The Teacher's Pet | Slowburn MJ FanFic

• | Chapter Seventy-Four | •

| That Night ~ 6:47 PM. . .

There was a knock on the partially-opened door before it was fully pushed open to reveal a messy bedroom that looked like it got struck by a clothing tornado and then some. A few hair products were left strewn across the long dresser by the closet, and the room smelled like a mixture of lavender body wash and sweet-scented lotion.

Tia stood from the doorway, silently observing the various garments tossed all over the bed and floor due to Riley being indecisive about what she wanted to wear, especially when it came to being comfortable.

She had eventually settled on a black classy, one shoulder bodycon dress that stopped just above her knees just as she noticed her aunt.

"Sorry about the mess." Riley sheepishly apologized while sifting through her makeup bag for the mascara she just had moments earlier, but Tia didn't really mind.

"Don't worry about it. I'm the same way when me and your uncle go out." She chuckled and Riley smiled. "You look beautiful, by the way. That dress looks so good on you."

Riley skeptically looked down at her outfit that seamlessly embraced her figure. "Thank you, but I feel like I just kinda threw something on. I didn't really pack anything for a date."

Tia approached her nervous niece and gently took one of her hands. "It doesn't matter, you look stunning. When Michael sees you, he's going to be at a loss for words."

Riley could feel warmth travel through her cheeks as she smiled once more. She turned to the body-length mirror in the corner of her room and applied a second coat of mascara to her long lashes, then made sure a single strand of hair wasn't out of place as her hands smoothed over her sleek-back, voluminous ponytail. Two curly wisps framed her beautiful face.

Her teeth lightly grazed over her glossed lips as she turned to face Tia who was picking up a few fallen articles of clothing from the floor. "Um, I wanted to thank you for giving Michael a chance." She spoke softly before going to grab the cute, black kitten heels Tia lent her by the bed.

Tia placed the small pile she had gathered on the dresser, then walked over to the bed to sit down. She pursed her lips for a second, then said, "Now I'm not completely okay with him and neither is your uncle. But... I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you go out with him. How long have you been messing around with him, Riley?"

She sat next to Tia as she slowly put her heels on. "Since November."

Tia hiked an eyebrow. "And your parents never caught on? Or the school?"

"No." She nervously rubbed her lips together. "Before I had ended up at the hospital, my parents had no idea of anything that was going on in my life. Michael and I had some close calls at school, but nobody really suspected us. I swear, Tia, Michael is not some predator or whatever you may think he is. If he was, I wouldn't be anywhere near him and I would've ratted him out myself."

Tia leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands. She let out a breathy sigh. "This is a lot to take in."

Riley squeezed her hands in her laps as she continued, "Everything between us is consensual. Unlike Javen, Michael has no problem with rejection. He told me himself if I wanted out, he wouldn't stop me. Our relationship did start off lustful, but we both want more than that from each other. Everything he did for me up to when he was shot proves that he cares deeply about me."

"I can never forget that." Tia said after a while of silence between them. "Not everybody will take a bullet and risk their life for someone, no matter how much they care. What he did speaks volumes."