Page 10 of Holiday on the Rocks
“There’s a hissing raccoon! Hissing raccoon!”
I wish I could say she ran past me, but nope. Her suitcase hit my leg when she ran past at full speed resulting in both of us landing in the snow. Did I mention it was about three feet of snow? I sat up to find I not only had snow in my ear, but I was covered in it. As I looked around, Allie’s head popped up out of the snow a few feet away. It was in that second all oxygen was sucked from my lungs as her laughter bounced off the trees around me.
The past and present mixed together as the laughter of the girl I loved years ago was the same as I remembered. I couldn’t look at her smile without memories of her hands on my chest and my fingers digging into her hips, and it was torturing me from the inside out.
Her auburn hair and rosy cheeks made her look like a snow angel.
“A mother fucking raccoon!”
Okay, maybe her halo was held up by pitch forks, but seeing that face was a lightning strike.
I got up and extended my hand to her. She took it and as soon as we were vertical she remembered she was in Levi hate mode, and snatched it away.
We entered the house, and I was a little blown away. We stood in the enormous living room that was so festive I wondered if the actual Santa resided there. Rich wood floors ran the length of the room and a large deep burgundy rug lay under the leather sofas and chairs. A fireplace sat in the corner with stone crawling up to the ceiling. Christmas wreaths hung around the room along with holiday pillows on the chairs and an acoustic guitar leaned against the wall near the fireplace. I looked over to see her eyes on it as well, and when they shifted to me her cheeks grew pink. Me playing for her while she lay in my bed was as clear in my mind as the day it happened.
“Wow, this is so Christmasy and cool.”
Her eyes rolled. “I’d almost forgotten you have a weird obsession with Christmas decorations. Kinda thought a grown ass man would’ve outgrown that. I’m following doctor’s orders and going to rest, and probably never coming out again.” She picked up her suitcase.
“Allie, I have to say something.”
“No. Once upon a time I didn’t care. Still don’t. The end.”
“I just?—”
“Not a word, Levi. It’s bad enough I’m stuck here with you.”
“Come on?—”
She spoke through gritted teeth. “No! Say nothing.”
“I just really have to—what happened?—”
Her cheeks were pink. “Shut up, Levi.”
“Allie—”
She dropped her suitcase. “You didn’t fight for me! You let it all go!” Her nose winkled. “You just left me there.”
“I was trying?—”
“Nobody would tell me where you were.” Her whisper strangled me. “I couldn’t find you.”
“Let me?—”
I took a step and her hand shot out. “No! Leave me alone. You’re a pot hole in the fucking rearview mirror, and I don’t want to ever see you or hear you again.”
She turned on her heel and disappeared up the stairs.
I deserved her hatred. Earned it. Expected it. The only light at the end of this tunnel was the days I had to try to change things.
FIVE
ALLIE
DREAMING
I walked down the hall with my legs shaking like a blade of grass in a tornado. I hated his presence. I hated what he did and what an ass he was.
