I'm Not Fine At All 》Michael Clifford

Chapter Fourteen

WARNING:
THIS CHAPTER MAY CAUSE MAJOR FEELS
CUTENESS OVERLOAD
TEARS OF HAPPINESS
AND EXTREME HEARTACHE
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Riley's POV:

I was nervous. It was Friday evening, and I was standing in the bathroom in my own apartment, putting my hair up for the date. Michael was going to pick me up, and he'd told me to wear something nice, so I pulled out a denim skirt with black leggings underneath, and a long sleeved blue top. A pair of brown leather boots were sitting by my door, and I was ready to go.

There was a knock at the door, and I got all giddy as I put the last pin in my hair and dashed to the door to open it. Michael stood there in a pair of nice dark denim jeans and - get this - a blue sweatshirt. We were matching, and I couldn't help laughing as he realized the same thing.

"Great minds think alike." He said with a shrug.

I smiled as I closed my apartment door and looped my arm through his, and we exited my building. We walked down the all too familiar streets that I took almost every day to work, until we stood in front of an all too familiar building. I smiled as I tilted my head to the side and looked up at the glowing blue, green, and gold sign.

"Mikey, why here?" I asked and looked at him. He smiled mischievously.

"You'll see," He replied, and opened the door to let me in. I nodded once with a grin, and entered the warm room, him right on my heels. I shook my head, as though that would rid my body of the cold faster, and followed Michael to the front desk. "Table for two, please." He said.

"Sure thing, right this - Riley?"

"Hi, Macy." I smiled at the girl I had worked almost every one of my shifts with since I'd gotten the job here.

"Where have you been, girl? We've missed you!" She said as she led the two of us to a small table in a far, secluded corner.

"Angie gave me the week off. I've been dealing with some personal issues." I replied as Michael and I took our seats. She nodded in understanding.

"I've always liked Angie better than Clark. She is always so much more understanding about things." Clark was our old boss, but he had resigned just four months earlier. I nodded.

"I totally agree." Macy then turned to Michael.

"Who's the date, Riley?" She asked looking back at me. "He's cute!" She whispered so loudly, that I was sure half of the restaurant could hear. And that half included Michael, who turned a light pink as he looked at his lap. He was cute, especially when he blushed over being called so.

"His name's Michael, and he's helped me so much through my personal issues that I will never be able to thank him enough." He blushed even deeper, as did I, at what I said next. "He's my best friend." I whispered. There was an awkward silence, until Macy spoke.

"So what can I start you off with, ma'am?" I laughed lightly, and so did she.

"Umm, I'll have water to drink. And as for dinner, I'd like the small cheeseburger with extra veggies." She wrote it down and turned to Michael.

"Sir?"

"I'll have water too, and a large bacon cheeseburger, no mustard." He said. Macy wrote it down and nodded before hurrying off to place our orders.

It was a nice evening, Michael and I talked about simple things, ate our food, and laughed at each other's stupid jokes and silly stories. We sat for hours, until we were that last ones in the restaurant, but we didn't care. I figured that this was all Michael had planned, because he hadn't said anything about anything else. Not to mention it was almost midnight.

But I was not expecting what happened. The second the last couple left the restaurant, Michael got a nervous look, and started fidgeting in his seat. He moved the empty plates out of the way, slowly reached across the table and took both my hands in his, and looked at me. I stared into his sea-green eyes, and my insides immediately melted at the way he looked at me.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach as he began to speak.

"Riley, you remember how you asked me why I brought you here?" I nodded and he smiled. "I brought you here, because one week ago, this is where I met the most beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, and caring girl I've ever known. Because one week ago, this is where I met you." He took a shaky breath and looked down at our hands. "You said that I was your best friend. You meant that, right?"

"Of course I did," I whispered, only because it felt wrong to speak out loud. He took another even shakier breath, before letting go of my hands and standing.

"You're my best friend too, Riley. But I was hoping..." He walked over in front of where I was still sitting, took my hand, and got down on one knee. "... I was hoping that maybe... just maybe... we could be more than that? We could be more than just best friends?"

"Michael, what are you saying?" I asked as if I didn't get it. But my mind was racing, and a part of me truly didn't get it. I couldn't fully grasp it, until he said it.

"I... I love you, Riley, and I want to call you mine. Would you be my girlfriend?" I felt the tears spring to my eyes. I couldn't form the words, so I just nodded my head until I was dizzy, then jumped up. He stood as well, and I threw my arms around his neck, and cried into his shoulder. He held me tight and let me cry. This was hard for me, I hadn't heard someone tell me that since before my mother left, and hearing it from Michael was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard in my life. The way he said it, I knew he meant it. He wasn't lying, like my mother always was.

He truly loved me.

When I finally calmed down, I pulled back and looked into his eyes as he wiped mine with his thumb. He kept one arm secure around my waist, and used the other hand to tuck some stray hairs behind my ear as he smiled sweetly at me. I sniffled and took a deep breath.

"I-I love you too, Michael." That was all the encouragement he needed. The second the words left my mouth, he leaned in and slowly pressed his lips into mine. I'd never been kissed before, but somehow, I knew this was right. It was perfect, like we were meant to be this way. I relaxed into his arms, and smiled into the kiss, and felt his warm lips turn up into a grin too. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until he finally pulled away and wrapped me tightly into a hug. I snuggled into his chest, and breathed in the smell of his cologne. I'd never felt so comfortable with someone in my entire life. Michael knew just how to make me feel safe, and loved. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I knew that night, that without a doubt, that I loved Michael. And he without a doubt, loved me too. He wouldn't hurt me, he wouldn't change his mind. I felt like everything was going to be fine. And for the first time in forever, I could be honest when he whispered, "Are you alright?" And I replied,

"I'm fine."

I was fine.

I was fine.

I was there with Michael,

And I was fine.

I'm fine.

》》》》》》

Author's Note >

Oh. My. Lord. The tears are legit. And the minute I started writing that last scene, Kiss Me Kiss Me came on my Spotify station, and I was singing that the whole time I wrote the kiss scene.

I''M CRYING SO HARD RIGHT NOW I CAN EVEN SOMEBODY HELP MEH!!

Anyways, happy reading! ♡♡
Ri ~