❥𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 || 𝐌𝐉 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 ❥/𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅/•

💜Part Seven💜

Mike had taken you to a fairly sophisticated restaurant that you had initially been astonished to see. Every little detail about the facility had truly been timeless, an embodiment of true class from an era that you now knew you had been blessed enough to experience. The restaurant had been perfect - not public enough to induce an anxiety attack, and not private enough to make you feel uncomfortable as though you were in the midst of high society.

Again, it had been as though the stranger you'd only just met had known you through and through, allowing you to feel safe the whole time.

In addition, the food and wine had been exquisite, genuinely serving as the highlight of your adventures, if you will. There was still a great deal of adrenaline running through your veins, the full impact of everything not having hit you entirely - but you weren't going to waste a single moment trying to analyze anything just yet. You intended to make the most of all the time you had until you returned to the reality that wasn't quite as bright as the world you were presently in - and only then, when you had returned, would you allow your logic to take over.

Well, you would allow whatever was left of your logic to take over.

Right now, though? Right now, you were seated at a table for two, with Mike, looking as if you were a couple. The whole scene looked too cheesy to be true, in the best way possible.

Over the past hour and a half, the two of you sat eating, drinking, and conversing about all sorts of things - many of the topics geared away from anything personal. There was an undeniable attraction between the pair of you, and you hadn't even needed to see his whole face clearly to know that.

But an attraction was all it could be, for soon you would be leaving forever - quite literally. You weren't ever going to be granted this opportunity again, but you were satisfied with the way you had chosen to spend it.

The vibes were the best part of it all.

Bringing yourself back to the current moment, you took a small sip of your wine before you focused on the man in front of you once again. He had been talking, but you had inevitably found yourself distracted by a rather frightfully familiar sight. At first, you believed it might have been your mind playing tricks on you, but as your view sharpened - you realized that you weren't imagining anything.

At the far end corner, nearest toward the restaurant's entrance, sat a group of four men, clad in the exact same suits you remembered from a little while earlier. Since the light in that part of the venue was particularly dim, it was difficult to notice that they were there. It would have required a person to be placed in an opportune position to have been able to spot them, and you had just found yourself in that very spot.

Your blood ran cold when you gradually comprehended that they were looking right at your table.

"Are you alright?" Mike's soft voice suddenly snapped you out of your mild trance, pricking your sense of awareness as well.

Words failed you as something inside yourself unexpectedly pieced together, your eyes fixated on Mike as he turned around to see what you were looking at.

Not even for a second did he flinch when he saw them. If anything, he had released a knowing sigh as soon as he understood that you had seen them.

As he turned around to face you again, you had miraculously put everything together. It was as if the anxiousness, triggered by the sight of the intimidating men, had prodded your mind into ultimately recognizing that you should have known it all along.

Your mouth ran dry as your eyes slowly shifted back to Mike, everything making sense to you now. Now you knew why his eyes looked so familiar, now you knew why you had felt at home when he smiled, now you knew why his name should have rung a bell.

But most of all, now you knew why spending the day with him felt right.

And from the way he looked at you, it was clear that he knew of your realization.

He knew that you knew.

"Oh my...goodness," you whispered in utter bewilderment. "You..." you stared at him, and even though you should have been bursting with joy and enthusiasm - a part of you felt betrayed.

You weren't upset, and you didn't plan on losing your temper over nothing - but you had to admit that you found it difficult to be as overjoyed as you wanted to be.

"(Y/N)..." he trailed off nervously. "I...can...explain, just let me explain," he let out a shaky breath.

"They were...uh, they were following you, weren't they?" you asked quietly. "It wasn't my imagination...they were following you right from when we had bumped into each other at the store,"

"(Y/N), I know what you're thinking, and whatever you're thinking - it isn't true," he shook his head.

You frowned a little, staring at him blankly. "What am I thinking?"

"That I intentionally lied to you just to get a kick out of it, and that I don't actually feel something for you," he answered, earning a laugh from you.

"I don't...know what to think, but I can certainly say I am not thinking that," you were dreadfully calm. "Besides, why would I expect you to feel something for me when we've only just met?" you buried your head in your hands. "I can't believe this is how I meet you!" you groaned quietly. "I feel quite fooled, I'm going to be honest," you grimaced.

"(Y/N), there's no reason to feel fooled, because none of what I did today was superficial," he kept his eyes fixated on you, and this time your heart pounded faster in your chest at how much more familiar they seemed now. "From the moment I walked into that store to see you, I have meant every word, and every gesture...I just...couldn't bring myself to-"

"Wait, wait," your eyes widened. "You walked into that store to talk to me?" your jaw fell open. "I thought we bumped into each other," you shook your head in disbelief. "So this whole thing was planned..."

Michael now looked around the room briefly before focusing on you again, leaning forward as he took one of your hands gently.

"Can you trust me one more time, and come with me to a private place where I can tell you everything?"

៚ ⋯⋯⊰☆