Eyes Of Muniz

Chapter 25

Michael made a couple of calls after he left Marisa's room. He thought he would be ready and prepared for this but he had not been. This was Marisa's fault! She had been careless. How many times had he walked up and down those stairs and not a single day had he had an accident. That trip to the hospital was now costing him. He had known that the press could be watching him. He looked at the bold heading of the article on the screen of his computer, Michael Connor Howard's Secret Revealed As 'secret wife' is rushed to the hospital. Michael grimaced. The public now knew about Marisa. She wasn't his wife! This was bad for his image. No one knew her. She was not a supermodel and definitely not someone he would go for. His pride was wounded. Michael suddenly realized that this wasn't entirely a bad situation. This would strengthen the show he was putting on for the Alfinos. He had told them he had married Marisa in a secret ceremony. Should there be any reason for them to suspect he had lied the press had helped him prove his lie already. He felt guilty for blaming Marisa. Accidents happened and he was at fault for leaving her alone.
Michael went to his bedroom and took a shower. He changed into a plain white t-shirt and a grey track-bottom. He was feeling tired because he had barely slept last night. He slid into bed and told himself that it'll just be a thirty minute nap. He checked the time and it was 3pm. He yawned and drifted to sleep.

Ned was driving his way home from the hospital when he received a call from an unknown number. He declined the call assuming it was Michael. His phone rang again and he pulled over and answered the call.
"Yes?" Ned answered with frustration. He was prepared if it was Michael he was going to give him piece of his mind.
"Is it true?" Ned immediately recognised the voice at the other end of the line. He wanted to hang up but he was curious.
"I'm amazed you still have my number?" Ned said.
" Damn it Ned! Is it true?"
"What do you mean?"
"Michael Howard..is it true what they are saying about him? I heard he's married" the voice was full of worry now. Ned was confused for a moment. Then he remembered that that was just for show. He then panicked when he realized that what this caller was telling him was that this was now public. Ned hadn't known. He must've been caught up with work to have missed this. Had Michael deliberately made it public or it had accidentally leaked. What if it was true?
"I don't know. If there's nothing else I'm hanging up" Ned said.
"Nothing else", the voice sounded defeated.
Ned ended the call. He was glad he had pulled over before taking the call. The amount of rage he was feeling was just more than he could fathom. He started the engine and drove to Marisa's apartment. When he got there the apartment was empty. He knew Marisa was back at Michael's. Ned walked back to his car. He sat in silence to cool off. He couldn't have lost this fight. He wasn't going to give up just yet. Ned knew Michael wouldn't love Marisa and even if that was to happen, it was not going to be enough. Starting his car, Ned figured he could need the person who had called him earlier more than he had expected.

Michael woke up almost three hours later. He was starving. He got up walked to the kitchen deciding that he could order some Chinese food for dinner. A sweet aroma greeted him when he walked into the kitchen.
  "I thought we talked about this" he said as he went to the fridge for some water.
"I was feeling better when I woke up. Are you hungry?" Marisa said ignoring his attractively messy hair.
  "Starving as hell" Michael said taking a seat on the stool.
"I tried homemade pizza" Marisa said joining him on table.
   "And it worked out?"
"I am a good cook, mind you" She said.
  "Can't deny that. So how are you feeling?"
"I feel fine" Marisa replied as she stood up to serve. She was worried he was going to bring up Italy.
  "We leave for Italy tomorrow at 5pm" Michael announced. He had realized that if sat there and played house with Marisa he'd miss out on business.
"I thought we were..."
   " We go tomorrow, Marisa. I can't keep putting to the the latter things I can do the next day or now even now if I want to" Michael told her. His anger was stirring up slowly.
"There it is again" Marisa put two slices of steaming hot pizza in a plate and pushed it to him.
  "What?" Michael ignored the way she had rudely pushed the plate to him. He stood up and washed his hands and went back to the kitchen table. He started wolfing down the pizza.
"You're being bossy again" Marisa said. She took an apple and took a bite. She didn't want to try the pizza.
  "You don't want to understand, Marisa. We have to get out of here soon" he said picking up another slice.
"I understand but you're being pushy about this" Marisa said.
   "Pushy? I'm not being pushy. I am just telling you that we are going to Italy tomorrow. What's pushy about that?"
"You are not giving me any option here so you're being pushy" Marisa said. She saw his fist clench on the table. Marisa put the apple on the counter and started walking to the door.
  "What option do you need when the media thinks we are married? Do you know the amount of pressure that puts on me?" Michael said bringing her to a halt.
"What do you mean?"
  "Paparazzi must have followed me to the hospital and somehow gathered that you were hospitalized and put under my last name" Michael impatiently explained.
"So what does this mean?"
    "It means we leave for Italy tomorrow" Michael said putting his plate into the the sink and grabbing a cold beer from the fridge.
"But I need time. I.."
   "Time for what? You are wasting my time!" Michael barked. He saw the terror in her eyes.
"Don't talk to me like that" she said her eyes filled with tears. She was about to cry. Michael was surprised she was close to tears that quick.
  " It is easier when you comply" he said defensively. Marisa said crying now. Michael didn't know what to do. Was he going to go through this for as long as she was pregnant?
"You're always yelling at me" she said as she sobbed. Michael reluctantly put his beer on the counter and went to her.
  "Can you stop crying now, I'm not used to this" He said hoping that she would stop. She left the kitchen and started running upstairs crying. Michael panicked when he realized she was running up the stairs. He was afraid she could fall again.
"Marisa!" He called out to her as he ran out of the kitchen after her. She was had already finished the staircase when he got to it. He ran up the stairs and followed her to her room.
  "Please just leave" she said.
"Are you out of your damn mind? What if you had fallen down the stairs again?" Michael asked her.
  "I.." Marisa heard him cut her short.
"You are careless!"he accused.
   "And you're abusive" she shot back.
"I'm not doing this with you. The last time this happened I made the biggest mistake of my life now I'm stuck with you" Michael said with frustration.
  "Leave then!" Marisa said. She had been hurt. She thought thing were actually going well and Michael would change but she had been wrong. She watched him as he left. He shut the door forcefully. Marisa went behind the shitbdpor and leaned on it crying.
Michael felt guilty when he heard her crying. He stood there for a moment and not knowing whether to go back or go to his room. He was walking away when the door to Marisa's room opened.....