Sitting inside the carriage alone, Michael felt more emotions coursing through his body than ever before. He felt humiliated because the driver was staring dead at him, open-mouthed. He felt distraught because his mind kept replaying Mia's voice screaming "Oh my God!" He felt euphoric as he remembered the warmth of her lips against his. He felt cold because she had just leapt out of his arms. He felt angry because she hadn't let him say what he's wanted to say for years. He felt hope as he pictured the look she gave him before they kissed. And he felt mournful because he wasn't sure if she would ever admit it out loud.

Without making any eye-contact, Michael handed the driver a generous tip and muttered a thanks before heading off to the street. He couldn't stand to look at the pleasant greenery and joyful visitors in the park. Walking the long way home from Central Park to his SoHo apartment, Michael couldn't quite get his bearings. This was partly due to his imbalanced physical state that their passionate kissing had left him with, but more so to do with the unruly feeling left in the pit of his stomach.

His brain was desperately trying to process through his scrambled thoughts. He had hoped that their lunch would really become a date and that perhaps, if he played his cards right, he would admit his feelings and she would do the same. But that's not what happened exactly.

What happened was that he treated it as a romantic event from the start, feigning blissful ignorance of her practical engagement and tentative plans to follow her boyfriend across the country.

It didn't matter what she told him, Michael just continued on with his flirting and wooing. He ignored her uncomfortable looks or fidgeting, throwing out compliments no matter how much she pretended to not notice them. And then he went even further, and essentially forced her onto that ridiculous (amazing) carriage ride. And then he kissed her.

And sure, she zealously kissed him back. And he certainly had waited (using all of his willpower) until he was sure that It was what she wanted. And yet, he felt a bit… nauseated?

Not to be confused, he felt elation to know that there was unquestionably something still between them. But he also worried that he had taken things too far too quickly. He had kept pushing his limits throughout the entire afternoon. He hadn't cared that she seemed awkward, or that she heartily refused the carriage ride. He hadn't cared that she looked at him with horrified eyes after they broke apart from their kiss. And he especially hadn't cared that she rejected his attempted admission and ran away. He had continued to toss her compliments, had tried to admit his feelings, and had sent her that text.

He hadn't cared in those moments, taken over by a mixture of lust and love. But as he carried on through the streets and his hazy mind cleared, he replayed their time together. And now, he definitely cared.

In fact, he felt downright sleazy.

He had made Mia into a cheater. Even if she was ultimately the one making her own decisions, Michael had undoubtedly been the one pushing her into it. He knew for certain that he had come on too strong. No matter how confident he was that she loved him just as much as he loved her, was that a good enough reason to act so recklessly? They had spent a long time very passionately kissing in the carriage out in plain sight. He knew better than that. There could be leaks and a story out before he even arrived at his loft.

"Princess Seeya Later and the Tech Homewrecker", "The Princess and the Chea(t)?", "Princess Mia: Romantic Day in the Park… But NOT with her Fiancé!"

And those were the nicer versions of what would actually be written.

And it would all come down on her because she was the princess and the one that was engaged to be engaged or whatever. It was her name that would get dragged through the mud. Michael's name would appear as a sideline, quickly forgotten, and at worst, he would face some embarrassment. Mia, on the other hand, would be pounced on by a media and public constantly looking for reasons to break down young celebrities. The thought of himself being the cause of that made him feel ill.

He had no regrets about showing Mia his true intentions, but he wished he had gone about it another way. Maybe he should have written her a letter and let her come to him instead? She definitely would have left J.P. then… Right? He felt a pain in his gut when he considered that she might not even dump J.P. now, despite everything that had just happened. That thought made him feel sicker.

There was really nothing he could do now. He had put it all out there, and it was up to her to move forward.

But that didn't mean he didn't compulsively check his phone throughout his whole walk home. He kept feeling phantom vibrations, but his messages were clear every time he opened them. At one point, his phone really did ping, but it was just his dad confirming dinner at Michael's loft later that evening.

