The Teacher's Pet | Slowburn MJ FanFic

• | Chapter Seventy-Five | •

Tia nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah. I really do think this might be good for you."

Michael suddenly stumbled back and almost lost his footing when Riley bombarded him with another hug. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face into his soft hair, breathing in his lovely cologne. He laughed as he held her in his arms and his cheeks slowly grew rosy from her kisses on each side of his face.

"I would kiss your lips, but I haven't brushed my teeth." She said before giggling.

"A little peck won't hurt." He smiled after she left a quick peck. "That's better. I'm gonna let you get ready and pack your bags." He gently set her back on the floor and gave a gentle squeeze to her hand before finally leaving the room.

Tia almost followed before Riley grabbed her wrist to make her stay back. She partially closed the door, then turned to face her aunt. "You trust us enough to live together for the summer?"

Tia took Riley's hand, then led her over to the unmade bed to sit down together. She gently rubbed her knuckles with her thumb as she nodded. "I do. I want to do whatever I can to help you heal from your trauma and become more like your old self again. I believe staying with Michael is a step towards that. I've seen the impact he's made in your life and I know he has your best interest at heart, so I fully trust him to take care of you."

It still felt like she was dreaming, and she feared suddenly waking up in a different reality. "What made you agree to this?"

"Seeing you the day after your date with him. The whole time you've been here, I've never seen you that happy and you were completely glowing. It was like the girl you showed up as didn't even exist anymore." Tia recalled with a growing smile. "I don't even know if you realized, but you were acting like you again. Talking a lot, cracking jokes, smiling more. If being around Michael helps you even just a little, then I'm all for it."

She thought back to yesterday, and she couldn't deny it if she wanted to. Especially after he had called her as promised and she was left with a warm, fuzzy feeling for the rest of the day.

"You're not worried about us doing anything inappropriate?" She cautiously asked.

Tia pursed her lips and quietly exhaled before saying, "Honestly, I try not to think about you two getting to that point. I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually happens, but like I said, I trust him. Your uncle does too, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. However, if anything happens, call me and I'll come get you in a heartbeat, okay?"

Riley softly smiled, then nodded. "Okay. Thanks auntie."

"Anytime, boo." She squeezed her hand, then finally left the room.

As Michael waited patiently in the living room while Riley was getting herself together, he noticed the book that she had mentioned a while back lying nearby at the end of the couch. When Tia came into view from the hallway, he pointed at the book.

"Is this the book you gave her? The one that explains the different stages of the baby's growth?" He asked.

"Yeah, she talked about it?" She picked it up without a second thought and handed it over to him.

With a nod, he answered, "A little while ago. She seems to have mixed feelings about the pregnancy." He became silent as he slowly flipped through the pages and skimmed a few words here and there. "I can't really blame her, though."

Tia bit the corner of her lip and eased down into one of the chairs. "It's a touchy subject for her. I try not to ask her anything about it unless she brings it up. But I am curious about one thing."

"And what's that?" His eyes never lifted from the turning pages of the book.

"Since you're essentially her boyfriend, how do you feel about it? Would you want her to get rid of the baby?" Tia quietly asked, making him pause for a moment.