My Cousin

Goodbye

Charlotte

I wake up and rub my eyes. I get out of bed and go to the bathroom. I do morning hygiene and wear a white turtleneck sweater, light ripped jeans and gray leopard-patterned flats. I get out of the bedroom and look around me to check nobody's looking at me. I quickly get into Michael's bedroom and find him sleeping. I close the door and sit on the edge of the bed. I stroke through Michael's hair and kiss his jawline. He smiles still having his eyes closed.

"Morning, baby.", I say.

"Good morning, love.", he says and kisses my forehead.

"Well, get your ass up. I'll make breakfast for everyone."

He gets up and gives me a tight, warm hug. I return the hug resting my head on his chest. We pull off a few minutes later and I go downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. I see Katherine and Joseph in the kitchen.

"If they get married and have children, they will not gonna be able to get more than one because it's gonna affect the others.", I hear Katherine say.

"Who said they're getting married? Not in a million years.", Joseph says.

I run back to Michael's room to find him only in a towel tied around his waist. My eyes start to tear up. Michael hugs me and kisses my head multiple times.

"What happened?", he asks softly.

"I heard Joseph say that we can't be together.", I cry.

"No! Of course not! I'm the one who chooses who I wanna be with and it's none other than you.", he says stroking through my hair.

Suddenly the door is slammed open. We look and see Joseph. He looks at us making me feel scared. Michael holds me close to him. Even though he's been my uncle for 16 years but this look always scares me.

"Were you just fucking?", Joseph asks.

"What? No!", Michael says.

"Charlotte is nothing else than your cousin, Michael. Understood?", he yells.

"That's none of your business, Joseph.", Michael says.

"You better talk to me with manners, boy!", he yells.

"When you treat Charlotte with manners I will talk to you with manners. Do you know how much your words hurt Charlotte? Huh? She came here crying because of the bullshit you said and that's what you think we were doing? Well, no. And it's none of your fucking business, Joseph!", Michael yells.

I see Katherine and Jermaine rush to the room.

"Enough!", Katherine says.

"Come here, Charlie.", Jermaine says.

He holds my hand and goes with me to his room. I try so hard not to cry but of course because I'm a cry baby I do. Jermaine hugs me and pats my back.

"Come on? What's going on?", he asks.

I shake my head and continue crying.

"Is it because of Joseph?", he asks.

I nod.

"Don't listen to him. My brother loves you and I swear, when he loves a girl, he never let's her go.", he says making me calm down a bit.

I sniffle and nod.

"I-I'm going home.", I say.

"No, you only stayed for a night. We were planning for a week, Charlie!", he says.

"I can't. I'm sorry.", I say and get up.

I get my bag from Janet's room and see her still sleeping. I hear Michael arguing with Joseph in his room. He looks at me.

"Charlotte, where are you going?", he asks.

"I'm going home.", I say.

"Stay for a few days at least.", he says.

"No, thanks. Goodbye.", I say.

He rushes towards me and gives me a tight hug.

"Bye.", I say.

"I love you.", he whispers in my ear.

"I love you too.", I whisper and cry.

He wipes my tears away and we pull off. Katherine comes to us.

"Goodbye, Aunt Katie.", I say.

"You could stay for a few days.", she says.

"No, thank you.", I say.

She gives me a hug and I walk to the door. Michael looks sad and I just go out and close the door behind me. I run to the car and drive off angrily.