The Teacher's Pet | Slowburn MJ FanFic

• | Chapter Sixty-Nine | •

| One Week Later. . .

Michael solemnly and quietly hummed to Differences by Ginuwine as his feet slowly shuffled across the wooden floor from the hallway bathroom. A brief shot of pain traveled through his shoulder when he adjusted the heap of clothes in his free arm, making him grit his teeth. He made his way down the stairs, careful not to knock his phone from his pocket as it continued to fill his ears with beautiful yet sorrowful melodies.

The mixture of impassioned songs that played on an endless loop pushed a deep sigh from within him as he thought back to Riley. Without her, he felt like a part himself was missing and a strange void was trapped within him. He missed her more than any words could describe and he couldn't push her nor the regret for how things ended between them from his troubled mind, which made his insomnia even worse.

He was worried about how she was taking in everything that happened that terrible day and had planned to contact her as soon as possible, but of course life threw another curve ball at him. Her new phone number was written at the bottom of the small card, but he lost it before he could memorize it or store it into his phone. Ever since, he's been kicking himself everyday about it. He wished he was awake when she came by the hospital just to hold her and kiss her despite any pain that may have shot through his feeble body.

"Michael." He barely heard Katherine's soothing voice over the music. He looked up and took out an earbud just as she came into view, stopping him before he reached the laundry room. "You remember what Dr. Perkins told you. You can't carry things around while your wounds are healing."

"It's just clothes, Mother." He said as she took the clothes from his arm, then made her way to the laundry room.

"I made you a plate in the kitchen." She told him, ignoring his protest.

Without another word, he dragged his feet into the kitchen and plopped down on the cushioned counter stool where his plate was sitting in front of him. The delicious aroma from the fresh, hot breakfast wafted in the air and it caused his stomach to loudly growl.

But he didn't feel like eating.

He placed the earbud back into his ear and turned up the volume, staring into the space beyond him as he sunk further and further into self-pity. His only want was to see Riley, even for several short minutes. The underlying guilt was eating him up from inside.

The pain in her eyes and the way her angelic voice was overcome with emotion as she begged him not to give up on their relationship struck him deeply to the core. He wanted to take back everything he said, but at the time, he had felt what he was doing was right at the time. She shouldn't be involved with him on such a personal level; she was supposed to be with someone a lot closer to her age.

However, those words that slipped from his lips were complete lies. He wanted to be with her and he was willing to take the risk. But he backtracked due to triggering her distress, and he couldn't forgive himself for doing that to her.

Coming back to his trashed office and seeing those hurtful words sprawled across a piece of paper, he knew she didn't mean it either. He assumed she was possibly beating herself up over it, especially after Javen showed up and started firing off bullets before they could possibly try to amend their mistakes.

He slowly snapped out his trance when he noticed Katherine standing across from him on the other side of the kitchen island, speaking to him. He couldn't hear her, but could see her lips moving.

He quickly removed the earbuds that were in the middle of blasting Did You Wrong by Pleasure P. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Mother?"

She pursed her lips and folded her arms across the top of the island. "What's wrong with you, Michael? You've been moping around here and blaring Luther Vandross for the last few weeks. I lost count of how many times I've heard 'I'd Rather'."