Oh, great. Michael had forgotten all about his promise to host them. He didn't have anything he could serve them, or enough plates to serve anything on. But he couldn't cancel now, it was too late. And it wasn't his family's fault that he had made an absolute ass of himself that day and was now facing somewhat of a personal crisis.

So, as any mature adult would do, Michael ordered Chinese food once he arrived at his loft. His shirt was sticking to his back with sweat caused by the summer humidity and ridiculous sports coat he was wearing. Why had he chosen that restaurant again?

Oh, right. It's because he knew how much Mia would love it. And how pretty she would look next to the lake. With the sun beaming down on her-

Whatever, he needed to push those thoughts out of his mind. He needed to get his (cold) shower out of the way and get ready in time for his family (plus Kenneth)'s arrival.

He hopped out of the shower and checked his phone again unnecessarily before tossing it onto the bed and changing. God, was this what his life would be like now? Obsessing over that damn phone, waiting for the love of his life to finally answer him?

The food arrived just before everyone was meant to get there. Michael tried his best to make it look nice, laying out all the food on his new dining table (that he hadn't used yet). He even tried to spruce up the living room in the same way the designer had when she first showed everything off to him. Michael even fluffed a few pillows. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he really wanted his parents to approve of his new place. He was a big adult man and stuff now, sure, but he still hoped that they would like it

He took another futile peek at his phone while waiting for his family to ride up the elevator to the loft. The screen flashed a message and he unconsciously sucked in a sharp breath.

It was from Boris. He wanted to know if he could come over the next day to check out the apartment and maybe play a few video games.

Michael felt himself deflate before texting back a quick "Sure, any time after twelve." It wasn't that he didn't want to hang out with Boris, but he would have definitely preferred to make plans with someone else. As in Mia. That someone else was Mia. There was really no need to be coy anymore.

Michael put on a big smile as he opened the door and let everyone in. His dad made a low-whistling sound as he entered the apartment, and his mom's eyes bugged out momentarily.

"Wow, Michael. This place is…"

"Big," Lilly ever-so-kindly finished for her. "Really freaking huge."

Michael shrugged back, trying not to feel self-conscious. He was well-aware of how big it seemed, especially in the front room. But it wasn't really that big. Really.

"It's really not that big, it just seems that way now," he said awkwardly. "Uhm, anyways, food? I think I got everyone's favorites."

His parents managed to get over their initial shock quite quickly and smiled as he led them over to the table.

Once they were all settled and eating, Michael's father asked, "so, what were you up to today, Michael?"

The question caught him off guard and Michael started choking on the piece of broccoli he had been chewing. Was it over the news? Were there pictures of them circulating? He imagined a picture of him with his hands over Mia in a comprising position with a title reading out "A Royal Scandal: The Princess and the No-Longer-A-Pauper!" His parents looked concerned and Lilly was staring at him oddly. Kenneth was forcefully patting Michael on the back.

Michael chugged down some water and cleared his throat, waving Kenneth off, "Sorry, I'm fine… Uhm, not that much really. Just kinda hung around."

His dad nodded, frowning at him. Oh God, did they all know he was lying? "Well, I hope not at the office. We're worried about you being stuck there day in day out." Michael glanced at his mom who was giving him a sympathetic look. Maybe he needed to stop panicking about his afternoon activities.

"Oh… Uhm, no. Honestly, these first few weeks are going to be crazy, but it'll settle down once all the teams are hired. I got my assistant this week, so that's already some things off my plate."

"Okay, just make sure not to work too hard, Michael. You're still young, let yourself have a little fun," his mom gave him a smile, which he tried to return. If they were just worried about him working, he didn't have any problems.

"So, how was your last week of high school?" Michael turned to Lilly and Kenneth, eager to move the conversation away from himself.

Kenneth shrugged while Lilly rolled her eyes and declared that she was way too ready for it to be over. "All we have now is prom…" she gave Michael a pointed look that he missed because he was looking down at his chopsticks. His years in Japan made him pretty skillful with them. "And graduation on Sunday."

