Breaking Habits

Chapter 27- Micah- Proof

A lot of people showed up for the funeral. People who I don't know or remember. When they paid their respects, they spoke highly of my parents. I got to hear all the good deeds that they did for the people and community while I was locked away.

When I read my eulogy, sadness clouded my eyes, while sorrow flowed out of them. I barely got the words out standing at the podium reminiscing about my parent's life.

Depression weighed down heavy as I poured soil on their coffins, and loneliness made me sit at their graveside a long time after everyone left. I miss the reception that Paige held at her house.

She's being supportive which I appreciate. She seem to like my company and it's easy being around her. We're spending more time together than usual.

Couple days ago, she came over and cooked dinner. We got carried away and spent the evening talking about old times. It got late by the time she was ready to leave and I offered to walk her home, but she insisted on sleeping on my coach, so I slept on the floor to keep her company.

In the morning, she was on the floor with me. Her warm body covered mine and her hair tickled my nose. She smelt good and it felt...comfortable lying next to her.

She woke with the biggest smile then she kissed me which took me by surprised, and when I pulled away, she got embarrassed then flew out of my house after an excuse. I haven't seen her till today.

I like Paige. We get along well, but my childhood crush was just a crush. The kiss left me puzzled. It had me thinking if I've been leading her on.

Beth's also creeping back in my mind. I wonder how she's doing. I should stop ignoring her calls because only God knows what she would have thought after waking up in my bed alone, with no explanations, but a text message telling her to go home.

Knowing her, she might take it as a sign that I don't want her. I do, I just need to mourn my parents, and I can't have her crowding that space in my mind. I also need to get over the resentment towards her. What happened to my parents is not her fault.

"Earth to Micah." Paige says walking up the aisle.

We're at the supermarket. I'm running out of food so Paige insisted we go shopping. It's cold out and wearing a mini denim dress under her thick woolly jacket. Her legs are covered in black stocking which looks sexy in a cute sort of way.

As she throws a pack of pasta in the shopping trolley, she says, "look what I found; Why didn't you didn't tell me you were a city boy...a celebrity?"

She's holding up a magazine with Me and Beth on the front cover with red zigzagging line going down the page between us.

The picture is when I escorted her to the grand opening. The day we met.

"You dated her?" Paige asks excited. "There's a story on page three. Is good? Because I don't wanna waste my time."

"Let me see that."

I snatch the magazine and scan the front page. Trouble in paradise. Supermodel replaces hot guy.

The caption makes me uneasy, so I turn from Paige and flip to the article.

"Hey! I was going to read that." When I ignore her, she says. "Fine, I'll read it online since you stole my copy."

I don't bother to read the article because I know it lies. I scan the pages; pictures of Beth and Dante are splashed across them. She looks like a sex vixen in red dress and stockings and her eyes are wild.

She's not wearing her necklace and it makes me angry. When I see Dante's dipping her in the next picture. They're in some sort of erotic pose and the way he's holding her stirs malice in me. I don't like that he's touching her.