Free Embracing Life by Nicky Jayne Page B

rumor mill this close to the end of the year?”
    My emotions are all over the place. When I look at him, I feel things I never thought I would or be allowed to feel, but the moment he makes a smart ass comment, anger and frustration erupt from my core.
    “A scene, Josh?! A fucking scene?! I will give you a damn scene…”
    SLAP!
    My left hand lands square across his jaw. He steps back, stunned and bringing his hand to the red imprint emerging on his face. His eyes dilate, and he is pissed. I can’t think about that right now. I can’t believe I hit him. What the hell was I thinking?! I am irritated, yes, but I have never raised my hand, let alone hit someone before. I vowed I wouldn’t.
    “What the fuck, Mel? Why did you hit me?”
    Slapping him was uncalled for, but it was a reaction to his negativity. I will fight my internal battles about hitting him when I am alone. Right now, at this very moment, I am on a high. That felt so wrong but so right.
    “You deserved it, Caveman,” I reply, trying my hardest to keep a straight face. His reaction to my comments is becoming quite amusing.
    “There you go with the caveman comments again. How am I to have a conversation with you if you continue to insult me, huh?”
    Buddy, you have no idea the amount of insults I can hand to you if you keep this up. I don’t know where this is all coming from. I am losing control, and I can’t. I won’t. I have to get away from him. He is truly bringing the worst out of me, but strangely, I like it.
    I begin to move away, crossing the parking lot to my car. As I round the driver’s side, I feel his grip on my wrist. I look up at him with the evilest stare I can give, but he doesn’t falter. He doesn’t let go. Something in his eyes calls to me.
    “Josh, let me go. I have to get home.”
    “Mel, I’m sorry. I know what you want, and I want to give you the answers you need, but honestly, I don’t know how to give them to you. Know this though: I am sorry that things happened this way. I never wanted to you to get hurt. I knew Mike would freak out, but I had to try Mel. Believe me, I had to try.”
    “Try what, Josh? What is it?”  God I wish he would just spit it out already.
    His body grows tense, and I can see the anger and concern lurking in his eyes, but there is something else, something I am not sure I want to find out. He lets go off my wrist, and I reach for my car door. Before I can get a grip of the handle, my body is thrust from where I am standing and raised into the air. My world is spinning, and I am lost. What is happening?! Then, I feel it, the warm sensation of his lips upon mine. Although the kiss does not last long, my mouth is tingling, my body is limp, and I feel so out of control yet so whole.
    As I try to gain some sense of stability, I feel his arms locked around my mid-section, his forehead leaned against mine. I can feel his warm breath on my face, and his smell is intoxicating. As strange as this sounds, he has a manly, woodsy smell about him, and I am totally in love with it. I could quite happily stay in his arms forever, but I can’t.
    I regain control of my over dramatic breathing and look into the eyes of my captor. Yes, that’s what he is, a captor. His short, but very sweet, kiss has captured me. The feel of his strong hands around me is like a net of gold string. I can’t free myself, but I have to. I wiggle from his grasp, and he slowly lowers me to the ground. Catching my breath, I suddenly feel the loss of his body.
    “Mel, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I think it’s best I go.”
    “No, wait. Josh, please wait. We need to talk. I feel…..I don’t know what I feel, but apparently you feel it too, so let’s talk.”
    I am not sure why I said those words. I am so out of balance. I don’t want to be around him. He angers me, but the pull towards him is magnetic, and I cannot let him leave yet. Something happened. Call it sparks if you will, but I suddenly have a feeling that I