Read Between the Lines

Chapter 12: Just in case

THIRD PERSON's POV

"I can't do this." Was all that kept repeating inside Michelle's mind.

But her thoughts were cut when she'd heard a knock on her door at freaking 5 in the morning. Rhian was still in her parents house, could it be her? But she had a key so why knock? Or she could ring the doorbell so again, why knock? Wondering whoever could it be, she thought this could be bad. Granted, she wasn't sleeping, her body still have that alertness to get up. Ever since Anntonia had run out on her – again – she kept tossing and turning all night trying to figure out what to think. Things had been tense and awkward lately, quite fragile and delicate as they walked the fine line of this odd friendship they tried to preserve. She feared they'd ruined it all again, and this time for good. But then again, it hadn't felt like that. It had felt different. They'd been sober this time, fully in control of their actions, without trying to prove any point. It had just been the two of them and that gravity that kept dragging them toward each other.

She heard another knock though she was already on her feet.

With her hand already wrapped around the door knob when another knocked sounded, she was already on the verge of opening the door. So needless to say, she had to pick her jaw from up the floor when she found Anntonia standing there, breathing heavily as if she'd run a marathon.

"I can't do this anymore," was all the girl said as if it repeated what's inside her brain and Michelle felt suddenly so tired.

She ran her hands over her face, feeling the anger this time because she should've known. Ann was prone to run and hide at the first inconvenience.

"So I've heard," she said with sarcasm. "Thank you because it does sound like a running gag with you. Did you come all this way at 5 in the fucking morning just to tell me that? It kept replaying in my head the whole night like a broken record by the way. So yeah. I know."

Anntonia's eyes looked unfocused, but determined, a weird expression on her face that she had never seen before. Why does she looked so nervous?

"No!" Anntonia quickly answered as she shook her head, looking confused to be there. "I mean, Yes. Uhmm, no."

"Listen, Anntonia..." Michelle lazily said with a heavy sigh, disappointed with this turn of events. She sort of envisioned the girl falling dramatically in her arms and admitting she could no longer live without her but she failed to consider she could turn her down again. "I can't do this anymore either. I've been trying to respect your choices and whatnots for couple of times, but they're so damn hard to follow. You haven't made up your mind and you can't see that I already know what I want. So if you're going to come here just to tell me that line again, then it's better for you to leave. Just come back when you figure out—"

Tonight was a fucking roller coaster. Before Michelle could finish her sentence, Anntonia had already caught her face in her hands, pulling her close and capturing her lips with her own. That made her gasp in surprise against her mouth, but her hands immediately finding the girl's waist by muscle memory. Their kiss was fierce and short, but it made Michelle's head spin, half of it was because of confusion and questions.

"I have figured out, you asshole," Anntonia said when their lips pulled away, still clenching Michelle's hair in her hand, resting her forehead against hers. Her eyes were closed and her jaw was clenched, and she knew she left the girl in awe.

"Y-You have?"

"I think so," her voice wavered, and Michelle totally pulled away, looking at her in question as she raised an eyebrow. That made her open her eyes.

"You think so?"

Anntonia's gaze digging deep into the girl as her fingers traces the side of her face, until the line of her jaw and with just simply touch, Michelle shuddered. She had no idea what the hell was happening, but she didn't ever want it to stop happening. She felt like she was riding the craziest roller coaster in the world; the kind that makes it feel like flying and throwing up at the same time.