⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀CHAPTER 5.
beneath the small dirt hill, the land stretched out even farther. michael hadn't climbed down carefully or hesitated for a second before sliding down it. he turned back to look at me from below, one hand slightly raised as he offered it to me.
“come on.” he said again. i looked down at the slope once more. it wasn't steep, not really, but it was enough to throw off my balance and maybe make me fall.
i didn't have time to decide whether it was a good idea or not because michael had already climbed a few steps back up, closing the distance between us.
“don't overthink it." he said, as if he could read my face with ease. “it's just a little hill.”
“i'm not overthinking. i just don't wanna fall.”
before i could say anything else, michael took my hand, but he didn't pull me. he just stood there looking at me with that little smile that always made my knees weak. then i squeezed his hand.
when i took my first step down, i immediately felt the ground shift beneath my feet. the dirt gave way slightly under my shoes and instinctively i leaned toward him. he let out a short laugh when i nearly lost my balance halfway down.
“you're good, you did good.” he said, with me still stumbling against his chest, trying to steady myself by holding onto him.
once we finally reached solid ground, i slowly let go of his hand. the silence felt different down there and the wind didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular. it simply slipped through the stacked tires and old structures, stirring our hair.
after we looked at each other for a few moments, michael started walking toward the side of the track, where the bleachers cast a shadow and the heat wasn't quite as relentless.
“you hungry?” he asked again as he sat down effortlessly on the bleachers beneath the shade of the metal roof.
“i know you are.” that earned another quiet laugh from him. he held out his hand again to help me sit beside him, then he opened the convenience store bag, unscrewed his bottle of orange juice and set it on the bleacher between his legs.
the concrete was warm at first but the shade made it bearable. then i looked around the huge place once again, suddenly wondering how he knew about it if he wasn't from here, how he'd ended up here.
i did the same, though i was still trying to process that we were actually here. he was eating some of his trail mix and offered me a handful, which i accepted. he dropped a few into my palm.
“so, how long have you been coming here?” i finally asked, tossing a few of the snacks into my mouth.
“hmm.” he thought for a second, chewing a few himself. “a while.”
i waited for more of an explanation, but none came, so i simply looked at him for a few seconds.
“that's all i'm getting?”
michael gave a small shrug. “that's the truth. i've been coming here for a while.”
he seemed completely serious and set on his answer, so i decided not to ask again. at least not for now, because i knew that eventually he'd have to tell me everything he was hiding.
“try it.” he said, nodding toward the sandwich still sitting inside my bag. “the sandwich.”
the corner of my mouth lifted again as i opened my bag, glancing at him from the corner of my eye while unwrapping the plastic from the sandwich.
“it's not what you think it is. we sell these at the gas station too.”
with his eyes fixed on me, i took a bite of the turkey sandwich. the texture was exactly what i expected, though he was right, the meat tasted more frozen than it did like turkey. of course, i wasn't about to tell him that. still, it was edible.
“it's good.” i said after swallowing.
michael laughed again. “you're lying.”
“i'm not!” i replied, unable to stop laughing too. “try it yourself.”
i held the sandwich out to him as i brushed a few crumbs from my mouth with the back of my hand. michael looked at it for a few seconds before taking it with obvious hesitation. he took a small bite and chewed, his brow immediately furrowing, though he kept chewing anyway.
he eventually swallowed, wearing an expression that only made me laugh harder as he stared down at the sandwich in his hand.
“this is terrible, viviana.”
i playfully smacked his shoulder and he took another bite, making me immediately snatch it back out of his hand.
“then why do you keep eating it?”
“i paid for it. you better finish the whole thing.”
a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he could hide it.
for the first time since i’d met him, he seemed completely at ease, no longer looking over his shoulder or keeping tabs on everything around him. and honestly, i’d be lying if i said i didn’t feel just as relaxed, being away from everyone and sitting here beside him.
michael must’ve noticed me getting lost in my thoughts. he watched me for a moment longer than usual before resting his forearms on his knees.