He looked up and absentmindedly nodded at her. "Right, I'm sure you guys must be excited. You're valedictorian right, Kenneth?" The younger boy nodded back happily and Dr. Moscovitz asked him about his speech, which he began explaining. Michael smiled politely and tried to listen intently, but honestly? It sounded like Kenneth's speech was going to be a real snooze fest. He was apparently trying so hard that he kept missing Lilly looking at him.

As much as he tried to avoid it, Mia stayed in the back of his mind like a painful reminder. He kept discretely checking his phone under the table, but it didn't seem like anyone had taken notice. 'Seem' being the operative word.

After putting away the leftovers, Michael was showing his parents the rest of the loft while Lilly and Kenneth stayed back to examine his TV setup. He was standing out in the hallway while his parents inspected his bedroom. It was while his mom was stubbornly fixing his bedsheets and his dad was testing the window's strength that Michael felt a harsh tug on his arm. He turned and was met with his sister's glare. She knows. How does she always freaking know?

He checked to confirm that his parents were still occupied and grabbed Lilly's arm, dragging her down the hallway to avoid being overheard. He dropped her arm and leaned in, hissing, "What?"

"You know what." She kept her glare while crossing her arms over her chest.

Michael signed, pushing back some of the hair in his face. "Look, Lil, it was a mistake. Kind of, I don't know." But she also didn't seem to know because her eyes were narrowing as he spoke.

"What are you talking about?"

What? Does she not know? "What are you talking about?"

"Do you not remember what I told you?" Her eyes were so now narrow they were snake-like.

"About what?" He racked his brain, but it was coming up blank. It seemed that lunch had messed with his brain in more ways than one.

Rather than answering like any normal person would have, Lilly rolled her eyes and grunted, "Whatever," before going back to the front room. Michael didn't have time to question her further because his parents were already calling him back.

Okay, so maybe he should stop feeling so paranoid about their afternoon. But what had Lilly told him that was so important?

He never got a chance to ask her because once they were all set to leave, Lilly was the first one out the door.

"So, you'll pick up Nana in the morning?"

Michael hadn't gotten to spend much time with her during her visit last week, so he had offered to be the one to pick her up this time. He'd have to get up early on a Sunday, but he was happy to do so. "Yeah, I'll drop her off around 10."

His mom gave him one last kiss on the cheek before leaving and Michael shut the door behind him. As he stood in his living room, all he could hear was the familiar traffic outside. For the first time since returning home, Michael suddenly felt… Lonely. He wasn't sure if it was watching his family leave or the day's events that had left him feeling like an empty shell, but he wasn't a fan of the sudden awareness he had.

He hadn't felt like this since his first few weeks in Japan. At the time, he had desperately wanted to speak to Mia, who had been his reminder of home for so long. Now… He felt exactly the same way. Love really did bite sometimes. He would have also been happy with Pavlov, but he and his parents had already agreed to wait until next week to try moving him.

He crashed down onto the couch and flipped on the TV. He settled on a show about people selling stuff to a pawn shop on the history channel. It wasn't great, but Michael was too drained to search for anything else. He watched for a bit, only now realizing how comfortable his new couch was…

Who cares if he's alone? Who cares about the empty feeling in his chest? All Michael cared about at that moment was how nice his new couch felt and how much the guy selling his antique set of mermaid figurines was going to get for them. They were arguing. The guy said $1800, the pawnshop guy said $750… He was outraged… They were negotiating… And sold.

Michael drifted off to sleep with one last fleeting thought. Oh, did she mean…

He woke up early the next day with a crook in his neck. Oh God, he had not meant to fall asleep on the couch. It didn't matter how young he was, no neck could survive that angle without causalities. He groaned as he got up, squinting at his phone. It was around 6 in the morning.

Oh, great. Not only did he have the work schedule of a middle-aged man, he also now had the sleep schedule of one too. He rubbed his eyes, yawning. He still had a few hours before he had to head to the airport.

