A/N: Well well, looks like 'Big Day' rimes with big chapter! Hope you'll enjoy this one as much as I loved writing it, guys.
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March 10th, 1992
Dear Diary,
It was important for me to take the time to lay my thoughts on here today, even though I have a panicked best friend to deal with. Yeah, today is Al's big day, the day she's going to say 'I do' to the love of her life. As I'm writing those words, tears of joy are pooling my eyes. I remember those conversations we had, when we were just teens, about how our wedding would look like, and how our husbands would be like. We dreamed, like thousands of little girls out there, to have a man who would always put us first, and who would love us unconditionally for the rest of his days, and this is what she found in Carl. After a difficult start, they managed to find their way back to each other, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Yesterday was Alice's bachelorette party that I organized with Latoya's help. I was happy to see that everybody had a great night, especially Latoya. Being away from Jack and living her life on her own made her happy again, and I never missed a chance to point that out to her.
These past ten days have been quite intense, but I am more than happy to have had the chance to organize my best friends' wedding. Michael has been quite busy too, and we didn't find a moment to see each other. But since Carl chose him as his best man because of his brother's inability to make it to the wedding, today is also the day I'll see my boyfriend again.
Today is going to be a wonderful day.
I put a final period to my sentence, and smiled genuinely as I closed my journal. I adjusted the roses Michael sent in the vase, and took the waffles out of the waffle iron, that same happy expression plastered on my face.
I woke up quite early to be able to prepare breakfast for Alice, Latoya and Alice's mother, Ruth. Today was going to be stressful, so starting the day with a consistent breakfast was a plus. When I was done cutting the fruits and making the waffles, I went down the hall to Carl's bedroom. Of course, the groom spent the night out of the loft, as the tradition wanted him to.
When I opened the door, I chuckled under my breath at the sight of my
best fried, who was sleeping with her mouth opened and half of her body out of the bed. I opened the curtains of the room, and jumped on her bed to wake her up. It took her half a second to open her eyes, and to curse me out.
"Why you gotta be a pain in the ass? Go away!" she said, throwing a pillow in my direction. "It's too early for your shit," she groaned, covering her face with the sheets.
"My shit?" I laughed out loud, as I sat down next to her and uncovered her face. "You're getting married today, and I prepared a big breakfast for your dumbass. You're welcome."
"You did?" she innocently asked, uncovering her eyes only.
"I did," I verified with a smile. "And your mom called this morning, she's coming over for breakfast as well."
"She's going to be sad when she sees Latoya here and not Michael," she sighed dramatically before she burst into laughter.
"She'll have plenty of time to harass my boyfriend tonight," I laughed along with her. "Come on, get up. We have plenty of things to do."
"When is your friend coming for my hair and make up again?"
"Karen should be here around noon," I let her know, and I went on, as I knew what was coming next. "And we need to be at the venue at four in the afternoon, and at four thirty, you'll be at the altar with your man."
"My very-soon-to-be husband," she grinned happily, as she sat up in bed. "Nothing ever felt so natural. I know I'm doing the right choice."
"You are. You're perfect together," I smiled sincerely, as tears came to my eyes. "Sorry, I promise I won't start crying just yet."
"Aw, Brit," she cooed, and took me in her arms. "I'm happy that you're here after all these years. Thank you for being the best Maid of Honor, and the best friend I've ever had. And thank you for bringing Carl and I back together."
"I didn't do anything, but the pleasure was all mine," I grinned through my tears, rubbing her back. "I know you'll be a great Maid of Honor too."
"W—Wait, does it mean you changed your mind about marriage?" she asked, pulling away to look at me in the eyes.
"I don't know, I'm just thinking about it," I just shrugged, and she took me in her arms again, visibly happy with my answer. "Someday, maybe."
***
The loft was a real battlefield when I came home from the flower shop where I picked up Alice's bouquet. There were people everywhere: Ruth and Al's stepfather were in the kitchen, talking to Latoya and Hayden, Karen was taking care of Al's hair in the living room, and Andy was playing with his cowboy dolls on the couch with Grams. To reassure Alice, I decided to gather everybody home. I knew that, when she was stressed out, it reassured her to have people around, for some reason.
"Auntie Brit!" the little one ran in my direction, a happy grin on his face. "I thought you would never come back."
"Of course I came back," I reassured, messing with his hair. "I need to get prepared, now, or I'm going to run late."
