CHAPTER 5

 

Chapter 5

He looked around the room again, but still no sign of her or that “oh-so-handsome” boyfriend of hers.

Seriously, where were they?

He let out an exasperated groan, trying to keep his cool.

Damn, what if she wasn’t coming at all?

No, Janet had assured him Lisa had RSVPed — she was definitely coming to the party, plus one and all.

Initially, when Janet mentioned Lisa was on the guest list, he had been livid… Not because he didn’t want to see her — quite the opposite but he had already committed to showing up, and the idea of watching her all lovey-dovey with that other dude made him feel downright queasy.

After that train wreck of a dance they had had at the fundraiser, he needed their next encounter to be, well, not a complete disaster.

But with Mr. Perfect hanging around? How was he supposed to pull that off?

He had been at that cursed fundraiser for about an hour when he first spotted her, and that was when he came up with what he had thought was a brilliant plan.

Yeah, genius, really.

Until it totally blew up in his face.

Step one: Get one of his lackeys to slip the band some cash and have them play that one song he knew would get to her.

Check.

Step two: Musicians agree, promise to play it in about ten minutes.

Check.

Step three: Wait for the obnoxiously tall boyfriend to step away, then casually stroll over to her and Brett, acting all cool and collected.

And he was cool and collected…

… until that dude returned way sooner than Michael expected, and Brett never even left, yapping away and giving him zero chance to talk to her one-on-one.

Fucking hell…

And so just like that, step four went out the window.

Originally, step four involved a little small talk, thanking her for her help in court, maybe a quick drink.

Then, when the song started, he would just take her hand, lead her to the dance floor, and let the music do the rest.

No words needed.

Smooth, right?

Yeah, well, that plan backfired spectacularly.

When the song finally started, it wasn’t just the two of them — it was actually the four of them, and Michael was forced to improvise.

He asked her to dance, and of course, Lisa had to take her sweet time deciding whether she was going to or not, making him lose precious seconds.

Count on her to always complicate everything…

And so by the time she finally agreed, they had already missed almost half of the song.

At first, the dance wasn’t half bad, and he felt some of the tension start to melt away.

Michael could even feel her slowly relax into his embrace, just like she used to when they were still together, and it almost scared him how much he had actually missed that — how much he had actually missed her.

They exchanged a few words, and everything was going smooth, until he realized the band started wrapping up the song.

He had to act fast.

Asking her out to dinner wasn’t supposed to go down like that. Not at all.

He had a whole plan — dance, maybe another drink, and then casually suggest dinner.

But then he noticed her boyfriend — or whatever that guy was — watching them like a hawk from across the room.

Michael had no choice.

It was now or never.

And so, he asked her, and…

… and Lisa chose never.

Her rejection hit him like a sucker punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

So, what did he do?

The only thing that made sense: he bolted.

Turned on his heel and got the hell out of there, driven by pure instinct to escape the sting of rejection.

Pathetic? Maybe.

But hey, today was a new day, and this time, he was ready.

Lost in his thoughts, plotting his next move, Michael didn’t even notice Avery standing right in front of him, waving a glass of wine under his nose.

“Michael! Here’s another one, just like you asked.” She chirped, her voice pulling him out of his head.

“Oh, right. Thanks.” He flashed her a quick smile, giving her the once-over. Avery looked... well, exactly like he had hoped she would.

It was almost as if she had known she was part of his little scheme.

The dress clung to her curves in all the right places, her hair was slicked back into a chic high ponytail, and those sky-high heels made her legs look endless.

Lisa might be dating some tall, muscular guy, but showing up with someone like Avery?

That was a surefire way to throw his ex-wife off her game.

She never liked other women around him, though she always claimed it wasn’t about jealousy.

Yeah, right.

And Michael had always found her jealous streak endearing because she had absolutely nothing to worry about. When he was with Lisa, he was with Lisa — end of story.

But tonight, he wasn’t really above using a little jealousy to stir up some old feelings in his ex-wife, and Avery seemed like the perfect little pawn to do just that.

