ᵢₘₐgᵢₙₑ ➳ Michael Gray [ON HOLD]

➳ chapter twenty-one - the blissful ignorance

《 to be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved 》

➳

Michael and Arabella had rushed into the house whilst giggling at each other, both in significantly happier moods than they had been than when they had left much earlier in the morning. Arabella had collapsed straight onto the couch, sighing in relief at the comfort while Michael grabbed two flutes and a bottle of champagne before joining her. The man poured two glasses and handed one to his female companion, then they both sank back into the couch, carelessly making themselves more comfortable.

Arabella pulled her knees up to her chest, throwing one arm over them and resting her cheek against her thigh and arm while gripping the flute lightly in her other hand. Michael sprawled out slightly, laid out diagonally on the opposite side of the couch with one arm thrown over the back of it, just barely grazing over the brunette's exposed shoulder.

There was a brief period of silence before Michael spoke, the conversation beginning in a slightly awkward manner, "Well...at least I know who you'll go to next time we argue, huh."

"I can't believe you thought I'd been kidnapped," Arabella stifled her giggles as she tilted her head, resting her chin on her arm, "You really believe that Finn would let me go without some kind of self defence weapon or lessons or whatever? Especially when he has grown up in, you know, your family, and he knows what he knows. He may not act like a paranoid, protective person but he really is one...under all that goofiness of course."

"Seriously?" Michael's brows rose in surprise at that.

He knew Finn was protective of Arabella but he didn't quite know how he would have managed to hide the illegal doing of the business from her while also convincing her to take self defence lessons and giving her possible weapons. She was much too inquisitive to simply ignore something as strange as that, surely?

"Well, yeah. It was at first like, Finn teaching me how to punch people or small things that John and Arthur had obviously taught him on what to do when put in certain positions. Then it was him actually taking me to a few self defence lessons that he thought were rubbish and he ended up just deciding to teach me a few things himself, though he does mention me needing to know a few more things. He was talking about it today, saying that I need to know how to defend myself especially now that I'm more publicly associated with you Shelbys."

Michael hummed lightly before responding, "I get what he means, we could probably get John or Arthur to teach you a few things, maybe Finn or I could help, but Grace, Lizzie, Esme and Polly all know bits on how to handle themselves. Linda fucking refused to even throw a punch at the punching bag in the gym and won't learn, so it's on her if something happens there."