NATASHANight has fallen, yet Michael is nowhere to be seen. He promised to meet me at the bar, but I've been sitting here long enough for the stool to practically swallow me whole, and still, there's no sign of him."Are you sure you don't want us to wait with you?" Doris asked, dabbing her lips with a tissue."No, don't worry about it. You guys look exhausted. You need some rest," I responded, managing a smile.I idly twirled my finger around the rim of the milk glass in front of me."Mike mentioned he booked a boat for some island hopping," I added, causing Doris' eyes to widen as she squealed and tugged on Garry's arm."Oh, I can't wait! Garry, you're going to have to give me a back massage tonight so I'm ready for a fantastic day tomorrow," she commanded, and Garry simply nodded in agreement, finishing his pint of beer."Or perhaps we could have some fun tonight before another great day tomorrow?" He suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her, causing Doris to giggle like a schoolgi
MICHAELSomething feels off.Natasha usually notices the small things, but even after spending hours together; dining, attempting to start a conversation, and even touching her, she didn't notice my knuckles.Or maybe she just didn't care?That's impossible."We have ice cream in the freezer, do you want some?" I asked, crawling up next to her. "It's mango flavored," I added, hoping to catch her attention.She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "I'm not in the mood for something sweet tonight.""What about something Michael-flavored?" I teased, but she didn't respond, just kept staring at the book she's holding, rubbing her thumb against the pages.What happened?I was only gone for a few hours."Are you mad at me, baby?" I reached for her arm and snuggled up closer, kissing the blade of her shoulder.She finally tore her gaze away from the book. She shook her head and let out a forced chuckle.Is this a mood swing? I'm not prepared for this. Damn it!"No," she answered, loweri
NATASHAAll night long, Michael held me in his arms while I stayed wide awake until three in the morning.My mind kept replaying what had just happened.My dad, Pierce Kaufman, wasn't my biological father? And the man from the bar..."You're so quiet," Michael noticed. He glanced at me for a second before returning his focus on the road. "I know something's bothering you. Maybe I can help."Diverting my gaze from looking outside the window, I reached for his ear and played with it using my fingers. "What do you think about... family?" I suddenly asked."Family?" He repeated with a hint of a chuckle. "The basic unit of society? That's too general, baby. Can you be more specific?"I shook my head. If I ask something about what I just figured out, it'll be too obvious. "Are you happy?" Changing the topic, I waited for his answer. "With me, I mean.""It would be an understatement if I say that I am happy with you," he replied and caught my hand, resting it on his thigh, just an inch away
MICHAEL"Wait, you're married?" Dominic, my friend, queried, his eyes wide with surprise. "Since when?"I glanced over my shoulder, and through the glass wall, I could see Natasha standing before a large painting hung on a pristine white wall. Dominic's sassy secretary was assisting her.My gaze fell on her hands, clasped behind her back.A naughty grin spread across my face, knowing she was uncomfortable strolling around without underwear."Since I met her," I responded, prompting a groan from Dominic. I turned my attention back to him. "What? You have a problem with that?"He pulled a bottle of sanitizer from his drawer and began to clean his hands. "I'm allergic to that kind of atmosphere, Michael. Marriage gives me the creeps. It's too chilling.""Just admit you're being dramatic," I teased him, and he shot me a 'I don't care' look."But there's no ring on your finger," he noted, his eyes landing on my bare ring finger."It's a work in progress," I shrugged. "But discussing my lif
NATASHAWhenever something bothers me, Michael feels it too. Yet another thing we share, neither of us wants to share these burdens with the other.Trust. We're supposed to have that. But should I risk mine?There's something bothering me, and I know that he has his own problems. But something is holding us up not to spill what's overflowing from the inside.Should I be bothered?I found myself sitting in his living room. The TV was on, but I couldn't focus on the show playing.My hands fumbled with the bowl of popcorn in my lap as I waited for him to join me, just as he had promised.Glancing out the window, I saw him talking to someone on the phone. He seemed frustrated, even furious. His body language didn't betray what was going on in his mind, but his facial expressions did.His jaw was clenched, and his eyes seemed to gaze into the distance."What's going on with him?" I found myself murmuring the question as I stared at his broad back.He was now dressed in a fresh white shirt a
MICHAEL"You called me here for that simple reason?" I asked Cole, throwing him daggers as he scratched the back of his head and fidgeted in his seat."Sorry, I just thought that you'd like it if we got some time to spend together. I mean, when was the last time you had time with us?" Gesturing at Aaron and Enzo, he reasoned.Enzo raised both of his hands, making an annoying sound. "Don't mention my name, bro. You're the one who called the emergency meeting. I just came here to drink.""Do you know what I left in the house?" Placing both of my hands on my hips, I let out a heavy breath."Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just thought that maybe you need a rest and we need to talk about something important," Cole added."Like what?" Placing my hands on my sides, I waited for his answer. "Come on, like what?"Cole couldn't utter a thing, and I found it very suspicious."Like our family," Aaron answered for him. "Man, you've been building walls since you left the city. We couldn't even reach out
NATASHAMy tongue felt numb, and I was unable to utter a word. With my head lowered, all I could do was stare at the little bubbles popping in the center of my coffee.They disappeared one by one until only the swirls of cream were left floating."I hope you understand."Thalia pleaded with me to leave, promising money that I didn't need. But what made me hesitate was when she revealed her family's current situation.The situation was as clear as crystal when she mentioned money, jail, and a wedding.It all led me back to the root of the issue, Michael. He was the only solution to prevent such a mess, and I was the only obstacle left to be removed."What you said, that I have every right because I'm the mother of my son, I know that. I feel guilty for coming here, for talking to you, for asking you to stay away. But please... sign this for me."Thalia pulled a paper from her bag and pushed it towards me."I'm not asking you to sign it right now, but I hope that you could give me your
MICHAEL"Make love to me," I heard her say, her voice clear and filled with desire.I never expected her to use those words before. She's always been more reserved, never explicitly expressing her feelings. But now, she's making her desires known.What does this request mean? Does she have a specific intention, or am I overthinking it?"Did I hear you right?" I asked, needing confirmation. "You want us to make love?"A small, genuine smile graced her lips as she opened her eyes and looked at me. "Yes, please?"In that moment, my mind went blank, and all I could think about were the things I wanted to do to her.All of my anger and worries seemed to fade away with her simple request. I couldn't refuse her."Tell me that you want me," I demanded, pulling her closer to the bed. "Tell me that you need me."She pressed herself against me, pulling my head down to meet her lips in a sweet kiss.Her kisses still held an innocence, a hint of hesitation, but she was learning. She matched my rhy