CHAPTER 14

 

Chapter 14

 

She felt him rest his hand on her lower back, holding her so that he could thrust his hips up against hers in a tantalizingly slow rhythm, driving her crazy as Lisa first rocked her hips up and down, copying his moves, before she started moving in tentative circles against him.

“Aah, Lisa…” He let out and she quickly put her hand over his mouth.

“Shhhh… we need to be quiet, baby.” She smiled at him and watched him close his eyes slowly, as he leaned the back of his head against the wall behind him.

Michael stayed quiet but started thrusting into her with what seemed like all the strength he could muster, gripping her hips and keeping her steady in his lap and she couldn’t help but moan and pant, though she kept the sounds as low as possible.

As she kept riding him, her hands roaming all over his body, Lisa felt her inner walls clenching around him and she froze, closing her eyes, enjoying his sharp intake of breath as she could feel her climax growing by the second.

Michael’s hands reached for her face, gently stroking her cheeks and she smiled at him before crashing her mouth against his sucking on his lower lip as she came hard in his arms, and he soon followed her, burying his face in her neck and letting out low sobs and moans she had always loved so much…

The early morning light seeped into the room, slipping through the thin curtains in delicate, golden ribbons as Lisa now lay curled up against Michael, still trying to catch her breath.

After their passionate morning lovemaking, they quickly got dressed back into some pajamas, just in case the kids decided to barge into their room later and for now Lisa rested her head on his chest, listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart as his hand traced gentle circles on her shoulder.

There was something about mornings like this that made everything else feel distant and almost unreal, as if the two of them were somehow suspended in time, in this perfect, quiet bubble that no one else could break.

And she loved that feeling… so fucking much.

She breathed him in, taking in the faint traces of his cologne, feeling the warmth of his skin under her cheek, and loving the way his hand absentmindedly stroked her arm.

“I’m pretty excited about next week. And sad at the same time.” She finally mumbled, breaking the silence as she tilted her face up to look at him.

Their last week before he would have to leave...

Michael looked down at her, a hint of a smile touching his lips as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“Me too… excited, terrified, sad… you name it.” He whispered, his hand slipping to her back, pulling her a little closer as he spoke. “I hate leaving you, but, hey, we’ve already established that I’ll be calling you so much you’ll get absolutely sick of me… Trust me, you’ll be ignoring my calls in no time, just sending me straight to voicemail because I’m blowing up your phone day and night.”

Lisa let out a soft laugh, rolling her eyes as she nestled against him, her fingers tracing little circles on his chest.

“Oh, please. As if I’d ever get tired of you blowing up my phone.”

They still had one more week to be together before he would fly to Bahrain and Lisa was determined to make most of it.  She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow so she could look at him.

“I was thinking.” She said softly, a small, determined smile playing on her lips. “I know you wanted to do something special, to fly out somewhere, Vegas or something but how about we don’t? No big plans, nothing crazy. Just you and me. We can stay here, do our own thing and maybe sneak out and go somewhere low-key? Hit the beach at night? I just want to be with you, baby, nothing else matters, really.”

He looked at her with the kind of warmth she had ever seen only in his eyes and he nodded, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

“Yeah… I like it.” He said, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Just us. Under the radar.”

Lisa was about to say something else, a soft laugh forming on her lips as she looked at him, but before she could speak, a loud, impatient knocking shattered the quiet of the room.

“Mom!”

“Dad!”

“Michael!”

Two seconds later the door flew open, and all five kids burst into the room, each one talking over the other, their voices filling every corner of the space.

Blanket was the first to dive onto the bed, his small body bouncing up and down as he wedged himself between them with wide eyes and a mischievous grin.

“I’m hungry! Pancakes!!”

Hot on his heels, Prince climbed up next to him, his face scrunched up in frustration as he looked at Michael with a serious expression.

“Dad, I can’t find my Batman action figure! You know, the one grandma gave me! Can you help me find it?!”

