Tatiana's POV
"Can we talk? In private?" Karen asks as I stare at her blankly. I look over her shoulder seeing Sheryl walk out of rehearsal. We lock eyes as hers grow big mouthing;
"What the hell?"
I clear my throat as I glance back at Karen. "Now?"
"It would be a good time." she smiles as I restrain from grimacing.
The last thing I ever wanted to do was be alone with Karen Faye in a room.
"Yeah...sure..."I say hesitantly. We take a few steps silently down the hall before she opens the door to her suite, with me hesitantly stepping in.
"So..." she says closing the door behind her as I watch her closely. "Do you want water or anything?" she asks a little too cheerfully. "Maybe some --"
"Karen, just cut the crap. Why am I here?"I ask as she pauses."What is it that you really want?"
"What? Is it a shock I wanted to hang out with my best friend's girlfriend?"she asks as I snort, rolling my eyes.
It wasn't just shocking, it was unbelievable. It sounded like something that would come out of a fiction.
"I don't have time for this. I need to shower." I mutter walking towards the door as she grabs my arm.
"Wait!" she sighs out. "I wanted to talk...I wanted to..."she pauses before letting out a deep breath. "Apologize."
I raise an eyebrow, staring at her blankly before looking at her hand that still gripped to my arm. She quickly let's go as she stares at me.
"I-I want to apologize for how I treated you in the past." she says slowly before sighing putting a hand to her forehead for a moment closing her eyes. "This is more difficult then I thought." she mutters.
"Karen, I really don't need a huge performance on--"
"It's not a performance, Tatiana. It's just hard for me to trust people around, Michael. I've seen people use him, abuse him, and break him completely. Trust being broken, lies being told...I've seen him on his dark days, I've seen him sad. I think because of that--because of the sadness I think he realizes how valuable happiness is. Being weak makes him know what it means to be strong. Being helpless makes him more determined to be helpful. Mistakes happen, awful things might happen in one's life. But by looking at the bright sides of things, you might just be able to smile forever in life....which is why you are valuable to him. You make him stronger, you bring a light in his eyes I don't even see when he's onstage--you make him happy, you're his bright side." she says quietly.
"I tried to warn him about you...thinking you were one of those typical people in his life. The one who'd come and go." she chuckles to herself softly. "But you know how he is. He's really headstrong and stubborn--especially when it comes to you." she looks down for a moment before looking up at me. "And I'm glad he was."
I stare at her trying to find the right words to say, for them to only be stuck in my throat unable to come out.
"I just wanted to say...I'm truly sorry, Tatiana. I really am. It's going to take time for me to accept it fully...but I just need you to know I'm going to try."
**
I walk back in my suite slowly, clinging the towel on my neck as I stare in space, my back against the door.
"Tat?" I hear from the other room before hearing footsteps. I look up seeing Michael as he chuckles, coming towards me as he puts his hands on each side of my head, pressing his lips against my cheek. "I was thinking we should go out and--....sweetheart, are you even listening?" he asks as I continue to stare blankly in the distance as he pulls away. "What's wrong?"
"Do I make you happy?" I ask looking up at him. He smiles gently pressing his lips against my temple as he whispers softly;
"You make me happy more than anyone. You have always been there for me and you never wanted anything from me, but for me to be there for you and to love you with my dear heart. If it's anything, I don't deserve you....you're an angel....you're so sweet and your spirit, it cleanses me. It refreshes me. You are someone I treasure, my heart belongs to you and only you. You're my happy thought, Wendy."
I blush deeply as he chuckles biting his lip staring down at me. "Now why did you ask that?"
"I spoke to Karen--" I say slowly.
He furrows his eyebrows his smile fading. "You what?"
I shake my head walking past him as I toss the towel in the chair. "She stopped me after dance rehearsal, she wanted to talk."
"She what?" Michael stares at me, furrowing his eyebrows. "About what?"
I grab a bottle of water, twisting the cap, as I shake my head in disbelief. "She wanted to apologize....." I say slowly. "She apologized....."
Michael crosses his arms, his eyes widening. "She apologized?" he practically chokes out.
I nod slowly.
"Like a genuine apology?" he asks.
"A genuine apology. Straight from the heart." I say as Michael stares at me in utter disbelief.
"Are we talking about the same Karen?" he chuckles. "Karen Faye?"
"Mhhm..." I hum stripping out of the sweaty shirt that was sticking to my skin.
"Did you believe her?"
I pause for a moment letting it sink in before looking back at him. "I guess...I guess I do in a way." I say before going into the bathroom.
"You're joking right?" Michael asks following after me. "You didn't get into a fight with her?"
"No. I'm almost offended you'd think such a thing." I smirk giving him a playful look as he stares at me worried.
"Baby, it's just...it's just that..." he furrows his eyebrows. "You know with the things that have happened between you and her... and things going on lately--"
"I know...." I sigh out, pulling my hair back. "And you were right. I was overthinking. Maybe it's just a case of tour craziness and things in the past, and I'm being paranoid."
Michael flutters his eyes quickly as he raises his eyebrows, leaning against the wall. "You mean to tell me..." he chuckles. "That you think I'm right?"
"I mean, I think that...she actually cares about you. That she was looking out for you, you know?"