"Sure! Do you want me to put Alice's flowers in this vase?" he kindly offered, pointing at an empty vase by the couch.
"Sure. Thank you, cutie pie," I thanked him, placing a little kiss on his head.
I gave him the bouquet, and went quickly to the living room to check on Alice. I could see by the look on her face that she started to feel nervous. Her whole demeanor had changed drastically since the early morning.
"How are we doing here?" I asked Karen and Alice.
"We're doing good! I'm almost done with the hair," Karen answered, her curling iron in hands. "I'll take care of yours once you're dressed."
"Sure," I nodded, touching her shoulder gently. "And how's the bride?"
"Nervous as hell," she answered, playing with her engagement ring. "Did you get my bouquet? Did you go to the venue? Did you see Carl? How is he?"
"Al, breathe," I gently asked her, as I knelt next to her. "I did go to the venue, and everything is going as planned. I also got your bouquet, Andy just put it in a vase until it's time to go. And finally, yes, I saw your fiance, and he is just fine. He can't wait to see you."
"Aw," she said, putting a hand over her heart. "Did he look hot?"
"My lips are sealed," I shrugged, and stood up again. "I'm going to get prepared. Call me if you need anything, I'll be upstairs."
Quickly, I jogged upstairs to my room, and threw my purse on my bed. I didn't waste a second to go in the bathroom and into the shower. Of course, I was nervous too, but I had to keep it to myself, not to alarm Alice. I didn't lie when I said that everything was going just as planned, but we never know what can happen. But I knew that I would feel better as soon as I'd see Alice walking down the aisle.
As much as I wanted to stay under the running water, I didn't have much time to do so. Once I dried off, I slipped in my dress right away. To be honest, I was happy with my outfit. It was a light pink, floor-length slip dress that had a small V-neck cleavage. The satin fabric was quite tight on my body, but I did like the way I looked in it. I put my heels on, added one of the necklace Michael bought me for my birthday, and my outfit was completed. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, put some perfume, and finally, I went downstairs to see Karen so that she could take care of my hair and make up as well. I had the feeling I was running a marathon.
"Look at you," Latoya's sweet voice was heard, and I smiled at her. "You look divine."
"My hair and make-up isn't done yet, I look like I haven't slept in weeks," I chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "But thank you, though. You look amazing yourself."
"Thank you darling," she smiled, looking at her red, sparkling dress. "Being nice runs in the family. Hayden just asked me if I wanted to go to the venue with him, Andy and your Grams."
"Aw, that's sweet of him. Are you comfortable with it?"
"Sure. Hayden is one of the kindest man I've met in my life," she smiled sincerely, but it disappeared in a split second. "Jack used to be like that at first. But then, he turned into a person I didn't recognize."
I smiled internally at Latoya's words, as I noticed the progress she had made for the past ten days. Before that, she would have never admitted that Jack wasn't the man she met when she was younger. She was slowly coming to the realization that he was no good for her, and that she could be her own woman, without him.
During her time with me, she went to the studio, handled her meetings and other important things all by herself, which she wasn't used to anymore. I made sure she reconnected with the person she used to be before Jack started abusing her, and seeing the progress she made day after day made me proud of her. She was one of the strongest person I knew, for sure.
"I'm glad you feel safe with Haze," I simply said, as I pulled her into a warm embrace. "Let's forget about your husband for tonight. I want you to have fun, and to enjoy the wedding."
"I will for sure. Thank you, for everything," she thanked me in a whisper, as we pulled away.
On my way to the living room, I ran into Alice, who had her hair and make up done. She looked amazing, even though she didn't have her dress on just yet. She had a few curly strands of hair falling on each side of her face, and a loose curly bun at the back of her head. It looked amazing. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful bride I laid my eyes on.
"No! Wait until I have my dress on to tell me I look beautiful," she asked, as I was about to speak. She disappeared in the hallway to her bedroom in half a second, which made me giggle.
"She's nervous but she has a talent for hiding it," Karen snickered, as she brushed my long brunette mane. "Anyway, what do you want me to do?"
"Well, my natural straight hair is boring, so what about we add some volume and curls to it?"
"There's nothing boring about your hair, girl!" Karen argued, as she looked at me thanks to the mirror in front of me. "But I can do that. This has nothing to do with the fact that Michael loves curly hair, right?"
"Not at all," I smirked devilishly.
It had everything to do with it.