“so." he said. “what would’ve happened if you hadn’t seen me from that window?”
i turned to look at him as i unscrewed the cap of my water bottle.
he lifted one shoulder slightly.
“i don’t know. looked like you weren’t expecting me to actually show up.”
i took a sip of water before answering, screwing the cap back on.
“i thought you’d forgotten, since we never agreed on a time or place.”
michael let out a quiet laugh through his nose as he slowly turned the half-empty bottle of orange juice between his hands.
“you really thought i was just gonna leave that up to chance?”
that made me press my lips together to hide a smile. so he’d wanted to be alone with me just as much as i’d wanted to be alone with him. i tried to disguise it by taking another couple of bites of my sandwich.
“it’s kind of impossible to ignore that bike of yours.” was all i said in response.
the small, satisfied smile that spread across his face gave him away.
the wind drifted through the bleachers, sending a few abandoned papers skittering across the track. in the distance, the asphalt shimmered beneath the afternoon heat.
“so what?” he asked at last. “you would’ve just gone home with him if i hadn’t shown up?”
“no, i wouldn’t. that’s probably for the best.”
michael finally looked away from the track and back at me, idly turning the bottle between his hands. i never would've imagined he'd be this interested in hearing about tony. maybe it was genuine curiosity, the same kind i had about his life.
if the roles had been reversed, i knew i would've been unbearable about it, so i decided not to blame him.
“we argued last night.” i shrugged, staring off into the distance for a moment. “i don’t wanna see him.”
“must’ve been a hell of an argument,” he said. “you don’t strike me as someone who likes losing an argument.”
he was good at reading me, because he was right. i didn’t actually like arguing but i hated losing one even more when i was already irritated, as had been the case with tony. months of frustration had finally piled up.
“yeah, i don’t. but neither does he.”
michael fell silent and out of the corner of my eye i caught him pressing his lips together for a moment, as if debating something with himself before finally voicing it.
“how much of that argument was my fault?”
a chuckle slipped out as i turned to look at him.
“don’t flatter yourself.”
“you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“i just don’t think he bought the story that i’m just a guy from school. i don’t think he likes me very much.” he said.
“really? what gave it away?” i asked, raising an eyebrow, my voice laced with sarcasm.
it was obvious. tony had always been the jealous type, even when i gave him no reason to be.
a light scoff escaped me before i could stop it.
“he doesn’t like anyone anyway.”
michael took one last sip of his juice before setting the bottle back down beside him.
the wind stirred a few loose strands of my hair and for a few seconds we simply watched the track without feeling the need to fill the silence. he seemed to decide not to ask about tony any further.
“what are you studying?” he asked suddenly, genuinely catching me off guard.
i shifted slightly where i sat.
“what’s wrong with business?”
“nothing. i’m just trying to figure out how someone like you ended up studying business.”
i let out a quiet laugh, trying to hide both my curiosity and my discomfort at what he'd just said.
“i don’t know. you just don’t seem like someone who belongs behind a desk.”
michael was the first person to say that to me since i'd started college. everyone else congratulated me, encouraged me to keep going and told me i'd do a great job taking over the family business someday.
it was one of the reasons i kept my lie alive, even as it grew heavier on my shoulders with every passing day. his words made me realize he saw something different when he looked at me. for the first time in a long while, i felt exposed, maybe even seen.
“what do i look like to you?”
when i turned to look at him, michael didn't answer right away.
“like you have a free spirit and don’t belong locked in an office.”
i looked at him for a little longer than i should have. a quiet but deep sigh slipped from my lips, one i hadn't even realized i'd been holding. this was the wrong moment to fall into another rabbit hole about my life.
then michael reached up and gently brushed my chin with his fingertips for a second before standing, not giving me the chance to say anything else. he dusted his hands against his pants and nodded toward the other end of the lot, where the car i'd noticed earlier still sat beneath the metal awning.
his smile widened, almost seeming to glow beneath the afternoon sun.
