Michael heard a knock at his door, and he got up from his bed. Leaving his room, he jogged down the stairs and to his front door before yawning and opening it. Tori stood, staring at him.
"Tori!" He smiled, a little shocked. "Are your parents in?" She asked him. "No, why...?" He asked, stepping aside to let her in. "Good." She walked in, and he closed the door. "Ooh, okay." Michael mocked, before Tori turned to him. "Not that. Dont get any ideas, we need to talk." She told him. "Okay, whats up?" He put his arm out, to guide her to his living room. "Do you want any...food? Drink?" He asked her. "No thanks." She asked as she sat on his sofa, and took her jacket off.
"So...talk about?" Michael asked, sitting beside her. "Nothing right now about the past...more about last night" She told him, nodding. "Last night? We kissed..." He shrugged. "Yeah, you told me that you wanted too and I've always been on your mind" She sighed. "Yeah you have. Yes I did, and you didnt stop me so..." He smiled. "Michael...I told Spencer and Hanna, and Spencer admitted to me that...with the way you looked at me last night...or how we were last night..." He began.
"That...?" Michael asked. "Tori, I don't get the big deal. I kissed you because I still love you" He told her. "Okay...what?" Tori asked, shocked. "What...?" He then chuckled. "Just because we split up, did not mean I had too, or did stop loving you" He admitted to her. Tori stared at him, before looking away. "Ha...love" She laughed nervously. "You loved me too..." He told her. Tori looked back him, and sighed. "Yeah but..." She started. "...but? You lost that, or decided to bin those feelings when...you broke up with me that night?" He asked her.
"No..." Tori trailed off. "So you still do." He nodded, smiling widely as he looked away from her. "Hey, don't get cocky, its not that simple" She warned him. "Least the feelings mutual" He told her, as he nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know why I do!" She told him. "Tori, we went through a lot of ups and downs..." He sighed. "Yeah, talk about a fucking emotional roller coaster!" Tori snapped a little. "Okay, yeah it may have started with sex...I got a crush on you which made me like you...then falling for you..." Michael admitted, scratching the side of his head.
"That was my mistake...not knowing you'd let me go one day" He chuckled, nervously as he looked at her. "Michael...you cheated on me. Did you think I'd give you a pat on the back, and say ' well done champ ' ?" Tori scoffed. "Of course not...but may work through it. Talk...not dump me the next day" Michael sighed. Tori sighed as she looked away for a moment. "Okay...lets get this straight." Tori told him. "You were friends with this girl...you went out one night, in the group and you got wasted. You slept with this girl, and had no idea still you worked it out the next morning. Remembering nothing" She told him.
Nodding Michael looked at her. "All correct" He told her. "I was going to tell you...that night. Kinda got beat to it...and your not stupid." He told her. "Well, I cried in front of you out of anger so...." Tori shrugged with a small smile on her face. "I cried when you left." Michael told her with a straight face. "That makes us kinda even" He sniffed, as he looked at her making Tori feel guilty, and slightly hurt.
"Yeah...fun fact, that Ash thought I needed to see someone..." He told Tori. Tori frowned a little confused. "Professional...not another girl" Michael made clear. "What? Why?" Tori gasped a little. "I uh...kinda isolated myself.." He nodded, looking away from her. "My eyes were sore for weeks, Tor..." He sighed, looking back at her. "I was, and still am so deeply sorry...there's nothing I can say but apologize. I fucked up, big time and once it happened...no turning back" He shrugged as he looked at her.
"I uh, like to think of it like...I had no control, and someone controlled me. That's no excuse though" He nodded. "I'm sorry" Tori looked at him with worried eyes. "What for?" He scoffed. "For making you...go through that" She told him. "You dumped me for cheating...it was your call. Not your fault" He told her. "Anyway, I'm a fucking ass. Ryan is probably so much better for you" He sighed, looking away. "He..." Tori began. "Its complicated because...I don't feel the same way, as he might do for me" Tori then sighed.