***
I peeked outside, and noticed that each of the twenty-six seats were taken, meaning all of the guests were there. All of them but one.
Michael.
As the best man, Michael was supposed to meet me at the back where the guests couldn't see us, so that we could walk down the aisle together, and meet Carl at the altar. Nervousness was invading me more and more at each passing second, but I needed to hide it from Alice, because she would have freaked out even more if she knew.
"Is everybody there? Is Carl there already?" Al asked, from behind me, and I put a smile on my face before I turned around.
"Everybody is there, but Carl isn't yet. Do you want me to go check on him?" I asked, trying to keep a steady voice.
"Y—yes, please. Tell him it's too late to run, and that if he does, I'll hunt him down. And tell Michael to come here!"
Indeed, I lied to Alice and told her Michael was with Carl so that she could calm down. But even though she calmed down, I didn't. I was nervous something happened to him, or that he got mobbed on his way here. I was well aware that he was taking risk by coming to this wedding, but he did anyway, for Carl and Alice, and most of all, for me.
"Hey there," I greeted Carl with a smile. "Everyone is there."
"That's good," he nodded, as he gulped. "Maybe you've heard of my best man by now?"
"I—I didn't. I have no idea where Michael is, and it's starting to scare the hell out of me. I feel like my lungs are about to explode in my chest," I explained, putting a hand over my heart.
"I'm sure he's on his way, relax," he reassured gently, rubbing my shoulder.
"And you're the one reassuring me, stop it," I shook my head, and swatted his hand away. "How are you feeling?" I asked, as I adjusted his tie around his neck.
"Nervous, but happy," he smiled, as he took both of my wrists in his hands. "We wouldn't be here without you. You made me realize so many things, Brit... Thank you. Really."
"I couldn't let this beautiful story die," I grinned, trying not to get emotional all over again. "You deserve happiness, both of you. I've never seen Alice so happy than when you're around, and vice versa. You were meant to be together."
"Come here," he beckoned with teary eyes, as he opened his arms for me. "You're the best, Hayley Thames. The best friend, employee and human being that I had to meet in my entire life."
"You're not too bad yourself, Dr. Meyers," I joked, chuckling, as I pulled away from him. "And you look very handsome in that tuxedo."
"Right?" he said, turning around in a swift dance move. "Yeah, I gotta work on that. I'll have Michael teach me how to spin the way he does."
"Jackson!" we heard Alice almost yell in the distance, and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
"Speaking of the devil, I think your boyfriend just—"
I didn't let Carl finish his sentence that I was already running back to Alice. I didn't even think about the fact that I was running in high heels, for at that precise moment, all that mattered to me was to know my boyfriend was alright.
"N—No, I just got here, I didn't even see Carl," I heard him say as I arrived to the spot where they both were. "Hale! Oh God, I—"
"You're here," I cut him off, as I jumped in his arms and held him tight. "I was scared something happened on your way here and—"
"Hey, hey," Michael interrupted me in a soft tone as put me back on the fround and cupped my face in his large hands. "Nothing happened, we were just stuck in traffic. I'm here, I'm alright," he reassured, looking deep into my eyes before he looked over to Alice. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Al."
"She didn't know you weren't there yet," I admitted, grimacing a bit as I turned around in my best friend's direction. Her arms were crossed on her chest, and she was giving me a look. "I know, I'm sorry I lied. I wanted to save you some more stress."
"You're lucky Michael showed up, or I would have ripped your head off," she threatened, squinting her eyes at me. "Now, would you both mind going back to my future husband so that this wedding can start?"
"We can do that," Michael giggled slightly. "By the way," he added, turning around. "You look beautiful, Alice."
"Thanks, Mike," she smiled back at him. "I'll see you both down the aisle."
On our way to see Carl, Michael took my hand in his, and kissed to top of it. I looked up at him, only to see sparkles in his eyes. This single detail alone made my heart explode with love, thing that only him was capable to do to me. I didn't have much time to admire how good-looking he was in his black suit. I wasn't surprised to see that he didn't put a tie with his white shirt, because Michael wasn't a tie guy. However, light pink pinned flowers were attached to his blazer, which perfectly matched my dress' color.
"You look gorgeous in that dress," Michael complimented, looking down at me. "And I won't ever get tired of seeing you with my necklace around your neck."
"You look amazing yourself, Maestro," I answered with a genuine smile.
