The Way You Make Me Feel - A Michael Jackson Love Story

Chapter 147 - The Value of Happiness

Tatiana's POV

"Can we talk? In private?" Karen asks as I stare at her blankly. I look over her shoulder seeing Sheryl walk out of rehearsal. We lock eyes as hers grow big mouthing;

"What the hell?"

I clear my throat as I glance back at Karen. "Now?"

"It would be a good time." she smiles as I restrain from grimacing.

The last thing I ever wanted to do was be alone with Karen Faye in a room.

"Yeah...sure..."I say hesitantly. We take a few steps silently down the hall before she opens the door to her suite, with me hesitantly stepping in.

"So..." she says closing the door behind her as I watch her closely. "Do you want water or anything?" she asks a little too cheerfully. "Maybe some --"

"Karen, just cut the crap. Why am I here?"I ask as she pauses."What is it that you really want?"

"What? Is it a shock I wanted to hang out with my best friend's girlfriend?"she asks as I snort, rolling my eyes.

It wasn't just shocking, it was unbelievable. It sounded like something that would come out of a fiction. 

"I don't have time for this. I need to shower." I mutter walking towards the door as she grabs my arm.

"Wait!" she sighs out. "I wanted to talk...I wanted to..."she pauses before letting out a deep breath. "Apologize."

I raise an eyebrow, staring at her blankly before looking at her hand that still gripped to my arm. She quickly let's go as she stares at me. 

"I-I want to apologize for how I treated you in the past." she says slowly before sighing putting a hand to her forehead for a moment closing her eyes. "This is more difficult then I thought." she mutters. 

"Karen, I really don't need a huge performance on--" 

"It's not a performance, Tatiana. It's just hard for me to trust people around, Michael. I've seen people use him, abuse him, and break him completely. Trust being broken, lies being told...I've seen him on his dark days, I've seen him sad. I think because of that--because of the sadness I think he realizes how valuable happiness is.  Being weak makes him know what it means to be strong. Being helpless makes him more determined to be helpful. Mistakes happen, awful things might happen in one's life. But by looking at the bright sides of things, you might just be able to smile forever in life....which is why you are valuable to him. You make him stronger, you bring a light in his eyes I don't even see when he's onstage--you make him happy, you're his bright side." she says quietly. 

"I tried to warn him about you...thinking you were one of those typical people in his life. The one who'd come and go." she chuckles to herself softly. "But you know how he is. He's really headstrong and stubborn--especially when it comes to you." she looks down for a moment before looking up at me. "And I'm glad he was."

I stare at her trying to find the right words to say, for them to only be stuck in my throat unable to come out. 

"I just wanted to say...I'm truly sorry, Tatiana. I really am. It's going to take time for me to accept it fully...but I just need you to know I'm going to try." 

**

I walk back in my suite slowly, clinging the towel on my neck as I stare in space, my back against the door. 

"Tat?" I hear from the other room before hearing footsteps. I look up seeing Michael as he chuckles, coming towards me as he puts his hands on each side of my head, pressing his lips against my cheek. "I was thinking we should go out and--....sweetheart, are you even listening?" he asks as I continue to stare blankly in the distance as he pulls away. "What's wrong?"