At the foot of the bed, Ben was hopping from one foot to the other, his eyes darting between Michael and Lisa.

“Mom, can I go swimming before breakfast? Pleeeeease? I still need to work on my underwater handstand!”

The bedroom was a mayhem, all five kids talking over each other, their voices rising in a chorus that was almost impossible to keep up with and Lisa smiled as her mind drifted back to the last couple of days, when Michael had come over with his kids again, this time for more than just one night…

That first night was just a trial run, and since it had turned out quite okay, they decided to push their luck and see what would happen if they all stayed together under one roof for a bit longer.  

Each day, she would watch the kids settling in, growing used to each other, forming bonds…  Even Paris — though she was far from enthusiastic about that whole arrangement — had started to soften a teeny tiny bit.

Before coming over, Michael had said he needed to have a real sit-down with her first. He had told Lisa that with the help of a therapist he had learned how to navigate the situation with his daughter and then, back at Neverland, Michael had sat with Paris and told her about Lisa and about how he really felt, making sure Paris didn’t feel like she was being left behind or set aside.

Then he talked to her about Bahrain, telling her the whole truth, that it would actually be just a few weeks and not forever, and that they would eventually go back, so that he could be close to Lisa. But he also made it clear that even though Lisa was someone he loved and needed in his life, his love for Paris was a whole different thing, something untouchable, something that would never change no matter what…

Michael had called Lisa and told her that first Paris wasn’t thrilled by that at all throwing a couple of hissy fits but in the end, according to Michael, she gave in and seemed to accept most of it, packed her bag and agreed to go and try spending some more time at Hidden Hills…

… an indescribable victory.

And Riley and Ben?

God, Lisa was so proud…

Those two had stepped up in a way that almost caught her off guard. She knew they were good kids, responsible, but during the last couple of days, they had gone above and beyond, jumping right in to make Michael’s kids feel at home. They had taken to Michael’s kids without a second thought, without hesitation, and that gave Lisa this deep, proud feeling because she really couldn’t have asked for anything more.

And so together they had packed so much into those few days, it almost felt like they were cramming a month’s worth of fun into one long weekend. The horseback riding had kicked things off, with all of them trudging out to the stables early in the morning, laughing and joking as they picked out the horses. Michael, trying to act like some seasoned cowboy, swaggered up to the tallest, most stubborn horse of the bunch, insisting he could handle it — only for the horse to snort and completely ignore him, making everyone crack up.

Riley and Paris were already pretty natural at it, confidently trotting around and showing off a bit, while both Ben and Prince were trying their hardest to keep up but grumbling every time their horses stopped to munch on grass instead of following the others.

And Lisa? She was just taking it all in, grinning from ear to ear with Blanket sitting in front of her on the saddle as she held him tight, enjoying the morning breeze.

The next day then took on a whole new vibe as they moved into the backyard for an afternoon barbecue. Ben had declared himself “grill master,” flipping patties with intense focus while trying to keep everything perfect and Michael couldn’t resist hovering nearby, jumping in with his own “expert” advice at every possible moment, insisting he knew the right way to handle a burger. That was, of course, until he burned the hell out of two patties, which ended up more like charred hockey pucks than anything edible and after that, everyone agreed it was probably best to demote him to bun-and-mayo duty…

And then, on Saturday night, came the karaoke night…

As the sun dipped down, the kids transformed the living room into what was basically a karaoke lounge… Somehow, much to Lisa’s surprise, they had managed to find a microphone from who-knows-where, hook it up to a speaker, and even track down a tiny disco ball that spun and threw little bursts of color across the walls.

The kids lined up a playlist, filled with a random mix of oldies, pop, and whatever rock anthems they knew by heart.

Ben took the lead first, grabbing the mic with way too much swagger for a kid his age, belting out Livin' on a Prayer like he was Bon Jovi himself.

