me; her eyes alight with joy.

“I’m so proud of you, Daniel. I always knew you were going to be an amazing doctor.”

I squeezed her hip, kissing the top of her head.

“It’s Dad who made it al happen. I’m just glad he asked me to be a part of it.”

“What’s it like having al of these sick people come to you? I mean is it what you thought it would be?”

“Hm...I don’t know. Sometimes I love it;

sometimes I hate it. There’s so much pressure. It can be very sad and very rewarding al in the same day.” She nodded, her head rubbing against the thin fabric of my shirt. “I can only imagine.” We continued to drink and laugh as she asked me questions about my job, what school had been like, and the things I’d done with my family over the years. She giggled as I told her of al the mistakes I’d made along the way and the crazy things I’d experienced on my ER rotation in New York City. So much had seemed insignificant through the haze of nothing I’d lived. Now, with my girl in my arms, her body shaking as she laughed, I could almost see what life would have been like had she been there. As she experienced my life through the stories I told, it felt as if I was experiencing it for the first time myself.

By the time she’d told me about the important events in her life over the last nine years, the bottle was polished off, and we were both total y at ease. We grinned from ear to ear, neither attempting to hide our bliss.

Melanie suddenly rol ed, bringing us chest to chest, her lips on mine. The movement rekindled the fire that had been smoldering the entire night. Her mouth was hot and wet, and a little sloppy. Her hands pressed firmly into my shoulders as she held herself over me. She straddled my legs, the energy consuming, forceful, pushing us together. My fingers dove into her hair, and I kissed her hard. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of my shirt, unwil ing to break our frantic kiss.

I pushed her back, and Melanie groaned in protest. I stood and pul ed her with me, my mouth immediately taking hers again as we stumbled blindly to my room.

The light from the bathroom shed a faint glow across the room. I spun her, edging her back, anxious to see her lying across my bed.

I watched as she scooted back, her creamy skin in perfect contrast to the thick, black comforter. Her hair spil ed al around her face as she lay against my pil ow, the gold chain around her neck a reminder of our forever.

I quickly climbed onto the bed, losing the shirt hanging loosely on my shoulders in the process, and threw myself at her. I devoured her mouth, neck, arms, anything I could find, my hands as greedy as my mouth.

My hand snaked under her dress, pushing it higher, revealing her inch by inch. With her arms outstretched above her, I pul ed it over her head and tossed it to the floor where it belonged.

“Make love to me, Daniel.”

Those words shot straight through me. Quickly, I shed the rest of my clothes. Her fingers sank into my back as I sank into her. Our bodies moved unhurried, slow and hard and absolutely perfect.

I stiffened when I saw her wrist, the skin contused and so careful y concealed behind the large silver cuff.

He hurt her.

My beautiful girl continued to move beneath me, her eyes closed, lost in a sea of pleasure while I looked down at her in horror, the reality hitting me hard.

She had stayed because of him. Not because of her mom. Not because of Katie and Shane. Not because of some stupid building. But because she was scared of
him.

I couldn’t even make sense of the emotions running through me, pouring out on Melanie as I abruptly wrapped her up in my arms. I fought to erase any space between us, my arms urgently around her, smashing her chest against mine, unable to get her close enough.

I was consumed with jealously and hatred, the need to destroy. It al mixed with my love, my need to protect, to keep her secure. Both of those desires melted into one. Al I knew was that he hurt my girl, and he was going to pay.

“Hey.” A delicate hand was in my hair, stroking, easing, calming. “Come back to me.” Melanie’s eyes burned into mine, searching the storm, caressing the creases that had gathered on my forehead. Her expression washed in relief when my eyes came back into focus.

I kissed her gently, struggling to keep the rage at bay. I couldn’t let Nicholas take this moment, too.

I channeled al the hate and fear and dread, funneling it into my love, my desire, my need to make her whole. I al owed myself to hear every sound that dropped from her lips, every groan, every whimper of delight. I al owed myself to feel every tremble, every twitch, every rol of pleasure traveling through her body, each and every caress of her fingertips.

With each one, I silently promised to keep her

With each one, I silently promised to keep her safe, to protect her, and to never al ow that bastard to harm her again.

I rol ed to the side and snuggled behind her, reaching down to drape the sheet over us. My body molded into hers. I kissed the exposed skin of her shoulder and back, and shivers rol ed down her spine as she relaxed into me.

“I love you.” I hugged her tighter, stressing how much I meant it. She let out a satisfied sigh, and she drew my arm more firmly around her. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was sure to be a battle. “I can’t let you go back there.”

I couldn’t see her face, but I could feel her muscles tense. My hand ran down her arm to her wrist, bringing it to my lips, placing gentle kisses along the bruised skin, letting her know I knew. “He hurt you,” I said with my lips against the black and blue.

Her pulse quickened under my palm, and I knew she was going to resist. “Daniel,” she said as she released a heavy breath, “you have to.”

I shook my head into her hair. “You’re not safe there.”

“You have to trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.” Her voice was strong, completely unexpected. She rol ed over to face me, her body flush against mine. “This is the best way.”

My mouth opened and closed, and I struggled to find the right words to argue her logic. Her head slowly shook, and she stood firm, catching me off guard. “You don’t know him like I do. Please.” Her face was intense, pleading. “Just...don’t.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

I raked my hands through my hair, frustrated. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She was placing herself at risk. And for what? She was afraid he was going to hurt her, so she put herself in the very position where he
could
hurt her. It didn’t make any sense.

“I know what you’re thinking, Daniel. It’s not stupid; I have a plan.”

I opened my mouth to tel her just how stupid it actual y was when the doorbel rang. Melanie’s eyes widened with fear, and she jerked up in bed, pul ing the sheet higher and tighter around herself as if it were a shield.