Being with Michael: Part 1 (Book Two)

Chapter Forty Eight

The SUV pulls up to the front door of the house and the driver climbs out to help Paige get out. Once she's settled in the wheelchair, she wheels herself to the door and turns her head to see the SUV drive away.

She unlocks the door and makes her way down the hall to the master bedroom. She wheels into the room and scans the room. Suddenly, it looks a lot larger to her than before and it feels a lot more lonely.

One of the maids comes to assist her while she changes into a tank and shorts and gets ready to go to sleep. The maid can tell something's wrong if Michael didn't return home with her, but she doesn't ask, though, and Paige doesn't explain.

The only words Paige says to her are, "Thank you," once she's settled in bed and the maid starts to leave.

Paige takes a deep breath and tries to rub off the shame she feels by needing a maid to help do such simple tasks. Whenever Michael helps her, it doesn't feel embarrassing, instead it feels comforting. But now all Paige feels is shame, and she knows it's not just because she's currently handicapped and requires assistance. She's ashamed of her entire life and what she's done, and she's ashamed that she's possibly ruined the best thing she's ever had.

Paige closes her eyes and tries to calm herself down. She focuses on the steady beating of her heart and the blood pumping through her body. She feels her now-wavy hair grazing against her bare arms, and she wishes that life could be this simple.

A memory flashes into her mind of her old foster dad shouting at her, hitting her, and throwing her back into a wall. Then, a memory from a couple years later when another gang attacked the garage, and the pistol she was holding in her hands...

Her eyes jump open and her heart's pounding now. She holds her arm up to her mouth, biting it to keep herself from crying, or screaming, or feeling the pain.

--

Michael sits motionless on the bench for almost twenty minutes. The concert's still going on, but the music is all just noise he's tuned out. Eventually, he gets up and makes his way to the SUV that's waiting on him.

He hops in, closes the door, and tells the driver, "We're going home."

The driver nods without saying anything. Michael leans against the door, turns his head, and stares out the window for the entire ride back home to Neverland.

Almost an hour later, Michael makes his way down the hall to the master bedroom, his black loafers sliding against the wood floor.

When he walks in the doorway, he sees Paige sitting on the bed, but she doesn't notice him. He stands in the doorway for a couple minutes just looking at her; she's staring off in space and chewing a nail, deep in thought. Michael thinks she looks just as beautiful as the first day he met her. Now, though, her hair is in loose waves and her body is toned from daily physical therapy, making her just seem even more beautiful to him.

Then Michael realizes that earlier he didn't even have a clue what he was going to do. He just came home, and now that he's here and he sees Paige, he knows exactly what's best for himself now.

He steps forward and when the floor groans under his weight, Paige glances up in surprise.

"Michael..." the whisper escapes her mouth because she's shocked he's come back.

Paige looks around the room and stammers, "Um, I can move out to one of the guest bedrooms, if you want."

She pauses to see what he's going to say in response and he approaches the bed. He sighs before telling her, "I want you to stay in here, but I have a request for you."