“This party is amazing! Thanks for inviting me.” Avery said, her voice bubbling with excitement. She beamed at him, clearly thrilled to be there by his side.

A small pang of guilt gnawed at him and he pulled a face because if he was being honest, he was just using her to mess with Lisa’s head.

And Lisa, well, she still hadn’t even bothered to show up.

Great.

Now he felt like a jerk.

He sighed and turned to Avery, forcing his polite smile back into place.

At least she seemed to be having a good time, even if he was just stringing her along.

“Of course.” He said, nodding as he took a sip of his wine, his eyes scanning the room. “I told you we would hang out.”

“But that was, like, two months ago, Michael!” She whined, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice as she pouted.

He raised an eyebrow, surprised by her little outburst.

Seriously?

What was that about?

Deciding to ignore her jab, he looked around the room again.

It was packed with A-listers, and pride swelled in his chest. His little sister had really made it.

She was the pop icon, with hit after hit, and not a scandal in sight — well, aside from that ridiculous nipple incident.

Her music played in the background, one hit blending seamlessly into the next and Michael found himself humming along, occasionally swaying to the rhythm.

He couldn’t be more proud of her.

He scanned the crowd again, catching glimpses of Gwen Stefani, Keanu Reeves, and Elton John.

Even Pink had shown up!

So where the hell was Lisa?

His annoyance grew. He wasn’t used to things not going his way.

Michael turned back to Avery, who was still yammering on about meeting the Buffy girl in the ladies’ room or something and Michael pursed his lips, trying to hide his irritation.

Something about her was off that night.

He had decided to take her to the party because she seemed to understand the nature of their “relationship” and looked like the perfect plus one choice, but now he wondered if he had miscalculated.

He had expected her to mingle, enjoy the party, and let him catch up with old friends but instead, she had been on him like white on rice all night, acting almost possessive and demanding his attention most of the time.

But maybe he was just imagining things.

All the NDAs had been designed to benefit him, naturally and no feelings or PDA were allowed, of course, unless initiated by him.

And she seemed like a smart girl, she must have read it before she had signed it, right?

He faked another smile, pretending to listen to her, when a loud shriek from behind him made him jump slightly.

“Michael! Michael!”

It sounded like the voice of a very young girl and he found it rather strange. The days of having thousands of teenage girls scream for him seemed like a distant memory... now, it was guys like Zac Efron who were in their prime and who were getting all the attention..

“Michael!” The voice was closer now, and both he and Avery turned towards it. His smile grew wider as the realization hit him.

“No way!”

“Danielle!” He exclaimed, as she flew into his arms, hugging him tight. He enveloped her in a warm embrace, trying to wrap his head around what was happening. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“I came with Mom! How are you?! Oh my God, it’s so great to see you! I’m so happy you’re not in jail!”

He burst out laughing.

Leave it to teenagers to pull no punches at all.

“Yeah, me too.” He said, pulling back to get a good look at her. “Who is this beautiful young lady, and where did the little girl with pigtails go?”

Riley rolled her eyes and laughed.

“C’mon, Mimi! I never wore pigtails! And I’m already sixteen!”

Sixteen. Wow. That meant Benjamin was probably thirteen by now.

Where did the time go? And wait… what had she just said?

“Um, so your mom is here too?” He asked, trying to play it cool while his heart did a little somersault. Or at least it felt like that.

Had Lisa ditched the boyfriend and shown up alone, just with her daughter?

“Yeah, I’m her plus one tonight.” Riley said with a grin. “It’s just a girls’ night out, you know. Plus, Mom said Zac Efron might be here, and I’m dying to meet him.”

Of course. Zac really was the it guy now.

Michael chuckled, but his laugh died in his throat when he felt Avery’s light touch on his arm, probably trying to drag his attention back to her.

Damn it, this wasn’t about her.

He subtly shook her hand off, still focused on Riley.

She had grown up so much, no longer the shy little blonde kid. Now she was this stunning young woman — Lisa’s genes had definitely done their job.

“And how’s Ben? Why isn’t he here with you two?”

