Michael's shoulders slumped a little in discontent before something in his body language twitched. He drifted closer to Sam, much to the blonds suspicion, and gave the air a sniff. It didn't take a genius to tell that Michael had finally smelt the stench of alcohol clinging to the air around Sam.
Ashley watched anxiously for the outcome as subtly, Michael inclined his head till his lips were next to Sam's ear. "Stay here then," he whispered softly. "I won't let you take this from me."
With that he stepped away and turned towards Ashley. He flicked his wrist towards the door as a signal for her to make an exit. "We're leaving".
"Oh, that's it is it?" Sam piped up. "You're just going to leave me here while you disappear into the sunset with her?"
Ashley looked back at Sam to see his eyes were glassy with tears. She looked immediately to Michael to gauge his response if he was even willing to offer one. Was that really what was happening here?
Sam folded his thick arms across his chest but it didn't hide the fact his entire body was trembling. "What about the things you took from me?"
Michael turned to survey Sam with a look that made Ashley's insides decay. It was arctic and savage.
"I haven't taken anything from you." His response was slow and careful but his tone practically dripped with hostility. "Not, one, thing. We all make our choices, you chose wrong."
"I chose wrong?" Sam leered, his face screwing up at the sheer mentioning of those three words. "I chose wrong?" he seemed to be making a mockery of Michael's words yet at the same time he was livid.
Michael's face remained deadpan. He spoke calmly and distinctly. "You, chose wrong." He shook his head, "and that's not my fault. It's never been my fault."
Sam's expression shifted in anguish. His entire being looked stung by Michael's words but it didn't stop there. Michael glanced down.
"You were right, it's not the same," he murmured before he looked back at Sam solemnly. "I won't fail her like you failed your family."
As soon as those words rolled off of Michael's tongue Ashley's heart plummeted down to the soles of her feet. If there was anything she'd learnt from her time with Sam, it was the ramifications of mentioning his family. She didn't know where to look, she was just staring at him wide eyed; drinking in his appearance.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michael turn to leave whilst gesturing she go ahead. She was still stunned by what was happening so suddenly. Were they really leaving Sam behind?
She was surprised to see Sam's vehement, red-rimmed eyes make contact with hers. They burned with the fire of the devil. It was at that point she knew she should have left the room when Michael pointed to the door.
Sam's python arms lunged out for her brittle body and she saw a series of flashbacks of all the times she'd seen those tanned weapons plunging towards her. This time, a flash of defensive knowledge leaped to mind and she half dodged, half deflected his first hand away. She failed to avoid his second hand and felt it make contact, wrapping around her entire bicep. He tugged her towards him so violently she fell.
Michael turned fluidly and without hesitation jabbed Sam straight in the throat with his fingers. Sam immediately released her to clutch at his throat. He caved over and began choking frantically.
Michael looked down at him without remorse. "You've had that coming to you since you hurt her back at the Asylum. I told you not to touch her, I wasn't joking," he murmured coolly.
Ashley scrambled away from Sam only to come up against Michael's legs as he stepped in to help her up.
She looked up at him uncertainly. She couldn't read nor understand him anymore than the day she first looked into his eyes at the Asylum. What was he thinking? Even for someone so capricious his decision to leave Sam behind was so sudden and effortless, and it all started because he smelt alcohol on his breath?
Michael pulled Ashley up and walked her to the door quickly. Once she was outside she watched him look back at Sam who was still recovering with strangled gasps.
"You stole alcohol. You know all the shops around here have CCTV. You think I don't know what you're doing?" he asked quizzically, a smile twitching at one corner of his mouth. "For the record this is also your fault. You chose her over me first. Think about that."
He then turned and guided Ashley down the stairs, the two of them walking away from Sam, possibly forever.
[Authors Note]
Hope you like the upload. I am already writing the beginnings of Chapter 16 which will be a great deal longer! Hooray!
Please do let me know what you think of the story so far, I'm also interested to know what you think Michael meant by the last paragraph?