He walked into the bathroom attached to his bedroom, glancing at the bed as he passed. It looked appealing, but… He couldn't bring himself to lie down. He was tired, but more so by life than a lack of sleep. Without intention, he checked his phone for messages once more. Disappointed but unsurprised, he left the damn thing to charge and tried to push it out of his mind. He knew that it was stupid to keep expecting to see something so soon, but he couldn't help the bundle of anticipation that stubbornly get building itself up.

He considering popping into the office and going through any paperwork that had arrived during his afternoon off. But then he recalled his parents' concerned looks during dinner and silently promised himself that he wouldn't go into the office on weekends unless absolutely necessary. He could still send emails from home; he didn't need to be there in person today.

He was finally fine until he was suddenly struck by the memory of what he'd done the afternoon before and the fear of any potential news crept back into his gut. Perhaps he'd go for a run and stop at a coffee shop on the way back. Just to see if there was any talk.

He was out in the streets a few minutes later, jogging through SoHo and glancing at newsstands as he passed. He couldn't really read anything at his pace but didn't notice any too-familiar faces. Not that their little rendezvous would ever be front-page news. But he still had some irrational uneasiness about the possibility.

He walked into the coffee shop sometime later a bit sweatier than appropriate, but no one paid him much mind. He grabbed a coffee with an egg sandwich and lingered as he put in his sugar, ears open for any gossip that potentially stood out to him.

There was absolutely nothing of interest. He overheard one lady describing her daughter's prom dress, another gentleman telling his friend about a date he'd been on, and a couple discussing a television show. No, there was nothing Michael needed to be worried about.

He returned home feeling better about things. He would probably still check the news on his laptop later that day, but it definitely didn't seem like there was any story he needed to worry about.

After a shower and (another) quick peek at his phone, Michael replied to some emails. He also did a short search of Mia's name and was somewhat pleased (and somewhat irritated) to see that everything seemed to center around her "engagement" and her father's campaign. The Genovian polls were closing soon, but no results had been published as of yet.

He grabbed his things and hailed a cab to take to him the airport. There were a few messages on his phone, but none of them contained the message he was hoping to see. His heart took a bit of a dive.

It was almost incredible to recall how he had felt barely a week ago on the plane from Japan. He had been so confident, so sure of himself, and so completely unaware of the hope he had pushed far into the back of his mind. Everything had changed so much in just a few short days.

His grandma was pleasantly surprised to see Michael waiting for her as she came down the runway. He greeted her with a smile as she enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Oh, Mikey! I feel like I haven't gotten to see enough of you since you've come back." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and beamed up at him.

He grabbed her suitcase from her as they walked out of the terminal. "I feel the same way. How was your flight?"

"Oh, it was alright. I don't much like flying back-and-forth, but I needed to come back for Lilly's graduation. Oh, I pray that she doesn't wear all that makeup. It'll ruin the pictures."

He didn't answer her as he flagged down another cab. He was starting to wonder if Lilly put so much effort into her look just to piss off the adults in her life. Otherwise, it didn't seem worth it.

They chatted in the car as they drove back to Manhattan. She told him that she was considering moving from Florida to be closer to them, which his parents had been speaking about since his grandfather's passing. She asked about work and he told her that work was going well, but that it still felt like they were getting used to their new surroundings.

"And you've been spending time with friends, yes?"

"When I've got the time, yeah." He gave her a smile that he hoped didn't look nervous.

"And are you see anyone special?"

He gave her a careful look. "No… not exactly." He didn't much like lying to his grandmother, but it wasn't technically a lie.

"Mmm…" she looked back at him with a sad smile. "If you really want it, Michael, it'll all work out. That is what you want, current?" She stared at him in a way that made him feel like she was somehow reading his mind and he glanced out at the window behind her. After a moment, he nodded slowly.

She gave him a pat on the hand. "Then like I said, it'll all work out."

The rest of the trip was left in a comfortable silence. Nana went back to look out the window and Michael stared up front, trying not to think about it anymore. He kept having to remind himself that it was all up to Mia now and that there was nothing left for him to do.