Then Riley jumped in, enjoying her little rockstar moment as she sang her heart out to Since U Been Gone dramatically before all five of them  jumped into Hollaback Girl shouting “B-A-N-A-N-A-S” so loud that Lisa saw Michael put his hands over his ears, though he was still laughing like crazy.

At some point, Lisa and Michael ended up singing “Somethin’ Stupid” together, sharing the mic, nudging each other and laughing through the lyrics.

The kids sprawled across the living room floor, watching them with a mix of awe and total disbelief but then, as Michael and Lisa reached the next verse, something softened between them and their laughter faded as they locked eyes.

For a moment, it was like the room melted away and it was just the two of them, Michael’s fingers gently tracing her arm, his gaze steady and warm as they sang, “I love you, I love you…”

And when the song ended, he just leaned in, and before either of them could second-guess it, they kissed, softly and naturally, like they had been swept into a world of their own.

There was a heartbeat of silence before Ben let out a loud whistle, snapping them back to reality and Lisa pulled away quickly, her cheeks flushed, as the kids burst into giggles and applause, grinning from ear to ear — even Paris…

Next thing she knew, though, the kids bolted up, rushed over, and shoved her and Michael right out of the spotlight and without missing a beat, they grabbed the mic and launched into “My Humps”, cracking up as they busted out some ridiculous dance moves...

Lisa had to cover her mouth to keep from bursting out in laughter, while Michael doubled over, barely holding it together. The kids just kept going, getting wilder and sillier with every line, until they were all crying laughing…

 

 

After finally managing to get all the kids out of the bedroom and into the kitchen that morning, they all gathered around the counter, each trying to “help” in ways that mostly meant throwing ingredients haphazardly into bowls, stealing bites, or sneakily tossing a few blueberries at each other when they thought no one was looking.

Flour was everywhere, and someone had been a little too generous with the syrup, which was already dripping down the side of the counter.

From the corner of her eye, Lisa caught Michael standing by the coffee machine, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and a soft grin on his face, watching the kids with a look of quiet amusement.

Every so often, his gaze would shift over to her, and there was something warm in his eyes, like he was taking it all in, savoring each second of that morning.

Paris, holding a handful of strawberries she was supposed to be slicing, tugged on Michael’s sleeve.

“Daddy… what are we doing today?”

Michael turned to her, his grin widening as he leaned down to Paris’ level, taking her hand in his.

“Well…” He began. “After breakfast, we’re heading back to Neverland. Time to get packed up and ready for your week with Grandma and Grandpa. And Bahrain, too.”

Paris’ face fell for a split second and she seemed to be mulling over his words.

“So tonight… is our last night there?”

“Yep… Last night.” He replied gently, smoothing down a stray wisp of hair from her face as he nodded. His hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment, and Lisa noticed the way he gave her an extra little squeeze, before he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

After that one last night at Neverland the kids would spend the week with their grandparents before Michael would pick them up, and they would all head off to Bahrain together.

Across the counter, Blanket scrunched up his nose.

“That ranch is boring now…” He mumbled and dropped a blueberry into the batter with a bit too much enthusiasm. “No giraffes, no nothing.”

Lisa couldn’t help but chuckle, and as she glanced over at Michael again and he shot her a playful look that made her grin even wider.

She moved to grab the spatula, only for Riley to nudge her playfully, urging her to take over the pancake-flipping and Michael cleared his throat, catching Lisa’s attention again as he held out a steaming mug of coffee, his eyes twinkling.

“Coffee’s ready…” He said, and as she took the mug from him, she felt his fingers brush against hers, lingering just a little longer.

“You’re a saint…” She mouthed before she took a sip, letting the warmth of the coffee — as well as his little gesture — settle over her.