We didn't have any more time to talk, for the walk to Carl was pretty short. As soon as Carl was done greeting and thanking Michael, he went out and walked down the aisle to the altar while soft music was played on the piano. As soon as it would change to the traditional Here Comes the Bride melody, it would be Alice's cue to come out of her hiding spot.
But before that, Michael and I needed to join Carl there.
"Are you ready?" I asked my dashing boyfriend next to me.
"No," he answered, and my eyes automatically widened a bit.
It's when he leaned down to kiss me that I understood. I giggled a bit, as I put my hands on the back of his neck, pulling him down to my demanding lips. It had been ten days since I waited to kiss him, and the feeling of his lips against mine made my heart flutter inside of my chest, as if I was complete again. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. We pulled away, his hand rested below my ear, his thumb caressing my cheek as our breaths mingled. Michael's fingers ran down my spine, as he opened his eyes again to look at me.
"Now I'm ready," he whispered, his breath tickling the tip of my nose that he kissed before he let go of me.
He offered me his arm, and I linked mine with it, still a little numb from the magical kiss we shared. At the second we came out, cameras started clicking around us. Of course, everybody wanted a picture of Michael Jackson, I knew it, and Michael knew it too, and he was fine with it as long as anybody would expose us in the press.
At the end of the aisle, Michael and I went on separate ways: I, on Alice's side, and Michael on Carl's. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. He looked way too handsome for me to be able to look away. When he smiled, I couldn't help but smile too, for I felt lucky enough to be able to witness this every once in a while.
***
It was with a lot of emotion that we welcomed Mr and Mrs Meyers on the empty dance floor for their first dance as a married couple. As planned, they chose to dance on Percy Sledge's When a Man Loves a Woman, which I found beautiful. During the whole dance, Carl looked down at Alice with nothing but love in his stare, and she did the same. You could feel how in love and happy they were just by watching them sway in the middle of the room. There was one thing that was certain about this unique moment: they would remember it forever.
Halfway through the song, I felt Michael's hands on my hips. He delicately put his chin on my right shoulder as I put my hands over his, a grin appearing on my lips.
"When a man loves a woman, I know exactly how he feels... 'Cause baby, baby, you're my world," he sang in my ear, and chills appeared on my arms as a fire started in my heart.
He delicately placed a kiss on the side of my neck, and I rested my back against him. He circled his arms around my waist, and we stayed like this for the remainder of the song, watching my best friends share what was a pure moment of love.
When the song ended, everybody clapped for the newlyweds who took a bow. But they didn't want to leave the dance floor so soon, and invited everybody else to join them as Adore by Prince started playing. Knowing my admiration for him, Alice pointed in our direction, and motioned us to come join them there. I looked at Michael who was now beside me, and he just chuckled a little, shrugging. I took his hand in mine, and guided him to the crowded dance floor. I delicately put my hand on his right shoulder as he put his on my right hip, and our free hands met. Behind Michael, I noticed Hayden and Latoya slow dancing together, which made me rise an eyebrow.
"Well, that's pretty convenient," I muttered, and Michael gave me a look. "Look," I nodded my head in Latoya's direction, and Michael looked over his shoulder to his big sister dancing with my brother. "Look at that smile."
"She's glowing," he observed, before he looked at me again. "It's been years I haven't seen her this carefree and happy. What did you do to her?"
"Just made her realize that she didn't need anybody to be happy," I shrugged, playing with his curls at the back of his head.
"You took care of her like she was your own sister. You welcomed her in your home, allowed her to sleep in your bed, soothed her anxieties and you put a sincere smile back on her face again," Michael shook his head. "Thank you, for all of that," my boyfriend thanked me sincerely.
"Don't thank me," I shook my head. "I'm happy you guys talked after all these months apart. She needed her little brother, and you needed your big sister, but none of you was aware of it."
"I did miss her. She told me she wasn't happy in New York, and that she missed mother a lot," he explained, a sad expression on his face. "Mother misses her too, she even suspects Jack to keep her away from us all."
"He is," I verified, nodding slowly. "He told her your family never really appreciated her for her talent, but he did."
"That's some bullshit," Michael cursed, and my eyes widened. "Seriously! We always encouraged Toya in everything she did!"
"I know, baby. I know," I told him, as we kept swaying together. "And she knows it too, now. Being away from her stupid ass husband did her good."
"This is all thanks to you," he told me again, as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I just smiled at him, gently rubbing his shoulder as we kept dancing slowly. "I love you," he truthfully said, as he rested his forehead on mine.
