Chapter 4. :
Michael followed Veronica, thankful to get away from his new secretary Jane. "What do you need my help for?" he asked her. He was eager to go back to Sara, and maybe hopefully rekindle the moment they had shared.
"Nothing. I just thought you wanted to get away from that slut who was flirting with you. Just trying to help." She said with a smile. Michael threw her a big smile and gave her a hug.
"Veronica, I love you. Ha thanks." He said happily. She returned the hug, and then returned to Lincoln, who was, of course, by the big buffet table. He searched the room for Sara and Mr. Collins, but he couldn't find them anywhere. He started to get worried. He knew that Sara wouldn't do anything with his new boss, but he wasn't so sure about Mr. Collins. Nevertheless, he continued to scan the room, sighing in relief when he saw Mr. Collins by the champagne table holding two glasses of champagne. Michael walked over to him.
"Michael, have you seen your wonderful date? She wanted some of this here wine, and now I cant find her." Michael inwardly smiled. She was trying to get rid of him, because he knew that there was no way that Sara would be drinking anything. He answered with a no, and then excused himself and went on his own search for Sara.
Sara congratulated herself on getting rid of Michael's creepy new boss, and went outside for some fresh air. She stepped onto the balcony and stared out at the many stars that dotted the sky. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening. She closed her eyes and thought about the nights events. Dancing with Michael had been…the best dance of her life. He smelled really good too. And there was also the little fact that it felt really goon in his arms. But no matter how much she liked it, she could not be with him. Even to herself, her reasons sounded stupid, but she had made a decision and decided to stick with it. She shivered and rubbed her arms around herself, little goose bumps poking there way along her arms. Suddenly she heard a voice, one that she had only heard in the riots, and it made her blood run cold.
"Fancy seein' you here doc." He said evilly. Sara slowly turned. It was 'Pop-Pop,' or Theo. Friend of Stroker. Both men who wanted to do God knows what to her. He continued with what he was saying. "Got out on early parole, for 'good behavior.' Or maybe it was the fact that my parents here are important people. Very important people. Whatever the reason, you're here. And I'm here. How 'bout we finished what we never got to start?" he looked at her lustily, his gaze lingering on her chest for far too long then she would have liked.
"Leave me alone, Theo. What are you going to do? Rape me on this balcony, where everyone will hear me scream?" she asked him, edging her way back inside.
"I'm not that stupid. You better watch you're back, doc." He finished as she went back inside, fear gripping her insides. She wanted to go home. She started searching for Michael. Unbeknownst to her, Michael was doing the exact same thing, only he wasn't having any luck. He sat down and sighed. He had checked everywhere for her, and couldn't find her. It was frankly pissing him off. Staring off into space, he saw a flash of red hair, and a twinkle of black dress. He shook off his stupor, and stood up.
"Sara." He called to her. She turned around, and relief became evident on her face. She rushed up to him and put her arms around him. Shocked by the sudden hug, but happy all the same, he placed his arms around her. "Are you alright?" he asked her quietly, worry evident in his voice. She nodded her head.
"Theo's here. He threatened me. I was scared." She said to him quietly. Michael's face turned hard. Some former prison inmate had threatened Sara. His Sara. Well technically not his, but still. "What did he say?" he asked her, now stroking her shaking back.
"To 'watch my back.' Can we leave? Please." She asked him. Michael didn't even need her to make that suggestion. "Of course." He wrapped his arm around her, and she clung to his waist. Despite how she was feeling, she couldn't help but notice that she liked this feeling. It was almost like they were a couple. Only we're not. She told herself. That whole not liking Michael thing was getting really hard to remember. They both went off in search of Veronica, LJ, and Lincoln, and found them again, by the buffet table. No surprise there. Michael thought to himself.
"Uh, come on. Time to go." He told them all.
"But Michael, look at all this good food. Look." He grabbed Michael and pulled him to the table, in the process, pulling Sara. "Then take some." He told Lincoln. "We're leaving." Sara nervously looked around for Theo, but didn't see him anywhere. They left the ballroom, with Mr. Collins trying to get Sara's phone number, and Jane nearly tripping on her heels to say bye to Michael, and got in the limo.
Theo smiling to himself in his car, started it, and followed them. He was going to get Sara.
The ride back to the apartment building was short. But in that short amount of time, Sara and Veronica had managed to fall asleep. Sara was leaning against Michael, and Michael had his arm around her protectively. He really loved the feeling of her in his arms. Lincoln watched them.
"What's going on between you two?" he asked his brother. Michael sighed sadly and looked at him. "Nothing." He returned his gaze to Sara.