After a bit more chaos in the kitchen, they finally made it to the dining room, carrying plates stacked high with pancakes, mugs of coffee, and glasses of juice. They crowded around the table, laughter filling the room as they passed plates back and forth, reaching over each other to grab syrup or napkins, or swipe a bit of whipped cream…

After breakfast, the day quickly shifted into a frenzy of packing … Michael helped his kids put all their clothes and toys in their bags as Riley and Ben were packing in their rooms too, getting ready to spend their week with their dad.

Out front, Michael’s driver was already waiting for them, the car parked and the trunk open as they started loading the bags in and Lisa lingered at the front door, wrapped in a soft cardigan, watching all the commotion suddenly feeling sad that their time together was already over…

She watched Blanket dragging his tiny suitcase like it weighed a ton, while Paris took her time loading hers in the car, looking over her shoulder at Lisa with something softer in her expression than usual, and Prince kept darting around, checking every bag, still desperately looking for his action figure.

Finally, Michael nodded at the driver when all their stuff was in the car and then slowly returned to her, smiling and sliding an arm around her waist as he pulled her close.

“You gonna survive a few hours without me?” He teased, brushing a kiss against her temple.

“I’ll try.” She said, rolling her eyes and wrapping her arms around him and they kissed, not really caring anymore if the kids saw them or not. It was a quiet, steady kind of kiss, a wordless promise that made her believe that they were going to make it, through the thick and thin, no matter what.

He was going to Bahrain for two months… so what? They would be okay… There were phones and soon he would be back in her arms.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.” He whispered, squeezing her hand. “And we’ll pick up right where we left off, okay? Just you and me, the whole week.”

She nodded, watching Michael as he strolled back to the car, moving with that easy, laid-back pace that always seemed to draw her in no matter how many times she saw it.

He climbed in, glancing back once more to give one last wave through the window, and she smiled, waving back until the car finally pulled away, disappearing slowly down the driveway. Snapping back into reality, Lisa turned back and called out into the now very quiet house.

“Hey! Let’s get a move on — we’re supposed to be at your dad’s in less than an hour, and with traffic, we’re cutting it close already!”

Her voice echoed through the empty hallway, and she could hear the usual shuffle and scuffle from upstairs as the kids scrambled to gather their stuff.

About ten minutes later, both of them came charging out of the house, loaded up with bags, shoving and jostling each other as they made their way down the front steps.

Lisa climbed into the driver’s seat, watching through the rearview mirror as Ben threw his bag into the back seat and Riley settled in next to her, a satisfied smirk on her face.

Lisa clicked her seatbelt and was just about to turn the key when Ben suddenly gasped, his eyes wide with realization.

“Shit! My football!” He blurted out, already fumbling with his seatbelt and bolting out of the car before she could even open her mouth to tell him to mind his language.

He was gone in a flash, sprinting toward the house, muttering a string of “crap, crap, crap” under his breath loud enough for her to hear through the open window.

Lisa just shook her head, a grin tugging at her lips as she leaned back against the headrest, shooting Riley a look.

“Well, with the way he’s going, he’ll forget his pants one day…” She shook her head and closed her eyes for a second.

But not more than sixty seconds later Ben came sprinting back, clutching his precious football and he slid into the back seat, puffing his chest out while Lisa twisted around in her seat, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Got everything now?”

He flashed her a sheepish grin, nodding and holding up the football in case she couldn’t see it before.

“Yep, all set. Promise.”

 

 

 

Lisa took her time on the drive back from Danny’s house, listening to Led Zeppelin as she navigated through the streets. The early afternoon traffic wasn’t too bad, just enough movement to keep things interesting as the sun warmed her through the window and she couldn’t help but grin at the idea she was about to finally have some long-overdue adult conversation.

Alecia.

Alecia had been calling, trying to get Lisa out for a catch-up, but their schedules just never seemed to line up. This afternoon, though, things were finally falling into place. With Michael busy, the kids dropped off, and Alecia in town, it felt like the perfect moment to grab some overpriced lattes and catch up with her homegirl.