“i wanna show you something else.”
he was already making his way down the short dirt steps toward the track, glancing back to make sure i was following. i got to my feet and carefully made my way down after him, taking his hand again when he offered it.
after i'd finished the last bite of my sandwich, michael tossed our trash into a nearby bin. i was never going to admit that the more i ate that sandwich, the stranger it started to taste. i'd take that to my grave out of pure pride.
“this is yours?” i asked once we stopped in front of the car.
“yeah.” he said as he walked around it as though he were seeing it for the first time. “isn’t she pretty?”
i frowned slightly, trying to hold back a laugh.
“don’t listen to her, veronica." he murmured, leaning toward the car and resting a hand on the roof.
that was enough to make me laugh, covering my mouth so it wouldn't come out too loud.
his hand slid across the roof almost absentmindedly, and from the way he looked at it, i realized it probably meant a great deal to him. that had to be why it was so meticulously polished and cared for. there was something incredibly familiar in the way he looked at it and i couldn't help wondering how many stories he had with this car.
michael told me it was a buick grand national from just last year, what some people called the dark horse of '87, faster than any corvette from the past few years. i decided not to ask how much it must've cost him.
“so you race with it?” i asked, standing a little closer to the car after listening to him talk about it with so much admiration. “it’s the coolest car i’ve ever seen.”
michael reached for the passenger-side handle and pulled the door open. then he stepped back slightly, one hand still resting on the top of the open door.
“wanna see what she can do?”
there was something strangely inviting and attractive about the confidence in his voice and the look on his face as he held the door open for me. the interior was just as spotless as the outside, with black seats and a dark dashboard polished to perfection.
i raised an eyebrow before sliding into the passenger seat. he closed the door with care, then jogged around the front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat.
inside, it smelled like his cologne mixed with the leather upholstery. without thinking, i quietly inhaled before letting out a slow breath, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the details of the door panel.
michael slipped the key into the ignition and the engine came to life instantly, rumbling before he even touched the accelerator. a pleased smile spread across his face the moment it did.
“hear that?” he said, without taking his eyes off the road.
“sounds like an engine.” i teased him.
licking his curved lips, he shook his head as both hands settled on the steering wheel.
“hope you trust me enough, viv.”
his comment caught me off guard, so i looked over at him before instinctively searching for the seatbelt.
“you won’t need it.” michael slipped his sunglasses back on after they'd been hanging from the collar of his shirt and released the parking brake. “hold on tight, mama.”
the car launched forward so suddenly that i was thrown back against the seat. the track rushed toward us in a blur of asphalt and sunlight. for one terrifying second, i was convinced we were going far too fast, but then michael shifted gears, and somehow we went even faster.
i grabbed the edge of the seat with one hand and the door with the other. michael looked entirely too pleased about it.
the first curve came up much sooner than i would've liked. instead of slowing down, michael steered right into it, the tires gripping the asphalt as the entire car leaned with the motion, making my stomach drop.
a scream escaped me before i could stop it, which only made him laugh.
whenever i drove home alone after work at night, there were times i'd press a little harder on the gas and make it home sooner than i should have. but more than that, i loved the feeling of freedom those few minutes gave me. doing it on a racetrack full of sharp turns was completely different. it didn't terrify me as much as the sudden burst of speed did.
when another curve approached, i didn't squeeze my eyes shut this time. the track unfolded ahead of us, and the car answered every movement of michael's hands as though it understood exactly what he wanted.
sunlight flashed across the windshield. and for the first time since we'd gotten into the car, i wasn't scared anymore. i was holding on because i didn't want it to end. before i knew it, i was smiling. when michael accelerated down the longest stretch of the track, a laugh burst out of me so suddenly that it surprised both of us.
the next curve came even faster. stacks of old tires lining the edge of the track appeared in my line of sight, and instinctively i braced myself for the impact that never came.
michael turned the wheel with an almost insulting amount of confidence, and the car obeyed without hesitation. the engine growled as we came out of the turn before launching forward again. the wind rushed through the open windows, tossing my hair in every direction. i didn't even bother fixing it anymore. i was far too busy enjoying something i never thought i'd enjoy this much.
when we finally came to an abrupt stop after the last corner, a ridiculous wave of disappointment settled in my chest. michael rested an elbow on the back of his seat as he turned to look at me.