"How'd you mean?" Michael asked. "When we first started seeing each other...I liked him. A lot, but now...nothing's there" Tori shrugged. Michael stared at her. "Do you love him?" He asked. Tori shook her head in response. "Have you guys...?" He asked, and Tori sniggered a little before shaking her head. "You Michael Clifford, made me so emotionally bruised for months that...I haven't even told him I love him yet" She sighed. "Well you don't, you just said" Michael told her nodding. "How long you guys...been seeing each other?" He asked. "....six months..." Tori told him.
"Fuck, me...that's long" He swore. "Yeah, and no love. No sex..." Tori told Michael. "Kinda obvious then huh?" Michael nodded at her. "What?" Tori asked. "You don't love him." Michael chuckled. "Yeah, but its still complicated because I don't know he he feels...and he understands...but, we haven't been around each other in a few months now because I've been traveling so its just getting harder." Tori sighed. "Yeah for him maybe..." Michael joked. "Very funny" Tori narrowed her eyes with a smile.
"So that was him you were seeing...when I asked Hanna about you?" Michael smiled as he sat back a little. Tori looked at him, confused. "Asked Hanna what?" Tori asked. "I messaged Hanna on facebook...once and asked how you were. I know, I was in the badlands then but, I still wanted to know how you were" He told her. "Hold up...pause, rewind and play" Tori told Michael sitting back too. "When was this...?" She asked him. "Uh...around six, seven months. It was a few weeks after the breakup. You went back to Chicago around a month into it, I messaged Hanna." Michael told her.
"It was late in California, and I couldn't sleep. I knew you wouldn't answer, and I new Spencer was in...the UK" He told her. Tori screwed her face up a little, as she looked at Michael. "I asked how you were....and she said you were great, and seeing some guy. Told me to leave you along and let you get on with life?" Michael asked her, trying to ring bells. "Why do you look like you don't know this?" Michael asked her. "Because I don't!" Tori sighed, shaking her head. "Hanna never told me anything." She told him.
"Well she told me she would let you know..." Michael told her. "Oh my gosh, she never told me!" Tori gasped a little, slightly pissed. "Okay, bitch move." Tori sighed shaking her head. "Maybe it was a good idea..." Michael told her. "How so? She had no right telling you anything! I was barely seeing Ryan...not dating! and she kept secrets from me" Tori told him. "Tori, don't be upset with her" He told her. "Fine..." She sighed, shaking her head.
"I was sorta glad. Even more that you were okay...if you were okay. Took back a little, about the guy but happy? Does that make sense?" He chuckled a little. "Not really" Tori shook her head, smiling. "Well, red eyes gave me good head space. I wrote one of the hit songs..." Michael nodded smiling. "What? That's good" She told him. "Yeah..." Tori looked at him, and caught on. "Wait...what do you mean?" She asked.
"Do you know...amnesia?" He asked her. "Briefly..." She admitted. "Went you have time, or want too...listen to it" He frowned a little, but smiled. "Can I now?" She asked. "No. Uh...not now" He told her. "Why...?" She asked. "Tori...you'll know when you listen" He smiled. "I had a lot of inspiration when I was song writing alone..." He told her.
Sitting in silence for a moment Tori then sighed. "Okay well...we've established what happened that night. How, we kissed and realized we still like each other...." Tori listed off. "Where does that go from here...?" Michael asked her. Tori looked at him. "Yeah, kinda odd huh?" Tori nodded. "How about...we uh...stay friends" Michael put his hand on top of Tori's. "I'd rather have you, in my life...as a friend than nothing Tori" He admitted to her.
Tori nodded. "Okay...I think we can work that out" She smiled. "Good...I'm glad" He chuckled. "No more server awkwardness" Tori giggled a little. "How did the...albums go by the way? I heard you just brought out a new one?" She asked. "Yeah" Michael nodded. "We're basically on a break, before rehearsing for tour for this album" He told her grinning. "Wow, look at you!" Tori told him softly, smiling warmly.
Looking at the time, she looked at Michael. "I actually could go some tea" Tori nodded. Michael looked at her and smiled. "Your sticking around?" He asked her happily. "For a while. Go on, I'll help" She nudged him. "Yeah, awesome...help like old times" He winked. "Oh be quiet!" Tori laughed, as she shoved his arm as they stood. "Joking..." He smiled at her.
Standing up, Tori followed him into the kitchen.
