I’ve made my peace, remember? I need some time myself.” I’m at a loss for words. Who the hell knows what I need about now? “I’m not sure what to do.” I’m so consumed with worry, my nerves are shot to hell. Like Liza, I’m a trembling mess.
“Elsa, can I have a few minutes alone with you. I promise after that I’ll leave you alone. One thing is sure, I don’t want to come between you and Liza. She loves you, and I can see how much she means to you, as well.” Soft and sweet Micah is so hard to resist when he’s like this.
How do I resist him? Tell him no? I’ve never been able to do it, so why start now?
“I’m not sure, Micah. There is not a thing we need to say to one another.” I say those words, trying to convince myself that they were true. But the only truth is, I just want to run into his arms and have him hold me. Just one more time. Being this close to the one you have carried a torch for, and loved for so long, is beyond excruciating. His arms are the arms I should not want, but I crave them all the same. His lips, which are asking to talk with me alone, I want to feel them against mine, right or wrong. I want his lips, his arms, hell I want all of him. I know I can’t him, but that does not stop me from wanting him. Thank God, this is all inside my head.
Taking a step closer, he offers me his hand. “Just let me explain why I left. The reason I acted the way I did. Just give me that.” Leaving his hand extended, he’s almost begging, pleading with me to take it. Damn it.
Nick’s adamantly shaking his head. “Fuck no! You’re not getting near her alone.”
The tension in the room is so thick, it’s way beyond awkward. My gaze keeps going from the two men who are dead set on trying to psych one another out. Liza walks next to Micah, touching his arm.
“No Nick, they need to talk. It seems like they both need some closure. Ace, I mean…” She then turns her head to look at Micah. “What the hell do I call you?”
“Ace is great, Micah is okay, too.” He’s speaking to Liza, but his focus is still on me.
“Okay, well Ace has been weird all day, and now I know why. He needs this. I may hate it, but I also know, Pip’s not going to do anything to hurt me.” Liza’s voice is so sweet, her words of rationale shows how great she is. I may not like the idea, but Liza and Micah might be good for one another. To be honest, I’ve never seen her so happy, and it’s all due to him.
“I’m thinking about El. You all believe that this is no big deal, what the hell? I’ve been living with this,” Nick says all the while pointing at me, “with her, how she felt, and how she still feels. Have you even questioned why she has never gotten over you?” He then takes a step toward Micah. “She has never gotten over you. You nearly destroyed her. You’ve turned her life inside out. Five years. It has taken her five years to move the hell on. Now you want some alone time with her? WELL FUCK YOU!” Stepping back Nick puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me, so my back is against his chest.
All this shouting solves nothing. If I give in, I can end this night. Nodding my head, I say, “Fine, all of us can sit down and hear what you have to say. That way, no one will get their feelings hurt. No secrets.” The main reason for me wanting to do it this way is so neither Nick or Liza will cause a bigger scene than they already have. Why lie? I do not want to be alone with him, a sudden war is being fought in my mind. The longer he is here in front of me, the more I want to sit down and talk to him. I know it’s not what I should have felt, but hey, I’m human. And I’ve wondered for so long about what happened to him. Now, I can find out all of those answers.
“I think there are secrets that need to come out. Maybe if we are