“i'm just saying... maybe veronica really is that good.”
the look of pride on michael's face was so over-the-top that i burst out laughing before i could even finish my sentence. honestly, that seemed to please him more than anything else that had happened all afternoon.
after a few seconds of laughing, we found ourselves looking at each other again. he still had his sunglasses on, but i already missed seeing the sparkle in his eyes.
“why did you bring me here?” i asked out of pure curiosity, my voice softening without me even realizing it.
“you said last night that i knew more about you than you knew about me.” he shrugged lightly. “thought we could start changing that. wanted to show you this part of me.”
his voice softened more than i had ever heard before in the short time i'd known him. and i never imagined my words from the night before had stayed with him enough to make him show me something so personal, something that belonged entirely to him. naturally, my heart warmed almost instantly.
and it was because, in that moment, i realized i wasn't the only one who'd become so deeply interested in him. he was just as invested as i was. i lowered my gaze for a second, looking down at the steering wheel, still feeling the thrill from our lap around the track.
“i didn't think you actually listened.” i admitted.
a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
the silence that followed was anything but uncomfortable. then my eyes drifted back to the steering wheel, then to the gear shifter.
“well, it's my turn.” i said.
michael laughed, shaking his head.
i crossed my arms, turning almost completely toward him. i didn't mind letting him know i was offended by how little faith he had in me.
“why not? i know how to drive.” i protested.
“that's not what worries me. it's the fact that you've never driven anything like this.”
i hated when he was right. but that didn't mean i couldn't learn. i'd picked up plenty of tricks working on different cars with my dad when he taught me a bit about mechanics, though that definitely wasn't something i planned on telling him anytime soon.
instead, i leaned across the center console and carefully slipped his sunglasses off his face before settling back into my seat and putting them on myself.
he simply stayed still, watching me.
“you scared a girl drives better than you did your first time?” i raised an eyebrow and held out my hand, waiting for him to give me the keys.
he seemed to think it over for a second before finally pulling the keys from the ignition after shutting the engine off and placing them in the palm of my hand.
“don't make me regret it.”
after climbing out, i walked around the front of the car while he did the same from the other side, ending up in the passenger seat. as we crossed paths in front of the hood, michael lifted one hand slightly.
“be nice to veronica, okay?” he said before climbing into the car, making me roll my eyes to keep from laughing before slipping into the driver's seat.
the steering wheel felt different from there, maybe bigger and heavier, as if the car changed depending on who was sitting behind it.
michael waited for me to adjust the seat before pointing at the rearview mirror.
“might be a little higher.”
i did as he said, adjusting it until it matched my line of sight, then i straightened the seat and settled into it properly. michael looked noticeably more tense sitting where i had been just moments before.
“both hands on the wheel.” he said.
“can you relax? i have my own car.”
the engine came back to life with the same deep growl that had made me smile the first time i'd heard it. michael rested an arm on the open window and let out a slow breath, as if trying to convince himself everything would be fine.
“okay... just go easy on the throttle.”
i eased off the clutch carefully and the car started rolling forward, much slower than he'd driven it, the track opening up in front of us. the car definitely felt far more modern and powerful than mine and somehow that only made me like it even more than i should have.
“relax.” michael said, his calm tone completely at odds with the way he'd been driving just minutes earlier. “don't fight the wheel.”
just to prove him wrong, i pressed the accelerator on impulse. the car lurched forward so suddenly that it threw michael back against his seat this time.
i screamed purely from the rush of adrenaline, taking the first corner much tighter than i probably should have.
the car answered with another growl as we shot out of the turn and this time i was the one who felt that familiar jolt of adrenaline racing through my chest.