He took his grandmother's bag up to the apartment for her and greeted his parents. They invited him to stay for lunch, but he declined, happy to have Boris as an excuse. He really didn't want them to ask him any more questions. And he really didn't want to have to deal with Lilly, who was thankfully still sleeping when they arrived.

He waved goodbye to everyone before taking the subway back to his loft. This time, he was relieved to live alone. He took a spot on the couch and turned on a video game for the first time since he'd been home. It was sometimes good to be an adult.

Boris buzzed the loft around 12:30 pm.

"Nice one." He was grinning and pointed to Michael's old Skinner Box shirt he had put on that morning

Michael grinned back, "Oh, yeah. We've gotta try to get the band back together while you're here."

Boris nodded as Michael led him inside to the main space. He gave a very Boris-like impressed face and a thumbs up, "Dude, this place looks even better in person. I almost expect you to tell me some mafia boss really owns it or something."

Michael shushed him and made a slashing motion over his neck. "Shh, we don't say these things out loud." They shared a fake-serious nod and Michael showed him around the loft. The younger boy was most excited to see the gaming set-up and what was going to be his own room.

"Ooh, I can't wait for Tee to see this place. She's going to be so jealous about having to live in a tiny dorm." And then he paused, looking a bit embarrassed. "Assuming it's alright if Tina comes over sometimes?"

Michael snorted back, "Yeah, it'll be no problem. I've already hired someone to sound-proof your room." Boris went bright red. "… For your violin, of course," he added with a sly grin, and they both laughed.

"Right… I would've brought her today, but it's prom tonight and she's spending the day getting ready." Michael nodded back but was then suddenly struck with something. The prom. That's what Lilly was talking about.

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom," Boris said as he walked back to the hallway.

"Yeah, sure… I'll get some cokes," Michael answered distractedly, moving towards the kitchen. What had Lilly said again? Prom, midnight… The elevators? Something about Mia needing help.

He heard Boris yell something from another room and vaguely answered with a "yeah." Why would he ever need to go to prom?

Before he could finish that thought, Boris came into the kitchen with a smug expression on his face. "I think I can make this work."

Michael replied with a friendly grunt and handed him his drink. "Yeah, yeah. Though I'm sure you'll miss whatever roommate you were supposed to have."

"Oh, definitely. But how do you feel about hosting a few parties?" They shared a grin and clinked their glasses together. "Seriously, though, thank you, Mike. This is really cool of you."

Michael suddenly realized just how happy he was to have Boris around. Even though he had taken the fast-track through college, this might give him a chance to take back some of his youth.

Oh, God. He really was starting to sound like a middle-aged man now.

They spent a few hours playing video games and chatting about nothing too important. They talked about Boris's last week at AES, Michael's new office, what games were coming out soon. They exchanged stories, made plans, and yelled out fake insults about each other's playing. They ordered some pizza and stuffed themselves with it. The hang-out was so refreshing that Michael had completely forgotten about his phone and the message he was waiting on. He just felt light, happy, and full.

They agreed upon Boris moving in sometime in July. He was going to visit some family in Russian over June and then wanted to give his parents some time to adjust to his moving out. It all sounded like a great plan.

It was almost 4 hours later when Boris finally stretched and said that he should probably go home and get ready for the dance.

"I've still got to pick up my tux and Tee's corsage."

Michael snickered a bit, "Yeah, have fun with that."

But Boris gave him a confused look back, "What do you mean?"

"Well, prom isn't exactly the most fun thing ever."

He shrugged back, "I'm excited. I get to spend the whole night dancing with my beautiful girlfriend… And Wahim, but he promised to leave us alone afterwards."

Michael scrunched up his nose and nodded, unconvinced. Obviously, Boris was a different person to him, but he still found the idea of prom just so unappealing. "Yeah, sure, I guess. Well, I hope it's as good as you think. See you at graduation tomorrow."

Boris gave him a funny look but nodded, turning towards the elevator.

Before he closed the door, Michael remembered Lilly's words again. "Hey, Boris. Where's your prom going to be?"