"You own my heart and mind, I truly adore you," I sang in response, looking at him in the eyes, which made him blush slightly. "That meant I love you too."
Michael kept pulling me closer to him as our feet followed the slow singing of Prince. I followed his lead, but my eyes never left his. A lot of people were around us, but never did I feel embarrassed nor awkward: as long as I could look at this sparkle in my boyfriend's eyes, I knew I was going to be fine, no matter what. Just by looking at me, he made me feel like I was the most beautiful person in this world.
Sadly, the song came to an end, and I knew it was time for me to deliver my Maid of Honor speech. I invited everybody to go back to their table, so that I could give a toast to the newlyweds. When everybody was seated, I took the microphone in my hands, and cleared my throat to make sure it was working and, well... It wasn't.
"You know what? I'll just leave microphones to Michael, I don't need any," I shrugged, and gave him the dysfunctional item, which made him giggle loudly, and hide his face behind his other hand as the whole room laughed. "Anyway, for those who don't know me, my name is Hayley, mostly known as Brit, and I'm Alice's best friend. We met twenty years ago, when we were just kids, and well... I hated her back then," I narrated, and everybody started laughing again. "No really, I did! She had this beautiful long, blonde hair I was jealous of. I lost count on how many times I wanted to cut it off during one of our sleepovers. But I never did, though, because I grew to love her like my own sister," I smiled down at my best friend, who had teary eyes already. "I grew up as an only child, and Alice made my life less lonely. She was the one with whom I cut classes, with whom I tried smocking cigarettes, drink alcohol,... I swear Ruth, she's the one who dragged me into this!" I told Alice's mom, holding my hands up, which made the whole room laugh again.
"You're such a snitch," Al chuckled through her tears.
"I had to come clean," I just shrugged, and gave her a little wink, which made Carl and Michael laugh. "But Al," I said, on a more serious note. "You're also the one who's been there for me when I had my heart broken, who held my hand when I was sick, who helped me get back on my feet after I lost mom and dad. You were there when I needed someone to help me stand again, you were - and still are - the person I could rely on whenever I was breaking down," I explained, as "aw's" were heard in the background. "You're more than my best friend, you're a member of my family, and I couldn't be prouder to be standing here at this precise moment, and to be the witness of the most beautiful day of your life," I took my glass of champagne in my hands, and raised it a little. "Carl, I've never trusted anybody more than I trust you with her. I know you'll take care of her, that you'll treat her like a queen even when she'll be craving ice cream in the middle of the night," I giggled, as tears gathered in my eyes. "You've been amazing roommates. I'll miss our late board games nights, our weird drinking games and those delicious waffles you made me whenever I felt down. Please, take the time you need to move out," I begged, as tears left my eyes. "Ok Haze, you just won twenty bucks, I'm crying," I told my brother who made a little victory dance, happy that he won the bet we came up with earlier. "Anyway, I just wanna finish this by telling you that everyday you make me feel like I'm the luckiest gale in the world to have a family like you. I love you both. Congratulations, guys. To the newlyweds!" I finished, raising my glass of champagne.
Alice and Carl both stood up, and gave me a grouped hug that made me shed some other tears. I held them tightly, as they both thanked me for my heartfelt speech. I didn't write it down beforehand because I wanted to make sure it came directly from my heart, and I didn't regret it. Of course, there were plenty of other things I wanted to tell them. I wanted to thank them for staying even after I told them about my big secret, for helping me deal with everything that comes from it, and simply for being there for me, at any time.
***
The party was still going when Michael and I escorted Latoya to the cab she called to go back to the loft. Although she was tired, Toya couldn't help but smile from genuine happiness. It was obvious she had a blast, and I couldn't be happier about it, because this is exactly what she deserved after having to live with a smothering and violent man.
"My feet are killing me, but it was so worth it," Latoya giggled, as we stopped in front of the building, waiting for her taxi to arrive. "Would you thank Alice and Carl for me again?"
"Sure thing," I agreed with a smile, as I wrapped my arm around Michael's waist. "I'm glad you had a good night."
"It's an understatement. Tonight, I had fun, I met interesting people, and I saw my little brother again," she explained, smiling sincerely to Michael. "Tonight, I lived. Truly."
"I'm happy I saw you again, too," Michael smiled, touching his sister's shoulder. "I just hope you'll keep this sincere smile on your face after tonight."
