36 - Melissa

36

Melissa

My pulse was racing, and I felt weirdly numb after the fight. Like I had watched the argument as a third person, rather than being a participant. And the worst part? I had to follow Jack down the trail because he was my ride. I didn’t have my phone on me to call someone else.

He moved faster than I was able to; my ankle actually hurt a little more going downhill, so I was slower. I quickly lost sight of him on the winding trail. I imagined being abandoned up here, needing to beg someone in the parking lot for a ride back to my cabin. But when the forest ended and I reached the open views of the meadow, I saw Jack leaning up against his Jeep at the trailhead.

He took me home without either of us saying a word.

As soon as we were at camp, he hopped out of the Jeep and strode up to his office. In an emotionless voice I said, “I’ll be gone by tonight.”

“Good.”

He slammed the door to his office so hard that two cats leaped off the porch. I went into the Indigo Cabin, the place that had been my home for the last week but was now somewhere I clearly wasn’t welcome.

As soon as the door was closed behind me, I broke down and started crying. I considered it a small victory that I was able to wait until now. I didn’t want Jack to see my tears. He could go to hell for all I cared.

And the worst part about it was that I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said: I like you. You’re gorgeous. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you .

It was like choking on a really nice piece of chocolate cake.

Because the frustrating truth about all of this was I felt the same way. There was something about Jack I’d immediately been attracted to when he rescued me on the trail. Yeah, we butted heads. Sure, we bickered. But all of that was a thin layer of disagreement over the spark of something real . I was angry with myself because, deep down, I wanted him . Everything he said was music to my ears, confirmation that he really was attracted to me. It wasn’t just my imagination. We had a spark of something .

Not that it mattered, now. Not after that fight.

Once I stopped crying, I texted Noah.

Me : Hey, can I crash at your place? I want to free up the cabin for Jack.

Noah : Of course! I’m working late at the clinic and won’t be home until early tomorrow morning, but it will be nice to come home to you in my bed :-)

Me : Thanks.

Me : I had a lot of fun last night. Thanks for introducing me to, shall we say, new experiences ;-)

Noah : I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You’re something special, Melissa.

I stared at the screen. You’re something special . That would have made me smile from ear to ear, except for the argument I’d just had with Jack. Now it made me wonder if he was right. If I was digging in my roots so much that it would hurt when I eventually ripped them out.

A shower helped, but only a little. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. The longer I stayed, the more Jack’s words sunk in.

I had hardly begun packing up when someone banged loudly on the front door. “I’m getting ready to leave now,” I shouted at the door. “I’ll be gone in five minutes, and you’ll never have to see me again.”

The door opened, and Jack strode inside.

“What the fuck? Just because you own the place doesn’t mean you can just barge in like—”

He crossed the space between us in three long strides, pushed me up against the wall, and kissed me.