Honestly, Lisa couldn’t even remember the last time she had sat down to talk with someone over the age of sixteen who wasn’t Michael, and the thought of diving into a real conversation felt like the most refreshing thing ever.

The café came into view, a cozy little spot tucked between a bookstore and some artsy boutique and Lisa parked and stepped out,  making her way inside, already spotting Alecia through the window.

“Hey!” Lisa called, waving as she walked up and Alecia’s face broke into a wide grin, and she practically jumped out of her chair to pull Lisa into a bear hug.

“Girl, there you are!” Alecia said, pulling back to take her in. “Look at you, all glowy. It’s like you got a new boyfriend or something!”

Lisa rolled her eyes but laughed, shaking her head.

“Yeah, yeah, new boyfriend, old boyfriend… depends on how you look at it.”

“Oh, spill it…” Alecia said, plopping down as Lisa slid into her seat. “I’ve been dying to hear all the details on the famous reunion. Hit me! Last time I saw you was at Janet’s party… So???”

“You’re so fucking nosy… what do you wanna know? Hmm?” Lisa laughed and leaned back in her seat.

“Everything.” Alecia grinned across from her, her gaze expectant, excited, and unmistakably mischievous but just as Lisa was about to start her story, a waitress approached, smiling.

“Can I get you something?”

“Just a cup of coffee.” Lisa answered. “And a glass of water, please.”

The waitress nodded and walked off and Alecia leaned in again, crossing her arms on the table, her fingers tapping rhythmically.

“Alright, alright…” Lisa sighed, rolling her eyes a bit, though she couldn’t help but smile too. “You’re in for a treat, it’s quite a story. Well, um, after Janet’s party, Michael insisted on driving me home. And then… right in front of my house, he paused, just staring at me, and then he brought up dinner again, you know, asking me out. And… well, I refused him. Again."

“Whoa… Seriously?” Alecia’s tone held the faintest edge of disbelief. “Girl, you should come with a warning label, breaking hearts left and right like that!”

“Yeah, right… Geez, I was still terrified.” Lisa sighed. “You know, all our breakups have been just… gut-wrenching, draining. I couldn’t do that again. I didn’t want to go through all that again, especially when…” She hesitated.

“Especially when…?”

Lisa let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. “...when I was still kinda seeing Matt.”

“Matt? Oh, Matt! The hot one with the scruffy look and the dimples? I saw him in some tabloid! I mean… wow!”

“He was great, really…” Lisa nodded. “Sweet guy, too…. Um, anyway… Well, I told Michael no. I said we could try being friends but nothing more…” Lisa shrugged and cleared her throat. “And then he gets all testy, does this total one-eighty and goes, ‘Okay, just so you know, I’m moving abroad.’”

Alecia’s eyes widened but at that point the waitress appeared and placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of Lisa, and they both froze, pretending to focus on anything but their conversation, giving a quiet “thank you” until the waitress left.

“So he just dropped that bomb on you right there because you said no to him?”

“Yep, kinda just like that… Michael loves icing people out.” Lisa nodded and took a sip. “And suddenly, I was fucking doomed… It was one thing to not be together, but to think of him thousands of miles away? It hit me hard. Real hard. But… well, he left, and I went home.”

Alecia let out a laugh, a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“Y’all are so dramatic. The back-and-forth, all this jet-setting and sulking — it’s like a damn soap opera, and I am living for it!”

“Oh, living for it? Wait till you hear the whole story.”

“Oh, I am… I am waiting alright.” She laughed. “Um, so I turn and go home, right? Drained as hell, gutted. It’s one thing to lose him, but knowing he’d be on the other side of the planet? That was another level of a fuckin’ heartbreak. But then I walked into my room, turned on the light, and … there’s a freaking creepy note on my mirror.”

“What?” Alecia’s brows shot up, her face paling. “Wait, like someone was in your house?”

“Yeah.” Lisa said, her expression hardening. “Turns out this freak who’d been sending me these weird letters had broken in, got into my room, left a ‘love’ note on my mirror and his jizz on my bed.”