“Because it’s girls’ night, duh! You’re not listening!” Riley huffed, crossing her arms and pouting like she was still ten.

It cracked him up, and he laughed out loud.

But then, in his peripheral vision, he saw Avery stepping forward, arm outstretched toward Riley and he stiffened.

She had to be fucking kidding him.

“Hi, I’m Avery, um... Michael’s girlfriend. It’s so nice to meet you!” She said, her voice all syrupy sweet. “You’re Danielle, right?”

What the actual fuck?

Girlfriend?

Had she completely lost her mind?

Michael’s head snapped towards her, his expression a mix of shock and barely contained fury.

“Um, Michael’s actually the only one who calls me that. I’m… I’m Riley.” The girl said, her politeness just barely masking the confusion on her face.

He watched Riley hesitantly shake hands with Avery, as if she wasn’t sure what to make of her and Michael just stood there rigid, his body stiffening with tension.

“Um… hey, Mike, I’m gonna go find Mom, okay? It was great seeing you!” Riley gave him a quick hug and then turned to Avery with an uncertain smile. “It was nice meeting you, too.”

She spun on her heel and practically bounced down the steps, leaving Michael standing there, a ticking time bomb of rage.

Three, two, one… showtime.

He turned to Avery with deliberate slowness, his brows knitting together, eyes narrowing into slits.

If looks could kill, she would be ashes by now.

“Girlfriend?” He hissed, his voice cold and dripping with venom. “Avery, let me make something very clear. I believe you read the NDA and are aware of the things you have signed as well as the consequences of breaching the contract. You have crossed every possible line here, and I cannot and will not subject myself to having untrustworthy people like you in my life.”

Her eyes widened, panic setting in as she seemed to have suddenly realized just how deep in the shit she was.

“But… but… I felt stupid just standing here! You didn’t even introduce me!”

Michael didn’t care.

Not one bit.

He shook his head dismissively.

“That was my stepdaughter. And she doesn’t need to know anything about any of the women I… hang out with. Got it?” His words were sharp, cutting through any excuses she might have been forming. “Okay, the night’s over. I’m going to get Jamal or Terrence and they will take you home.”

He was so livid he couldn’t wait to get rid of her, regretting every second of the decision to bring her along.

“No! Michael, wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!” Her eyes welled up with tears as she tried to salvage the situation, reaching out to touch him again, maybe even to hug him.

But she clearly didn’t know him as well as she thought.

He was done.

Without even looking at her, he scanned the room. His security detail was strategically placed throughout the party, blending in while keeping an eye on him.

He spotted Jamal and nodded, signaling him to come over.

“Sir?”

“Jamal, Miss Castillo isn’t feeling well. Could you please drive her home and make sure she gets there safely?” Michael’s tone was icy, professional but utterly detached.

“Absolutely, sir.” Jamal nodded, motioning for Avery to follow him. “Madam?”

Michael watched Avery’s eyes widen in shock, her gaze darting between him and Jamal, trying to process the situation.

Her lower lip trembled, a last-ditch plea in her eyes, but he wasn’t budging. Second chances weren’t on the menu that night.

“Good night. Hope you feel better soon.” He said, his voice as cold as his stare. Then he nodded to Jamal. “Thank you.”

With a sigh of frustration, Michael turned and walked away, weaving through the crowd.

Lisa was still nowhere in sight, and after Avery’s stunt, he was so annoyed, he was almost ready to call it a night.

Had he really been so naive to think those NDAs would prevent situations like this?

All his life, he had attracted only two types of people: starstruck obsessed maniacs or leeches who wanted money and fame, or a mixture of the two.

The people he could have trusted had been few and far between, and now, more than ever, he found himself missing some of them… especially the one he had managed to push away years ago, the one he had been hoping to see now.

As he scanned the room one last time, he spotted his sister at the bar, her face lighting up as she waved excitedly at him.

Relief washed over him — finally, a friendly face in the chaos.

Michael made his way over to Janet and when he finally reached her at the bar, he let out a deep sigh, leaning against the counter and running his hand through his hair.

