Part 9

Maria heart ached. She knew it, he didn't want her anymore. She was just damaged goods now. Maria held back the tears that were trying to come out. She let out a sigh of breathe.

"What .... what do you mean?" She asked him.

"I can't take you like this. Your hurt and I can't take advantage of that. I just can't." Michael told her. "I just love you too much to do that." Michael accidentally let out. Maria's eye's widen. Did you he jus say what I think he said?

"Wait a minute. Wh .... what did you just say?" Maria asked Michael. Michael looked into Maria's eye's.

'Oh crap. I didn't just say that out loud.' Michael thought to himself. Maria looked at Michael wanting to make sure she heard right. Michael sighed to himself. 'No use in hiding it now.' Michael told himself.

"I said ... that I love you, Maria. I haven't stopped, ever! And I can't because you don't love me back. You stopped loving me a long time ago." Michael told her as he got off her and walked out of the room. Maria got off the bed and chanced off Michael. Michael was heading out the apartment.

"Michael wait!" Maria yelled after him. Michael stopped but didn't turn around. He didn't want to see her face. Not after what he just told her. Not after he knew she was going to tell him she loved him, but just as a friend. Michael closed his eye's and wished he never had told her how he really felt.

A part of him wished he hadn't stopped himself and just let him feel one last moment of happiness with Maria, let him feel what it was like to make love to Maria one last night. But he had to stop himself, he had to say something. Michael cursed at himself and rubbed his face.

"I need to tell you something." Maria said to Michael's back.

"Here it comes." Michael mumbled to himself.

"Michael, could you turn around, please? I don't want to talk to your back." Maria asked him. Michael sighed and turned around, trying to avoid Maria's eye's. But it was no use, he found them and looked deep inside of her eye's.

"Michael, when I got with John in the beginning....... I did it to make you jealous." Maria paused. "I still loved you so much. But we were both so angry, the point is. I thought I loved John." Michael cut Maria off.

"Maria, I really don't want to hear this." Michael told her.

"Just let me finish." Maria told him while walking getting closer towards him. "I thought I loved him, but the truth is I didn't. I didn't love him at all. I couldn't love a man like that. And it's not just because he hits me, even thought that is a BIG why, it's because of the way he is. I could never love him because...... I've always loved you." Maria finally let out.

Michael was shocked at what Maria just said. He look deeper into her eye's, he knew what he saw, love. She did love him. She loved him with all her heart. Michael walked up to Maria and took her into his arms. He held her tight as if that was the last time he would ever hold her. Michael place small kisses all over her face.

"Why did we ever stay apart for so long?" Michael asked her.

"I don't know, but let's not do it again, please. I can't stand to be in this much pain anymore, Michael. I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." Michael said before he brought her into a passionate kiss. Before they knew it, again they found themselves in Michael's bedroom with their almost all their clothes off. This is where they were happy. This is where they loved this most. With each other, and now no one would ever take that away from them.