The Purest of Hearts: Part One

Chapter Thirteen

MichaelxSean

This brat ...

"I love you, you know." His eyes are cast down as we sit at the cafe he asked to meet me at. I'm stunned. I'm speechless.

... Is some kind of terrorist to me.

"It's destiny." He states and I can feel some weird butterflies. Why butterflies?

"It happened three years ago." He states now and I have to think back. Oh right, I ran into him three years ago after he was about to get mugged. He showed me to the hotel in downtown where apparently we both had to go and then into the room where I met my ex's family and she met mine.

"Oh yeah, that three years ago." I feel guilty for not even remembering him. He was always recluse and distant from family gatherings that I kind of forgot he existed.

"Sean right?" He looks up for a moment and then nods, looking away. "Weren't you studying abroad?"

"Austria." He replies and I nod my head in agreement to whatever I've conjured up to be his excuse. "We're on holiday so I came back after finding out you both got a divorce."

"Right and I can see the weather not being too pleasant I mean isn't it your summer there or winter there or something? And the food I bet isn't anything compared to American food so I'm sure you missed it."

"I love you, you know."

"And I bet it'll be a hell of a cold winter too!" I laugh out loud but I can't help the dread I feel right now. "Isn't your winter like nine months out of the year or something? Oh well, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

"Don't make a joke of this." He's firm and keeps his eyes on the table.

"I'm a man. A divorced, 35 year old man. Quit pulling my leg. Don't you understand what you're even saying to another man?" I ask and my hearts pounding.

"I wouldn't have come if I didn't believe it to be true. I may have time to kill but I wouldn't waste my time with any old man just to pull his leg."

There's dead silence between us for a while as I try to figure this kid out. Why the hell has this problem landed on my lap?

"So, what do you want me to do?" I ask and he looks me in the eyes, serious blue on apathetic brown.

"Take responsibility."

~~~~

"I'm sorry, sir, what did you say?" I ask my ex-father-in-law, the man who's head of the department of humanities. He's felt ashamed of his daughter for cheating on me so he gives me special treatment sometimes.

"Well I'll be at a conference meeting for two weeks and I was hoping you'd do me this favor of having my son, Sean, stay at your home until I come back."

"He can't stay at your house?" I ask and he sighs. His shoulders slump and he covers his eyes for a moment.

"Sean doesn't agree with Reina having a ... a ...-"

"Oh, a boyfriend." I finish for him and he squirms in his chair. Damn, he feels terrible.

"Yes, a boyfriend. He doesn't agree she have one so soon after the divorce so he implored not to stay at the house so long as she's there. He's scared of arguments."

"And he can't stay at a friends?"

"He doesn't really have many here in California." His dad sighs. "And I can't put him in a hotel, he's only 17. He won't be 18 until after I come back."

"Well, I have tons of work piled and I come home late so-"

"Just give it all to Miss Hannah, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." He implores and I can imagine how she'd feel on top of her own work. She'll kill me!