The two of you pull away almost instantaneous, staring at the red-haired figure at the doorway, a mix of disbelief and guilt on both of your faces.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Michael repeats the words again, but it’s clear that he already knows – his eyes are narrowed and you can see his cheeks starting to turn red from anger, fists clenched at his side.
You open and close your mouth like a fish, no sound escaping your lips. What were you supposed to say to him, anyways?
You had spent the past month relieving the last moment you saw Michael, planning all the words you’d say to convince him to take you back, all the feelings you never quite fully expressed, all the pleads you’d make to have him back in your arms, to have him back as yours.
But they all disappear from your mind and all the dialogues of love die in your throat.
You didn’t think you’d be able to win him back with them at this point anyways – not when he just saw you kissing his bandmate, his eyes seething as they darted between you and Ashton.
“I – Michael – what are you doing here?”
Ashton’s voice comes out a pitch higher than usual, the false casual tone is noticeable in comparison to his usual cheerful greetings.
“Save me the small talk. What are you – my bandmate – doing kissing my girlfriend?”
“Ex.”
The word comes out quietly, barely leaving your lips. But it’s enough to have Michael’s eyes dart immediately towards you, grey eyes flashing.
“What?”
“Ex-girlfriend, Michael. We broke up – no, you broke up with me a month ago. I’m not your girlfriend anymore.”
You hate how you haven’t seen Michael in a month and the first words you say when you see him again are ones that remind you of the day he shattered your and walked all over the pieces on his way out.
“So that means you go crawling to my bandmate?” Michael grits his teeth. “Who is like a brother to me?”
His words are low and vicious, aimed at you before he directs them to Ashton, the word brother leaving his mouth in sharp spikes.
“Listen, Michael – it isn’t her fault. I was the one who confessed, I was the one who kissed her – it was me.”
Ashton’s voice is pleading and you can see the hurt in his eyes from Michael’s words.
You can see that he regrets hurting his bandmate like this, for angering him, for betraying his touch – but you can’t tell if he regrets kissing you. If he regrets loving someone like you, who’s so tied up in emotions and complications.
“Am I really supposed to believe that? How long have you been seeing him behind my back?”
“Never, Michael! I’d never cheat on you, I’d never hurt you.”
You refrain from adding the words like you did to me, and they taste bitter on your tongue but you hold it back because you know aggravating him won’t help the situation.
But the chance to show him just how much he hurt you is tempting, to say the least.
“Ash is – Ash is my friend.”
“Oh, is that so? Do you go around kissing all of your friends?”
“Michael! Ash and I – we’re… I don’t know what we are, but whatever it is it doesn’t concern you anymore.”
