Human Nature

Chapter 55

June 22nd, 1993

Mariah, dressed in nothing but her short, silk nightgown, was tucked in the curve of Tommy's arm on the couch, her head resting on his chest while both of them were sleeping. The intimacy between them was too much to bear.  

Michael felt like he was going to be sick or go to jail in that moment, he wasn't sure which.

He charged over to the couch. "Mariah!"

She jolted awake, though she didn't seem to be surprised to be in Tommy's arms. 

"Michael?" She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Tommy looked between Michael and Mariah before letting out an awkward chuckle. "I'll be going."

Michael watched Tommy walk out of the door before turning back to Mariah. The air was hot with tension as he rested his eyes on her. He felt his blood boil as she casually flipped her hair over her shoulder. 

He took a step back to keep himself from hurting her. "What the fuck is he doing here? In my house?" 

Mariah raised an eyebrow at him as if he were madman. 

"Michael-"

He slammed his hand down on the coffee table. "Don't you 'Michael' me, Mariah. I've been trying so hard, so hard to be a good man to you. I've been fighting to keep this relationship going, anything you wanted I gave it to you. You tell me you need space and you're in here laying up with him?"

Mariah rolled her eyes. "I'm not cheating on you. We were watching a move and fell asleep."

He narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Why am I not believing you?" 

"Maybe because you're always paranoid?" She retorted.

He turned his back to her and turned back around. "So, you weren't just laying up with him? I'm crazy now?" He laughed. "Are you serious right now?"

She shrugged. "I didn't do anything wrong. I was talking with a friend-"

 "You and this friend bullshit-" He took a deep breath. "What is the point of trying with you anymore? This isn't worth it."

Mariah's eyes widened. "Oh, we're not worth it?"

She removed the ring from her finger and threw it at his feet. "Then I guess we're finished here."

She pushed past him and went into the bedroom, slamming the door. Realizing what was happening, he went and started pounding on the door. 

"Mariah, open this door."

"Fuck you, Michael."

He took a step back. "Excuse me? Fuck me? No, fuck you, you wack ass-"

She opened the door. "I'm packing up my stuff and going to a hotel."

"So you cheat on me and think you have the right to leave me?"

She slapped him. "I didn't cheat on you, you idiot."

"Oh right, I'm sorry you were 'talking to a friend'" He mimicked her.

"First of all, I don't sound like that and second, you're being childish." She slammed the door back closed.

"Don't bother coming back to Neverland. I'll mail your shit to you." He took the keys to the penthouse out of his pocket and slid them under the door. "There's your keys."

He stormed out of the condo, slammed the door behind him, got in the car and put his head on the steering wheel to cry. He couldn't believe what he had just seen, then for her to act innocent when he caught her red handed. 

Getting a hold of himself, he pulled out of the driveway and started the long drive back to Neverland. Alone.

July 8th, 1993

Mariah had been in New York for two weeks, still reeling over the fact that she and Michael were no longer a couple. The tabloids had been running the story since she had been seen without her ring, but she hadn't confirmed it in hopes of Michael coming to his senses. She hadn't cheated on him, but she had made a mistake by letting Tommy spend the night. 

However, Michael wasn't taking her calls and he had held true to his word by mailing her clothes and things back to her. It seemed like things were really over between them. She had spoken to Janet once, and although Janet didn't seem angry, she was disappointed. She had also told Mariah that Michael would probably never forgive her, but Mariah had refused to believe it in some vain hope that he still loved her.

She was still working on her album and the recent events had inspired her to write Just To Hold You Once Again, one of saddest ballads of her short career. She had invited Brenda over, she was in desperate need of company and she figured Brenda would help her make sense of everything that had happened.

She felt numb to the world to say the least, Michael had been her rock, her sense of stability for the past three years and she was only beginning to realize what he meant to her. She had been so consumed in her grief that she had failed to care for Michael, but he had been patient with her, allowing her to grieve in her own way. He never pushed or pried, and she wished she could tell him how much she loved him.

Don't know what you got ''til it's gone. Human nature at its finest. She thought bitterly.

She hadn't taken the pictures of them together out of their frames and she smiled, reflecting on their happier times. One picture was of them in Germany, posing in front of an orphanage and another was from her 22nd birthday, his eyes were so full of love while she was grinning widely.

She picked up a picture of them from her first Grammy awards, and then threw it at the wall. He could never trust her, never believed her when she told the truth and she hated him for it. He listened to everyone else; Janet, Katherine, June-he listened to June more than he listened to her. 

Why else would he agree to meet that basket case Evan?

She sat on the floor, feeling sorry for herself. She loved Michael and if he had given her just as much of himself as he gave to people like June, they'd still be together.

Her phone rang and she hurried to answer it, some part of her hoping it might be Michael so that she could give him a piece of her mind, or at least get some piece of mind.

"Hello?" Mariah inquired into the phone.

A male's voice responded. "Is this Mariah?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"Evan Chandler"

And here we are, the end of Human Nature. Keep an eye out for Slipping Away.

Thank you to NicsLilSis, LambachinoRiah, Bookeater1997, DestiniGravely17, AmethystHazelEyes, Kelhiloveexx, MichaelandMariah, NyaHinson, CoreyMiddlebrookJr, KaylinWinters1, charvez, and hope I'm not missing anyone else for voting/commenting on this book at any point. Your support definitely made it easier to keep going with this book.

I also want to thank whoever else is reading that hasn't voted/commented. 

Thank you and see you guys in Slipping Away. Hopefully ya'll won't hate me too much.