He gave Michael a bit of a victorious smile, "Waldorf-Astoria. 8 o'clock."

They said a quick goodbye and Michael shut the door, feeling a bit stupid after seeing Boris's face. Am I really that obvious?

The thought of prom was like an alarm in his head and he instantly checked his phone for the first time in hours. He let out an unwitting sigh when he saw that there was still no word from her. Not that he expected one, considering she was probably at home getting ready for her long-awaited prom.

Hmm… Why would Mia need his help by the elevators? He definitely had an idea, but the thought made him grimace and he would have preferred to pretend that it wasn't a possibility. And, surely, Lilly wouldn't send him for that? What would he even be able to do, fight for Mia's honor like the knight from her book? She wasn't some damsel in distress; everything was her decision. Not to mention the fact that she has a giant bodyguard strapped to her at all times.

Shaking his head, Michael forced himself to stop obsessing about it. It was still so early and all his plans for the day were already over. He needed to do something else… Avoid wasting the whole day sleeping on his couch or thinking about-

He signed heavily and resorted to asking some of his work friends to dinner. He couldn't handle another night of sitting alone in his loft again, especially not tonight.

He was grateful to get some yeses and they planned for dinner around seven. He had to kill some time until then. Since he was video-gamed out and his emails were answered, Michael resorted to the hobby that had helped him through some trying times in Japan: exercise. Even though he had already taken a jog that morning, a more strenuous work-out was just what he needed. And anyway, he had to work on maintaining his newfound broad shoulders.

He went down the street to the gym that was a pay-as-you-go place. He was glad to have the distraction as he pumped loud music into his ears and lifted some weights. As long as he didn't have to keep thinking about the stupid prom.

Following his work-out, Michael cleaned himself up and headed out to dinner at a restaurant uptown. He took the subway since he could spare the time and was annoyed to see a bunch of teenagers dressed in formal wear. He almost rolled his eyes as he heard the group giggle and chat across the car. Why would anyone ever be that excited to go to a dance? Unless it was to save the girl you liked from an awful date. Or admit your feelings to her or something. Then, fine, they weren't that bad.

But otherwise? Nothing redeemable about them really.

Whatever. He was an adult man now, going to dinner with his other adult friends. He was not a teenager going to prom.

Dinner was a good time. It reminded Michael so much of being back in Japan, how self-assured he had felt when he was there. There, he was just Michael the team lead. The guy who had all the answers. Here, he sometimes felt like he didn't know anything at all. Life had been so much easier without the distraction of love, so much clearer without his desperate pining.

He let himself forget about Mia again as he drank beers and laughed with his friends. They were switching between English and Japanese, talking animatedly with each other. This was exactly what he needed after such a week. A different type of familiarity.

They finished a bit past ten and Michael was now reasonably tipsy and very stuffed. Someone in the group suggested a club, but he declined firmly. He wasn't even close to drunk enough to be convinced to go out dancing.

He got to his apartment around eleven and plopped down on the couch, once again reminded of how cushy it was. He turned on the TV and felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His heart made a leap as he pulled it out. Was this the message? Was it finally happening?

He was smacked in the face with disappointment when he saw that it was Lilly who had texted him. All the message said was "!" Great, Lilly. Real descriptive.

He was about to reply when he noticed the time on his phone. It was almost half-past eleven. He had completely forgotten about midnight.

Staring down at the time, he paused. Was this the right thing for him to do? He had said that he'd wait for her, and coming to her rescue or whatever was definitely not that. She was meant to be coming to him, not the other way around.

Mind racing, his pride almost got in the way. Almost.

But then he remembered the fond smiles she had given him the day before. And how dazzling she had looked in the afternoon sunlight. And the familiar tickle of her breathing against his neck.

And he threw all sense of pride out the window. He grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys as he ran out the door. He didn't care that he didn't have a guarantee of what would happen between them. All he cared about was that she knew that he wasn't planning on leaving again this time.