“What the fuck?! Are you seriously telling me there’s a stalker mixed up in all this? This is insane!” Alecia’s mouth dropped open, and she shook her head in disbelief. “Are you okay, girl?”

“Yeah, I am… Well, and so that was it. I jumped in my car and drove straight to Michael’s ranch that night, didn’t even think twice.”

“Fucking hell, Lisa…” Alecia let out in shock.

“It wasn’t like I just ran straight into Michael’s bed or anything…” She said, shaking her head and giving a dry laugh. “It just… I don’t know, I felt like I had to go to him. I knew I’d be safe with him.. But hey! Then I get there and of course, the gatekeeper doesn’t want to let me in aargh, just … long story.”

“You two and your epic saga moments, seriously. It's always some wild, over-the-top mess with you guys.”

 “I know, I know.” Lisa rolled her eyes but couldn’t help grinning back. “Anyway, so… I finally got through the gates, hung out with him, next day… next day we kissed... but then I told him again, I just wasn’t ready or whatever. I… I felt like absolute crap about it afterward and tried to sneak out of his house in the morning but of course, the guy caught me in the act, right? Threw a whole fit over it too but, in the end, he came back with me to my place, and… yeah. Long story short, we got back together....”

“Oh my god, finally!” Alecia laughed out loud again. “Took you guys long enough!”

“Well…” Lisa smirked, leaning in like she was about to deliver the punchline of a joke. “Not so fast… So we go to his place later because my place is still kinda a crime scene, and guess who’s waiting for him? This girl, standing there in nothing but the tiniest red underwear you’ve ever seen. Just… waiting to fuck him.”

Alecia had been giggling but at that point her laugh turned into an outright snort, and she spat out her coffee, scrambling for a napkin as Lisa burst out laughing too, facepalming herself at the memory. They both grabbed napkins, dabbing at the table, still chuckling through it all.

“And…?” Alecia asked, her eyes still dancing with laughter as she settled back into her chair, unable to contain her grin.

“Well, he kicked her out, obviously. Then I stayed. And, uh, that was pretty much it. We’ve been back together since....”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Alecia shook her head, her eyes shining as she looked at Lisa. “Alright, so where does that leave you two now? Casually dating, or what?”

“Nah… this is for real.”

“Really? Like, serious serious?”

“Yeah, this is definitely not a fling. We’re both in it for the long haul… He just… he just gets me, and I totally get him… We’ve had some serious talks about where we’re headed, and honestly, neither of us is interested in playing those dumb games anymore. We’ve learned from our past mistakes, and we don’t want to repeat them. It’s like we’ve skipped all that fucking drama and just jumped right into something real. It feels solid and I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally have that back.”

“And so, wait, is he staying here or…?”

“Well, kinda.” Lisa sighed. “He has to leave for two months to wrap up some things, but then he’ll be back. And it’s not such a big deal, we’re gonna figure it out, regular calls, dirty calls, maybe one sneaky trip if I can swing it… We will see… But! Dammit, enough about me! What about you? How have you been? Have you finally found someone to keep you in line? Hmmm?”

Alecia snorted, nearly spitting out her coffee again.

“Please! If by ‘someone’ you mean the hot bartender from last weekend, then sure. But girl, let me tell you, I may have had a few too many cocktails last night when I…”

And Alecia started talking, giggling as she recounted the chaos of her nights, making Lisa laugh so much when she talked about how she ended up at a rooftop party downtown, drinking an entire bottle of tequila as she danced under the sky with some guy dressed as a unicorn, complete with a shimmering horn and rainbow mane…

 

 

Later Lisa drove home, still buzzing from all the caffeine as her foot pressed down on the gas more than it probably should have. With both her kids and Michael off doing their own thing, she started thinking about how she would actually spend the rest of the day… Maybe she could order Pad Thai and binge-watch something, or make that pasta she had been craving for days.