“easy, viviana!” michael grabbed the handle above the window as i took the next corner with far more enthusiasm than technique.
i kept accelerating down the longest straight on the track, feeling the engine respond every time i pushed my foot down a little farther. it was completely different, nothing like driving through the streets of odessa.
out here there were no traffic lights, no signs, no one telling me how fast i could go and no people recognizing me on the street. there was just wind and clouds of dirt flying from the tires every time they slid, with a horizon that seemed to grow wider with every passing yard.
i turned just a little too late. the car entered the corner much more violently than any of his had, kicking up a cloud of dust when one of the tires caught the edge of the dirt.
a loud laugh burst out of me. michael shook his head, though the smile never left his face for even a second.
the sun slowly sinked behind the empty bleachers, painting the asphalt in warm shades of orange that reflected across the black hood. the shadows stretched longer with every passing minute. the air, which had been scorching only a few hours earlier, was finally beginning to cool.
we went around again. and then again.
with each lap i braked a little less and the steering wheel felt lighter in my hands. every now and then i'd hear michael say, “good,” or “that's it,” or he'd correct me by only a few inches before a corner, but he spoke less and less because he didn't need to anymore.
when i crossed the main straight one last time, i lifted my foot off the accelerator on my own. the engine's growl gradually faded as the car coasted a few more yards on momentum alone. i looked up through the windshield.
the sunset had painted the entire western sky in shades of orange, pink, and violet, the colors reflecting across the glass. michael followed my gaze before looking back at me.
“i know where we can find a better view.” he said, making me turn to him again.
once we'd switched places again, he took the wheel and drove off the track, hooking his sunglasses back onto the collar of his shirt. the dirt road disappeared behind us as the colors in the sky deepened with every passing minute.
he drove unhurriedly along a nearly empty back road before turning onto a narrow path that ended at a small rise. from there, a lake stretched out beneath the fading light of the sunset.
there wasn't another soul around, just the water moving lazily beneath the breeze and the distant sound of insects beginning to emerge with the coming night. i never imagined there was a lake this beautiful so close to my hometown.
michael parked the car near the edge of a small natural rise before shutting off the engine. a light breeze drifted through the open windows, carrying away the warm scent of asphalt and leaving behind nothing but damp earth and fresh water.
he was the first to get out. closing the door gently, he walked around the front of the car, slipping the keys into his pocket as he glanced out toward the lake before opening the door for me.
the ground sloped gently downward, covered in dry grass and small rocks that crunched beneath our shoes. the lake grew larger with every step we took, so still it was difficult to tell where the water ended and the reflection of the sky began.
a few yards ahead stood a small wooden dock. michael stepped onto the first few planks as though he'd been there dozens of times before. i hesitated for a second, so he reached out with both hands to help me up.
i glanced down at the water through the narrow gaps between the boards before following him. the whole place felt so peaceful that i didn't even worry about whether the dock would hold.
the weathered planks, worn down by years of water and time, creaked softly beneath the breeze, stretching several yards out over the lake before ending at a square platform where a small boat had probably once been tied. by the time we reached the end, the wind had picked up.
i brushed my hair away from my face as i looked around. michael rested his forearms against the railing and fixed his gaze on the horizon, seeming to have no rush to say anything. and honestly, neither did i.
i stepped beside him, leaving only a few inches between us. the breeze kept catching loose strands of both my hair and his, forcing me to tuck mine behind my ear over and over again.
“you know a lot of places here. more than i do.” i commented quietly, as though someone else might hear us.
“well, i've had time to explore it. you have a beautiful hometown.” he replied in the same soft tone. “i come here when i need to think.”
“i thought you were gonna take me to another loud place.”
without taking his eyes off the horizon, he said, “if i only showed you the loud parts, you'd get the wrong idea.”
i looked at him then, curious. the orange glow was beginning to disappear behind the hills, giving way to a deep blue sky streaked with soft shades of pink reflected across the water.
the first distant lights began flickering on along the opposite shore.
“and what's the right idea?”
michael shrugged lightly.