Michael was thrilled when he was able to flag down a cab quickly. Unfortunately, it was still Saturday, and traffic wasn't doing him any favors. He kept checking his watch. 30 minutes till, 25, 15… The minutes kept counting down as the sound of honking surrounded them. They were less than a mile away now.

"Hey, can you just let me out here? Thanks, man." He handed the driver some cash and stumbled out of the car. He was completely sober now, but the nerves that were building up in his stomach made him unsteady.

And then he was running down 50th street in his jeans and T-shirt. It felt so ridiculous and cliché that Michael couldn't believe that this was real life. He passed Rockefeller Center and could suddenly picture Mia's tongue bleeding violently against the ice. But he could also picture the 16th birthday he had planned for her almost exactly 2 years ago. There was no ice-skating rink open tonight like there had been then.

He felt like the knight in Mia's book, the one he had secretly been hoping was based on him. Maybe this was just how it was meant to be.

He arrived at the hotel a few minutes before midnight and headed straight for the lobby. He stopped right in his tracks when he saw two familiar figures talking directly in front of the elevators. He carefully moved closer, almost hidden behind a large plant. He made eye-contact with Lars who gave him a simple nod. Michael could now hear most of what the couple was saying.

He saw J.P., wearing a stupid plastic crown on his head, spread his palms out to Mia, who was looking at him furiously. He noticed that she was holding her own crown as she crossed her arms. He then heard her say something about a hotel room.

The elevators, midnight, a hotel room. The idea that Michael had tried to bury was definitely confirmed now.

She was now shaking her head at J.P., and Michael heard the words "hooking up" come out of her mouth. He almost stormed J.P. when the guy dropped his hands and looked at her with an utterly unbashful face. He was speaking much louder than Mia and asking her what was wrong with whatever she had been talking about. He said something about wanting to make it special for her. Michael really wished that he wasn't hearing this conversation now, but he also couldn't seem to move away. Lars was watching the twosome very intently.

Mia spoke with a much softer voice, but Michael could see her narrowed eyes and stiff posture. He could have sworn that he heard her say something about Lilly. That's when J.P. started vigorously shaking his head and evidently began implying that Lilly was lying because Mia interrupted him and told him to stop. She had now raised her voice and was speaking hotly.

So much so that Michael clearly heard, "She told me you slept with her!" there was more, but Michael was now seeing red and couldn't hear anything else. That fucking asshole. Not only had he stolen Michael's girlfriend, J.P. had also used Lilly while knowing he wanted Mia.

Michael hadn't even realized that he was walking towards them until the elevator door opened directly in front of them. He was so shocked that he froze in place. Before he even could look at him, Lars was already checking the elevator and asking Mia something. He gave J.P. a cold look when he tried to answer, but Mia did a doubletake between him and the elevator. Before he could finish, she had interrupted him with the chilliest "no" Michael had ever heard.

He no longer felt the need to go punch J.P. in the face. His terrified expression gave him the satisfaction he needed at that moment.

He noticed the switch as Mia changed into princess mode. She straightened her back and put on a distinguished look. She then pulled the stupid diamond ring off of her finger and tactfully into his palm, which saying some crap about being friends. J.P. looked absolutely miserable and it filled Michael with such a rush of joy he couldn't even begin to explain.

The idiot tried to plead with her, but she stopped him and gave him the most pathetic pat on the shoulder in history. Michael almost laughed out loud as he watched J.P. look at her with sad puppy-dog eyes.

She then said the funniest thing about Stacey Cheeseman having a crush on him and Michael had to literally cover his mouth to not laugh. This whole night was feeling a bit too Seventh Heaven for him. He shared a look with Lars who also looked like he was suppressing the urge to laugh.

J.P. kept trying to argue with her, looking totally dejected. But then she held up a hand for him to stop and gave him a short kiss.

Michael took a few steps back from them, giving her some privacy. The kiss didn't bother him in the slightest. It gave off an air of finality, as J.P. stared back at her with a crestfallen face. Michael also wasn't bothered because he caught sight of Mia's own expression, and it seemed like she was trying against all will to be as gracious as possible. It certainly seemed more gracious than their breakup had been.

