~Rayne's POV

"I can't believe this is your last day here with me. I just wanna hold on to you and never let go!" Michael whines, wrapping himself around me as I pack my clothes in my suitcase.

Unfortunately my week with Michael was coming to an end, it was an interesting week.

Yesterday still puzzled me a little, why he came in the way he did and grabbed me like that last night. I wanted to ask him, but I felt like I wouldn't like the answer and decided not to dwell on it.

"Are you sure you can't stay another day or month?" He smirks. I giggle, "my life is at home in Cali, my dad, my artwork, my house. I can't stay another day."

"I wish you could though." Michael grins sitting on my bed pulling me in between his legs by my waist. I take a seat on his lap and leave a small lipstick stain on his lips.

"Here." I say, removing my key necklace. Michael frowns slightly, as if in deep thought, before placing the necklace in his hand. "Are you sure Rayne?"

"I have to learn to open up, I've always trusted that you wouldn't hurt me. I just needed to get my own emotions together, and I think they're  together." I shrug.

He smiles weakly before I stand. "Well you don't seem so excited to have it." I said.

"No I am, I am.. I just think, maybe, you should hold on to it a little longer..." He stammers. I frown, "why? Is there a reason why I shouldn't trust you?" I ask suspiciously. He hesitated for a few seconds before simply answering "no."

"Good, I think I'm making the right decision." I smile. I return to packing my suitcase, tossing in shirt after shirt. "I hope it won't be long before I see you again." I say, as he sat in silence watching me grab my things.

"No it won't, I've gotta come back and record with my brothers and sisters." He groans.

"Oh?" I smile, breaking my focus from packing.

"Don't get too excited we're not making an album." He says as he sees my smile grow wider. I return to his lap happily. "Doesn't matter! You're recording with them again."

I loved when Michael sang with his family, and he knew it. He's always told me that his relationship with his family was a little rocky, but they seem to be closer when they sing. "I totally wanna be there when you do it." I say.

He sighs, "I'm only singing one line. I'm not even writing it."

"One line? Why!" I whine.

"My level of fame is a little higher than the rest of the family, I don't wanna over power the song. I'm not even sure if I wanna do the short film." He explained.

"Mike, you are totally doing the video." I say, seriously.

Michael looks at me and giggles. "You are so bossy.. Come on let's get you to the airport." He grins, zipping my suitcase and pulling it out the room.

During the ride, I just kept looking at him. A smile creeping on my face. I lean my head on his shoulder and lace my fingers into his, honestly not wanting to leave his side. They say not everyone is lucky enough to meet their soulmate, I think I met mine. No matter how long we're apart, we'll always be able to run back to each other.

"When are you coming back to California?" I ask him before entering the airport. "I want to be back there within two weeks. But let's hope for sooner. Call the room and let me know you landed safely ok?" He says. I nod before kissing him and Bill escorts me inside. "I love you!" He yells from behind me. I turn around and blow him a kiss yelling "I love you more!"

***

On the ride home from the airport, Sharlissa asked me millions of questions. How was the trip?, what did we do?, did we have sex? Most of the answers were easy until she asked me one question I didn't even have the answer to.

"So are you guys back together now?" She asked, her eyes still focusing on the road. I sit and think, realizing we never even established where we were in our "relationship." Her eyes began shifting from the road to me and back again.

"Ray." She calls out.

"Yes?" I respond, pretending not to hear her question. I was really just buying time.

"Are you back together?" She asked in a slower pace. "I don't know." I respond. She frowns slightly, I'm guessing that wasn't the answer she was expecting. "What? So you mean to tell me, you guys had sex, was all cuddled up and telling each other I love you, and you guys aren't together?" She says.

"I don't know. We never talked about it." I shrug. "But you both said 'I love you.'" She says, confusion running through her voice.

"We do love each other. We still have things we need to discuss... Like, for example, you know the two necklaces he gave me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I gave him the key today and he told me he thinks I should wait a little longer to give it to him. I think he did something and he's afraid to tell me because it'll hurt me." I inquire.

"Did you ask him?"

"I asked him should I be suspicious. He just told me no." I scrunch my face in thought, hoping that wasn't the case. But something in my gut is telling me otherwise. We pull into my driveway behind my car and Sharlissa helps me with my bags inside.

"Home sweet home." I sigh, kicking off my shoes. "Wine?" Sharlissa grins. I nod giggling, "you're such an alcoholic, and a bad influence on me!" Sharlissa scurries to the kitchen to get the glasses and wine, while I run to the phone to call my dad and let him know I'm home safely.

***

~Michael's POV

2 weeks later

My phone rang again, waking me up for the 3rd time this morning. I roll over picking it up from the receiver. "Hello?" I answer groggily.

"Good Morning Mr. Jackson, this is your wake up call you requested." A chipper voice rang in my ear. "Thank you." I manage to say in between yawns. I hang up, my head felt like it was splitting in two. I feel a pair of feminine arms pull into me, a curly head resting on my chest. Oh God. I think to myself. I look down to see Tatiana curled into me, her legs tangled between mine. How did this happen? I think. I close my eyes and suddenly the memories begin flowing.

