Unwanted

Chapter 6

"Abigail? Abigail, wake up!"

I shot up in bed, my hand flying to my chest. I tried to keep the tears that were forming in my eyes from spilling onto my flushed cheeks. Michael stood next to my bed with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay? I heard you scream my name," he said as he reached up to pull his shirt down. He must have been sleeping shirtless. Dang.

"Yeah," I breathed out, "just a nightmare."

He sat in the beanbag chair beside my bed.

"Annsleigh again?"

I managed to croak out an answer.

"No."

The image kept replaying in my head, Michael lying on the ground....

"You okay?" he asked, peering over at me.

"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry I woke you up," I muttered.

"It's okay, try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," I said as I looked at my phone, only 4:25 AM.

Michael got up and started walking towards my door, but I stopped him.

"Michael?"

He turned around with his hand on my doorframe.

"Can you sleep in here tonight? My nightmares don't come when you're with me."

He looked down at the floor then back up at me and quietly closed my door, smiling. I moved over so he could climb into bed with me.

"You sure your dad won't kill me?" he laughed as he pulled the blankets over us.

"This won't be the first time we've slept in the same bed, Mikey..." I sighed, facing my back towards him and tucking the blankets beneath my chin, "Just stay on your side."

"No promises," I heard him whisper into my hair. His breath tickled the back of my neck and he pulled me into his arms. I was curled into a ball against his chest, his heart beating against my back.I was drifting to sleep to the sound of his light semi-snores when I realized, I can never tell Michael that I love him...What if my dream was a sign of what would happen if I did? I'd rather have him never know I love him and keep him alive than to tell him and have to live the rest of my life without him. I'd already lost one of the most important people in my life and I wouldn't let it happen again.

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"WHAT IS THIS?!"

I felt Michael jump beside me. What the actual heck? I blinked a few times and let my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight streaming through my curtains before noticing one of my best friends, Kalysta standing at the end of my bed.

Michael quickly scrambled out of the bed.

"This is why you haven't been answering my calls? You're too busy with him?" she asked, pulling me up by my wrist.

"What? No, Kalysta! This isn't what you think it is," I groaned while rubbing the red mark she had just made on my wrist.

"I'll be downstairs," Michael stated, awkwardly. Once he was out of the room, I sulked to the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind me. I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and began to brush my morning breath. In the reflection in the mirror, I could see Kalysta standing behind me with her arms folded across her chest.

"Are you going to explain or would you like for me to assume the reason you've disappeared from the face of the earth for the past seven months?"

I ignored her and kept brushing.

"FIne, I'll give you my assumption. You've been sleeping with him," she stated.

I accidentally brushed too far back, causing myself to gag. She rolled her eyes and sat on the bathrrom counter next to the sink.

After I rinsed my mouth, I walked back to my room.

"No, I have not slept with him. I told you, I'm saving myself for marriage," I finally said.

"Well why haven't you talked to us? We've missed you like crazy and we always come by, but you never answer the door."

"I just don't feel.....social," I answered, changing out of my pajamas and into a black skater dress.

"Look, Abbie, I know you miss Annsleigh, but you can't shut everyone out because of it. I'm sure she wants you to be happy."

I noticed the picture of myself and my sister hanging on the wall above my lamp. Her face was illuminated by the bright yellow bulb shining beneath it. That was just like Annsleigh, shining bright, even when the rest of the world seemed so cold and dark.

"You're right," I weakly smiled and turned to Kalysta.

She wrapped me in a hug and squeezed me tight. When we pulled away, she kept her hands on my shoulders.

"What's it like?" she asked, smiling like an idiot.

"What's what like?" I questioned.

"Knowing 5SOS!!!!"

"I guess it's pretty cool," I shrugged, "The other guys come visit about once every two weeks."

"I wish you would've told me that you and Michael..." she whispered.

"We're not dating!"

"I didn't say you were. I was just saying, you coulda helped a sister out here by hookin' me up with Mr. Hemmings."

She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh my gosh, Kalys-wait, how did you get in my house?"

She waved away the question with the flick of her hand,"I found the spare key. You should really consider hiding it somewhere less obvious than under the potted plant. Why are you changing the subject?"

I sighed.

"I don't want Michael to think I'm using him to get you guys boyfriends."

"Why would I think that?"

I jumped at the sound of Michael's voice in my doorway.

"Uh, hi...." Kalysta smiled at Michael.

"Hey babe," Michael directed at me. He walked to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

Kalysta raised her eyebrows at me and hummed under her breath,"mhmm"

"Michael, tell her we are not dating," I huffed, looking up at him.

"Now why on earth would I say something like that?" He winked, tightening his grip on my waist.

"I'm gonna go now. Jordan, Tanya, & Cheyenne are waiting outside. Call me when you're not so busy," Kalysta said. I heard her footsteps travel down my stairs and then heard the front door shut. I turned to Michael.

"Why did you lie?" I asked, lightly pushing my hands against his chest.

He rubbed his hands down his face.

"I don't know... I guess I just like the thought."

"The thought of what?"

"I like the thought of you being mine," he replied, blushing slightly and grabbing my hands.

I stepped closer to him. My confidence was building and I had no idea where it was coming from, but I liked it.

"Maybe I like that thought, too," I smiled, wrapping my arms behind his neck and standing on my tiptoes.

His face reddened more and his breath caught in his throat. As if to push away his nervousness, he swallowed and tightened his jaw.

"I knew it," he said before he smirked and leaned down to kiss me.