"But you love her." Lincoln said quietly. Michael quickly looked at Lincoln, and thought for a second. "It doesn't matter if I love her. What matters is if she loves me." He started. "What matters is if she wants to do anything about it. What matters is if she wants to be with me…as much as I want to be with her." He finished. Lincoln looked at him sadly. "It's alright, lil' bro. She'll come around. She's in love with you too." Michael returned his gaze to Sara and began stroking her arm. "I really hope so." He said quietly. The limo made it to the apartment building, and Michael gently woke Sara up. She was still sleepy, but managed to wake up after she got outside in the cool night air. LJ stayed in the limo, accompanying his date back to her house, and then would come back later that night. The four walked back to their rooms, and Lincoln and Veronica bade them both goodnight before going into their apartment and shutting the door. Sara and Michael lingered outside her door a little longer. He opened up his arms to give her a hug. "Thanks for coming with me tonight." He said while holding her in his arms.
"Thanks for saving me tonight…again." She said quietly. He gently drew back and looked at her. He leaned his head forward, trying to kiss her goodnight, but Sara brought her hand up to his chest and pushed him back slightly. He let out his breath, and went and kissed her on the cheek. Then, with one last look at her, he turned and walked back towards his apartment. But Sara called him back.
"Michael. Um…Veronica told me something, the uh, the night that you brought me to the warehouse." She paused, and Michael stopped and turned around and faced her, his hand still on his doorknob. He gave her a look as if saying continue, and so she recklessly finished her thought. She had to know if Veronica was just saying it. "She told me that…she told me that you loved me. Is it true?" she asked him, wanting to know, and not wanting to know at the same time. Michael glanced down, but returned his gaze to her face once he answered.
"Would it matter if it did?" he asked her. Yes. She told herself. But to him, she shook her head no. He looked away at that point. "Then, no. I don't love you." He told her.
"Then Veronica was lying?" she asked him. She didn't know why she was probing the subject too much. It was obviously hurting him. She just…had to know. Michael looked her in the eyes. "She wasn't lying." He let that ring in the air for a few seconds, then said, "Goodnight Sara." He unlocked his door and went inside, leaving Sara out in front of her door thinking of what he had said to her. Inside his house, Michael let out a long breath and placed his head on the door. "I love you." He whispered, as a single tear fell down his cheek. "I love you so much."
Theo angrily ran into the apartment building. He had lost the big group of people that Sara was with, and he was mad as hell for letting that happen. He made it to the two elevators, and had to stop. There were two. One was on the third floor, and the other was on the first floor. Deciding to take his chances, he chose the elevator that was on the third floor, and waited patiently for it to come down. It pinged open, and he hurled himself inside, pressing three repeatedly. As the elevator came to a stop, he snuck out, and looked down the row of apartments. And smiled to himself. Just his luck. Sara was standing outside of her apartment, staring at the door across from her. Slowly, she turned around, and unlocked her door, and went inside. Theo laughed evilly to himself. Just you wait. He thought, before he turned around and left the apartment building.
The next day was spent bringing in Sara's furniture from her old apartment. Lincoln, Veronica, and LJ helped, along with Michael, who after confessing what he did last night, was completely ignoring her. Sara felt a little hurt, but overlooked it. Michael finally left, a little after one, saying that he had to go to work. He didn't even acknowledge Sara as he left, which made Sara feel even more hurt. Finally, later on that afternoon, her stuff was all moved in and placed where she wanted it, and it finally started to feel a little like home. Veronica thought that they should have a celebratory dinner, and everyone laughed. Veronica and her family dinners. But they all agreed nevertheless. They all busied themselves with the necessary dinner preparations, and got everything ready so that when Michael came home, everything would be done. (They had called him earlier to tell him about it). Finally, the time for dinner came around, and now everyone was just eagerly waiting for Michael to come back. Sara more than anyone because she wanted to talk to him. About everything. She hated how they were around each other, so she decided to resolve it. Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. Sara went to open it, hoping to ask Michael if they could talk later on that night. Opening it with a smile, she started to greet him, but the greeting, along with the smile, melted from her face. Michael had brought over company for dinner. And it was none other than his slutty, desperate secretary, Jane.
"Oh my gosh, I love this apartment!" Jane gushed excitedly. Sara stared at her, then turned her gaze to Michael. He was looking at the floor, his head down low. Fine. She thought. If that's the way he's going to act, then I won't talk to him. All her bitter thoughts towards him returned, and she turned around and walked angrily to the table.
"Bro…can I talk to you, over there?" he asked, pointing to the hallway past the dining room. Michael nodded slowly, and walked after Lincoln.
