Loving You Black & Blue | Miguel O'Hara x Felicia Hardy

Ch. 17: Dear Old Mum & Dad

[Nueva York - E-928]

"I don't wanna go."

Felicia looked up at Miguel, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. "I know," he said softly. In silence they both stared awkwardly at the portal that Miguel had opened in his living room; Felicia's New York apartment was waiting patiently on the other end.

Felicia hugged around Miguel's waist, pleading, "What if we concoct a tragic yacht accident? My body was never recovered. It's how I've always wanted to go!"

"Felicia," Miguel was doing his best to hide a smile, "Believe me, I would prefer that you stay right here. But time has run out on our alibi. You had to go back to New York eventually."

"This is bullshit," she muttered under her breath. Miguel shrugged without sympathy. "Walk me home?" she flicked her eyes up to his with a smile.

"Of course." Miguel kissed the top of her head, lifting her off the ground as he stepped into the portal.

In an instant, they were standing in Felicia's bedroom. Just as she had left it the night of their shared mission. Her coat was still flung carelessly on the floor and even Miguel's clothes were puddled in the corner. She gathered them stiffly and handed them over to him.

"Well... I guess I'll see you around."

"You'll see me tonight." Miguel's voice was low and reassuring, which only made Felicia feel more vexed. It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like everything had changed since the pair of them had last stood in her apartment. On a strictly personal level, Felicia realized that this apartment just couldn't seem to fit the life she was living anymore. It was a strange feeling, like her center of gravity had completely tilted on axis.

Miguel was frowning, even as he did his best to hide it. This was clearly uncomfortable for him too.

Felicia smiled, beaming brightly in the hopes of lightening the mood, "Want me to pick up Italian for dinner?" Miguel's expression didn't change, but his body language softened as he approached her, "You pick whatever you like." When he kissed her, his lips lingered for much longer than usual, "I love you."

"I love you too, big guy." And then he was gone.

Had this place always been so... empty? Felicia felt like a stranger in her own home, wandering the halls of the space. The artwork was hers. Those were her throw pillows, her coffee mugs. She smiled with friends from the photos on the shelves. Get it together, you've gone on vacations longer than your stay in Nueva York.

"Back to reality," she said aloud to the empty air. But reality was going to find her first. The buzzing of her cell phone startled Felicia and she hurriedly fished around in her purse.

Shit. Shit. Shit. "Hey, Mom!"

Anastasia Hardy's voice carried the breathless tone of a woman about to make a huge fuss, "Felicia! When did you get back in town?!"

"Late last night. I took a red-eye and crashed." Felicia lied.

"And you told no one where you were going!?" Anastasia Hardy was in fine form now, failing to modulate the shrill scolding out of her voice, "Daddy and I had no way of contacting you!"

"Well, Momma, the whole point was to unplug..."

"Do you think I was born yesterday, Felicia!?" Her mother's tone had dropped to one of grave warning, "I know about Mexico."

Felicia smirked. Miguel had understood the inner-workings of an overbearing mother far better than he realized. "Who told you about that?!" Felicia answered in feigned shock.