“What’s up, Mike? Hope you’re having fun.” Janet’s lips curled into a smirk.

“The party’s great, Jan. And I’m so freaking proud of you! You have no idea.” He forced a smile, determined not to let his earlier frustration ruin her big night.

“Thanks. That means a lot, especially coming from you.” She hugged him tightly, then pulled back, raising an eyebrow. “So, where’s your date? You got tired of her already?” Her eyes were laughing at him. “And by the way, what’s your poison tonight? You look like you could use a drink.”

“I’ve had some wine, I’m good for now. As for the girl… let’s just say she’s gone.” He shrugged, glancing around the room. And that was when he saw her.

Lisa.

Damn.

She was standing across the room, looking slightly tense, scanning the crowd like she was searching for something — or someone.

The light blue dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. A delicate necklace sparkled at her neck, catching the light.

Michael’s breath caught, and before he knew it, a soft smile had crept across his face.

“Wipe the drool off your chin and go talk to her.” Janet’s voice snapped him back to reality, and he jerked slightly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He fibbed, his eyes moving quickly to the other side of the room just to prove his point.

Oh, hey, a nice decoration he hadn’t noticed before.

He squinted his eyes and pretended to study the weirdly shaped sculpture.

“Yeah, right. I’m not an idiot, Michael. You know, until the trial, I actually thought you were over her. But now? I’m not so sure. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you might actually want her back…”

Damn, was he that obvious?

“What? Gone around the bend much? You should ease up on the booze, Dunk.” He rolled his eyes, hoping she would buy the BS he was selling there. “Oh, and by the way, allow me to remind you how you swore up and down years ago that you would never subject yourself to another episode of the Michael and Lisa soap opera again. You even told me you were done listening to either one of us and we could go fuck ourselves.”

“Yeah, I remember…” Janet said with a shrug, completely unfazed by the F-bomb he had just dropped. “But things seem different now. She seems different… I don’t know, softer. And you… well, you seem to have finally wrapped your head around a few things, too."

“Huh? Like what exactly?”

“Like… I don’t know, you finally give the impression of someone who understands that not everything is about career, tours, fame and business. Took you a long time, though, that’s for sure.” She finished her drink, setting the empty glass on the bar. “But hey, what do I know? All I’m saying is stop being a wuss and go talk to her.”

“She’s got a boyfriend.” Michael grumbled, rolling his eyes. The word ‘boyfriend’ practically left a bad taste in his mouth.

“She told me it’s not serious. And besides, I can’t hang out with my big brother all night like some loser, so, beat it!” She chuckled, giving him a playful shove. “Go!”

Michael’s eyes drifted back to Lisa, and this time, he caught her looking right at him. She smiled, a soft, tentative smile that sent his heart racing.

“Okay… here goes nothing.” He muttered under his breath, starting towards her slowly, each step feeling like it was taking him closer to something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

 “Hey, stranger.” Lisa greeted him with that same smile, her eyes lighting up — or at least he thought they did. “How are you?”

“Hey yourself. I’m good, and you?” He wanted to reach out, maybe hug her, maybe kiss her cheek, something… but he held back, unsure of what would be okay and what not after their last disastrous encounter.

“Oh, not too bad. I’m so proud of Janet! She’s so amazing.” Lisa blurted out, shifting her weight nervously from one foot to the other.

Great. Now she was uncomfortable around him.

Damn.

Okay, no more messing things up by diving into some deep, serious stuff. He wasn’t exactly a master of smooth conversation, but even he knew better than to push it right now.

‘Small talk, keep it light, nothing crazy.’

He scratched the back of his neck, hoping the right words would just magically pop into his head.

“Yeah, I’m really proud of her too…” Michael said and swallowed. “The whole album is just mind-blowing. I love the songs… All  of them… Did you… did you hear the one… uh… how does it go?” He squinted, trying to think, then started singing lowly. “It’s true, it’s you, it’s something that you do, ain’t nobody else been able to get it out me, get it out me…”

He glanced at her mid-verse and noticed her lips twitching, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

“Well… um…” He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling almost self-conscious about his singing. “I… I love that one!”

