(18+) The Guest (Complete)

Ch. 18: Denial

"I can't believe you're staying in Michael's suite, Ana! I would never have guessed my best friend would become Michael Jackson's girlfriend and future wife."

Michael had left for a sound check before his concert. He wouldn't be back for several hours. And since that also included Travis, I invited Sophia to have dinner with me. With Michael's permission to use his room, of course.

"Sophia!" I scolded, and nailed her with my eyes.

"We're not a couple."

"Oh, come on. I've seen the way he looks at you. I'm sure he'd marry you in a heartbeat. After all, you're having his baby."

I didn't answer. I just blushed and focused intently on my spaghetti that only had cheese and a little bit of butter on it, since I couldn't stand the thought of any sauce or spices.

"What?" Sophia asked, dragging the 'a', and I cursed inwardly at her ability to read me like an open book.

"He already asked you to be his girlfriend?"

She leaned forward on her elbows, and chewed slowly on a piece of pizza while she squinted at me.

"Ana?" she said with a clear message to tell her. And I eventually caved in.

"Heaskedmetomarryhim," I blurted out, and wanted to disappear into the ground when she gasped so deeply that she started coughing.

"But only as a joke!"

"Oh, my God! When is the wedding? I wanna be your maid of honor. That's okay, right? Please let me be your maid of honor! And we need to find you a dress. Which type do you want? Mermaid? Trumpet? Maybe ball gown? No, wait. I think A-shape will look amazing on you. Maybe a modernized A-shape. Holy crap, Ana! You're gonna be the most gorgeous bride ever. And we need to..."

"Sophia! Stop! We're not getting married! And I'm not his girlfriend. We're only friends, and that's all it is."

"For now, I hope?"

I swallowed.

"Don't tell me you friendzoned him?"

"What else can I do?"

She sighed and gave me the look.

"Girl... You are so in denial about your own feelings. When are you going to follow your heart? Everybody knows that you only work at the hotel to please your parents. It's not what you want."

I raised my eyebrows and just blinked.

"Excuse me? That's not true. Where did you get that from?"

"Ana," she started.

"You're so much of a yes-person that you've forgotten how to even spell the word 'no'."

"Am not! I said no to Michael."

Sophia smirked and bit her lip.

"That's not how I recall it. You didn't object much when he fucked you in front of everyone in the dining room. And that's why you're sitting here today."

I clenched my jaw, knowing way too well that she was right.

"But I say no now," I muttered.

"And that's wrong! You were a mess after he left. And even a workaholic like you couldn't find enough work to drown your sorrows, and that's rare, because you gladly stack an entire trolley of towels that already got stacked minutes before. You're going on autopilot, girl! Isn't it time to take the wheel and do what you want for once?"