*Flashback*

The applause slowly subsided as my short film "The Way You Make Me Feel" came to a close. My Presidential Suite was packed with supporters and anyone who had anything to do with the video. Including Tatiana. I had no hard feelings towards her, I actually like her, but given the situation of my relationship, it was best to just stay away from her.

"Congratulations, everyone. The video- excuse me- short film, was a success. Thank you to Michael for choosing all of us to be apart of this project with him." The director says.

"Thank you all for working on this with me, I explained my vision and you all worked so hard to put this in motion. This party is not only to release the short film, but to also thank you all for your hard work and perseverance." I smile politely.

We all raise our glasses, toasting to our success. I take a quick sip of the champagne in my glass.

"No funny face this time?" Tatiana grins as she approached me. My eyes constantly scan down her slim build, examining every inch of her that I could.

"No. Not this time." I say quietly.

"The video came out wonderful." She says, flashing a flirty smile at me. I nod, "I think so too."

We end up holding more and more conversation, while sipping more and more champagne. She and I talked until the last guest left and we were alone. "Oh God is it really 2am?" She slurs, checking her watch that she quickly learned was nonexistent. She giggles to herself. "What was I even looking at?" She laughs. I laugh too, clearly intoxicated. "I have no clue."

"I really like you, Michael. You have this aura about you. How are you so irresistible?" She says, caressing my shirt buttons. "I'm sure women throw themselves at you all the time." She continues.

"I'm irresistible? No, you are. I've had my eyes on you since the moment I met you." I admit drunkenly. She bites her lip, releasing it in sections. "So why are we fighting each other?" She asks. She managed to climb on my lap and plant her lips on mine before we laid flat on the bed...

"No no no..." I groan out. "Tatiana.." I whisper, shaking her softly.

"Hmm?" She responds sleepily, a satisfied grin on her face.

"I've gotta go." I whisper, slowly wiggling out her arms.

"What time is it?"

"10:30."

She breathes out a long stretch, "I've gotta go too." She stands up with nothing on, retrieving her clothes from the floor. I block my eyes, I had already done to much, even though I don't remember.

"Oh come on Michael, we had sex. You don't have to cover your eyes." She giggles, pulling her shorts up over her hips.

"I do." I say keeping my eyes covered until she put on a shirt. She tossed a small piece of paper on the table before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you for such a great time last night. Please keep in touch." She grins.

Once she closes the door, all my emotions hit me at once. I messed up. I thought out loud. I grab the key necklace around my neck and grip it tighter. "I should've never took this.." I say to myself. I release a loud groan of frustration. Rayne will hate me.. I hate me. If there was ever a chance of us getting together again, it's gone now.

My next thought was do I tell her..

My room phone rings again disturbing my self guilt. "Hello?" I answer somberly.

"What's wrong? It's only 10:30 over there. What could possibly be bothering you this morning?" I hear a sweet voice giggle in my ear. Her voice caused a flutter in the pit of my stomach and it felt like all the blood rushed from my head.

"Headache." I answer shortly, partially lying. I did have a headache but that was not why I was so upset sounding.

"Poor thing.. Long night?" She asks, my mind tries to find another topic.

"Why are you up so early? It's only 7:30 over there." I gulp.

"I wanted to paint a sunrise, so I woke up early. I was thinking about you and decided to call you." I can hear her vibrant smile shining through the phone with every word. Hopefully she can't smell the guilt pushing through from my end.

"I think of you every minute of the day." Except last night apparently. I thought to myself. I wanted to tell her what happened, but I couldn't do it.

After about an hour of our phone call she asks me the inevitable question that I think we both purposely avoided to discuss.

"Sharlissa and I were talking and she asked me a question I had no answer to... Are we back together? Is this official?" I could feel her mood change into a sense of need for the answer.

I sigh. "Ray... I can't answer that right now. Not honestly.. And I would never want to lie to you." I say as I'm lying to her. "I love you so much Rayne. But we need to work on things before we move back into a relationship."

"This is so weird.. You were so ready to be with me and now you want me to wait for everything. What's going on? I feel like you're hiding something from me.." She says slightly concerned.

I couldn't sit on this call without the guilt eating away at me. My heart beat faster and faster. Luckily Bill knocked on my door right on time.

"Michael? Are you awake, you've got a meeting in an hour, we need to get on the road."

"Coming Bill. I'll be out in a minute" I call back out. "Ray..."

"We'll talk later, I'll see you in a week right?" She asks annoyed, an exasperated sigh releasing from her lips.

"Yeah. A week." I repeat.

"Ok.. I love you Michael." She says sincerely.

"...I love you too Rayne." I sigh inwardly, hanging up.

Why do I put myself in predicaments like this? What am I gonna do when that week comes by?