Rebel Heart

Chapter 38 One Year Later

"She probably doesn't want to talk about it," she whispered. Michelle smiled wanly at them.

"I'm fine you guys." She said.

"If you're sure... we can stay and hang out here if you like," Leah suggested.

"No, I don't want you guys to miss out. Go; get something that'll blow everyone away. You have to look your best tomorrow." Michelle said.

"Okay then. We'll bring you back a pistachio choco cup." Brynn said, waving. Michelle turned back to her diary after they left. After rereading her birthday entry she got up and went to her nightstand. A pair of headphones lay on the top – the pair that Brook had given her. She put them on and plugged them into her music player on the loudest electronic music she had. She wanted to forget, be transported away from her thoughts and loud music did the job well enough. She also pulled out Brook's handkerchief out of her drawer and held it close to her mouth, inhaling his scent as she cuddled up in her bed.

"I miss you so much." She whispered, closing her eyes. She envisioned Brook standing in front of her, his beautiful blue eyes on hers, a soft smile playing on his lips. His hands found their way around her waist pulling her close. She wanted to run her hands all over his tanned skin, feeling his strong rippling muscles. She wanted to place her head on his chest and hear his heartbeat. She could almost hear it, along with his voice, and feel his breath. She imagined his warm urgent lips on hers, the last kiss he'd given her more bittersweet than any other. Tears fell from her eyes and she clutched the handkerchief tighter.

She got off her bed and went to the window. Her room had a great view of a field that was used for a variety of sports. At the moment it was lit up by the floodlights from a practice hockey game earlier. It was empty and rather lonely, Michelle thought. She had declined to go with her friends earlier to watch the game and started to regret not going out with them now. She desperately wanted company at the moment, even if only to distract her from her dismal thoughts.

As she watched the empty field, a car drove into it and parked right in the middle. Michelle frowned. Who would be careless enough to do that? The coach would flip if he knew. Michelle peered closely at the car. She wondered why it looked familiar. She got a jolt when she recognized it. She threw her window up and stuck her head out trying to see the car better. It was black with purple detailing and looked like it cost six or seven figures – there was only one car she knew looked like that. Michelle tore off her headphones and ran out of her room. She had to confirm something – she had to assure her eyes that she wasn't hallucinating. That wasn't Brook's Bugatti.

She stopped at the edge of the field, panting. The driver of the car got out and faced her directly about thirty feet away. No distance could fool Michelle's eyes – and yet she wondered if her daydreams had become very real or else she was fast asleep and dreaming the whole thing up. Because that couldn't be her beloved Brook standing in front of her.

She walked slowly towards him as though afraid he would disappear if she hurried. She had to touch him at least – make sure he wasn't a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was, at least, a realistic personification of her obsessive dreams of him. But then the figure spoke.

"Hello, Michelle." The voice – the one she hadn't heard in months. Even in her dreams she couldn't imagine it clearly. It was real. It was Brook. Her Brook.

"Brook?" she called with wide eyes. He smiled – it was the most relaxed smile she had ever seen on him. it was like all the tension, all the pain she had last seen him with was gone.

"Brook!" she cried again and stripped down the field towards him. She flung herself into his arms just as he opened them to catch her. She collided against his strong chest and squeezed her arms around him tight. His warmth and very firm muscled body assured her he was real.