One by One || 5sos • au

Chapter 22

I was kinda mad at Ali that she couldn't tell me. I guess I'll just have to ask Michael. I mean if people are going to pick on me for something I didn't even do or isn't even my fault then I need to know what it is.

"Ali... I feel like this is serious and I need to know."

"Michael will get mad at me if I tell you, so if you really want to know ask him."

"I'm confused as to why people are "warning me" about him like he killed someone or something," I said kinda nervously. What if he did? He wouldn't do that...would he?

"Ali... he didn't actually kill someone... did he?" I asked concerned.

"No... no," she second guessed herself and that scared me.

"Ali..."

"He didn't! I swear," she put up her hand in defense.

"Can you just take me home? So I can talk to Michael?"

"Yeah no problem. I understand why you want to know I just can't really tell you."

"Thanks Ali."

She nodded and kept driving to take me home.

The rest of the car ride was silent expect for the radio playing in the back.

"Here," Ali said while putting the car in park.

"Thanks Ali. Should I be scared?"

"No, don't worry," she reassured me.

I smiled at her and got out of the car. Before I opened the front door I heard loud crashes coming from inside.

I quickly open the door and went inside to see what was happening.

"Michael..?"

I walked into the kitchen to see Michael sitting at the table with his face in his hands. There were broken beer bottles all over the ground and a half full one sitting next to him. Oh god, I don't think I can handle this. Memories of my dad flooded back to my mind and I wanted to start crying but I didn't.

I walked over to Michael and rubbed his back slowly.

"Mikey... are you okay?" he looked up at me with tear stained cheeks and red eyes.

I didn't question him or say anything. I just hugged him.

"Michael... what happened?"

"I drank a lot of beer."

"Well I got that... but why were you crying and more importantly why are there broken beer bottles on the floor?"

"I fucked up Becca. You shouldn't be with me... I'm too dangerous."

"Michael, what are you talking about. You're not dangerous?"

"You don't know me Bec. I have a past, and that past isn't good," his eyes began to water and I wanted to cry with him. He blinked away his tears and looked down.

"I have a question..." he didn't look up like I was expecting him too, "people at school have been "warning" me about you... does your past have anything to do with that?"

"That's all it has to do with," Michael's face was now looking at me with no emotion.

"Can you tell me about your past?" I asked him hesitantly.

"Well about this time last year I had a drinking problem. I also had a girlfriend. She would always complain when I came home late and drunk almost every night. So I hit her. I continued to hit her a lot too. I didn't want too but I was so drunk. I couldn't control myself. Long story short I abused my girlfriend. The reason I'm so protective over you is because I don't want to lose you. You make me better. I tried so hard this past year to stop drinking and I did. I promise I won't hurt you though. Please don't be afraid of me," at this point there was a tear falling down my cheek. I wasn't scared.

Watching him cry made me cry.

"Michael... everyone makes mistakes. How else are you supposed to learn if you don't. You realize that what you did was wrong and that's all that matters,"
I confessed.

"Bec, I'm a wreck. I don't know what to do," he began to cry again.

"Michael... don't live in the past. If you live in the past then you won't be able to live now. You'll think about your life later and realize you didn't live it to its full potential. Do you really want to look back on your life and realize that all you did was wallow in your past sorrows?" he opened his mouth to talk and then quickly shut it.

"See. That's why the present is the most important because it determines how your future will lay out."

Michael looked at me and then he pulled me into one of his "Michael hugs." Let me tell you about his Michael hugs. he holds you tight. He gives you this feeling of comfort and warmth. He makes you feel safe. It's the best hug anyone can ever give/receive. A Michael hug is a hug that you want when someone close to you dies or when you are feeling down and or neglected. Let's just say a Michael hug was needed in my situation.

I felt him begin to pull away and I pulled him closer. Also you don't want a Michael hug to end.

"Michael,"

"What?"

"I love you more than anything and I'm scared. Not of you, but of the thought of losing you."

"I feel the same way," him saying that only made me want to stay in this position even longer.

"I won't ever hurt you," he whispered in my ear.

I responded to him truthfully, "I want you to know something. You may think that the past matters, but I'm here to tell you it doesn't. It's over. Everyday is a new day. Your past does not define who you are right now."

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(a/n- I actually kinda like how this chapter turned out)