As she was deciding between tortellini and Thai food, her phone buzzed, and when she glanced at the name on the screen, her stomach did a little flip.

Matt.

She had totally forgotten about him, and guilt quickly rushed in like a wave.

The message he had left her a while back still echoed in her mind, a little reminder that she hadn’t bothered to call him back, hadn’t taken the time… and now she felt awful about it.

She sighed, bracing herself, and hit answer.

“Hey, Matt.”

“Hey…” His voice was warm, but a little hesitant, like he wasn’t sure if he had caught her at a bad time. “Thought maybe you’d fallen off the face of the earth.”

He joked and she cringed a little, pressing her lips together.

“I’m sorry, Matt. Damn… I really meant to call you.”

“Oh, no worries. It’s all good…” He said with a soft laugh probably trying to lighten things up. “Actually, I wouldn’t bother you, really, but I still have your hoodie. The one we got at the Green Day concert? You left it in my car and I figured you might want it back. Thought, you know, I’d check.”

“Oh wow.” Lisa blinked, feeling herself grin a little at the memory of the concert and what a great time she had there with him. “Yeah, I’d actually love that! I’ve been wondering where that hoodie went.” She hesitated a little. “Do you, um, wanna come over? I feel like… we should probably talk, too. There’s some stuff I should explain, properly.”

He sounded surprised but agreed right away.

“Yeah, sure, I’m close by. I can be there in ten.”

“Great, I’m just heading home myself… see you soon.” She said and they hung up.

Lisa let out a slow breath, setting the phone down as she thought it through. Matt deserved a real explanation, not just a brush-off, even if the conversation was going to be awkward as hell. She let her mind wander for a bit, absentmindedly listening and humming along to exactly two Alice in Chains songs before she pulled into her driveway and cut the engine.

She sat there for a moment before she grabbed her keys and got out of the car, strolling up to the front door slowly, but as she reached for the handle, she paused, noticing the door wasn’t locked.

Lisa frowned when it hit her — Ben had run back to grab his football before they had left that morning, probably rushing out so fast he forgot to lock up again and she made a mental note to remind him, again, about locking doors and setting the alarm… for the thousandth time.

She nudged the door open just as she heard the low hum of a car engine rolling up behind her and when she turned around, she saw Matt pulling up and climbing out of his car.

“Hey, stranger!” She called out and he smiled back at her, walking up to her with her hoodie in his hand.

“Hey, yourself.” He grinned back, walking up to her, holding the hoodie out and they both leaned in, greeting each other with an awkward cheek kiss. Lisa took the hoodie from him and turned to the door, smiling.

“Come inside? I’ll get you a drink, or water, at least… hmm?” She said, pushing the door open wider.

“Sure, water sounds good.” Matt followed her inside, and they drifted to the kitchen, settling into a strange but comfortable silence for a moment.

Lisa poured him a glass, passing it over before taking a deep breath, words already tumbling in her mind. She wanted to apologize, to explain, to let him know she still cared about him even if her life had taken this strange, unexpected turn.

“Look, I’m sorry, Matt… So fucking sorry.” She started, resting her hands on the counter, biting her lower lip nervously. “I didn’t want you to find out like that, through the tabloids of all places. It was the shittiest thing I could have done… I… I should’ve called you, I know that, and dammit, aargh, can you forgive me, please?”

He took a slow sip, watching her with that easy, understanding look he always had.

“It’s alright, Lisa.” He nodded and smiled at her, tilting his head a bit. “I figured you had your hands full, you know? I mean, even when I saw you two dance at the fundraiser… It was pretty clear…”

“No!” Lisa blinked and swallowed hard. “Nothing happened then... not until…”

“Hey, it’s okay, really… Stop worrying about it, we’re good, okay?”

“I just…Gosh, I never meant to hurt you.” She said and rubbed her face feeling like the biggest idiot in the world but Matt smiled again as he reached out and grabbed her hand, probably to calm her down and stop her frantic movements.

