Page 24 of Michael

“Have I told you I like your hair curly this way? Didn’t know it was naturally that way.”

“Full of surprises, aren’t I? Yes, my hair is naturally curly, but I was used to straightening it all the time, except when I was on vacation and at the beach. Just easier to maintain this way.”

“I like both. You could be bald, and I would find you beautiful,” he said and kissed her forehead.

She looked up, surprised. “Do you? I...you never told me you found me beautiful,” she whispered.

“Yes, I always thought you were, but like I said, before we were best friends. I have come to realize and admit to myself that I had to force myself to see you like that in order for us to remain platonic. Like you, I didn’t want to lose the friend that I had by complicating it, especially when we were teenagers.” He shrugged.

Then he lifted her chin and planted a kiss on her mouth “But now as adults, we can handle both the friendship and the new relationship budding between us. I am very serious about us Ambra; I need you to understand and remember what I said and how we feel about each other, whatever happens when we get back. Okay?”

“What? What’s wrong.” She could sense that there was something he was not telling her.

“Nothing that can’t wait till we get home. Okay?”

“Michael—”

Something silver jumped out of the water, catching his attention.

“Look sweetheart! It’s flying fish.”

Ambra turned to see what he was looking at and sat up straighter. Then she looked back at him with a face filled of wonder. “Amazing! Wow, this is so incredible, first turtles and now getting to see these small fish jumping out of the water.”

They moved closer to the side of the boat and watched as some fish fluttered up and back down, until the boat moved past them. They lay down and closed their eyes to the heat of the sun. When the catamaran turned around to head home, they changed back into their clothes. The lights came on when the sun had gone down, and the music started pumping as people danced and drank, creating a fun atmosphere that Michael wished they could take back with them. His jaw clenched tight when he thought about the mess waiting for them at home.

Chapter 12

Ambra dragged herself through the door, tired from the airplane ride home. Michael followed, carrying their suitcases and closing the door as Ambra made it to her couch and threw herself down on top of it. It was now after 1o p.m. It had taken a little while to go through customs and get their luggage from the airline before hopping into a hired car and making their way to her place. To her surprise, instead of continuing on to his own place, Michael had gotten out of the car with her. After carrying their stuff into her room, he came back out empty-handed.

She sat up, and he must have seen her surprised look, because he shrugged.

“Might as well get used to it. Where you are, so am I.”

“You are moving in just like that?”

“Yes, for now. But we can look for a place together, stay here, or move to my place.” She just gaped at him, trying not to let the giddy feeling overtake her. Everything she ever wanted with him was coming true, and she secretly hoped that he was falling in love with her too. She was finally no longer in love with a man who did not love her back, but she felt like an angry storm was about to burst and take away her happiness. Whatever it was kept nipping at her subconscious, but right now, she was too tired to figure it out.

“Now, what do you want to eat? I am hungry, and I know you don’t have anything in that fridge of yours,” he said.

“Pizza with the works, of course.”

“Okay, done. Don’t move. I will get the plates, and we can eat in here.”

When he left, she decided it was time to turn on her phone, call her sister, and also check what messages she had missed.

She flipped on the light in her bedroom and spotted her small carry-on bag that had her phone in it. She grabbed it and sat down on her bed as she turned it on.

Her phone began to ping like crazy with all the missed messages and news from around the world. Notifications began to pop up and disappear, the last one making her freeze when she saw the title of the article.

‘The Diamond princess marries Brooks heir in a quiet ceremony on the weekend.’

“What in the hell is this?!” she shrieked in surprise.

Ambra punched in her sister’s number and heard it ring and ring until her answering machine kicked in and her sister’s voice came on. “You know what this is. Leave a message and I will call you back when I make the time.”

She hung up and called again, doing it again and again when Diamond didn’t answer.

She texted her sister. ‘Diamond, pick up the damn phone.’

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