A Heart To Keep (A Michael Jackson Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 39- Troubled

AMELIA

Waking up in a different bed, surrounded by a different set of furniture, colors of the wall, and the size of the room gave a sense of peculiarity for the last couple of days. I was not used to sleeping in a queen-sized mattress, with helpers around the house bringing me things I generally don't need. But the thing that I'm most grateful for forever since I got here was the sense of safety.

I felt stoic for most of my stay here that I almost forgot about the construction of Michael's home. Having said that, I made a mental note to go there and see the progress myself before I leave.

I decided to go back home to Seattle to see how my mother is doing. She doesn't know anything about what happened to me and never will. I don't want this matter to burden her further. However, Auntie Mary already knows. I called her the night I got settled in here and she was heartbroken as I was.

I have yet to speak to Michael about flying out to my hometown, especially when he's also leaving for L.A tonight for his show. I'm afraid of how he'll react no matter how many times I attempted to let him know about my plans. I can't blame him for being greatly concerned. He's heard every single scream I cried that is horrifying for an ordinary person to hear. I can't even begin to imagine the pain he felt, so I can never really stop him from being worried.

I've been awake since four in the morning and I have had trouble sleeping ever since. That night still haunts me in my dreams that I can't bring myself to close my eyes. Every time I do, it feels as though I'm reliving that horrendous night.

At the crack of dawn, I decided to go downstairs to grab a glass of water. I carefully treaded down even though I know none of them would be awake at this time. I quietly opened the fridge to grab myself a glass but the orange juice caught my eye so I grabbed that instead.

The sun peeped through the windows that immediately filled the corners of the room. A silhouette appeared at the corner of my eye which stole my attention. Katherine is sitting there silently on the patio with her hot cup of tea, radiating a sense of peace and agony at the same time.

I quietly approached her to have a little chat.

"Good morning, Katherine," I greeted and she slowly turned.

"Good morning, dear. Why are you up so early?" she asked as she motions me to sit at the chair on her right.

"I couldn't sleep," I quietly admitted as I sat.

"It's about that night, isn't it?" she then again asked and I nodded as a response.

"Mhm-I've figured. I've been for you," she sighed, "and for Michael, too,"

"Michael?" I tried to clarify.

"My son is a workaholic, there is no denying that. But I'm his mother, and I know something is wrong even if he doesn't tell me," she explained and that kept me silent for a moment.

"I knew I wasn't the only one feeling this. I've been worried about him as well. Like he's been deep in his thoughts lately," I shared my sentiments to Katherine.

"Whenever he's stressed, he'll go down to the studio and lounge for a couple of hours and then go to bed," her eyes shifted towards the white door I once visited. "But when something big is bothering him, he'll stay there all day," she explains and I put two and two together.

"He's still in there?" I asked with a hint of worry in my voice.

"After you went to bed, he went there and never went back to his room. It's empty when I checked earlier,"  she took said and took a sip from her tea. I began to worry since this is the first time I saw him acting like this.