Devil's Backbone (Muke)

4

After about an hour, Michael doesn't come out. I jog upstairs, almost tripping, and knock on the door.

"What?" Michael scoffs. I open the door with a gentle push and close it behind me. Michael is sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyebrows furrowed as he glares at me.

"What, Luke?" He sighs.

"What did I do?" I question. I cross my arms in front of me and my heart aches at the thought that I've angered him.

He shakes his head, then buries his face in his hands.

"You didn't do anything, sweetheart. I'm sorry I'm being rude."

I walk over to him and pull his hands from his face.

"What's wrong, Michael?" I wonder. He looks up at me and frowns.

"Ethan and I just got into a fight. I might stop doing business with him," he informs me. I sit down next to him and start rubbing his back.

"What happened?"

"Nothing important. Just... Managerial differences."

I nod and stand up, fixing my hair in the mirror.

"Come here, baby," Michael sighs. I walk over to him, and his hands land on my hips. He pulls me in to straddle his lap and I press my lips to his.

"I've wanted you all day, baby doll," he groans as I start to rock my hips against his. I chuckle and press my lips back against his.

***

Michael gets another call as we're laying under the blanket, our bodies against each other. He looks at it, and his reaction tells me everything. His groan and the slamming of his phone informs me that he's about to take off again.

"Ethan?" I guess.

"It's Ash. I have to leave with him. I'll be back soon, though," he informs me. I nod and watch him get ready.

"Have fun," I say. He laughs once and puts shoes on.

"Be ready when I get back, okay? I want to take you to dinner and a movie."

"How long do I have?" I ask.

"An hour and a half," he answers.

I nod and smile as he kisses me and leaves. Once he's out the door, I hop in the shower and wash my hair and body. When I get out, I towel dry and fix my hair. Skipping back to my room, I sit in front of the vanity Michael bought me for our fourth anniversary.

I apply foundation, mascara, blush, soft pink lipstick, and a tiny amount of highlight. When I'm satisfied, I head to my closet and flip through my clothes.

After looking at every piece of clothing I own three times, I sigh and settle for a red dress that stops about four inches above my knee. I pair some black glittery sandals with it and then sit on the bed to wait.

An hour passes before I decide to flip through the channels in our room. Spongebob is on, so I set the remote down and get into the episodes. Michael should be here soon.

Three episodes finish, so I decide to call Michael. It sends me straight to voicemail, and I groan in frustration. It's been three hours- double the time he said it would take.

Once it's been four hours, I eat one of the cupcakes we baked and continue watching my cartoon. He hasn't called me back or anything. I'm losing my patience.

I wait one more long hour before giving up. I strip and put on some pink shorts and a white t shirt. I clear my face with a makeup wipe before hopping in bed and pulling the covers around my shoulders.