Chapter 74

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November 13th, 1998

Michael was in the living room with Katherine and the girls. Nicole seemed to be getting used to walking around on her own and was leading Noelle around, loudly professing something in gibberish.

“That girl is gonna be something else.” Katherine said, with a chuckle.

Michael nodded. “Yes she is.”

Nicole waddled over to Katherine with Noelle close behind.

“What you want?” Katherine asked, holding up her hands. “I ain't got nothing.”

Michael giggled. “She probably hungry. Let me go see if Mariah wants something.”

Katherine nodded.

Michael got up from the floor and went upstairs to look for Mariah. She’d been on the upper level of their master suite almost all day. When he got upstairs he heard the thumping bassline to Off the Wall.

She must be thinking of sampling me again. He thought, smirking.

As he got closer to the bedroom, faint moaning accompanied the song. He raised an eyebrow, cautiously opening the door.

His jaw dropped.

Mariah was laying in the bed naked, frantically rubbing her vagina with one hand, the other pinching her nipples.

“What are you doing?” He exclaimed.

Her eyes snapped open as she shot up. “Oh...hey baby.”

He took a step back. “What-”

“I- I was-”

“Masturbating to-” Michael glanced at the television screen, confused. “Me?”

“Would you rather it be someone else?” Mariah joked.

Michael glanced at the television screen once more, an image of his ten years younger self gracing the screen with a body-roll during a particularly sexual performance of Rock With You at his Bad World Tour.

It might as well be someone else…

Michael stared down at the floor, scrubbing the tip of his toes on the wood. He folded his arms in a subconscious effort to protect himself. He lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. “I was downstairs…”

Mariah raised her eyebrows in concern. She covered herself with the bedsheet and sighed, lowering her voice in shame.

“I know.”

“Then why didn’t you come get me? I could’ve helped…”

Mariah nodded her head, slowly, staring at the bed in reflection.

“Can you say something?” He asked, almost like a child speaking to his mother.

“I don’t really know what to say. I don’t have an excuse. I just thought you were doing some really sexy stuff.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “Was I doing sexy stuff or was I sexy?”

“Well, you were sexy-”

Michael noticeably tensed.

Mariah swiftly followed her thought. “But you still are too!”

Michael pursed his lips, twisting them to the side. His eyes were distant and despondent. He looked down at the TV once again.

Mariah fumbled around the bed for the remote, shutting the TV off when she finally found it.

Michael batted his eyes down to the ground.

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