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Drive
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Chapter 32: Drive (Michael's POV)
She walked out of the bathroom, wearing one of my white button-ups while she pulled her back into a low bun, a few pieces falling out and framing her face. She stopped at the nightstand and sat down, her back facing me while she went through her phone.
I scooted closer, grabbing the back of the shirt and pulling her to lie down.
She lay down, her head on my thigh as she held her phone above her face. "Morning practice is canceled tomorrow," she said, putting the phone down and looking at me. "Coach Peters and James are attending an interview for the team with a sports magazine, so we don't have to go tomorrow morning. Evening practice is still on though."
I held her chin between my fingers before lightly moving my fingers across her neck. She pulled my hand down, getting ticklish. I smiled, looking down at her while holding my head in my hand, elbow propped up as I watched her. "That means I'm free tomorrow until six o'clock, right?"
She nodded, staring up at me.
"Do you want to go somewhere then? Since we can sleep in tomorrow?"
"Where do you want to go?" she chuckled.
I shrugged softly. "Nowhere. For a drive, maybe?"
"For a drive?" She watched me in amusement.
I nodded.
"Okay," she agreed, sitting up and turning to me, kneeling on the bed. "Okay, let's go for a drive. You have to lend me some pants."
I frowned in confusion.
She laughed dryly, rolling her eyes, "You see, a certain somebody thought it would be a good idea to tear my dress, so I can't wear that now, can I? I'll wear the shirt I'm wearing now, just give me pants."
"My pants will fall right off you." I sat up and walked to the closet. "But let's see," I sighed, scanning all the bottoms here. I stood there, still looking around when she came in, standing behind me and putting her arms around me from behind. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to the front.
She kept her back to me and looked through the clothes while I put my arms around her waist, resting my chin on the top of her head. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants. "Hmm? It has drawstrings."
"Try," I said, taking a step back.
She slipped them on and tied the drawstrings as tightly as she could but even then they ran past her feet. I chuckled. She hitched the waistband up higher and folded it so it was a bit better. "There we go," she mumbled, looking at me, grinning. I tried holding back a laugh but wound up snorting instead. She glared at me and I shook my head, biting back a smile, and hugged her. "What?" she asked, resting her chin on my chest.
"Nothing. Nothing, you look adorable," I said, looking down at her.
"Get dressed and then let's go," she said, going on her toes.
So, that's what we did. I got dressed, took the keys, and grabbed two hats. I put one on myself and then tightened the other one before putting it on her. We really aren't in a position to risk getting our pictures taken by anybody.
We went downstairs and from the lobby rushed to my car quickly. We got inside and I started the drive. Amelia played some music and stared out the window for the most part. I grabbed her hand and rested our locked fingers on her thigh. We'd been driving around aimlessly for at least forty-five minutes when she lowered the volume and stared at me. I could feel her eyes on me. "What?" I chuckled, glancing at her.
"Nothing, I'm just looking at you."
"Because... I'm something worth looking at?"
"Of course you are, you're perfect," she said, "and you're blushing," she laughed, teasing. We were driving past the Boston Public Library when she asked, "Have you ever been in there?"
I nodded. "I went there when I first moved to Boston. I went to all the famous Boston areas. It's very quiet there but it was considerably boring by myself."
She chuckled, "I want to go in there."
"You've never been? Ever?"
She shook her head.
"Where else have you never been?"
"The Museum of Science. I really want to see the planetarium there. I haven't been anywhere," she scoffed, "it never seemed so important. When I moved, I was busy settling in, preparing for the job interview. Then I got the job as your assistant and found out it was you I'd be working for. Then everything else kind of slipped into the background. I was very focused on surviving you without falling back into the past or falling in love with you again."
I glanced at her, parking in front of the library. It was an empty parking lot, nobody's allowed inside anyway, we're all alone.
"But I did that anyway," she mumbled, crossing her legs and facing me. We both took our hats off and set them on the dashboard. We stared at each other for some time and then she shrugged softly. "I couldn't help it," she whispered, "but sometimes I think I should have controlled it. Maybe I shouldn't have fallen in love with you again."
"Really?" I whispered.
