Page 136 of Fierce-Michael

“What are you doing here?” Michael asked when he noticed Kelly in the doorway of his office on Monday afternoon. She walked in and shut his door.

“I came to talk to you. I’m not going to wait days again. We said we weren’t going to do this.”

“You’re the one that walked out again,” he said.

“That’s right. I did. And I don’t think I’m in the wrong for what happened again, but I’m not going to wait for you either. We have to talk it out without Ty around.”

“We do,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m ready to apologize yet.”

“Why is that?” she asked, frowning.

He knew he had to and it was getting tiring on his end.

Michael hadn’t felt he was answerable to anyone for years. That was his fault too.

The truth was, he was still so raw from everything going on with Electra that he’d jumped the gun on Kelly once again.

He was starting to feel like an ass over it and he’d be lucky if she was willing to even give him a second chance.

The fact she was here though told him that hopefully she would.

“I’m getting sick of doing it,” he said.

“I’m not the one that should apologize,” she said, crossing her arms. “You didn’t even give me a chance to finish telling you everything. You just judged me like so many others would and that is why I’ve never said a word about it. Because I hadn’t wanted to be looked at or talked about like that.”

He saw the tears in her eyes and felt like crap over it. “Sit down,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what exactly?”

He ran his hands through his hair. “Everything. I feel like my life has been this crazy rollercoaster and I put Ty first and don’t think of anyone else. I’m wrong to do that.”

“You’re not wrong to do it,” she said. “He’s your son and a child. You should be protecting him and looking out for him with those things.”

“I know,” he said. “But I should be doing it for you too and I’ve been selfish by not doing it.”

“I think you have been,” she said. “Maybe I should have spoken up more, but it’s not my place.”

He sighed. “It is your place. I love you and want you in my life and I need to know these things.”

“If I didn’t come here to talk, how long would it have been before you did it?”

“I would have called you tonight when Ty was in bed,” he said. “But I wanted to talk in person.”

“Then I’m glad I took this step. Michael, you’ve got to stop assuming and jumping on everything. I mean it.”

“I know,” he said. “I do and it’s hard to break a lifetime of that. Since I’m the one always making the decisions in life, I don’t necessarily take others’ opinions to heart. I feel as if I’ve been trying with you though, but I still suck at it.”

“I know it’s hard for you to say those things. I don’t want to say you suck at it, but it’s hurtful on so many levels.”

Which was worse in his eyes. That he’d do anything to hurt her in any way.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I know I hurt you. I didn’t mean it. I was up all night thinking about it. Even Ty wanted to know if I was mad at him. He says I throw things when I’m mad.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “You throw things?”

“I think I handle them more forcefully. Like in the grocery store, I drop or shove things into the cart harder than normal.”

“Got it,” she said. “Good information to have.”

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