As a final act of hilarity, Mia then hurried away from him and flipped out her cell phone. She was walking towards Michael now, too involved with her phone call to notice him. She said something about a cease and desist on J.P.'s play, which Michael thought was pretty badass.

He was taking slow steps toward her, about to call out to her when she smacked right into him. He was struck with such a sharp pain that his vision went momentarily fuzzy. Unfortunately for him, she had been putting her phone away in the moment and the end of her crown had been pointed directly at his shoulder.

"Oh my God." Oh, not that again. "What are you doing here?"

He rubbed his shoulder as he grumbled, "What do you think I'm doing here?" I'm obviously here rescuing you. Or more like getting attacked by you.

She suddenly looked very panicky and started asking him how long he'd been there and how much he'd heard. He was looking back at her clearly now, the pain having dulled. He didn't really want to admit how much eavesdropping he had done, but admitted, "Enough to make me feel nauseous." She was looking at him with wide, worried eyes and he wanted to lighten the mood, deciding to mock her about her Stacey Cheeseman line. He was just saying how Seventh Heaven she sounded with a smirk as she grabbed his arm and dragged him around the corner. He would have been embarrassed to admit the thrill that came over his stomach as she pulled him.

He was dismayed when she dropped his arm as soon as they were noticeably out of J.P.'s range. Of course. She demanded to know what he was doing there. And even though she was trying to look stern, Michael noticed her glancing him up and down. That gave him all of the confidence he needed, and he grinned back at her.

He explained about Lilly's message to him a few days ago, but that it didn't seem like she needed his help anyway. He was deeply happy with the shade of scarlet she was turning as he spoke and smugly wrapped an arm around her waist. That waist that was finally free for him. Even though he was quite sure of the answer, he asked Mia why she thought Lilly had wanted him there.

Mia noticeably didn't move his arm but began speaking with a quick, high-pitched voice. "I think it's because she knew I always wanted to spend my senior prom with you." Sure, that's definitely it. He laughed with a sarcastic air and called Lars over. He was now remembering the rage he had felt just minutes ago.

He asked Lars whether he thought that he should go turn J.P. Reynolds-Abernathy the Fourth into cream of wheat. Neither of them was grinning when the bodyguard nodded and agreed. Michael dropped his arm from Mia's waist and was feeling murderous all over again.

Mia had regained her panicked expression and yelped, "Lars! No. No! Michael, it's over. J.P. and I just broke up. You don't have to hit anybody."

"Well, I think maybe I do." Not even the reminder that Mia was now single was enough to distract Michael from what he had heard about Lilly or the smug look J.P. had given when the elevators opened. "I think maybe the earth would be a better place if somebody had turned J.P. Reynolds-Abernathy the Fourth into cream of wheat a long time ago. Lars? Do you agree with me?" There was no joking air as he spoke.

The bodyguard said something about it being after midnight and union regulations. Michael suggested that Lars could hold him while he hit him. And he was completely serious until Mia grabbed his arm again and pulled him towards her.

She proposed that Lars take the night off and then turned back to Michael. She had the strangest look on her face as she said," And Michael, why don't we go back to your place?"

It was like Michael's brain had fallen out of his head and splattered to the ground. He just gawked down at her, unable to think or speak. Did she really-

"That sounds like a completely excellent idea." He didn't even care that his voice had cracked as he complied. He turned to look at Lars in bewilderment, who just shrugged and agreed. Is this real life?

He was still staring at her shell-shocked as Mia led him outside and into the limo. All Michael had been able to croak out was his address to Hans, her driver.

He was now watching her as she wrote furiously into her journal.

She glanced up at him, smiling and pushing a hair out of her face. That was what finally pulled him out of his trance.

"Hey," he smirked at her, "Why don't you drop the journal and pay attention to me for a bit?" She giggled a bit, writing down a few last lines before putting the book into her purse and sliding towards him.

Surreal was all Michael could think.