Chapter 55

"That was insane," I breathe, falling back on the bed.

Michael smiles and winks at me. "And now I'm not hungry anymore."

I roll my eyes. "Well I am. I want like, a milkshake." For now, I'm only allowed to consume liquids.

"I'll get you one." Michael stands up from the bed and readjusts his clothing.

"Wait. That'll mean you'll leave. I want to go with you," I protest.

"You heard the doctor, love. You have to stay here until Tuesday."

"Please just take me. I want to get out of this darn room. At least to get some air, I hate hospital air," I scrunch up my nose.

Michael smiles and kisses it. "How cute. I guess air won't hurt. Let me go get a wheelchair."

"Okay, hurry."

He walks out of the room and I look out of the window. It's a sunny day, but a slight chill is breezing through. I look to the sky and start humming "For All Time."

The door opens again and Michael wheels in the chair. He lifts me up and places me gently on it.

"Thanks," I say.

"It's what I should do. For both of you," he smiles.

I reach in front of me and open the door while Michael wheels me out. The hallway is absolutely swarmed with people and their dreaded cameras and microphones, now pointed in both of our faces.

How could they let them get in!?

"Alondra! Michael! Are you two back together? What happened? Why are you in the hospital Alondra?" Their voices buzz in my ear as we desperately try to get through the sea.

"Michael! Look here please!" The flashes are blinding.

"Let us through!" Michael screams and they slowly start to part a path for us.

We finally get past them, but Michael turns back. What he does next shocks everyone.

"All you people are just driven by money! That's all you want, and you will go at no end to get a story. You want a story? The story is that Alondra and I are deeply in love, and no fucking thing will mess that up! I'm done with the media dictating my damn life because it's mine. Back off!" He yells.

Everyone is shushed, the flashes stop for a moment. Then Michael turns around and exits the hospital. They are all in an uproar again.

"Michael? What was that? What... what was that?" I ask with hushed amazement.

All that anger toward the media was bottled up inside him.

"I'm done with the media. They don't and will not affect me anymore. I'm focused on what's important, which is you and my son or daughter."

We go to the car and Michael lifts me out of the wheelchair and into the passenger's seat, strapping me in with the seatbelt. He puts the wheelchair in the trunk.

He gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine. "To Smoothie King we go."

"Woo!" I giggle and put the radio on. September by Earth, Wind and Fire comes on. I squeak and start singing along.

"Do you remember the twenty first night of September?

Love was changing the minds of pretenders

While chasing the clouds away..."

Michael giggles. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Sing! You sound lying a dying walrus!" He guffaws.

I use my right, unbroken arm and sock him in the arm. "Shut up! I can sing if I want to!"

He hisses in pain and I smirk. "Dang, okay, woman!" He laughs and joins in to the song.

"Ba de ya, say do you remember?

Ba de ya, dancing in September

Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day..."

Of course Michael adds his own style, his signature voice hiccups.

I glare at him playfully. "Stop showing off, Mr. I'm-the-King-of-Pop-I'm-so-good-at-everything."

He smirks and slowly puts on his shades. "But that's why you love me."

"I do love you, no matter what." I lean over and kiss his cheek.

"Awh," He coos and the song is over, right as we pull in to the parking lot of Smoothie King.

"You know, I actually do remember the twenty-first night of September." I say quietly and Michael looks at me as I go on.

"You told me to dance with you in the studio, it was the day I followed you because I thought-"

"Babe," He whispers. "Everything's okay now. The past is the past, love."

"I know, I was just thinking," I mumble. He doesn't answer, which means that the conversation is over.

"Stay right there," He says while turning off the engine and unbuckling himself.

"There's not really anywhere else I could go." I answer smartly, trying to lighten the mood again. He smirks before getting the wheelchair out of the trunk and coming around my side to help me sit in it.

"I never knew I'd love someone so strongly." He starts wheeling me toward the building.

"You're right about that, Mike."

We enter Smoothie King and follow the 'Order Here' sign. A perky, young girl takes our order. She reminds me of me, before I was homeless.

"Hi there, one Banana Boat smoothie please," I order.

"Oh," Michael butts in. "Could you make it jumbo please? Me and my girl would like to share it."

"Sure thing," She smiles and has it prepared in front of us, fresh and cool.

"There you go."

I take the smoothie and start sipping while Michael digs in his back pants pocket and gets his wallet, pulling out a $100 bill.

"Keep the change." He gives her a charming wink before wheeling me to a table for two, moving the second chair out of the way.

"My man is so generous." I smile while enjoying the sweet drink.

He chuckles and pulls it from my grasp. "Well his woman isn't. Don't hog it all!"

"I'm sorry, it's just soo good."

"Mhm, almost as sweet as my breakfast earlier."

I grab back the drink from him and gulp it down. "Shut it, Michael," I say, earning a laugh from him.

"All jokes aside, honey, I need to tell you some things."

I look at him, my eyes encouraging him to continue.

"First, you need to promise that you won't think any less of me after I tell you."

"Of course I-"

"Promise, girl." He pleads, yet firmly.

"I promise."

"Wait no... swear."

I look straight into his eyes. "I swear on the love I have for you, Michael, that I won't think any less of you ever and I'll always love you."

He nods and reaches across the table and intwines our fingers together. He clears his throat before speaking.

"I have vitiligo."

"Really?"

"Yes, I do. And I was extremely surprised that you never brought up my patches. I didn't try to hide them, only out in public. But never once did you mention it or point them out."

"Probably because I didn't see any significance in it. Baby, I honestly didn't notice the patches because they didn't affect me or bother me at all."

"Oh."

"My mother had vitiligo."

"You didn't tell me that."

"As I said, it didn't bother me. I thought nothing of it as a child, and I think nothing of it now."

Relief washes over his face.

"That's what you thought? That I'd think less of you because of a condition you can't help. That's ridiculously shallow. I thought that you thought more of me." I say.

He slowly rubs his hand over his face. "If this didn't make you, what I'm about to say might."

"There's something else?"

"Yes."

"Well then, say it."

He takes a deep breath. "I'm addicted to painkillers."

I freeze in my seat. Oh my god. I would've never guessed that in a million years.

"You-you're..." I can't even form a sentence. He did not just say that.

What?

Michael must see the look on my face. "I know, I'm so disappointed in myself. I didn't want it to get to this stage. I'm scared, I need help."

He suddenly looks so broken, exposed, transparent. Like a vulnerable child.

"Baby, I'll help you." I whisper.

"I'm scared," He says again, looking down.

"Come here."

Michael gets up from his chair and comes to me. I hug him.

"I don't think any less of you. I love you, we love you unconditionally."

--

Chapter 55!

What do you think will happen next?

Vote

Comment

Share

Also, a lot of people have asked me what stories are my favorite. I'll share some with you. I like the following few stories on Wattpad in no order:

•Written in Anger by mickeythemoonwalker

•Someone in the Dark by ohhmichael

•The Substitute Teacher by CupcakeDiamondx

•Jackson by ShellBrooks

•The Way You Make Me Feel by moonwalkergal

•"What About..." by GigiChante18

•Teacher's Pet by MychaelaJaleesa

•Heartbreak Hotel by ANTMBi

I encourage all of you to read all of these books. They are phenomenal.

~Joy ✌️