Never Again Until Tonight
1988
Michael's POV
I walked back into the house after standing in the rain crying for nearly an hour. I went to my room and lay on my stomach on the bed. The bed that Amanda and I had shared, now she was gone. Amanda didn't even leave a note; there was no explanation for her leaving. I missed her already, I wanted to just hold her in my arms and tell her that everything would be okay, and that I wasn't leaving her. What was she thinking? I was leaving her to go on tour, I would be back. I didn't invite because I would be doing the wedding planning when I wasn't performing, I wanted the actual wedding to be a complete surprise.
But no, she had to leave, leave me behind. I thought that I had finally found the one who would love me for the rest of my life. Now I was probably never going to see her again.
Amanda's POV
The rain was pattering softly on my car's windows on my way back to San Diego. I don't know what made me leave Michael. I don't know what came over me, I'm just confused. You know, maybe my fears of him up and leaving me one day finally got to me. I never wanted to see him again though, I was too devastated, too embarrassed. I finally pulled into my apartment building, grabbed my stuff from the trunk, and ran inside.
After I put all my things away, I sat on the couch, thinking. I got up from the couch and turned on my stereo and skipped the first few songs. I closed my eyes as Michael's voice filled the room.
I Just Want To Lay Next To You for Awhile
You Look So Beautiful Tonight
Your Eyes Are So Lovely
Your Mouth Is So Sweet
A Lot of People misunderstand me
That's because they don't know Me At All
I Just Want To Touch You
And Hold You
I Need You
God I Need You
I Love You So Much
He started singing and I flipped the stereo off, I couldn't listen to him. I didn't even know why I turned it on. I walked into the bathroom, distributed and worried of what I found. I was a month late, I realized, and then it all clicked. Michael.
I ran to the phone and dialed Lacey's number.
She picked up after the first ring, "Hey, girl."
"Lacey, I need you to come over and I need you to bring me a pregnancy test," I said shaking with panic.
"Okay, be right over," she said, hanging up after that.
When Lacey finally came over I tested myself and cried when I saw the results. I sat on the couch curled up next to Lace balling, telling her everything.
"You probably need to tell him you're sorry and that he's going to be a daddy," Lacey said quietly.
"No," I stood up and looked out the window, "I never want to see him again. I'll raise this baby on my own, I don't need him."
A blanket of silence fell over the room, "Well, I have some good news to help you forget this bad news. I decided to go back to college and finish out my degree. I got accepted to NYU," Lacey said from behind me.
"That's great, so you're moving to New York?" I asked her getting a brand new idea.
"Yeah, hey, you could move in with me. I'll help you with the baby," she said.
"You don't know how much that invitation means to me," I said sitting beside her, "I want to get as far away from California as I can and never come back. I want to get as far away from Michael as I can and I never want to see him again."
1998
Amanda's POV
After Michael and I's talk, I went back to my room. He said he wanted to play with Tara for a little bit anyway. He was so good to her and I truly wished that I wouldn't have run away all those years ago. I wish that Michael was my husband and that he helped me raise Tara, not Lacey and Daniel.
I sat down on my bed and looked over at the open closet. In my closet, sitting propped up against the wall was my old guitar. Becoming a singer was a dream I had abandoned when I left California, but that didn't stop me from writing songs in New York, all of which happened to be about Michael. My favorite was a song called Last Kiss and I hadn't played it in awhile. I got up from my bed, got my guitar, and sat back down. I started strumming random chords to see if it was still in tune. It was which was surprising. I started playing the opening chords, and then I started singing the song that I would never forget the words to.
I still remember the look on your face
Lit through the darkness at 1:58
The words that you whispered
For just us to know
Told me you loved me
So why did you go away?
Away
I do recall now the smell of the rain
Fresh on the pavement
I ran off the plane
That July 9th
The beat of your heart
It jumps through your shirt
I can still feel your arms
But now I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
I never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
I do remember
The swing of your step
The life of the party, you're showing off again
And I roll my eyes and then
You pull me in
I'm not much for dancing
But for you I did
Because I love your handshake, meeting my mother
I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets
How you kissed me when I was in the middle of saying something
There's not a day when I don't miss those rude interruptions
But now I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep
And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe
And I keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are
Hope it's nice where you are
And I hope the sun shines
And it's a beautiful day
And something reminds you
You wish you had stayed
You can plan for a change in weather and town
But I never planned on you changing your mind
So I'll go sit on the floor
Wearing your clothes
All that I know is that
I don't know how to be something you miss
Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
Just like our last kiss
Forever the name on my lips
Forever the name on my lips
Just like our last
"That was beautiful," Michael said, coming to sit on the bed beside me.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"I love your voice. How come you gave up on that dream?"
I sighed, "Michael," I put my guitar by the bed, "Why are you so set on getting me back?"
Michael sighed and looked into my eyes, "You were the love of my life. You were the one. You still are. Something doesn't feel right about us being apart. We're supposed to be together."
Michael leaned in and kissed me in an intense kiss. Soon we were completely undressed and he was lying on top of me, kissing down my neck. I loved his touch, his lips on my skin; it brought back so many memories. But, it all abruptly ended when I heard a man's voice scream my name angrily.
"Amanda!"