Michael Jackson Imagines

Off Limits Part 15

Apologies for the delay...I wasn't feeling my best. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the next part. 

~Jasmine

You wanted to see me, Mrs. Crossley?

No one responds. I barely sit on the sofa before I hunch over, with my head buried between my knees. Tonight has been...crazy to say the least. The only thing that is certain is that Ella and I are through. I hear footsteps coming from the staircase. I sit up rather quickly before Mrs. Crossley turns the corner. When she finally reveals herself, I look behind her, and see Ella...

They hold hands, gliding through the spacious living room area. I unwillingly lock eyes with Ella. She looks tired. Drained. She appears to have just gotten out of the shower. Her wet hair is slicked back, and she's wrapped in her favorite white cotton robe. Her bedroom slippers scrape across the wooden floor and towards me.

"Sit next to Michael, dear." Mrs. Crossley demands.

Ella plops on the sofa just as her mother asked. And for the first time since dinner, she glances over at me...To my surprise, she didn't appear upset or angry. At least not compared to earlier. I was expecting her to start attacking me...

"Alright, you two."

Mrs. Crossley slides a chair across the floor, sitting it directly across from us. Once it's to her liking, she sits down gracefully...

"I'm going to cut right to the chase. It's late, and we are all tired due to recent events that have unfolded." Mrs. Crossley exhales sharply on that last part.

She briefly looks away as though to find the right words to say...My mind is going a mile a minute. What is happening? Am I under further interrogation?

"Michael...There is no easy way to say this." Mrs. Crossley crosses her leg tightly over her thigh while eyeing me intensely, causing me to swallow hard. My throat is super dry...

"You need to stay with my daughter." She blurts out.

Where is this coming from?

Before I know it, I glance over at Ella. Her head rests against her hand. I notice the faint smirk that spreads over his lips while looking over at her mom.

"Honestly, Mrs. Crossley, what Ella and I decide to do with our relationship is none of your business."

I find myself growing furious. The nerve of this woman to infiltrate herself into our problems is absurd. I've been dealing with Mrs. Crossley's abrasive nature for Ella's sake. She would pop up unannounced, scrutinize my business, make me feel like I was never good enough for Ella, and Ella taking her side to the jabs thrown at me...is quite upsetting.

"Excuse you?" She raises her eyebrow. "Anything that involves my daughter is my business! Particularly when it involves the legacy of my family."

"Mom, wait...Let me talk to him."

Ella's voice kind of catches me off guard, seeing she's been quiet most of the time. She sits up, clearing her throat while adjusting her body my way.

"What my mom is trying to say is...Us staying together will be great for the both of us...Business-wise. I'm running for mayor and all...You have your connections to the celebrities you work with. They help me with my campaign and, we can help you."

The mere fact that Ella is even considering this absurd idea makes my stomach do flips. She smiles happily as though there still may be hope as far as us...

"I already told you both...I am not giving up my music. It's not my dream to be into politics."

"We're not asking you to give up your music, though we discussed that previously." Mrs. Crossley intervenes. "Ella and I discussed it, and we figured it would be better for you to stay in your field of expertise, due to your connections."