“Hey, it’s life. You don’t get to plan these things, right? And as long as you’re happy, it’s all good, I swear…”

Lisa smiled at him, feeling some of the weight lift.

That guy was just too good to be true.

She got herself a glass of water too as they slipped into an easy rhythm, talking about the Green Day concert, the hoodie, and laughing over a few ridiculous memories that felt like they were from a hundred years ago but then, just as they started laughing again, a faint sound from upstairs cut through the moment. It was subtle — could have been anything, really, but something about it sent a chill down Lisa’s spine and she froze, her ears straining to catch any other noise.

Matt seemed to notice her bewilderment immediately, his expression sharpening as he watched her closely, narrowing his eyes at her.

“What’s wrong, Lisa… Are you alone here, or…?”

“Yeah, yeah, alone…” She whispered, a knot tightening in her chest as she tried to be quiet and perhaps to hear more weird sounds coming from upstairs.

Her thoughts immediately flew to that freaking pervert. No, there was no way he would have come back… or was there?

“I…I think someone might be here.” She whispered and Matt jumped up from his chair, his eyes darting toward the hallway.

“Are you sure? I mean, it could be just house sounds or something…”

She wasn’t sure. How could she be? But her pulse was thrumming now, every instinct telling her to get out of the house and fast.

“Maybe, but…Matt, I think we should just…” She whispered as she turned to make her way toward the French door in the kitchen, ready to escape but he cut her off with a confident wave.

“Hang on, it’s like some next-level Hollywood thriller we’re dreaming up here.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Let me check it out.”

“No, Matt, seriously, it’s fine… Let’s just get out of here and I’ll call the cops.” She tried to protest, but he was already heading out of the kitchen and toward the stairs, shooting her a reassuring smile over his shoulder.

“No way… they come here and we find out it was just a raccoon going through your closet or something… stay down here. I’ll be back in a second.” He said softly, taking the steps one at a time, careful and calm.

She knew he was trying to keep things light for her, probably convinced she was overreacting and for a moment, she almost believed him, really hoping it was nothing - maybe it was really just her own nerves messing with her.

Lisa made her way to the staircase too and stayed there, eyes fixed on him as he slowly walked up.

The silence stretched as her mind kept racing through all the worst-case scenarios despite her best attempts to keep it steady… but then she heard it — a door creak open, likely her bedroom.

Lisa held her breath, heart hammering in her chest, imagining him quietly looking through the room and hopefully really finding just that one nosey raccoon going through all the disgustingly sweet chewing gums Michael had left on her nightstand.

A low murmur, muffled, drifted down, but she couldn’t make out any words and she took a deep breath as she fought the urge to call up to him.

But then, to her utter horror, the sounds picked up — a quick shuffle, a thud, a yelp and then the unmistakable sound of a struggle unfolding.

“Matt?” Her voice was barely a whisper, panic clawing its way up her throat as she started walking up the stairs quickly, her heart pounding with each step. How could she have let him go there alone? Dammit, she should have called the cops instead!

And then, as she was already halfway up the stairs and she could hear two voices rising, each shout echoing off the walls and growing louder with every step she took, her worst fear came crashing down around her in a single, heart-stopping instant.

The deafening bang of a gunshot echoed through the house, reverberating off the walls and cutting through the air like a knife. Lisa froze on the spot, everything in her going cold, her mind simply refusing to process what she had just heard.

Then… another gunshot.

“No…” She gasped, her legs finally propelling her forward as she raced up the rest of the stairs, her heart pounding louder than her footsteps. “No!!!”

She stumbled on the last step and fell on her knees, quickly getting up again, her vision blurred by tears…

She was barely able to breathe or think, but all that mattered was getting up there, reaching him, making sure…

She ran into her bedroom and let out a loud, frantic cry as her blood froze in her veins…