“you'll have to figure it out.”
the honesty in his answer caught me off guard. now that we were finally alone, in the moment i'd been hoping for all day, the urge to kiss him grew almost impossible to ignore.
“i would love to. more than you think.” i admitted.
he turned to look at me, finding my eyes already fixed on his. neither of us spoke again.
the distance between us was much smaller than before, though neither of us seemed to have closed it on purpose. the breeze carried a loose strand of my hair across my face.
before i could brush it away, michael slowly lifted his hand, almost cautiously. his fingertips barely grazed my temple as he tucked it behind my ear. the gesture was so gentle that, for an instant, neither of us seemed to breathe.
his hand lingered there, lightly brushing my cheek. my heart pounded against my ribs and i was afraid he'd notice how nervous i was. even so, i took a small step closer. michael calmly closed the remaining distance between us, and when his lips finally met mine, the rest of the world seemed to fade away around me.
i melted into his arms and he immediately slipped his free hand to my waist, drawing me just a little closer. i parted my lips slightly and tilted my head to deepen the kiss, he slid his hand from my cheek to the back of my head to cradle me there. my hands tightened around the sides of his jacket at his waist.
it was the first time in a long time that i'd truly felt alive.
his lips moved perfectly against mine, the warmth of his body radiating into mine, and for one brief moment, i wasn't sure i'd be able to pull away. i gently caught his lower lip between my teeth. he let out a quiet groan before playfully returning the gesture against mine.
then he wrapped both hands around my waist and guided me back until i was resting against the dock's railing. i parted my lips again to deepen the kiss as his hands slowly traced the small of my back, and i slipped my fingers into the soft curls at the nape of his neck.
i was pinned between the railing and his body, which somehow felt even larger than it had only minutes before. we finally pulled apart at the same time to catch our breath, our noses brushing softly together, making us both smile.
he never loosened his hold around my waisd and i made no effort to step away.
“so…” i murmured in a barely audible voice.
“yeah.” he replied, making me laugh softly. he did the same.
shortly after, we stayed sitting at the edge of the dock with our feet hanging over the clear water. as it got darker, the cold appeared and he made me put on his jacket, filled with his cologne and completely warm. he was left wearing only a white t-shirt underneath.
in silence, we admired the sunset painting the sky, my head resting on his shoulder without a single inch between us. i wanted to take his hand but we only managed to brush against each other’s fingers over our legs.
i lost track of time after that, the sky had almost completely darkened. the orange of the horizon slowly disappeared behind the hills, leaving a deep blue that was beginning to fill with the first stars.
in the distance, some lights reflected over the lake like tiny trembling lines. michael let out a sigh while i kept my eyes closed.
“we should probably get you back.”
disappointment filled my chest again as soon as i remembered that this wasn’t my reality but an escape from it. and in michael’s voice, i could tell it was something he felt he had to do more than something he wanted to do.
he was right. carol was probably wondering where i was and who i was with and i had to figure out another big lie to add to the endless list i already had. a deep sigh left my lungs and i nodded, finally opening my eyes.
we stood up almost at the same time, michael helping me by taking my hand again. the wood of the dock creaked beneath our steps as we walked back, this time slower.
every now and then our hands brushed against each other by pure coincidence. or maybe it wasn’t so much of a coincidence anymore, because neither of us made an attempt to pull away.
when the car appeared between the trees again, i stopped for a second to look at it. just a few hours ago it had seemed intimidating, but now it felt strangely familiar and comfortable. i could still feel the tingling of his lips, still couldn’t believe that had just happened.
michael opened the passenger door, but before i could get in, i felt his fingers searching for mine. i turned my head slightly when i realized he wanted to stop me before i got inside. he held my gaze for a few seconds before bringing a hand to my cheek and this time i didn’t hesitate to lean closer again, he did the same at the same time.
we kissed again and my stomach exploded once more with hundreds of restless, colorful butterflies. it was as if we both wanted to confirm that the first kiss had really happened, his hand held my cheek to keep me close and i hid a little against his chest, humming softly.