"What the hell are you doing, Michael? I thought you loved Sara, and now you bring home your slut of a secretary? I feel like knocking some sense into you right now." He growled lowly, thoroughly pissed off at his younger brother. Michael sighed again, totally defeated.
"I didn't invite her over, Linc. She invited herself. I was trying to get home, and she wouldn't let me leave. She finally said, 'great I'll go with you and meet your family!' and she wouldn't hear me when I said no." Michael said sadly. He had seen Sara's face when she had opened the door, and it broke his heart. "And now, she hates me again." He whispered, more to himself then Lincoln, but he heard anyways. "Stay right here." He told Michael, and then he left him and went to go and get Sara. He bent down and whispered something in her ear, and she slowly nodded her head and got up. She walked over to Michael, who was deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"So…why…" she started, but Michael didn't let her finish.
"I didn't invite her over, Sara. She invited herself. I would never do that." He said. In one swift movement, he walked up to her, and took her head gently in his hands, tangling his fingers in her hair. He slowly lowered his forehead onto hers and closed his eyes. "I would never, ever do that to you." He whispered, his voice cracking. "Please, believe me." Sara fought back tears as Michael said this to her, and slowly nodded. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her head to his shoulder. He grabbed her waist and held on to her.
"I, uh, I want to talk to you. Later on tonight." She said to him. "If you'll let me." She added as an afterthought. Michael slowly let go of her and looked into her eyes.
"Anything." He said quietly. She smiled shyly, and they both gazed into each others eyes, but of course, like all the other moments they had had, someone always came by and ruined them.
"Hey, ya'll, dinner's on the table, and…hey whats goin' on?" Jane asked jealously. She didn't like the way Michael had his arms around Sara.
"Nothing, anymore." Said Michael, obviously annoyed. He dropped his arms from around her, and placing his hand on the small of her back, led her into the kitchen. Jane glared at Sara. She did not like her. So angrily pushing past her, she took what was usually Sara's seat. Michael saw this and said patiently, "Jane, that's Sara's seat." Jane took a swig of the beer that she was drinking, and said, "well she can just sit right there." She said angrily. "Stupid druggie." She muttered under her breath. Michael heard her.
"What the hell did you just say?" he asked her, but Sara stepped in.
"Michael…just let it drop, alright?" she placed her hand on his arm, and sat down in the seat that wasn't next to Michael. She had to admit that she was hurt. It hurt being called a druggie by someone who didn't even know you. I have to be strong. She thought. I have to be strong. Jane wore a triumphant look, but threw a horrible glare in Sara's directon. She felt herself tearing up, and looked away. They skipped Lincoln's childish "four year olds" prayer, as Michael had worded it, and went straight to dishing out the main courses. Jane took another great gulp of beer, and then grabbed the nearest plate and started piling food onto it.
"Ya know, this really is a great place ya'll have." She said, while dumping mashed potatoes onto her plate. "There's just one thing that ya'll can prolly do without, if ya know what I mean." She said, while glancing at Sara. Everyone ignored her, but Sara saw it. Her eyes began to water, and she blinked them furiously. She would not cry, but getting up to leave sounded like a nice option. So that is exactly what she did.
"Um guys, I'll be back later, alright. I'm…I'm not feeling well." She said feebly. Michael half rose from his chair.
"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. Sara merely nodded, and left the apartment. After the apartment shut, Jane let out a sigh of relief.
"Well finally. That stupid druggie is gone." She grabbed another beer and popped the top off, taking another huge gulp, but choked on it when Michael furiously slammed his silverware on the table. He stood up.
"Get out." He told Jane. "You don't ever, and I mean EVER call her that." He finished angrily. Jane looked at him with slightly bloodshot eyes. "Psh don't tell me you love that ugly slut?" she asked, and then hiccupped.
"As a matter of fact, I do. And if you ever call her a druggie, or an 'ugly slut' again, well I'll fire you. She's a hell of a lot better than you." He said. Lincoln sat back and watched. He really hated Jane, and was glad with what Michael was doing. Jane sat back and watched Michael in shock. Finally without a word, she got up, opened the door, and left.
Sara had let the tears fall as soon as she shut Lincoln's apartment door. She walked back to hers, opened it, and went inside, collapsing on the bed. She never saw Theo standing behind the door. She never saw him follow her into her room. And she never saw him grab the poorly made ashtray that Michael had given her. But she did see him right when he jumped on top of her and covered her mouth with his hand.
"Hey there, pretty lady doctor. Told you to watch your back now, didn't I?" and with that being said, he raised the ashtray high in the air, and smashed her in the head with it. Sara's world went black.