"I will," she nodded, and looked down. She stopped for a moment, and sighed heavily. When she looked back at us, confidence had taken place in her demeanor. "I'm leaving Jack."
"W—what?" Michael and I asked in unison, taken aback by her sudden announce.
"I'm leaving him," she verified. "I've been thinking about it for a couple of days. Being away from him made me realize that I didn't need him as much as I thought," she explained, as she played with her fingers. "So I'm leaving. I just need to find the courage to tell him."
"W—We'll talk about this in the morning, and we'll find a way for you to tell him this," I told her, before I pulled her in one of the tightest hugs I've ever given. "I'm so proud of you, Latoya. You deserve to be happy."
"Thank you for opening my eyes," she thanked me sincerely, as she rubbed my back gently. "Michael," she then talked to her brother, breaking our hug. "Thank you for being so forgiving towards me for disappearing the way I did. I missed you."
"I missed you too, Toya," he answered as he pulled her into a warm hug as well. "You're taking the right decision. You deserve better than Jack Gordon."
"I know I am. Thanks to your girlfriend," she told him, as she smiled my way. "She's my guardian angel."
"She's an angel for sure," Michael verified, looking down at me. I looked back at him, and he gave me a small yet adorable smile. "You take care of yourself, alright?"
"I will now. I deserve to have all of this too," she nodded, motioning to the both of us. "I thought I loved Jack, and that he loved me, no matter what weird ways he used to show it but... now I know he never did, thanks to you," she explained, and gave us both a smile. "The way you look at each other just tells so much about the love you share. I saw people in love in the past, like Carl and Alice for instance, but you... I can't explain it. There's just something about you both that is one of a kind."
We stayed mute for an instant to process Latoya's beautiful words. I was getting emotional at that point, because it was clear how Michael and I helped Latoya with her decision of leaving Jack. It was, without a doubt, the best decision she had ever taken, and I couldn't be prouder of her than I was at that particular moment.
"I'm beyond happy that we helped you take the right decision. There's a brand new life waiting for you," Michael told her, as I left my own thoughts.
"Come here you two," Toya beckoned, as we both hugged her back. "I love you guys," she told us, as her taxi was pulling up in front of the building. "Enjoy the rest of the night."
"I'll see you tonight," I smiled, pulling away.
"Bye Mike," she waved one last time at her brother, before she hopped in the back of the car.
It took only a few seconds for the taxi to disappear in the night. Michael and I stayed there for a few seconds, in a peaceful silence. His right arm was around my shoulders, and mine were around his waist. I delicately kissed the side of his neck, and buried my face there, looking for the warmth of his body. He smiled, and tilted my chin up to make me look at him, which I did, intensely.
"Did I mention how sexy you look tonight?" he asked, examining each part of my face, as if he was studying them carefully.
"Well, you did mention I looked amazing, gorgeous, beautiful... but no, you didn't mention that I looked sexy," I answered with a smirk, playing with the top buttons of his shirt. "And I can tell you the same thing."
"Oh yeah?" he asked seductively, a smirk decorating his face as well. I nodded, attacking his and jawline with kisses, which earned a giggle from Michael. "Someone's greedy," he commented, his hands rubbing my hips.
"Always when it comes to you," I whispered in his ear, before I captured his lips in a heated kiss.
Without great surprise, Michael was responsive to my love treatment as he pulled me closer to him by my waist. His fingers gently ran up and down my spine, coaxing shivers out of me. The heat seemed to travel through my veins, and a rush of bliss enveloped me at that precise instant. When Michael pulled away, I already missed the feeling of his mouth against mine. It is when I heard voices coming from behind us that I understood why he stopped so abruptly. With a chuckle, I took his hand in mine and dragged him behind the huge bushes by the entrance of the building.
"What are you—"
"Shut up," I cut him off, putting a finger over his chapped lips. "Now where were we?" I whispered, my eyes traveling from his intense stare darkened by desire to his mouth. "Oh yeah, here."
Before Michael could say anything, we were engaged in yet another kiss. I unbuttoned his shirt slowly, my lips still glued to his, as Michael's hands were roaming my whole body. I slid mine under his shirt and undershirt, feeling his skin against the palms of my hands.
"Michael?" Bill's voice was heard near us, but I decided to ignore it as Michael had his hands lost in my brunette mane while he was kissing me like he never had before.
"The car is not far away from here," he huskily whispered in my ear, a little out of breath. "If we run, maybe we can make it without being seen."
