“Fine. If you don’t want to talk, then you’re going to listen. Because this? Whatever it was that you just pulled? It’s unacceptable.”
“Unacceptable? I’m not a child, Vanessa,” Mel snapped. “Don’t speak to me like one.”
“Are you sure? Because you’re behaving like a child right now.”
Mel knew Vanessa was right. But she remained silent.
“Christ, Melanie!” Vanessa got up and started pacing next to the bed. “This isn’t a game! You know better than to come in here like this. Angry. Reckless. Do you have any idea how dangerous all of this is? Especially if you’re in the wrong state of mind?”
All the feelings that had been festering inside of Mel began to boil over. “You’re the one who’s always using this as an outlet for dealing with your own goddamn problems, whatever they are. Do you think I haven’t noticed that every time you get upset, you assert your dominance over me in order to feel better?”
Vanessa’s face turned red. “That’s different, Melanie, and you know it. I’m in control of myself at all times. Right now? You’re clearly not. And that makes people do stupid things. Like push themselves harder than they should. Like ignore their limits. That’s how accidents happen, Melanie. That’s how people get hurt.”
Mel felt a pang of guilt.
“And you do not pull this shit on me. Do you have any idea the position you’re putting me in? I was about to cuff you to a chair for god’s sake. I had a whip in my hands, Melanie. Do you have any idea how easy it is for me to hurt you if we’re not careful?” Vanessa’s voice shook. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to live with that sort of guilt?”
“I just-”
“Just what, Melanie? What could possibly make you behave this way?” Vanessa crossed her arms. “Well? Tell me.”
“Is that an order, or do I have a choice?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with hurt. “When have I ever made you feel like you don’t have a choice?” Vanessa sat down. “Melanie. Talk to me. What’s the matter?”
Mel spat out the first thing that came into her head. “Those phone calls you keep getting. Why won’t you tell me what they’re about? Why are you so touchy about them?”
“What? That has nothing to do with you.” She looked at Mel with narrowed eyes. “What’s this really about?”
“You’re always keeping me at arm's length. You never let me in. And you expect me to become vulnerable to you time and time again, but you never give me any of yourself.” Mel couldn’t stop her thoughts from spilling out. “You’re always going on and on about trust. Do you even trust me?”
“Melanie-”
“Or is this all just a game? Do I mean nothing to you?”
“What makes you think that? Where is this comin
g from?”
“Do you care about me at all? Or am I just some toy, like Vicki said? Something for you to use up and throw away? Just like all the others?”
The color drained from Vanessa’s face.
“Just like Rose?”
Vanessa recoiled.
And Mel knew that she had gone too far.
“Get out,” Vanessa said coldly. “Now.”
Mel ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Somehow, she found herself out on the street. Elena was waiting outside for both of them. Mel streaked past her, her eyes full of tears, ignoring Elena’s yells.
When Mel got home, she took off the necklace that Vanessa gave her and tossed it deep into the bottom drawer of her dresser.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mel stood by the bar at The Lounge. It had been two weeks since that fight with Vanessa. Two weeks, and Mel hadn’t heard a thing from her. That was long enough for Mel to know that things between the two of them were damaged beyond repair.