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“I’m coming home, sweetheart.”
“Promise?” she whispered shakily.
“I promise,” he whispered against her lips before he kissed her gently.
The cicadas in the background filled the night air as he continued to lick and nip at her lips, and for just the moment, she let go and soaked in everything he had to give her.
Late into the night, once her brother and Pop had left and there was nothing but just them in their bed, she soaked it all in.
Soaked in every moment until the next morning, when he boarded a plane and left.
CHAPTER5
MELANIE
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The knocking at the door had been happening for a while, but she was hoping that whoever it was went away.
It could be anyone.
Mac, Margaret, Tracey, but it was most likely Pop.
And she did not want to deal with anyone, let alone her Pop.
Over the last two weeks, it had been nonstop drop-ins from her family and friends. She appreciated it, really, she did, but it was now Christmas Eve morning and although James and her had been together for a host of holidays, they had never had a Christmas together.
Never had a Christmas morning waking up in each other’s arms.
Now it was looking like they never would.
She hated Christmas.
When five minutes slid into ten, she finally got up and walked to the door. Ignoring her hair and day-old pajamas, she flung it open to see that it was indeed her father.
“Honey.” That look of pity burned her guts, and she flicked the switch inside of her to turn everything off.
She didn’t mean to do it. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but she’d had enough.
“Listen, I know you mean well. I know everyone does. But I can’t do this right now. I need you guys to leave me alone.” Her words were harsh and bordering on mean, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
“That’s not what family does, honey,” Pop murmured softly, and she hated it.
Hated it with every fiber of her being.
“I don’t need family right now. What I need, I can’t have.” Then she shut the door in his face and collapsed to the ground. Her chest ached as she tried to hold in her sobs, knowing that they wouldn’t do anything but leave her worse than she’d been before.
As Pop’s footsteps faded away and the tears started up again, she wondered if there would ever come a day that she would stop crying.
Somehow, she found the strength to get up and walk back to her bedroom. Ignoring that it was morning and that she really shouldn’t be getting back in bed, she climbed back in anyway and pulled James’s pillow against her chest. Then she reached over to the nightstand drawer. Pulling it open, she grabbed the folded-up piece of lined paper and sat back, leaning against the headboard, her strength leaving her.
She opened the piece of paper, knowing that reading the words again would leave her raw and in pain, but not being able to stop herself.
When she and James had decided to write their own vows, she had been so nervous. Nervous of not only making a fool of herself, but also not knowing how to put her feelings into a little paragraph. She’d managed, of course, with Margaret’s help, but James hadn’t had that issue.