"Lead the way, Mr. Jackson," I answered in his ear, slightly biting his earlobe.
Michael gripped my hand tightly, and we ran towards the car, giggling like two teens who were trying to escape their parents.
In vain.
As we were a couple of feet away from Michael's car, Bill called us from behind, and we stopped dead in our tracks. We looked at each other with an embarrassed look on our faces for a couple of seconds, before we both burst out laughing considering the situation we were in.
"Time to surrender," Michael dramatically said, before he put his hands up. I chuckled and did the same thing as him, before we turned around to face Bill. "Okay Bill, we surrender."
"We know, everything we say can and will be held against us," I continued with Michael's act, which made him laugh some more.
"So you like to play cops, huh?" Michael muttered with a smirk, and I hit his arm playfully. "What? I'm just asking!" he chuckled again, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.
"Okay kids, sorry but I'm gonna be a party pooper," Bill said, as he walked closer to us. "First of all, Michael, button that shirt back," he pointed with his finger, and Michael rolled his eyes, which made me snicker. "And you, ma'am, your hair looks like you had a bomb in there. You might want to do something about that."
"Yes, sir," I answered without another word, as I fixed my hair blindly.
"Good," he smiled proudly. "Now, boss. You're meeting with the choreographer tomorrow in the morning, so you need to rest. It's two in the morning already, and we have quite a long road ahead."
"I know," he sighed heavily. "Can I go back and say goodbye first?"
"You can do that," Bill chuckled, before he turned his attention back at me. "And you, miss Thames, you enjoy the rest of the night. I'll see you soon," he gently said, touching my shoulder in a tender manner. On his way to the car, he turned around again, and gave us both a look. "And you behave! Michael, you have five minutes!"
"Yes, dad," he muttered, playfully rolling his eyes again. "I can't wait to move out and be independent. Parents suck!" Michael played teenagers again, which made me laugh loudly again.
***
I got out of the passenger seat, stumbling a bit on my own two feet because of the amount of drinks I had. Hayden laughed at me a little, and supported me a bit so that I could walk straight. I pushed him away, assuring him I could walk by myself, and took the keys out of my purse.
"See, I'm glad I don't drink anymore, or else I would have ended up in a worse state than you are right now," he commented with a snort.
"I didn't drink that much! And I'm fine, I'm just a little tipsy," I argued, pushing the door of the building open. "Ah shit, I forgot there were so many stairs here," I pouted, and took my heels off.
"You know what? I'll just carry your drunk ass up there," my brother laughed, as he took me over his shoulder.
"You could at least carry me like the Queen I am, you asshole!" I exclaimed, hitting his back. "Let me remind you I'm an actual Queen!"
"As long as you're not married to the actual king that is Michael, you're no Queen, so shut up and let me take you to bed."
"I'll marry his ass one day," I revealed, as Haze put me down in front of the loft's door. "And when I do, you'll have to—"
"Hale, the door is open," Hayden said, and his tone was alarming. "Stay here," he commanded, extending his arm in front of me.
"It's probably just Latoya, she must have forgotten—"
"Shh," my brother shushed me, as he pushed the door open.
The loft was incredibly quiet, but the main light was surprisingly on. Hayden looked around, as I peeked inside from the doorstep. There was a weird atmosphere around there, as if something bad had happened.
"Latoya?" Hayden called, but he received no responses. "Is anybody here?"
Against my brother's orders, I decided to come in as well, as this whole situation was starting to scare me. I looked around, and noticed Latoya's clothes were still there: her jacket was still on the hanger next to the front door, along with her numerous pairs of shoes. I frowned in confusion, as I felt myself sobering up because of the mix of emotions I was feeling at the moment.
"Hale!" my brother called, as he was bending over something in the living room. "I found this."
I looked down, and noticed a broken frame on the floor. A frame which had a picture of Michael and I inside.
"There's blood on it," Hayden noted, and I felt my heart fall at the pit of my stomach at his words.
"Oh God," I simply said, a hand covering my mouth. "Latoya!" I called again, as I jogged upstairs. "Check the other rooms!" I yelled across the room to my brother. "Come on Toya, where are you," I muttered to myself as I checked the empty bathroom. "She's not there," I commented, as I came back downstairs.
"And she's not there either," he told me, discouraged. "Hale, I think something bad happened to her."
"Like what?"
"More like who," he rectified, fear taking place in his eyes. "I think Jack was here."