Nighttime

Chapter 29 - The Only Exception

Mentally adding another tally to my list of months since Michael had gone back to L.A., I take a sip of my already cold coffee. "Emilia?" Quickly looking up, I notice Benny staring at me. "What?" The tall redhead sighs, falling down on his chair. "It's hopeless. Ever since he was here, you won't even listen. It has been two months, it's annoying. Why don't you just go back so I could actually work on this company?" My tone was sharp as I set my mug down. "Excuse me. I wasn't aware that I would not be allowed a private life." Grabbing my purse and phone, I turn towards the exit. "I'm working from home. Don't bother coming over for dinner." "Ems, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry-" I scoff as I push open the door, turning to face him again. "Think before you speak, Benedict."

I enjoyed working with Ben, but since he'd found out that Michael and I were an item again, he held a grudge against me and I had no idea on how to change that. I shouldn't care since it was my life, but as I was working with Ben and spending a lot of my free time with him, it bothered me immensely.
As much as I liked our office space, I was always happy to get home to my lavishly luxurious apartment that I'd gifted myself as we celebrated our first success. It was my safe space away from L.A. and Sydney, and I was very selective about who I let in. I rarely spent this much money on something materialistic, but the spacious kitchen and the private wrap-around terrace made it worth it. I felt at home in here, even though I was far away from my hometown.
Walking through the massive wooden door was always an amazing feeling, but this time it didn't feel quite right. Carefully taking off and setting down my purse and shoes, I grabbed the baseball bat that I kept hidden in between a shelf and the wall, tiptoeing my way through the flat. Nothing was out of place as far as I could tell in dim light, but as I reached the living room door, I came to a halt. It was shut, voices and light behind it. Someone was in here. My hands were shaking as I tried to pull out my phone to call security, but before I could actually find it, I noticed something about these voices. I knew them. I knew whom they belonged to.

Pushing open the double doors, heads shoot up all around the room. More than I could count in this split second. I spotted my siblings who immediately came rushing towards me, shoving me back out of the living room and closing the door behind them, but not before I spot Michael in the back, panic written across his face. "What- what are you doing here?" "Sorry but I live here. What are you doing here? And, and the others. In my living room. How did you even get in here?!" Luke steps in before I can throw more questions at Mary. "Ems, I need you to calm down. This all has a reason, okay?" Taking a step back, I throw my hands up in surrender. "Yeah, alright. I'll just let you invade my fucking privacy and sip a cocktail in the sun. Cool." "That is not what we're doing." I look up at Cal poking his head out the door, and as I see his smug grin, I just want to punch him. "You all can listen up. I've had a fucked up day in the office, and if you potheads think that you can just drop in and take over my living room, you should know that I do not give a single fuck." Dropping the bat I still held to the floor, I turn around and strut towards my bedroom. "See ya, idiots."

As much as I acted like I could not care less, it was the exact opposite. I was clueless, going through all possibilities in my head as I changed from my blouse and skirt into a pair of skinny jeans and a loose shirt. Did I miss someone's birthday? No. Did I miss my own birthday, which would be why they were here? No. They were just here. And I did not know why. It bugged me, but I knew that no matter how much I begged, Luke wouldn't let me peak through the doors he now guarded like some treasure laid behind them. I asked him twice if I could just take a look, and both times he just chuckled and shook his head, making sure I couldn't even get close to the door.
Just when I'd given up waiting, turned on the TV and curled up into a ball on the couch, I heard steps approach behind me. Michael leaned over me and lightly kissed my lips, smiling as I immediately tried to pull him down on the couch with me. "Hey kitten." "Hey baby." "No cuddles for now, I need you to come with me." "Why?" "Just trust me." I hesitated for a second, then I shook my head and giggled, but still I got up. "Exactly why I asked. Last time you said that, you took me bungee jumping." He grinned and pulled me up so I stood leaned against his body. "Yeah but you loved it." "I was scared to death Michael." "But you loved it in the end." His smirk just had me grin like a fool, and I sighed as I gave in. "Okay, yes it was pretty cool." Cupping my face gently, he giggled against my lips and then kissed me sweetly before he pulled back and grabbed my hand.  "This is gonna be so much cooler. I promise. But, I need to blindfold you." I groaned at my boyfriend's ideas, but turned around so he could place the bandana in front of my eyes.
Everything was quiet as he led me through the halls, even though I knew that a bunch of our friends were here, and that was the moment that I got nervous. Carefully helping me down the stairs into my living room, he positioned me where I thought the middle of the room was and stepped away from me. I whimpered, feeling helpless and vulnerable without his hand to hold. A couple of seconds passed, then Michael spoke up again. "You can take the blindfold off now."
The first thing I saw was Michael on a small stage, surrounded by his best friends and bandmates, but today he wasn't in his usual spot on the left, today he was in Luke's spot. In the middle. "Take a look around." He chuckled softly, and I had to fight the urge to pull him off the stage to kiss him, and instead did as he told me to. Off-white fairy lights and garlands strung across the room's high ceiling along with strategically placed candles illuminated the room in a golden light. As I turned around and saw all of our closest friends standing in the back of the room, I felt my heart skip a beat, but Michael spoke up again before I could say a word. "We've got a few different artists tonight, but uh, I'd like to start with a song that I know has been one of your favourites since it came out. You sang this aloud in the shower, quietly while you were drawing and did not know I was listening. Here is The Only Exception." His lips were trembling and I knew that he was incredibly nervous, but when he started singing, his voice was as secure as ever. "When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind. He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it." I felt tears fill my eyes and blinked quickly so they would disappear, I didn't want to miss a single moment of this performance. Everyone around me felt the heavy emotions that laced Michael's every note, and even though he wasn't alone on stage and I wasn't alone in the room, his eyes never left mine. "You are the only exception, and I'm on my way to believing, oh and I'm on my way to believing."
Handing his guitar to Luke, he jumped off the stage and grabbed both of my hands. "Did you like it?" I nodded, the first tear running down my cheek. "I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much baby." "No, thank you Ems. Thank you for all the years you have loved me. For being there at our first gigs, supporting us since day one. You were the one I could crash with when it all took its toll on me, you held me until I fell asleep when I was jetlagged." A soft pink tinted his cheeks and I squeezed his hands. "Do you remember our first kiss?" "We sat on the roof of your car as we watched the sunset, and you were so nervous." "I was, I really was. Just like when we first told our families that we were dating, I thought I was going to die. I didn't though, and it turned out better than I could have ever imagined." Carefully wiping away some of my tears, he pressed his lips to my forehead. And then he dropped to one knee, his wide smile the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "Emilia Claire Hemmings. You are the best thing that's ever been mine, and I want to grow old with you. That's why... Will you marry me?" Fireworks went off in my body as he said the words, and I didn't even have to think twice. "Yes, YES! Yes I will." Cheers erupted all around us as I pulled Michael up and he wrapped his arms around me, kissing me like there was no tomorrow.
He radiated pure happiness as he pulled back a little, reaching up to wipe some happy tears off my cheeks. "I love you so much baby." I giggled and pecked his plump lips again, not able to contain myself. "I love you."