Lisa’s smile grew, lighting up her whole face. “Yeah, it’s a great song.”

He wasn’t sure what exactly had made her smile like that, but he felt his own nerves fluttering.

“It’s so catchy… I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “And Janet’s got such a wide vocal range, it’s unbelievable.”

“Well, I’d chalk it up to being a Jackson.” Lisa said, her face softening into a gentle smile and the small compliment made him smile too. “The songs are really crazy good. Goddamn earworms I won’t be able to get out of my head for weeks.” She finished and took a sip of her drink.

He laughed.

“What about you, Lise? Any new album plans?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I keep writing, but you know me… it will probably take me another ten years before I actually release something.” She chuckled, looking into her glass as if she saw a fruitfly drowning there. “God knows my music is a dime-a-dozen anyway.”

“What?! Stop it! That’s not true at all! Lisa, you’re so talented. Don’t let anyone make you doubt that, okay?” This time, he didn’t hold back and lightly touched her arm, his expression serious.

Despite many of her songs expressing all her anger towards him, he cherished the rawness of her music. It was honest and authentic, just like she was.

“Thanks… that’s sweet. I really appreciate it. But, you know… I doubt Sneddon even bothered to buy my CD before shitting all over it in the courtroom.” She chuckled again, but Michael didn’t find it funny at all.

He really hoped he would never hear that name again.

“Lisa… you can’t be serious. That man is pure evil. Forget everything he said, please.”

She must have noticed the darkness in his expression because she cleared her throat and pursed her lips before continuing.

“I know. I’m just kidding. And Tom warned me he might bring it up, so I was ready.” She paused, looking down at her feet for a moment before glancing back up at him. “Michael… I wanted to apologize for what happened…”

At that point, Lisa was interrupted by her daughter bursting in and hugging her from behind and the surprise on Lisa’s face made it clear that she had lost her train of thought completely.

Damn…

“Mom!! Dad’s here!”

Oh, fantastic. Just when things couldn’t get any more complicated, the past had to show up.

Michael had spent years pushing that dude out of his mind, but now — like clockwork — he was back.

Oh, joy.

“Cool. Is he outside?” Lisa asked, fingers gently combing through her daughter’s hair.

“Yeah, he’s waiting in the car. I gotta go, don’t want to keep him waiting.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Gee, I’m gonna miss you so much!”

“Mom! It’s just a week.” Riley rolled her eyes, nailing the teenage dramatics.

“Well, it always feels like forever without you guys.” Lisa sighed, fussing with the strap of Riley’s dress, probably just to give herself something to do. “You better call me every day, okay?”

‘Classic Mother Hen,’ Michael thought with a smile.

He had always admired that about Lisa — her ability to smother her kids with love and still have them come back for more.

He watched their playful exchange, warmth spreading in his chest. Maybe he should have excused himself and let them say their goodbyes in private, but man, he didn’t want to leave.

Not yet.

“Hey, Danielle… Did you talk to Zac?” He asked instead, cutting in, and Riley’s grin nearly split her face.

“Yeah!!! I did! He’s so cool! He even signed my arm! I’m never washing it off!”

Michael and Lisa both chuckled.

“Good.” He said, then added more seriously. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”

“For you? Of course! Anything!”

“Tell your brother I said hi?”

“Oh, absolutely! He’s gonna be so mad that I met you and he didn’t! I can’t wait to rub it in!” Riley’s excitement was contagious, and Michael found himself grinning right back.

“You guys are welcome at Neverland anytime you want. It’s not as wild as it used to be, but most of the fun stuff is still there. And, you know, you can bring your mom too — if she promises not to go too wild and jump out of the Ferris wheel or something.” He shot a wink at Lisa, who just rolled her eyes at him.

How did she not find his impeccable sense of humor hilarious?

“Okay, I’ll go with you and say hi to your dad.” Lisa said, turning to Riley.

“You’re leaving too, Lisa?” Michael panicked a little.

