Being with Michael: Part 1 (Book Two)

Chapter Fifty Two

Paige turns the key in the ignition to turn off the Mercedes and opens up the door. She uses her hands to move her left leg out and place her foot on the ground. Then she moves her right leg and climbs out, putting all her weight on her right leg.

Michael gets out at the same time and walks around the back of the car to join her.

Ron follows Michael with his eyes taking in the famous man. Personally, Ron doesn't care about fame or gossip about other people. He's just going to see what this guy is like, and why Paige is so into him.

Michael approaches Paige and she steps her right foot over her left and pushes her left leg over to close the car door behind her. Then she leans back against the car, keeping her weight on her right side.

Michael stands next to her, leaning his right side against the car to face both Paige and Ron. He looks at Paige and takes in the sight of her standing up, looking normal. He can't remember the last time it was that she looked like she was fully capable of moving her body. Then he realizes that the last time he saw her walking towards him was the morning of the accident as she went to kiss him goodbye. He pushes the thought out of his mind, and looks at her now instead. She looks gorgeous wearing a pair of black boots and gray skinny jeans with a black tank top. The outfit allows her caramel brunette hair to act as an accent to the colors and the tank top lets the muscles in her arms and shoulders show through. Michael can see now why she was taken seriously with the gangs and street racers, she looks just as tough as them, but definitely way more attractive. Looking at her now makes him want to get close to her again, but then he remembers where they're at.

Ron steps off the sidewalk in front of the garage and onto the parking lot in front of them. "You don't look too bad since the last time I saw you. You don't have a bullet in your shoulder," he tells Paige, looking her up and down. Wow, four years makes a difference. She definitely looks grown-up now, he thinks.

"And you don't have a bullet in your stomach," Paige says back to him. "It's great to see you, Ron."

"Is that why I never saw you again after the hospital? You didn't want to see me or were you 'moving on'?" He asks her with both a serious and sarcastic tone.

"Don't do that," Paige says, shaking her head slighty and narrowing her eyes.

"What?" He asks her, tilting his head up as if to test her.

"Act like you don't know why," she answers him. "You know I had to stop racing and I couldn't be near without you getting hurt. It was better off that way."

Michael realizes then that Paige isn't strong and confident just around him, she is around everybody because that's what she's had to do.

Paige starts to divert the conversation by motioning to Michael, "Ron, this is-"

"You don't need to tell me who he is," Ron says, changing his focus from Paige to Michael. "Nice to meet you," he says, holding a hand out to Michael and acting like he's meeting any other normal guy.

Michael shakes his hand with a firm grip, "You too."

Ron motions toward the garage, "How 'bout you guys come in while we wait for the car to get here since you're early?"

Paige quickly responds, "I can't."

Ron raises an eyebrow asking for an explanation.

She sighs, "I don't have control of my leg since I was in an accident about a year ago that hit the nerves-"

Ron nods, "Ah, I heard about that one on the news. The way I found out you were still alive is by learning you were in an accident, and that you were married, too." He looks over at Michael narrowly.