Never Let This Go (Michael Clifford)

Ch. 13 - Back and Forth

9 months later

"What do you mean you can't come this weekend?" I say sighing into the phone.

"Just what you hear, I won't be able to come," Michael says dismissing me completely.

"I understand. What I don't understand is that we planned this like two months ago and you sound like it's whatever to you. Like you didn't even want to come in the first place."

I'm beginning to get pissed.

Michael has been pulling away recently and I don't understand what's going on.

"Eliana, stop overthinking shit. I just said I can't come I do have a busy life and it doesn't revolve around you 24/7," he says with an attitude.

"Fuck you, Michael," I say and hang up. I throw my phone on the couch and head out to buy something to make me not care.

Alexis:

Why doesn't Eliana answer her damn phone? I look at the clock on my nightstand. 6:30am. What the hell? I get up and walk out of my room, I hear the phone ringing from the couch. I look at it and see it's Michael.

"Hello," I say groggily.

"Hey...um Alexis? Is Eliana there?" He asks. He sounds irritated.

"Yeah, hold on," I walk into her bedroom.

Empty.

I look around the apartment and she's gone. "Well, I guess she forgot her phone, I'll tell her to call you back."

I'm about to hang up but he sighs, "No. Don't. I can't do this shit anymore."

I'm completely awake now, "What?"

"This shit is too hard. The distance. The petty arguments. It's not worth the headache."

I can't believe he said that. "Okay, that was a douche thing to say. I thought you guys loved each other."

"What is love when we don't see each other ever and our communication is broken?" He asks, sighing. He sounds like he doesn't give a shit.

"Well, you tell her that, not me. She deserves at least that much respect."

"No. I'm done. Rip it off like a band aid," he says.

What an asshole. I look at the phone to make sure I'm actually talking to Michael.

Cuddly, cute, nice and overall kitten Michael.

And yes the phone says Michael, I guess this is his vicious side.

"You expect me to tell her?" I say with an attitude.

"Do what you want." He hangs up.

What the fuck? Oh God, Eliana is going to be devastated. Time to hide the booze. She hasn't drunk anything in a while and I feel this will be her trigger.

She comes home late that day.

She's drunk.

I go over to her and say, "Did you drive like that?"

She looks at me and smiles, "No. Of course not."

"Why are you drunk?" I ask.

Maybe she talked to Michael already.

"Eh, you know, just to have some fun!" she says happily, "Oh, and Michael isn't coming this weekend he said 'he couldn't'," she slurs while making sloppy hand gestures.

I take a deep breath. She doesn't know the half of it. This is going to be hard.

"Eliana, I have to tell you something." She looks at me with sleepy eyes.