bitter (michael gray.)

TWENTY EIGHT.

♛

The papers were piling up on the desk. Michael was sat upright in his wheelchair, parked up at a table filing through the work he'd missed. It had been a few weeks since his shooting and he was healing quickly.

"Mr Gray, it's your girlfriend." The nurse opened the door.

"Thank you, let her in." He didn't bother to correct the nurse.

Olivia barged through the doorway, stopping when she saw him.

"First of all, wow, you look amazing I'm so proud-" She smiled in disbelief at his health. "- second of all, I got drunk and kissed Finn cause I felt bad that he'd never been kissed." She sat down on a chair opposite him.

"Why do I need to know that?" He said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Because it made me realise something. Well, when I kissed him I felt nothing but when it's you-" She rambled.

"Yeah cut to the fucking chase." Michael snapped.

"Michael I love you." She sighed and slammed her head on the table.

Michael didn't say a word. He'd wanted to hear that for so long, just not attached to a confession of kissing his cousin. Olivia kept her head on the table out of fear. She didn't care for Finn in the way she cared for Michael, she hoped he could just see past it all.

"You're really fucking difficult." He broke the silence.

"I know." She whined.

"I mean, you're not my girlfriend so I can't say anything really." Michael carried on with his paperwork. Liv slowed picked her head up to see him busying himself with finances.

"That's it?" She asked in shock. She's expected another world war to break out over her actions.

"Although, to prevent it from happening in the future maybe I should make you my girlfriend." Michael smiled to himself, knowing Olivia couldn't see it.

"Wait, you're serious?" She was still in disbelief.

"Yeah. Would you like to be my girlfriend?" He looked up to see her.

"I don't want to look desperate." She sheepishly grinned. "But absolutely fucking yes."

"Difficult and desperate. Come here." He laughed as she leant over the table to kiss him.

"I'm getting better sunshine, soon I'll be up and at it." He winked at her. "You any good at maths?"

"I'll have a go." She scuffled her chair across the floor so that she was right next to his wheelchair.

"Mr Gray." The nurse came back in again.

"Send him in." Michael sorted some papers as Olivia read over a bill.

"It's your mother." The nurse left the room. Michael and Olivia gave each other a look, not really wanting to deal with Polly now. Liv distracted herself with the papers.

"Oh fuck." He mumbled, sliding off bits of paper into a folder.

His face dropped as the woman walked into the room. It wasn't Polly Shelby, but it was indeed his mother. A larger woman came in with a paper bag in her hands. Michael was shocked and guilty. He never really gave his adoptive family closure as to why he left. Olivia still hadn't looked up.

"I read about it in the paper. I have a right." The woman spoke. Olivia picked up on the fact that she sounded nothing like Polly. Polly's voice was gravelly and tough, whereas this woman's was soft and gentle. "I'm your mum as well."

Olivia's head shot up from the bill. The woman looked fuck all like Michael, every minor detail was different. She watched between the two of them. Michael's has was on the floor as the woman shifted uncomfortably.

"You want me to go away?" The woman asked. Michael nodded awkwardly.

"Yes." He mumbled out.

"I'll just leave these. They're from our orchard." The woman placed the bag down, Liv peered in to see some large apples. "You used to love these." The woman turned to Michael.

"I hope there are no worms in them." Michael smiled and the woman giggled. Olivia had never been in such an awkward situation as the two of them hugged. She just sat there and twirled Michael's fancy pen in between her thumb and forefinger.

"Take a seat." Olivia offered up her chair and moved around to the other side of Michael, smiling at the lovely lady.

"Look, I just wanted to say that you're welcome to come home. To get better at home. I know you got bored in the village but...we love you. And your little brother misses playing football with you. And your dad...passed on." The lady explained.

Michael's smile left his face very suddenly. He reached for Olivia's hand under the table which she clasped between her own. She didn't quite understand what was going on, but could tell he was genuinely upset.

"He passed on peacefully in our bed." She carried on.

Michael sighed. He never got a decent goodbye with his father, something Olivia knew about all too well. He muttered some expletives under his breath.

"Now go on. I'm expecting Tommy and he's due here now." Michael gripped his cane nervously.

"I'll go then. I'll not be in the same room as that man." She firmly stood her ground. "Is this poor girl in on it?"

"Mum. This is my girlfriend, Olivia." Michael introduced her. "Liv, this is my adoptive mother."

Everything fell into place in Liv's head. Why else would she be so upset? The woman seemed so lovely and kind, the stark opposite of the first impression of Polly Shelby. Her softness was much deeper.

"She's very pretty. Don't get yourself into danger, hanging around that Shelby man." She shook Olivia's hand with a stern look.

"It's okay, I'm not in any danger. I've been with Michael looking after him for a long time." Liv shifted in her seat. Michael's hand landed on her thigh trying to stop it from manically jiggling under the table. "Maybe when Michael's better, we could come over and see you? And Michael's brother?"

"Oh. That would be lovely." Michael's mother beamed at her polite daughter-in-law. There was something about calling her son 'Michael' that just didn't seem right. In her eyes, it was Henry. "I'll be off then."

Michael's mother kissed him on the head, a few tears spilling out. Her hand brushed across his but was gone before he could grab it. The room was silent as his mother left. The pain in his wounds was almost as much as that in his heart.

"She's nice." Liv looked up at his cold face.

"She shouldn't be here."

"She loves you Michael. Just like I do."

♛
a/n: this is mad it's gone up from 10k to 12k reads pretty much overnight. i'm very grateful (: x