Chapter 7

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Mike knocked on Christine's door and she opened the door a little. The kids were asleep so she came out to the hallway, still holding the door open a bit.

"Why did you come? When I asked you back in Norfolk to come and stay here, you were against the idea." He asked.

"Sophie and Laura wanted to see you. They miss you." Christine crossed her arms over her chest and seemed slightly nervous.

"And you?" Mike asked as he locked eyes with her and noticed that she was stunned by his direct question. But he had to know. He was too old to play games, do the eenie-meenie-miney-mo thing.

"Just answer me this, do you still love me?" Mike added since Christine still remained silent.

"I.." She started to say but her eyes searched refuge somewhere behind him and he let out a sad sigh and turned to walk away. His heart broke in the moment. It was over between him and Christine.

"So this is it?" He heard from behind his back and he scoffed as he turned around.

"If you can't even look me in the eye and tell me that you still love me, what do you expect?" He fired at her.

"Besides, it was you who said it's been over long before I left." Mike added, remembering all too well what Christine had told him back in Norfolk.

"So are you and Andrea together now?" Christine asked and he shook his head slightly, was this a competition about who got him?

"No. We are not. Perhaps I'll be on my own for a while. Figure out what it is I want." Mike said with honesty and left Christine standing there by herself.

He walked past Andrea's door and stopped in his tracks. Staring at the 513 number on the door. He almost moved to knock on the door, thinking how he would kiss her senseless when she would open the door and take her to bed. Something he's been thinking a lot lately, but he sighed as he knew he couldn't do that. He had to clear his head first, spend some time alone and he wasn't sure if Andrea felt something for him either. She had after all stated to both him and Christine that there was nothing between them.

That night she was alone. She had given Mike her answer and witnessed as he left the room quite upset. It had been an answer he didn't want to hear. But she felt she had to say 'yes', even if she had started to feel something for him. Something that went beyond friendship.

She stared at the ceiling and felt sad but then her baby gave her a kick and she smiled. She wasn't alone, perhaps their baby was trying to tell her that. She wasn't alone, she had her.

The following morning she woke up, got dressed and found herself eating breakfast downstairs. She saw Mike walk briefly through the lobby, towards the car park. Off to work, she thought. She did wonder how things between them would be now. Probably awkward, just like she had predicted.

She had been supervising the repairs on the James all day and was completely tired when she got back to the hotel later in the evening. She took a shower and had just sat down on the couch with her legs up when someone knocked on the door. She tried to remember if she had locked the door, but perhaps her hormone filled brain had made a slip tonight so she hollered loud enough "Come in!" And hoped it was someone she knew.

The door opened and Mike walked in. They hadn't seen each other since he walked away the night before and she wasn't sure whether it was a good idea that they would talk now.

"Hi." Mike said shyly as he closed the door.

"Hey." Andrea looked at him, somehow he seemed sadder this time around and her heart was telling her to just forget everything around them and just tell him how she felt about him.

Andrea gave a slight massage to her legs as Mike slowly moved towards the couch.

"I can help you with that." Mike said and she stopped for a moment. It would feel amazing if someone else would give her feet a massage and for some reason she knew they both needed it. He needed to feel like he was needed and she.. Well she needed a foot massage right now.

He sat on the couch with her, her feet on his lap and began gently massaging her feet.

"Something on your mind?" Andrea asked as she leaned against the arm of the couch. Almost closing her eyes as she felt like she was getting a spa treatment.

"It's over, between me and Christine." Mike gave her a hesitated glance and she felt her heart stop. Had he walked away from Christine? For her? Or was there another reason?

But before she could even get her thoughts together he continued on "She couldn't even look me in the eye and say she loves me." Mike's voice broke a little and she didn't know what to say.

After a moment of silence she gently said "I'm sorry." She knew it probably wasn't her fault, but her being pregnant wasn't helping the fragile situation either.

"It's not you. Well, our night together might have rushed things further, but it's not because of you." Mike added force in the words 'it's not you' and she felt a little better, however the guilt wasn't going away that easily.

"So what happens now?" She asked wondering about why he had walked away from his marriage.

"I'll spend some time alone. Clear my head." Mike answered and focused on the foot massage he was giving her. Avoiding her gaze. She did feel a sting of ache as she thought if she should come clean to him. Tell him that she wanted to give them a try. But perhaps it wasn't what he needed right now. Clear his head. It wouldn't serve well if she would tell him about her feelings right now.