“No, not yet. Just making sure the teenage daughter gets in the right car.” She quipped, giving Riley the side-eye, making her daughter protest dramatically.

“Mom! I’m not an idiot!”

Michael chuckled, pulling Riley into a quick hug before letting them go.

He waited for Lisa to come back, however, when she did he saw her getting immediately snatched by her friend Alecia who seemed hell-bent on hogging her to herself now, leaving them unable to finish their conversation.

The next time Michael saw Lisa, it was about an hour before midnight, and she was slipping into her blazer, looking like she was about to make a quiet exit.

Shoot!

He quickly put down his glass and excused himself to the tedious people who had been making his ears bleed with their stories for way too long, before he practically dashed across the room towards her, his pace quickening with each step as he closed the distance.

“Hey! Hey… you’re leaving?” He nearly tripped over a step, barely avoiding a full-on bellyflop.

‘Smooth, Michael, real smooth.’

“Yeah… I’m exhausted.” She replied, buttoning up her blazer without even looking at him.

“It’s still early.” He said, trying to keep her there just a little longer. “You’re usually the life of the party. What gives?”

“Nothing, I’m just beat. I need sleep.” She said, finally looking up at him.

And yeah, she did look tired, but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

“Is Danny picking you up?” The words were out before he could stop them.

Damn.

Alright, that was uncalled for. He knew she always hated his jabs at her ex-husband, and this time, he had to admit mentioning the guy was more than unnecessary.

“What?! No, of course not. Danny has the kids this week, they’re going on a road trip tomorrow. I’m just gonna grab a cab, I guess.” She said, giving him a small, tired smile.

Okay, change of plan.

“Forget it, I’ll take you home.” He blurted, glancing around.

He had to act fast before she realized she might as well just call the other guy.

“You’ll take me home? Michael, you’ve been drinking. And don’t get me started on how you actually drive, even when you’re sober.” Lisa joked, grinning a little.

“Funny. I’ve got a driver.”

There! He noticed Terrence sitting alone at one of the tables, eating a piece of cake. Poor man. Any other night, Michael would let him finish his dessert but not now.

He waved at him.

“Michael, really, stay and celebrate with your sister. I’m just tired. All I can think about is a hot shower and my bed.”

He had to bite back the comment that almost slipped out.

Oh, he could second that plan.

“Nah, Hidden Hills is on my way. And honestly, I’ve been ready to beat it for a while now, too.” He said as one of his goons made it over to them and Michael asked him to have his car ready.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “On your way? You’re driving all the way to the ranch at this hour?”

“Yeah, the kids are there. I need to get back to them. And with no traffic, it’s not so bad.”

“Oh, okay. But you really don’t have to worry about me, I can get a ride.”

“Yeah, yeah, zip it.” Michael said, grabbing her hand and leading her out. “I’m taking you home. Let’s bounce.”

He thought about finding Janet to say goodnight, but immediately decided against that… he didn’t have time for that.

She would understand.

Besides, who knew? Maybe after tonight, there would be new episodes in the Michael and Lisa soap opera for her to binge-watch once again.

Maybe…

They settled into the car, and once it started moving, Michael broke the silence with a soft smile.

“Geez, Danielle’s practically a young lady now. I can’t wrap my head around it.”

“Tell me about it.” Lisa sighed, leaning back in her seat. “They’re growing up so fast. One day, they’re going to leave me, you know? Breaks my heart. It’s like getting dumped by the love of your life, but they say you can still be friends. That’s how it feels.” She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I get it.” Michael nodded, relaxing a bit more in his seat. “You’ve done an amazing job with them, Lise. They’re great kids.”

She turned to him, her expression warm and soft. “How are your kids? What are they now? Eight, seven, and Blanket would be… two?”

“He’s three, actually. But yeah, you got it right.” He adjusted his position to face her. “They’re great, really. You should see how big they’ve gotten. They’re everything to me. I never thought I could love someone so much.”

She nodded. “Yeah, kids will do that to you.”

Silence settled over them as they both seemed lost in thought.

