Watching | Michael Jackson *HEAVILY EDITING* ✓

Chapter 12. Conflicted

Michael's POV:
   I'm staring at the pieces of what remains of Tatiana's phone in my hand, the image of the text message imprinted into my mind.

How could she do this? How could she let another man touch her? Let alone...him.

Tatiana finally breaks the silence when she says, "Michael, I'm—"

"Sorry?" I spit mockingly. "Tell me, Tatiana. What part are you sorry for exactly? Going behind my back and messing around with my brother after you told me you loved me? Playing with my feelings?" As I stare at Tatiana in disbelief, intrusive thoughts of what happened with Lisa start rushing through my brain uncontrollably. I can't believe that she could do this. At the same time, intrusive thoughts of doubt wrack my brain as well.

Can I really blame her? I left her alone for a week—I didn't really consider her desires. I guess Austin made her feel good in a way that I couldn't. Am I just that incapable of being loved?

Tatiana's POV:
   As Michael stares at me, my vision glosses over as tears threaten to pour down my face. I knew that I should have stopped Austin, but there's just something that keeps me attached to him. 

 There are so many secrets that Michael and I are both hiding from each other, but if that's the price to pay to be with Michael, then that's what I'm going to do. 

As the tears rush down my cheeks, Michael looks up at me and, before I know it, he's standing in front of me wiping my tears away with his thumb. I expected him to throw me out of his house, yelling that he never wanted to see me again.

But instead, he says, "I can't afford to lose you again, Tatiana...You know that I can't hide the love that I have for you." I keep my gaze on the floor as the sheer amount of guilt building up in the pit of my stomach makes looking Michael in the eyes feel like barbed wire.

Michael notices my lack of eye contact, lifts my chin up so that my eyes meet his, and says, "Just don't do this to me. You can't break my heart like this, okay? I just...I can't keep getting hurt like this—especially not by you of all people." I nod and pull Michael into a deep hug, the both of us becoming emotional in each other's arms. Suddenly, I feel Michael's grasp around my waist tighten tremendously, so I look up at his face, only to find him wincing.

"Michael, are you okay?" I ask worriedly.

"Yeah...I'm just...having a vision," he says, clearly pained. Just as quickly as it began, Michael stops holding his head and shakes it from side to side as if to regain his bearings.

"What did you see?"

"I...I saw you and me in this strange place. It must have been one of the shortest visions I've ever experienced," he explains. "The room was almost blinding, all I could make out was whiteness. I've never seen anything like it."

"Do all of your visions usually turn into realities?"

"Most of the time, yes. Unless I find a way to change the outcomes," Michael explains. "Do you remember when I stopped your car from that car crash? Well, in my vision, I witnessed you dying, so I got there fast enough to make sure that that never happened. But sometimes the visions are unclear and don't make sense." Michael sighs. I ponder his words for a moment and wonder what it feels like to have such a capability. The amount of situations you could avoid or get into knowing a possible outcome is fascinating to me.

"Listen, before we continue, I want to ask you something so that there's no more confusion between us," Michael says, breaking me out of my thoughts as he holds my hands.

"What is it?" I ask, slightly confused.

"Just so that we're on the same page, I want to know if...if you'd be my girl," Michael smiles.