Michael stares at me for a moment silently. "You what?"
"I think she was just looking out for you."
Michael opens his mouth before closing it. "I--" he pauses. "I don't know what to say..." he says slowly furrowing his eyebrows.
"I thought you'd be happy we settled our issues...or hers." I say as he runs a hand through his hair.
"I spoke with her last night-- and I told her how I felt about you to her." he says slowly. "I just didn't expect for her to you know...." he pauses. "Wow..."
He stays silent for a moment before looking back at me. "Tatiana, just be careful. I-..." he pauses. "I just would be careful with it, okay?" he says softly. "You can't take everyone's word as the truth. I've learned that the hard way time and time again."
"I know, Michael. Trust me...I'm not expecting us to be best friends or anything."
"I know. Just be careful, alright?" he says laying a soft kiss on my forehead before walking out.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"I'll be back. I just need to do something." he calls out.
Michael's POV
I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all.
I know I've stuck up for Karen in the past, and I know I always wanted her and Tatiana to have some sort of understanding.
Something didn't feel right.
I still had my reservations about her. Especially when it came to Tatiana.
I walk down the hall as quickly as I can, knocking on Karen's door. The door swings open.
"Michael!" Karen says in surprise as I quickly rush inside.
"What are you trying to pull, Karen?" I ask as she closes the door behind us staring at me.
"What am I trying to pull?" she asks slowly.
"Don't play games, Karen." I scoff. "What are you trying to pull with Tatiana?"
"What do you mean what I'm trying to pull with her?" she asks. "After our talk last night, I thought about it. I wanted to bury that bad blood with Tatiana, and I." she says. "For you."
I look down at the floor, before putting my hands in my pocket. I slowly walk towards her before staring down at her.
"If this is some sort of conniving trick on your part to hurt Tatiana, Karen..it's not going to be Tatiana that will get you. I'm not even going to have Frank handle it. I will be coming after you myself." I say slowly as her eyes grow cold.
I stare at her a moment longer before walking to the door.
"Are you threatening me, Michael?" Karen asks as I look back her. "Is that what it's going to be like now? After how many years I've worked with and for you?" she spats.
I slowly turn around staring into her eyes. I close them for a moment before letting out a deep sigh, turning away.
"I'm saying that I'm putting the woman I'm in love with first. Now and forever." I say before walking out.
Paul's POV
I didn't know who threw the first punch of the day, but suddenly a fist was slammed into my face. Blood pooled in her mouth as I gagged. Stars burst in my vision before I'm met with a sloppy kick.
I close my eyes gritting my teeth in pain, as I furrow my eyebrows. I feel the chains dig into my wrists as I bite down on my lip tasting blood.
"That's enough..." I hear a voice say as I open my eyes hazily. My vision is blurred but I could still make out Jack's figure as he takes off his jacket tossing it in a chair.
"Ahhh Paul!" he grins clapping his hands together before rubbing them. "I see you have a new look..."
I'm pretty sure by now I was close to unrecognizable. My face and entire body was completely covered in bruises, blood, or swollen.
I restrain myself from laughing out. The fact that someone can stand back and watch their child be injured unless they are a defective moron...or Jack.
"Whap!"
I open my eyes tiredly seeing Jack standing before me, his hands stretched against the table. I blink slowly seeing two photos, side by side.
One photo was of Tatiana and the other of Michael.
"You know something, Paul?" Jack says staring down at the two photos.
"Let's play a game..." he grins as he walks around the table as he stands directly in front of me.
"Do you know how to play 'would you rather?" he asks staring in my eyes with a smirk on his face. "Here's how we'll start..." he says as I swallow painfully, licking my dry lips.
"Would you rather be with LaToya or Tatiana?" he asks as I shoot my eyes at him.
He chuckles lowly running a hand down his face before looking over at me. "Would you rather save Tatiana or LaToya?" he asks as I feel my nose flare with anger building up inside me.
"You wouldn't dare get near, Tatiana." I hiss hoarsely.
Even though I wasn't on good terms with Michael, I knew he wouldn't let any physical harm come her way.
But who would take care of LaToya?
I clench my jaw angrily staring at him. Why am I even actually contemplating this?
"How about would you rather..." he puts his hands in his pocket, in amusement. "Would you rather let me have Latoya or Tatiana?"
I feel all the anger in me build up as I painfully lunge at him only to be restrained by the rusted chains.
He chuckles as he gets face to face with me. "I always knew you were like me....you never struck me as a one woman type of man."
I stare him down before spitting right in his face. He immediately strikes me in the face as I groan out in pain.
"I'd watch it if I were you. You've only been alive this long because you are my son."
"Allegedly." I whisper hoarsely, as I wince in pain.
"Let me ask you this." Jack says turning back to me holding the two photos up. "Who should die? Michael or Tatiana?" he asks.
"Do you think I'd really answer that?" I spat my heart immediately aching as I stare at Tatiana's photo.
He smirks as Joel comes to my side pressing a cool metal piece to my head. "You don't have a choice."
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Hey guys, this chapter took awhile because I was trying to make it longer than I typically do.
But who do you think Paul's choice will be?
Is Karen really genuine about her apology?
Vote/Comment
xoxo,
moonwalkergal