Chapter Nineteen:
She sat on his bed, her legs hanging over the edge as she swung it impatiently. Glancing at her watch for what seemed like the thousandth time she took a deep breath.
Michael opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the anger woman in front of him. Everything in him wanted to turn around and walk back through the door, but he knew that he would have to face her it not now then in the near future so he took a deep breath and made his way into his apartment.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded, staring across the room at her.
"Where have you been, Michael?" She countered, looking at her watch. "I've been here for what…the last three hours waiting for you."
"Well…maybe you should have left after you seen that I wasn't here."
"Okay…step back here. I know your not trying to throw this back into my face?" She demanded, jumping to her feet. "Because if you are…let me advise you right now if you want to live to see tomorrow, you'll stop the bull and tell me where the hell you've been for the past three hours."
"Maria, give it a rest." Michael moaned turning and making his way to the refrigerator even though he couldn't make himself eat anything even if he was hungry.
"Cut the bull, Michael…where were you?" She demanded, standing behind him. "Food can wait…I can't." She said grabbing his arm and turning him around to face her.
He suddenly grabbed her, taking her mouth wildly. Eaten at her as if she could erase the past three hours from his life, as if she could make him forget the little boy crying out inside him. Holding his head firmly within her hands she returned his kiss. When their bodies demand air they pulled apart their chest heaving as they watched each other. Their loud breaths the only sound in the room. He moved toward her again, but she held up her hand stopping him.
"As much as I enjoyed that." She said. "It doesn't answer my question, Michael…where were you?"
"God…Maria." He roared. How could he tell her that he'd spent the past few hours torturing the man they all wanted to see pay? When he knew that she wanted to be there to see it? But he couldn't …couldn't let her see what he'd become when faced with his past, couldn't let her see the monster lurking inside him waiting for the moment to sprung to life. "What do you want me to say?" He demanded, running his hand through his hair.
"How about the truth." She said, staring at him, her anger accelerating with ever second that past. "Why don't you start there. I've found it's always a good place to begin."
"Well I think you should get over what ever thorn is embedded in that tough hide of yours and give me a break here." He demanded staring down at her.
"Give you a brake….Awww. I'll like to brake your neck you fool." She murmured angrily. "Either you tell me know or I swear Michael that I'll make you life a living hell until you do. So why don't you spare us both the time and pain and tell me now." She demanded.
"Maria…" Michael murmured wearily as he took a deep breath. "Please leave it alone…please."
"Okay…let's pretend for a moment that I'm not me….ohhh…but I am me, so let's not. Spill Michael or you'll see the sun rise for the first time in your life, because I'm not going away until you do."
"What the hell do you want me to say?" He demanded. "That I spend the past few hours torturing that bastard….okay….I did." He yelled. "I did."
"What are you saying here Michael?" She demanded her heart racing.
"We took him into the desert and we made him pay…okay…is that what you wanted to hear?" He demanded, the little boy in him rushing to the surface as his eyes felled with tears. "We made him pay."
"Oh…my God…Michael." She cried covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh…my God."
"Does that answer your questions?" He demanded, refusing to give into the tears that threaten to spill from his eyes. "Does that answer your questions?" He repeated.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were planning this tonight?" She demanded as she tried to push the pain at the sight of his tears in his eyes away. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you…" He laughed. "Why the hell would I tell you?" His anger surfaced suddenly inside him. "You tell me, Maria. You seem to how all the answers…so you tell me."
"Michael…"
"God….don't you get it?" He yelled throwing his arms in the air. "Don't you get it?" He repeated as the tears he'd been fighting slide down his face. "I…I didn't know what was going to happen, Maria….I didn't know and I couldn't…I couldn't…"
"Oh…God. Michael…I understand…I understand." She cried, her own tears racing down her cheeks. "I understand." She repeated as she pulled him into her arms and held him close to her. He drew her closer to him, needing something from her that she couldn't understand. But she knew what ever he needed from her to make him whole, to make the past stay in the past where it belonged she would give it to him.
TBC
