Human Nature

Chapter 25

Michael sighed. "I can't believe he got away with it for as long as he did."

"Neither can I. Hazel was too nice, and Margaret...she might've been a mistress, but she's doing a lot for him." 

Michael sighed again. "Too much for him. I could never do Mariah like he does his women. I'm gonna go up there and talk to her-"

She hung up the phone and went to lock the door. She wasn't sure that she was ready to talk to him yet after basically accusing her of cheating on him with Tommy. 

Meanwhile he's doing who knows with Lord knows who.

He walked into the room without knocking and she sent him a death glare.

"It's called privacy."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Can we talk?"

"I don't know, can we?" She inquired.

"Mariah, seriously."

She made him stand at the door longer than necessary as she pretend to consider it.

She patted a space on the bed. "Let's talk."

She sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the pillow in her lap. He sat down beside her and took one of her hands in his.

"You're right, I should've trusted you." He started. "But, it's really hard for me to understand why you feel the need to talk on the phone with another man so late at night. I don't like it."

Well, I guess that's a start.

Mariah nodded. "I probably should've been more open with you, but you made it very clear to me that you don't like Tommy-"

He opened his mouth to speak and she held up her hand. "I let you speak, it's my turn. Now, what was I saying? Right, you don't like me being around Tommy so I figured that it would be easier to talk to him later in the evening, after you went to sleep."

Michael frowned. "You don't think you can talk to me?"

"Not about Tommy. I just didn't want to fight about him anymore, he's just a friend. You're the man I want." She said.

His jaw clenched. "I want you to be able to come to me about anything. We're living together now, there's not a you and I anymore, it's an us, so we need to able to have conversations about these things."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it would upset you so much." She murmured. 

Michael kissed her hand. "It's fine. I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, I won't get mad. Promise."

Mariah smiled at him shyly. "So can I have a kiss?"

"Only if you come back to the room." He countered.

She nodded. "Deal."

They shared a kiss and Michael picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!"

Michael laughed and carried her back to his room, throwing her on the bed. "There. I put you down."

She giggled. "Thank you."

November 28th, 1991

Michael stifled a yawn as he looked down at Mariah laying on his chest. Her fair covered most of her face and her arms were wrapped around his waist. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead and eased out of her arms to go to the bathroom. She rolled over and pulled a pillow to her chest.

He went to the bathroom and turned on the sink to brush his teeth. Once he was satisfied, he started to wash his face.

"Do you always wash your face in the dark?"