it felt like an accumulation of days where we had both wanted this since the moment we met, and on my part, that had been true.
when we pulled away, michael rested his forehead against mine for only a second before smiling.
unable to erase my smile, i murmured back, “yes, sir.”
the drive back was completely different. the road was illuminated only by the car’s headlights and the occasional distant light. i rested my arm against the open window, letting the fresh air finish clearing my head. he had told me he knew the convenience store well enough to find his way back for the harley the next day.
every time i turned my head slightly, there he was, one hand on the steering wheel. the other rested calmly on the gear shift, quietly humming along to a song playing on the radio.
we spent the next forty minutes talking about music and the songs on the radio. he told me a little about his favorite stations and the songs that usually kept him company every day. he knew so much about it, and i felt even more drawn to him. i would never be able to properly process everything that had happened today.
when the first streets of odessa started appearing, he slowed down. a few minutes later, he stopped a block away from campus, close enough for me to walk there and for no one to see us together, even if it was almost ten at night.
he turned off the engine and silence settled between us again. i slowly unbuckled my seatbelt, looking at the huge campus building in front of us. putting my feet back on the ground was harder than i had imagined.
“thanks… for today.” i said, my voice coming out softer than i expected. “i’ve never had this much fun in my life.”
“i’m the one who’s gotta thank you.” he murmured back, locking his beautiful eyes with mine. “i’d like to take you to a race some time.”
that made me smile instantly, to the point where my cheeks started to hurt.
i didn’t want to get out, i didn’t want to leave. i wanted to stay by his side and keep getting to know him beyond the cars and the races. i wanted to run away with him and never think about my life again. knowing it was impossible was slowly killing me inside.
“michael.” i started, with a hint of vulnerability coloring my voice. “i wanna see you again.”
he leaned over his seat, taking my hand and gently caressing it between his.
“we’ll see each other again, viv.” he brought my hand to his lips to leave a kiss on it, and then, from his pocket, he pulled out a small piece of paper, which he handed to me and i took. “it’s my phone number. i wanted to give it to you this morning.”
i quickly leaned over the seat to hug him tightly around the shoulders, leaving a kiss on his cheek. he wrapped both arms around me firmly, reacting a few seconds later, squeezing the paper between my hand.
“you promise i’ll see you again?” i murmured. he gripped the fabric of his jacket on my back.
“i promise. even if i have to find a way to see you.”
i held onto him at his words, and then pulled away to caress his cheek, giving him one more kiss on his lips.
unfortunately, it was shorter as i suddenly worried that someone might see us, even if it was late at night. still, my lips tingled against his. it felt like i wanted to memorize his taste and the feeling of him.
“goodnight, michael.” i said with our foreheads pressed together, and he left a kiss on mine.
i opened the door and stepped out carefully, wrapping his jacket around my torso. he gave me one last beautiful smile before i closed the door and hurried toward the campus entrance.
i walked quickly toward campus without looking back, or at least that was what i tried to do. but before crossing the entrance, the impulse became stronger. i turned my head, finding the grand national still exactly where i had left it.
michael was still watching me from the driver’s seat. then i hurried inside again, and once i did, he started the car and i heard the tires moving over the asphalt as i climbed the stairs toward the dorm room.
before going in, i leaned against the door and sighed, looking up at the ceiling and letting out another sigh like a lovesick schoolgirl. the butterflies in my stomach were still fluttering endlessly, my smile appearing on its own on my lips, which i touched with my fingers, barely brushing them.
i was sure i would never be the same after that night. something inside me that i thought had been buried came alive again and then i looked at his number in my hands once more. maybe it was time to forget about all those lies and start living my real life.
n/a: here it is!!! ngl chat, i missed my babies so much and IM SORRY for leaving you for so long but we’re back, promise i won’t take this long to update a new update ever again
i appreciate your patience as i worked on it. hope you liked it, love u forever xoxo
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dededos
