H E R...

Chapter 15: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓁

     I woke up to the sun shining bright just between the cracks of the curtains. I was alone. Michael must have left once I was sound asleep. I had to have been out for hours. I turned around to grab my phone off the charger to see that it was almost two in the afternoon. Damn I've been sleep for ten hours!

I have never slept this late. I guess it makes sense, I was up at four in the morning crying myself to sleep. I still don't remember going to sleep, but I remember Michael. I remember him being there to comfort me and tell me that everything was ok. He let me be vulnerable without judgment. He was there with me to finally let go of this dark cloud that's been hovering over me for so many years. He didn't ask me any questions, he never required me to speak. He let me be. He let me go through whatever it was that caused me such pain. He was just.. there. That was the very thing I needed in that moment.

"There she is, well good-morning sunshine." I turned to see Michael standing in the doorway smiling with a tray of food in his hands.

God was this man fine. I thought to myself. He was even finer in the dim sunlight. He pressed a button that was on a panel on the wall next to the door that opened the curtains in my room. Yeah I was in love with this room.

"Good-morning Michael." I said smiling back at him.

It's funny how just twenty-four hours ago I was scared shitless to meet this man. Then here I am, sort of happy I woke up with him here.

"I don't think I ever want to leave this room." I told him looking around admiring everything about it.

"Good luck trying to get me out of this room." I said hinted at his comment he said last night about me not wanting to stay in here long.

"Haha, we'll see about that." He said laughing.

"Yeah I actually had it remodeled... for you. When I wrote you that letter all those months ago, I had the remodel started then. I wanted to make you as comfortable as possible, being that it was an unusual circumstance. I know how much you loved windows and all. Hence why I had Jackson put your belongings here. I knew you would choose this room."

Michael didn't cease to amaze me. Some part of me found it scary that he knew me better than anybody apparently. It only made me even more curious of who he might be. I had no clue honestly. I thought maybe he was a kid from my first high school but I can't recall seeing him there. I've went over possible scenarios in my head and the only thing that made sense the most was him being one of the old neighborhood kids. But who? I had happier times as a kid. I had friends in my old neighborhood. Even though I spent a lot of time indoors reading, I had my times outside with the other kids. Especially when Shyann was there.

"That's really thoughtful of you. Really this is all very comforting and to be honest the most free I've felt in a long time. I know I've only been here a night but in these last few hours, I finally feel a sense of peace. I have you to thank for that. Whoever you may be. Just thank you." I really meant that.

"It's nothing ma. In fact you've seen nothing. Here go ahead and eat up. I want to show you something." He said while sitting down the tray of food in front of me.

Michael sat next to me while I ate. He turned on the tv to a show called "Big Bang Theory". Being honest, it was pretty funny and highly enjoyable. Especially the man who plays the character Sheldon. I appreciated the fact they added comedy into the lives of nerds. It was a really good show.

"The breakfast was really good. Did you make it yourself?" I asked.

"I did in fact. My staff doesn't work here over the weekends. I prefer those days alone. I also think it's unfair to keep people away from their families seven days a week. So I treat it like any other job. They only work for me five days a week."