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I thought I’d have longer before Melissa told me she didn’t want to kiss me anymore.
Her arms are crossed over her body in what appears to be a protective posture. “You can’t tell me that you want one more kiss after I told you there couldn’t be any more.”
“Yes, I can. I won the game before you told me you changed your mind about us, which means I can have whatever prize I want.” If I were as nasty as that sentence implies, I’d tell her I want more than a kiss. But the truth is, I feel desperate. No more kissing Melissa? I can’t seem to wrap my head around that.
“Jamie ...”
“Melissa,” I counter.
She uncrosses her arms with a huff before saying, “Fine. One last kiss, but that’s it.”
“Okay.” She sits and waits for me to make my move, but I don’t. “You have to kiss me,” I tell her.
She leans over and pecks at my cheek like a chicken biting the head off a worm. I grab her arms before she can move away. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I said one last kiss.”
“All you said was a kiss. That’s what you got.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I should not be playing with this fire, but I can’t stand the idea of not having her in my life.
Wrangling out of my grip, she stands up and moves in front of me. Then she sits down, straddling my lap. Holy heck, I wasn’t expecting this. She runs her fingers through my hair and grips it tightly before lowering her mouth to mine. The first touch is so gentle that if my eyes were closed, I might not know she was even there. But my eyes are open, devouring every thought that crosses her face.
I try my hardest to let her set the pace even though all I want to do is consume her. Our kiss deepens until she feels like she’s part of me. She groans deep in her throat and continues to act on her passions.How can this end?That thought is enough to shatter the thread of composure I have left.
But before I can say anything, Melissa breaks contact, stands up, swaying slightly on her feet, and says, “My debt is paid.”
My mouth opens and closes but no words come out.
“Did you hear me?” She puts her hands on her hips in a pose of defiance.
I finally choke out, “Yes. I heard you.”
“Fine, let’s go back to the bowling alley.”
But I can’t let her go yet. “Melissa, do you really want this to end? Because it sure doesn’t seem like it.”
She stabs her pointer finger at me violently. “It doesn’t matter what I want because you are the one who gets to call the shots.”
“I do what I do for …”
“Sammy,” she interrupts. “I get it, but you’re wrong. Sammy has told you point-blank she wants a mother. You just won’t give her one.”
“She also said that she doesn’t want us to date,” I remind her.
“You know what?” Melissa waves her hands in front of her like she’s performing a magic trick. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to kiss you anymore,really.You are the most frustrating, infuriating, pain-in-the-butt man I’ve ever met. In fact, I don’t even want to be friends with you anymore.” With that, she turns and runs back across the street to the bowling alley.
Damn. I’ve made a mess of this whole situation, but I don’t know what to do to fix it. The only thing that matters to me right now is making sure that Sammy has the best possible reunion with Beth. It’s true that Sammy has repeatedly said she wants a mom. And what better person to fill that role than her actual mom?
I stay outside and try to get my head on straight, but I fail. If Beth wants to spend time with our daughter, that’s time I don’t get to spend with her. Being that it's been just the two of us all these years, I’ve gotten spoiled. I don’t want to share Sammy. Certainly not with the woman who abandoned her. Who abandoned us.
When I finally go back into the bowling alley, I’m greeted by a scene that positively melts my heart. Sammy, Melissa, and Paige are all sitting in a circle, laughing about something. My daughter hasn’t looked this carefree and full of joy in months, and it’s a punch in the gut that I’m not part of her current happiness.
Walking over to them, I ask, “Is the game over?”
“Sammy won again, if you can believe it,” Paige says.
“I’m pretty sure she’s going to Harvard on a bowling scholarship,” I joke. This causes everyone to laugh, breaking some of the tension my presence has brought with it. “Anyone want to go out for ice cream?”
“Yes.” Sammy is the first to answer.