He watched the lights of the city twinkling and shimmering against the dark canvas of the sky as his mind kept wandering.

He would never understand his love-hate relationship towards Los Angeles.

Living there always felt like dancing on a tightrope, where every step was both exhilarating and terrifying, each moment a delicate balance between passion and frustration.

Was he ready to leave it all behind?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

It all kind of depended on how tonight's events would unfold.

Either way, he had planned on moving out of the ranch for good. After the police search, he hadn’t felt at home there anymore and had decided to find a new place to live.

Now, it was time to figure out where exactly that new home would be – close to a certain someone or far, far away.

The car took a familiar turn, and he shifted, suddenly restless. They were getting close to Hidden Hills.

Time was running out.

“Lise, I wanted to apologize for… for the dance.” Michael blurted out, clearing his throat. “I… I acted like a jerk. I…”

“Michael, no…” She cut him off, saving him from his awkward rambling. “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have shot down your dinner idea like I did. It was sweet of you. And… you know what? Maybe we should give it a try. Dinner, I mean.” He froze, hope bubbling up… “As friends, that is. I think we’ve both grown up enough to be friends without actually trying to annihilate each other this time….”

The disappointment hit like a punch to the gut, and Michael felt his heart sink.

“Yeah… sounds great.” He forced out, nodding like a robot.

Okay, that was it. Time to throw in the towel. He was officially done. What had he even been thinking?

She had avoided him for years, and he thought she would jump back in his arms just like that?

What a fool.

He looked out the window again, his expression blank as he fought to keep his emotions in check.

Minutes later, they pulled into her driveway, and Lisa let out a small sigh, clearly sensing the tension.

“Thanks for taking me home. And about that dinner… how about I call you?” Her words came out fast and nervous.

“Uh huh.” He mumbled, staring straight ahead, refusing to let the reality of it all hit him too hard.

She hesitated, then slowly opened the door, thanking the driver before stepping out.

When he heard the door shut, Michael sat there, replaying the night in his head – the way she had smiled at him when he was humming Janet’s song, the way she had licked her lips every time she was about to say something or the feeling of her fingers brushing against his when she handed him a glass of wine.

Sitting in the car now, sulking, he realized he was slipping back into that jerkish behavior again and Lisa didn’t deserve any of that.

Without fully understanding his own sudden impulse, Michael found himself swinging open his own door, jumping out, and sprinting around the car to stop her.

“Lisa! Wait!”

She stopped and turned, raising her eyebrows at him and smiling faintly.

“Yes?”

“Lisa…” He let out again and swallowed hard. “I think… um, I think we deserve a proper goodbye.” Michael said and he saw her freeze. “I guess you were right when you said leaving the country would do me some good. I actually think so too. So how about we leave the dinner for when I come back?”

“And when would that be, exactly?” She asked, her voice wavering between confusion and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“I’m not sure yet. Sometime next year… maybe two years?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card, holding it out to her. “Here. My number. If you ever need anything, call me. I mean it, Lise. I’ll always be here for you.”

His voice trailed off as he glanced down, staring at the gravel beneath his shoes.

If he had the courage, he would sweep her into his arms, carry her upstairs, and make love to her all night long showing her how he really felt about her.

There was no point in lying to himself anymore. He was in love with her—always had been, always would be, no matter how hard he had tried to push his feelings away and hide from them in the last couple of years.

But life had taught him that not all love stories came with a happy ending.

Some just… stopped.

He forced himself to look up, locking eyes with her again.

“That guy better treat you right.”

Lisa blinked, her eyes glistening and Michael stepped closer, his heart pounding in his chest.

With a trembling hand, he reached out and gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I hope all your dreams come true, Princess. You deserve the world.” His voice cracked as he spoke, but he managed a sad smile.

Then, before he could chicken out, he leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead, holding them there longer than he should have, breathing her in one last time.

He pulled back, took a final look at her, etching her face into his memory.

Without another word, he turned and walked back to the car, each step heavier than the last.

He jumped in, slammed the door, and told the driver to gun it…