Author's Note: The GIF I've used includes a jacket Brenda wears in this chapter. Also, I don't know about you guys, but "Let Me Show You The Way To Go" is grossly underrated. - KL
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BRENDA
After the "meeting" with Audrey and Tatiana, I'd visited Michael again to question the depth of his grief. We were both admittedly stubborn, but I never truly realized how much poor things had been until Tatiana dropped the emotional bomb.
I knocked carefully on our bedroom door. Michael had been nowhere to be seen in the living room. My heart slowly began to pound soon after.
"Baby?" my voice shrunk still standing outside the door now. There was only silence and I didn't know what to think at the moment.
"Yes?" I could've wept hearing Michael quiver with only one response. My hand instantly clutched the doorknob and I allowed myself in before long. A lump immediately formed in my throat watching him sit edge of our bed with his back toward me. I couldn't even touch him at this point, afraid to possibly trigger something.
"What's wrong?" I questioned before anything else.
"Please don't shut me out anymore." Michael answered. Within seconds, I remembered our conversation take took place not too long ago.
"I haven't...." His bloodshot eyes forced my voice to cut off. I'd never felt so guilty in my entire life. It'd been hard to avoid my issues with pride again and I guess this had been Michael's breaking point.
"What's it gonna take?" Michael's voice shattered even more. "What's it gonna take to understand that I'm yours?"
"I love you, but it's very difficult to be confident when you got these other beautiful women on your arm during events. Plus, a bombshell has been chasing you for some time. I can't even go on a date with you unless things are private. I'm repeating myself, but it really feels like you're ashamed to be seen with me."
"I'm not, I'm just...scared...Once we're public, it's over. I'm not taking that chance. I've told you, girl." Michael tried to reason with me, but failed. He must've assumed I was still some average lady who never understood the business.
"I'm not scared." I clenched my teeth. "We've only gone out once this year and Tatiana almost ruined that date. Again, there's something you're not telling me. Are you really sure we shouldn't break up right now, Michael?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt any more than you are right now. People still have that other raincloud over your head, remember? What do you really think is gonna happen once I'm in the picture? It'll be nothing but a circus." Michael shook his head keeping the most broken voice.
"I can handle myself." I mumbled back. "And when did you start caring about the tabloids?"
"Two years ago." Michael admitted. "After you got fired, I didn't want to take a chance on people finding out we even know each other. Too risky."
I tossed up my hands in surrender and walked to charge out of the bedroom. Tears spilled out of my eyes before long. His dumbass ego caged our relationship yet again. I couldn't even look in his direction at the moment.
"Baby?" he asked, getting up. I didn't even care. His footstep trailed behind me and out to the living room again.
"What?!" I shouted with nearly choking tears. "What's the point of falling in love with me if you care more about a fucking image? I've wasted my time on you for five years if that's the case, Michael! And don't you dare get on your Goddamn knees! Be a man and tell me the truth or I'm done."
"You'll leave me once the press gets involved, Brenda! Everyone else has and I don't blame them at all. It's bullshit!" Michael shouted. His face had turned completely red once more. "I don't wanna lose you over that nonsense."
I couldn't even speak now. Dead silence had fallen between us yet again. My eyes lowered to the ground. Michael inched closer to lift my chin, but I carefully pushed him away. He could only watch my every move and sniffle at this point.
"It's gonna take so much more than some pointless tabloid garbage to get rid of me. Why can't you understand that?" My curls shook down again, but my footsteps inched closer and closer to Michael until I could wrap my arms around his neck. Our noses touched as always in the darkness.
Tear stains of his own made their way near my dimples. Leather of a jacket Michael actually planned to wear on tour hugged my own shoulders.
"You're rocking my shit again." Michael sniffled through laughter.
"Someone's feeling better." I pointed out first. "You did say that it's sexy when I wear your clothes, Michael."
"It...is..." Michael pecked my lips, making me giggle. "Forgive me?"
"Yes." I said. "But don't you ever think I'll forget. If you test me again, we're back to square one." His forehead bumped against mine and he reached to caress my face. My dimples turned up bashfully once his thumb met my skin.
"Deal." he kissed me back. "The business just made us even more stubborn, girl. I'm convinced." I could only smile against those lips and continue laughing softly.
**
MICHAEL
She belted one of my tunes in the shower that morning. Studio records never even scratched the surface anymore. I'd spent the past few minutes either kneeling over in laughter due to the volume or poking out my lips and nodding in approval.
In short, my baby could sing.
Never let you down.
Never let you down...
I'd backed up in just enough time. The shower had finally stopped running before long. I hurried to act normal again and not seem clingy or odd. She came out of the bathroom in one of my robes, allowing me to chew my bottom lip at this sight.
When we get back... my thoughts reached the gutter early this morning.
"What?" she stopped at the bed after taking off my robe.
"Do we really to work today?" I pretended to whine. "First you sing to me and now you're naked? What are you planning? My birthday present?"
She blushed. "Was I really that loud?"
"Yes." I chuckled. "Why don't you sing like that on records I've heard? If anything, you're holding back in public or something."
"I don't know. What you heard came out of nowhere, Michael. It was stuck in my head and I actually thought you already left for the studio."
"Nope." I smiled. "Do it again."
Brenda had already slipped on clothes and walked toward the mirror. I grinned even wider this time listening. "This isn't a musical. Stop it."
Within seconds, we both erupted with laughter.
