Faker | Muke

Chapter Twenty-Three

"I know you were only here for a few days, but I loved having you here. It's not the same without our little Michael in the house with us." Michael's mom said, tears welling up in her eyes. She pulled Michael in for a tight hug in the middle of his childhood home.

He'd leave tomorrow morning and arrive back to Los Angeles shortly after, he'd have to face everyone again and answer their questions on where he was for the past four days. Tell them lies on what he was doing until he had the chance to get them to listen to the song he wrote. Maybe have Luke put the pieces together on his own and see where it takes them.

"I'll be back again soon." Michael assured, giving his mom a long hug. This is the one thing he hates more than anything when he returns home. The guilt eating him alive as he returns back to America while his parents go on with their lives, but still wait around to see their son.

"Luke better be by your side next time. Got that?"

Michael nodded.

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"Michael?"

Michael smiled nervously at the shorter blonde woman in front of him. The woman who he's called his second mother for years, the one who would make sure he was fed when his own parents had longs days at work and weren't home in time for dinner. Michael always knew she'd be there for him, but Luke must've spoken to her in the past two weeks and heard all the terrible things he's done to him.

"Um, hi." Michael mumbled, not really sure what to say, but when he went for a late night walk he ended up at the Hemmings household in hopes that the family didn't hate him. That would be like losing Luke completely and that special part of him he's carried with him for the past sixteen years that he's known them.

"Come in," She ushered him into the kitchen, moving around to fix him a cup of tea the way he liked it. It was second nature to know the way Michael liked his food just as it was with her own children. "What brings you back home?" Liz asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Michael knew she knew, but she kept quiet till he spoke.

"Everything."

"Does this everything include you cheating on Luke?" She didn't sound angry, but the look on her face showed she was clearly disappointed in him and that was worse in his mind.

Michael rested his elbows against the countertop, rubbing at his face and hiding it in his hands hoping he'd simply disappear in this very moment. This is what he needed to talk to her about, to tell her the truth, to have one less person hating him. "I didn't cheat." Michael mumbled, raising his head to look her in the eye. Tears were welling up in his eyes as he was silently pleading with her to believe him.

She hummed, gripping the cup of tea in her hands before leaning up against the countertops across from Michael. "Then please tell me why my son call me crying his eyes out? Still calls me crying in the middle of the night because of you. You told him straight up you cheated. Isn't that enough for me to believe that you did?"

"Yeah, but I didn't. He doesn't know this, but I didn't. Everything is fake and I'm being manipulated into this by our management and if I don't go through with it I'm gone for good. I'm doing all of this to protect his dreams, you have to understand this Mom. We both want what's best for Luke. I'd go to the ends of the earth for him. And if that meant lying to him to protect him then so be it. Is never willing toss away what I have with him. He means too much to be to do that."

Her eyes were wide, clearly shocked about everything as well. She thought she'd left the boys in good hands, but to hear that Michael was being forced into the situation and having her son be so heartbroken was not what she expected. "Why are they making you do this?"

"Publicity and it's apparently inappropriate to date a bandmate. It fucking sucks."

"Language," She scolded, tsking at the faux blond boy in front of her. "I'm coming back with you and I'm going to end this puppet show they have going on.."

Michael shook his head, "You can't. No one can know about this. If Jennifer finds out she'll skin me alive and I'll be out of the band for good."

Liz sighed, her tired eyes scanning over Michaels face. She could tell this was taking a toll on him and she didn't want to see her son go through this. No one wants to see someone they care about go through this. "We'll figure this out honey, I don't like this. And I also don't like how Luke is in the dark about this."

"Luke isn't good at secrets. Even though we've kept our relationship out of the public eye, something like this is much bigger and I don't want to burden him with it." Michael admitted. Putting Luke at risk of all the shit happening is exactly what he wants to protect him from. Dragging him into is the last thing he wants.

"He loves you Michael, he'll understand if you explain it to him. I'm sure the rest of the band wants an explanation as well. Keeping them in the dark will only make you feel worse." Liz walked around the corner and stood next to the stool Michael was perched on. Patting him on the back and placing a kiss atop of his head. "Tell my baby I love him, and tell him you love him. He needs you more than anything, okay? Don't disappoint me."

Michael gave her a tight smile and one last hug before he started his trek back home. Everyone has said the same thing "tell Luke." and as much as that is a good idea, it could also be the worst. Michael needs to talk to Ashton first, he needs his other best friend on his side so when it comes to Luke he has people supporting him and people to help Luke understand the situation at hand.

Michael needed all the help he could get.

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this is long overdue I'm so sorry. I've missed you guys!

Like too much has been happening this month and I can barely keep up with anything.

Let me know your thoughts though!!!

Michael talking to Liz?

Her understanding his side of the story?

Love you guys! Thanks for reading!