She smiled, shaking her head. "No," she chuckled. "I just think sometimes maybe I should have done it sooner. Maybe I shouldn't have spent so long resisting my feelings for you. We could have worked this out sooner but we didn't. We were stubborn," she sighed.
"Amelia, can I ask you something?"
"Mm-hmm." She nodded.
"Why did you do all those things after I left New York?"
She swallowed and looked out the window instead.
"You left college, you spent your Thanksgiving all alone in Boston, looking for me. You moved out of campus. Why? I mean..."
"Michael, please I don't want to talk about this."
"I get that. But I want to understand why. Did you really think I would be worth it? Throwing your whole life away? Did you think that would bring me back?"
She clicked her tongue, facing me again. "No, of course not."
"Amelia, it doesn't make me happy," I shook my head. "It hurts."
She looked down at her lap, picking at her nails.
I grabbed her hands, making her look back at me. "It hurts me to know that you threw everything you ever worked for away just because I was gone. It makes me feel like shit. It should, actually. What I did was wrong and it hurt you. But how did you..." I sighed in frustration, hitting my head against the seat. "How did you come to the conclusion that throwing your own life away would do you any good?"
She paused. "Michael, I did not think it would do me any good. I didn't do it because I thought it was a solution or because I thought it would make the situation any better. I did it because I had no idea what else to do. You were up and gone and it really felt like..." She took in a breath, steadying herself.
"It felt like a huge part of me was gone. I didn't know how to move forward. I didn't know how to forget you. I didn't want to. I really didn't. You were my whole life since I got out of high school and met you in college all the way up till now. You're my whole world, Michael. And when we broke up it felt like everything came crashing down."
I sighed, regret running through every nerve. I tugged at her hand. "Come here."
She didn't hesitate and moved up, climbing over the controller and sitting in my lap, straddling me. She rested her arms around my neck and stared at me, her eyes kissing every inch of my face.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear.
She shook her head. "Don't," she warned.
"I really am."
"Michael, stop. We already did this, we already gave all our apologies. Now we move forward, not backward, right?" When I didn't respond, she held my face, moving it up and down, making me nod, chuckling softly but I pulled her hands down, glancing out the window. "Hey," she sang, forcing me to look at her. "Come on. It's done. Finished, it's the past." She leaned in, kissing my cheek and keeping her lips there for a moment.
"Amelia." I pulled her away.
She frowned and moved to climb off but I held her hips in place. "Let go," she ordered.
I shook my head, staring at her.
"Let go," she said scoldingly.
I shook my head again, chuckling softly.
"I'm not joking. I didn't come with you to pout and frown about our history. History is the past. Stop moping," she demanded.
"Okay," I nodded, realizing that it was genuinely upsetting her. "Okay."
She pushed my hands off.
"Okay! Okay!" I laughed, holding her tighter and pulling her in. "Okay," I whispered softly. "I hear you." I kissed her cheek, then her jaw while she looked out the window.
She turned to look at me. I pucker my lips and she leaned in to kiss me. It was only a peck and then she pulled away.
I shot her a pointed look. "You're the one moping now," I said quietly.
She shook her head, mumbling, "No." I poked her side and she squealed, grabbing my wrist and laughing. I grabbed her by the throat and pulled her lips to mine. She kissed me back, her hand holding onto my arm. I deepened the kiss and her hold on me tightened as she shifted her hips, moving against me. She took in a sharp breath when I kissed her neck but then I stopped, hearing a few cars drive by.
"Didn't we come to drive?" I chuckled.
"But this is so much more fun," she smiled.
"Do you want to head back now?"
She nodded.
"Then let's go."
.
.
.
.
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Chapter 32
I just finished reading the entire Shatter Me series and oh fuck me
Idk why I waited so long but I read them so fast but I could NOT put the books down and no fucking joke, I cried the whole time I read Restore Me and Defy Me. My heart broke TOO FUCKING MUCH.
And I love Aaron Warner.
Ignite me was hands down my favorite because that book was Aaron and Juliette's peak except for the final ending which was SO FREAKING CUTE.
anyways, I'm done now
next chapter: paparazzi
what do you think will happen?