Jim was almost to them now. He was running on pure adrenaline and a surety that coursed through his veins: he had to stop her. The words continued to rip out of him almost of their own volition. His voice was ragged, even to his own ears. "Don't leave with him."
Pam and Roy seemed frozen, hands still clasped. Had Jim been looking, he would have seen the rage brewing on Roy's face, but Pam was all he could see. "Don't do this, Pam. This is not......" He swallowed. Quieter, "This is not what you want."
Pam's eyes widened; there was a look there he had never seen. "I don't think you know what I want, Jim." Her voice was quiet, shaky.
He was breathless; still running on that adrenaline. I stopped her. It's enough.
"I know you don't want this." Shock was all over Pam's face, but he read the truth of what he had said on it. He read it as it took root, as the shock was replaced with awareness.
"HALPERT!!" Roy was thundering, now. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" People were looking, conversation stilled, and Jim was suddenly glad that Kevin was still beating those drums after all.
"She doesn't have to do this." Jim's voice was much quieter, but deadly solid.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Roy dropped Pam's hand momentarily, jabbing Jim in the chest with one beefy finger. "She's coming with me. STAY OUT OF IT!"
Roy stepped toward the door again, grabbing at Pam's hand. One tug, gentle. Another tug, not so very gently.
It was the third tug that was more forceful, that pulled at her arm almost painfully, that did it. That brought it all back: Roy, prom, homecoming, brochures, art programs minor league hockey games I'd get on that if I weren't dating you we're not dating we're engaged c'mon babe Kenny waverunners cousin's truck moving Poconos tub basketball c'mon let's go c'mon let's go c'mon let's go c'mon let's go........................
She dropped his hand, turned to him.
"No."
Jim almost collapsed with relief. I stopped her. It's enough, for now.
And then he felt Karen next to him.
Roy was still thundering, now at Pam, as he struggled to get that hand back. "C'MON, PAM!! We're getting out of here!"
She was not afraid. Maybe she needed to be; they were definitely causing a scene, Roy had never been angrier. But she was resolute. "No, Roy. I don't want this.”" She swallowed once. "I can't do this again."
Roy turned his attention from Pam and made one, rage-induced lunge at Jim before every man in the vicinity leapt to action, trapping his arms and wrestling him to the ground.
Pam chanced one glance back at Jim through the mayhem.
He was looking down at Karen. She was pulling at his arm, and he was looking down at her....still. Still looking at Karen.
Nothing had changed.
Something left her soul; she could feel it. Something drained out of her-- how was it that no one could see this? How was it that Jim was standing there looking at Karen, and Roy was being held on the floor by about six men, and the drums were still pounding and the music was still playing and she was still standing, still standing....and her whole world had just exploded itself all around her?
There were no tears, yet. She ran out, blindly got into her car, blindly drove home, let herself into her apartment, closed the door and sank into a puddle at the doorwell.
After a half hour spent staring at the wall opposite the door--wide-eyed and tearless- she rose, curled up on the couch and fell into an immediate, dreamless sleep.
Her first thought when she awoke the next morning, still wearing her pink coat and her brown dress and her pumps, was: He doesn't want me anymore. But he doesn't want me to be with anyone else.
Sitemap | Terms of Service | Submission Rules | FAQs | Disclaimer | Donate | Contact Us |
© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali
© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali