Mister Nobody – Part 25 | I stand in front of you, I’ll take the force of the blow

Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, Ten Days Later

“There you go, baby girl…” Michael grinned and gently fed Lisa a grape. A satisfied look on his face, he watched her as she chewed slowly and stared back at him. “Is it good?”

She nodded her head and mirrored his gesture, plucking a grape from the bunch and placing it against his lips. He squinted and recoiled.

“Hey… Stop it! it’s not for me!”

“Eat,” she just replied, her voice sounding decidedly better than right after awakening from her medically-induced coma, but still frail, not at its full potential yet.

It didn’t matter. She was there. She was alive and, despite the ordeal that she had gone through, she was coming around faster than expected, as if she couldn’t wait to fully recover.

He couldn’t either.

Thank goodness, Lisa had not suffered any fractures during her accident. Her back and hip were bruised, sore and stiff, she was still overall weak and had some difficulties walking, but other than that, her body was OK. According to the series of CAT scans she had been subjected to during the last week, her brain swelling was progressively diminishing and, even though she still spent much of her time napping, she was always clear-headed and lucid when awake. She was closely monitored but almost ready to leave the hospital and Michael couldn’t have been happier.

A couple of days.

Just a couple of more days and then she would finally be recovering at home. At Priscilla’s – since, apparently, it was the best place for her to be right now. Michael had agreed uneasily, but was more than ready to go with her. Not a chance in the world he was going to be away from Lisa any longer.

Priscilla seemed overall nice, and as the days went by he had started to relax a little more in her presence. He had become even more capable of reading people and he had to admit that his former mother-in-law was now anything but hostile to him. Of course, she had liked him more as Ethan Murphy and now that she knew about his real identity she had become a bit colder but, compared to the way she had always treated him in the past, Cilla looked like a completely different person. Gone was the contempt, gone was the perpetually aggravated expression whenever she would look at him.

Michael thought it was because, since 2009, Priscilla had been legitimately scared of losing her daughter forever. And now Cilla was giving him all the space and time he needed to support Lisa, to help her heal, and be her life vest. She was trusting him with her daughter. Twenty years late, but still… it was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, nightmares were still plaguing Lisa like nefarious visions. On one occasion, she had even told Michael about them. It had happened one late evening, when he had noticed how agitated she was. Lisa had been trashing in her sleep, whimpering, sweating. He had placed his warm hand on her cheek, humming softly in her ear. Her hand had clutched his and her body had slowly relaxed, her breathing had deepened. Oh yeah. He was, indeed, her anchor – and the thought had filled Michael with some strange male pride: he could help her!

He had watched her small, tanner hand clutch his bigger, paler one and had loved the way they lòoked together. It just felt so right. So inherently just. Something that was bound to happen, a symbol of everything they had always been to one another, against all the odds.

After waking up, Lisa had told him that she had dreamed of entering his old house in Scotland, looking for him, but unable to find him anywhere. She had panicked and had realized that he was dead, and what she had been living in for the last months was nothing but a figment of her distorted imagination and crushed hopes. She had started to cry and had run out of the house, only to find her mother waiting for her in the garden, which looked dry and withered. In Lisa’s dream, Priscilla had initially comforted her, telling her that Michael was not dead at all. He was very much alive, but his new identity had been discovered and he had been put in jail, where he would stay forever. A life sentence. He was gone.

“It was just a nightmare, Lise,” Michael had comforted her. “You’re still shocked that your mother knows about me.”

“Not really…” Lisa had given him sad smile.

“No? Not shocked? What’s wrong with you Presley women? It looks like I just can’t hide from you… First you, then Riley, now Cilla. Something must wrong with me.”

“Nothing is wrong with you, babe. We just can’t resist you…” Tiredly, Lisa had raised an eyebrow. “We’re hound dogs when it comes to you…”

He had smiled.

“Yeah. Poor Ben… He’s the only one still in the dark… Does he get a prize for that?”

She had snorted.

“Why you gotta be silly about this?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? By the way, insulting me won’t change squat. This silly man ain’t going anywhere. You gotta know that.”

She had just looked at him, from one eye to the other, and then had sighed, closing her eyes again.

“Mike…” Her soft voice called out to him and he smiled, snapping back to the present.

“I’m not gonna eat your grape, little lady.”

Lisa pushed her tray toward him.

“Well, then you can leave right now, Mister. I don’t want you here if you’re not eating with me. I haven’t seen you eat at all and it looks like you’re starting to lose weight, so… Eat. Something. Anything. See? I’m generously sharing my sumptuous meal with you.”

Michael made a face and watched the food on her tray: mashed potatoes, bread, some broccoli, mac and cheese, fruits. All looking quite unappealing.

“Meh, it doesn’t really look inviting…” She gave him a warning look, and he scoffed. “Alright…”

He took a spoonful of mashed potatoes, then one of mac and cheese, then a forkful of broccoli and stuffed his mouth, making her laugh. Oh, how he loved her laugh.

“Don’t choke on your food.”

“Woman! You’re just never happy!” He drank some water and put the bottle down on the nightstand. “There. Better now?”

“Better-ish,” she scrunched her nose in that cute way that he adored and he couldn’t do anything but scoot closer, gently touch her chin with his fingers and kiss her lips.

“I promise we’ll have some real soul food very soon, baby girl… but in the meantime, please, eat. You’re so thin.”

He kissed her again, soft kisses on her lips and exhaled indolently when she rested her cool hand on his cheek, stroking it, her fingertips gently moving to his ear and temple, pushing his hair back with extreme gentleness. Lisa always touched him like it was the very first time, as if she was still amazed by the fact that he was indeed there. Back to her. At that very moment, Michael knew how she felt. The fear of losing her forever had been paralyzing, and he had realized that Lisa leaving him would have been the final blow, for him. So, all in all, the amazement was mutual.

“If anything… I really want to recover as quickly as possible and go back home with you, Mike. And, even more than that, I’d like to resume certain… activities… ASAP.” Her free hand slid over his chest and landed on his belt, tugging at it slightly.

“Girl…” Shivering, Michael pulled back and gently removed her hand. “…Don’t start anything you ain’t gonna finish…”

Lisa laughed tiredly and rested her head back in the pillow.

“Still bothered and frustrated, huh, baby?” She sighed. “…I know… I am too.”

He squirmed in his chair. Yeah. Lisa had that effect on him. And not even hospitals could stop the rush of blood to his head… and other parts of his body.

“Can you imagine what it feels like, for me, to have you and not having been able to make love to you in weeks?”

“Oh, I can, daddy… I definitely can.” She couldn’t repress a chuckle and then closed her eyes for a second, flinching.

Michael turned serious.

“Your head still aching, baby girl?” He gently stroked her hair, and she swallowed.

“Yeah… Just gimme a minute…”

He knew she needed to rest and stood up, leaning over the bed and kissing her lips gently.

“Alright. You take your time. I’mma check on the twins and see if Riley needs some help with them, ‘kay?” Another innocent little kiss and he straightened his back, sighing and putting on his glasses.

“OK. Can you please bring Harper and Fin here? I’d like to give them a hug before they leave…Thanks, baby.” Her voice was getting weaker.

“Sure. You just rest, and I’ll be back with the little ladies…”

When Lisa did not reply, he knew that she was probably going to doze off for a few minutes. He was only mildly worried. Doctor Collins had been clear: abnormal sleep patterns may occur, especially in the very first weeks after the coma. All was fine.

All is fine, Michael repeated to himself as he put his blazer on and walked out of the room, glancing at Lisa one last time.

All is fine.

He found Riley and the twins near the vending machine and smiled at them as he walked over. Riley beamed back at him, opened her arms and hugged him. She was always so happy to see him, and it warmed his heart.

Finley and Harper had spent a couple of hours with Lisa and then had left with their half-sister to have lunch at a nearby diner. Now they were all waiting for Lockwood to pick the little girls up, and Michael realized he was a little antsy at the idea of seeing him.  He had never met the man personally but, of course, he had come to know quite a lot about him through the years, both through Lisa and his sources. Right now, he really didn’t want the guy anywhere around her.

Had it been for him, he would have taken his woman and her entire family and brought them all back to Scotland, away from all the drama and toxic people surrounding them. Just like Lisa had wanted to do during their marriage, many years earlier, when she had quickly realized how many vultures and leeches gravitated around Michael. Her most beloved husband. The one she had never stopped loving.

Of course, Michael knew that moving the entire family to Scotland was impossible on so many levels. After all, Harper and Finley were not his kids. Regret constricted his chest once again. If only back then he hadn’t been so pushy with his unrelenting request of having children. If only he had listened to Lisa, if only he had been able to get the reasons why she wanted to wait into his stubborn head. But he hadn’t.

“Hey,” Riley pulled back after planting a kiss on his cheek, her hands still on his shoulders, and studied him with a look that reminded him of Lisa. The resemblance was striking. When had his former stepdaughter become such a gorgeous young lady? How many years he and Lisa had lost in their useless tugs-of-war? His heart ached just a little bit more. “Have you been going home, every now and then? You know… to sleep in a real bed for several hours straight? Like human beings do?”

“Flying back and forth between Scotland and L.A. wouldn’t be so comfortable, Riley.”

She chuckled.

“It’s not that grandma is going to abduct you while you sleep and ship you to Papua New Guinea to keep you away from mom, right? She actually is happy that you’re here with her…”

Michael tilted his head.

“Apparently she won’t. But I feel more comfortable staying here at the hospital and go back to the mansion only when she’s not around. Just in case.”

Riley scoffed and shook her head.

“I realize now that mom was always right about you. You’re too much.”

He just shrugged his shoulders dismissively and crouched down, smiling at the twins.

“Hey, little ladies. Ready to see your mom?”

And before the twins, fascinated but still a bit shy in his presence, could answer, their father appeared.

At first he only saw the guy’s debatable boots and pants. Then, Harper and Finley turned around squealing and jumped into their father’s arms, and Michael stood up, straightening his vest and jacket and taking in Lockwood’s appearance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riley’s entire body stiffen. Clearly, she wasn’t pleased either by his subtle apparition. Plus, dude was early – since the twins still had half an hour to spend with their mother.

Michael checked his watch and then raised his eyebrow.

Lockwood looked kind of odder in person than Michael had perceived by seeing him in photographs or on TV. He was tall and lanky, and something in his small, cold eyes made him feel uncomfortable. Or maybe it was the hat, he was not entirely sure.

“Hello, Riley. If the girls are ready, we’re leaving immediately.” His tone sounded utterly unconcerned, and Michael narrowed his eyes behind the lenses of his glasses. This dude that been Lisa’s husband for ten years – and yet he wasn’t asking anything about her health.

There could be two reasons for that. Either he was entirely unaffected by her conditions, no matter how severe they were, or he already knew what was going on because somebody had told him. It couldn’t have been the twins since the only thing they knew was that their mom was sick – nothing specific.

Michael tilted his head to a side, studying the man without his face expressing any particular interest.

“No, Lockwood, they are not ready yet. You were supposed to pick them up at 3 PM. You’re early.” Riley’s words were aimed to slice, and yet they sounded calm and almost friendly because the kids were there.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. We have things to do, and we’re gonna be late if we don’t leave now.” Even Lockwood’s tone was still calm and collected, but Michael registered nervousness in his body language.

He took a deep breath and crouched down once again.

“Harper, Finley. You’re gonna go with your dad, but mom would like to give you a hug before you leave. Is that OK with you?”

His voice, low and gentle, immediately attracted the girls’ attention and they both nodded their head sheepishly, Harper still clutching to her father’s slacks, Finley taking Riley’s hand.

Michael’s eyes smiled.

“Alright then, Riley’s gonna take you both to mom, while dad and I will wait here for a minute, alright?”

He glanced up at his former stepdaughter. Riley stared at him with a grateful look in her eyes and, without a word, took Harper’s hand and started walking with the twins to Lisa’s room. Once again, he straightened up, facing Lockwood.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but you can’t decide what my kids are going to do.”

Michael grinned like a hyena.

“Oh, but I am not deciding anything. I’m just stating a fact. They have thirty more minutes with their mom, and they’re gonna spend them with her.”

Lockwood shuffled his feet, uneasily.

“I know you. I saw you in some pictures with my ex-wife. You’re her new… whatever it is that you are.” He made a face, as if the simple thought disgusted him.

Michael blinked, and his voice stayed bland. “Well, you shouldn’t be worrying about me… or Lisa Marie, for that matter.”

“I’ll worry as long as the bitch isn’t giving me what she owes me. Then she can go to hell, for all I care.” Another grimace.

Michael’s grin got broader and colder.

“Didn’t you take enough in the past ten years? Seems to me you got plenty, already.” Lockwood moved a step to a side, as if he wanted to walk past Michael, but he prevented him, stepping closer to him, almost getting into his face. “No. You’re gonna let her say goodbye to the girls. And then you’ll leave.”

He stared at Lockwood, his eyes dark and emotionless. Oh, that cold, unsympathetic part that he had repressed for so long, now he had nourished it for years, sometimes even against his will. Through the beatings and the constant slandering, Michael he had learned that he couldn’t be good all the time. Not everyone deserved it. Surely, Lockwood didn’t. Not after the way he had behaved with Lisa. Maliciously. Purposefully.

Behind the collected facade Michael was burning, his fingertips itched, and there was another part of him, an even smaller, darker part of him, that only wanted to shove the man back and make him sit down forcefully on the chair by the vending machine. But it was just a tiny part, and he remained composed and controlled. And yet, something on Lockwood’s face changed. He blinked and cleared his throat, turning his back to Michael and starting to rummage into his pocket, looking for a coin.

“She won’t love you, dude. It just ain’t in her,” he mumbled, pressing a button on the vending machine and waiting for the bottle of water to fall from the rack. “She is still obsessed with that dead guy of hers.”

Michael just stared at him, at his nervous movements, noticing how hard it was for Lockwood to feign a coolness he didn’t feel. He sensed the immense rage, disdain, and grudge he held against Lisa. This man hated her with a passion and, in all honesty, Michael didn’t give a shit. He just wanted him out of their lives.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. The weird guy she was once married to. That psycho. The one who croaked a few years ago. I don’t even need to tell you who he is because I’m sure you know. Hell, everyone knows,” he scoffed and took a sip of his water, his back still turned. “She surely has a thing for freaks.”

A very long time ago, Michael would have felt hurt by that kind of observation. Right there and then he felt nothing.

“You might feel you mean something to her, now, but it ain’t gonna last.” Lockwood took another sip of water and cleared his throat. “And maybe someday you’ll understand what I had to go through.”

Michael sneered and shook his head.

“Please, spare me the victim act. You weren’t chained to a wall. She wasn’t aiming a gun to your head. You could have hauled ass. You stayed because you had your own reasons… and you were benefitting from the situation.”

Finally, Lockwood turned and faced him.

“You think you got it all figured out, right, dude?”

“I am kinda sure I have, yeah. Dude.” Michael pushed his hands into his pockets. “And I got something to tell you. I usually am a peaceful guy… I really am. But if the tabloids spread any more shit about Lisa Marie, or if I get wind of something that I don’t like, you and I will have to have another word… from man to man.”

Lockwood stared at him, stunned.

“What the fuck you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Lisa’s alleged suicide attempt. I have a feeling you’re the source supposedly close to the family who spread this bullshit. Did you hope it could help you in court?”

“I am not!” Lockwood’s eyes widened and Michael, who had become quite a good judge of characters, just shrugged.

“Look, I don’t give a fuck. Next time I read something like that on a tabloid, next time a supposed anonymous source says something damaging or untrue about Lisa Marie, I’m gonna look for you. And believe me… I will find you.”

Michael was not sure if Lockwood was shocked because he had been busted or because the words he was hearing didn’t match the tone or the expression of the person who was saying them. It didn’t matter. He knew he was right: Lockwood had been the one spreading that ungodly rumor. Now, he just needed to find out who had helped him, who had told him about Lisa’s accident.

Lockwood took a step back and scoffed, dismissively.

“You’re getting it all wrong. I don’t need any tabloid to win in court. Your lady’s crazy, man. She’s psychotic. She’ll have to pay for the grief she caused me. Don’t believe a word she says. She doesn’t love you, and sure as hell she isn’t who you think she is. You just met her, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

Michael shook his head slightly and grinned.

“She might look like she’s into you, but she isn’t. She’s gonna use you, chew you up and spit you out when she’s done.” Lockwood let out a dirty chuckle. “If anything, she’s still a nice piece of ass… Great for a blowjob or as a glove for your cock until you –“

Michael moved with surprising agility and, in a millisecond, was in his face, his fist closed on the collar of his shirt, twisting it, his nose almost touching Lockwood’s.

“You better watch it how you talk about her, OK?” He paused for a second. “Or you gonna find out how hard it is to talk with all your teeth knocked out.”

He felt Lockwood’s hand push against his chest and his muscles tensed instinctively. He was ready for a fight, if necessary: the red haze was fogging his vision, and he didn’t care about any possible consequence.

“Are you threatening me? Are you putting your dirty hands on me? I’m gonna report you to the police, dude.”

“And why should you do that? So you can tell them that you harassed him first?”

Priscilla’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere and, slowly, Michael let go of Lockwood’s shirt, turning his head. His former mother-in-law stood only a few steps away from them, arms crossed, her ice-cold, laser stare on Lockwood. Michael moved a step back and fixed his tie, taking a deep breath and doing his best to regain his self-control.

“Priscilla…” Lockwood croaked out.

It was clear that he was taken aback and his pacifying gesture, hands raised and palms showing, was a confirmation of what Michael already knew: Priscilla had once liked Lockwood. She had been his ally. And she had schemed to push Lisa and him together. But that was the past. Now, Michael was pretty sure she didn’t like him that much anymore. Lockwood not only had offended and humiliated Lisa but had also impacted her finances. He had become a mosquito to be smashed, and if Priscilla had gone easy on him, so far, it had probably been because of the twins.

“No, Lockwood. It’s Mrs. Presley for you, from now on. And I saw you: you threatened Mr. Murphy and grabbed his shirt. You are the one who should be reported. You are clearly out of control.”

“But this is not what…”

“Also, you will tell me who, amongst Lisa’s staff, told you about my daughter’s accident.” She smiled at him but looked like an apex predator showing her teeth to her prey. “Unless you want me to say that you assaulted me, too.”

All blood drained from Lockwood’s face, and Michael noticed his Adam’s apple move up and down frantically. Oh, this was too good. For once the tables had turned, and it was lovely to be on the other side, safe, watching the ship as it sank deep into the ocean.

“I didn’t… nobody told me anything.”

“Oh yes, they did.” Priscilla moved a step closer. “If you care about keeping a civil relationship with me, you will never, ever talk about my daughter like you just did, ever again.”

She had heard. Great!

“And you will also tell me who your source is among our staff.” She was still staring at Lockwood as she spoke, and Michael marveled at how she didn’t even feel the need to blink. Maybe Priscilla was a cyborg, after all, but she had been reprogrammed quite well.

“Nobody’s telling me anything,” Lockwood repeated, a little defiantly this time.

Then, the final blow. Priscilla moved another step, positioning herself right by Michael’s side, directly facing Lockwood.

“No? Well, I can guarantee you, I’ll have that name in less than whether hours, whether you help me or not.”

Michael squared his shoulders and observed the entire scene quietly. All the while, he regretted having felt even slightly guilty after making love to Lisa that one last time, when she was already married to this fool.

Las Vegas, February 2007

For the life of him, Michael didn’t know how they had ended up being in such an unexpected situation. Lisa pressed against the wall, near the door, in his dark hotel room, goosebumps on her skin, her mouth tasting deliciously like vodka and something else that was only hers.

His mind felt cross-wired, but his hands worked just fine on her body. He heard her panting, and his lips let go of the soft skin of her neck for a minute. His fingers tangled in her hair and he moved his head up, blindly searching for her mouth. They kissed, their bodies carrying a muscular memory that transcended every rational decision, time, and space.

They hadn’t been intimate for a couple of years, and yet it felt as if they had never stopped making love. At the same time, having his hands on her reminded him of how much he had missed her. He had missed her to the point that, at times, he had purposefully pushed her in the back of his mind, locked inside the chest of his most beloved and secret treasures.

As Michael felt Lisa’s tongue caress him, he suspected that what she had told him after the trial was probably bullshit. She was not indifferent. Her body wasn’t for sure. He could feel the heat emanating as he let his hands glide on her perfect curves, fondle her ass, stroke her smooth skin through the thin fabric of her dress. At the same time, he knew this was not just sex. It was all about the way she clung to him, her fingers pressing into his shoulder, the small on his back, pulling him to her. Her hips undulating against his crotch, driving him to distraction, making him go insane with desire.

He had merely called her on the phone, after days of doubts and afterthoughts, to wish her a happy birthday. He was a few days late, but hey, this was better than not calling her at all.

At first, Lisa had been surprised to hear his voice and she had sounded tense, a little bit on edge as if wondering if he had called to lash out at her or to make demands she couldn’t agree to. And then she had relaxed. After that initial, limping and uneasy back and forth, they had slid back into their old, well-oiled mechanism. A funny line here, a chuckle there. Some sarcasm, some puns, some dry humor to shove some more topsoil on a barely buried pain, some more serious undertones. Yeah. They were just like that. After all, they had been friends before falling in love, they knew each other by heart, and they could still communicate well if they really wanted to.

Eventually, they had discovered they were both in Vegas. For different reasons, of course, but physically close. It had been a while and the feeling of being in the proximity of this woman he had somehow learned to do without, but whom he had never let go completely, had been intoxicating and electrifying.

Michael’s heartbeat had started to race.

He had asked her to meet him for a drink. To catch up. Chat a little. Say hi. Give her a hug, wish her a happy birthday, in person. Nothing major. Just a drink between two exes. It could be done, right?

Lisa had sounded taken aback and, at first, even hesitant. Michael had pushed some of her buttons, knowing well how to persuade her and feeling that at least part of her wanted to be convinced. And eventually he had triumphed.

They had met at a five-stars hotel, in a private area of the lounge bar, and they had even managed to not draw any attention at first. Talk about small miracles.

Michael had been forced to resort to all his acting skills to not let Lisa know how ecstatic he was to see her. He had looked as cool as a cucumber, trying hard to be sneaky as he took in her appearance. The long hair he had always loved so much. Those lips. Those hooded eyes. That ass that just wouldn’t quit, those toned calves. Having her sit across the table and stare at him with that blue gaze of hers had generated an instant hard-on. He had felt mildly embarrassed by his rebellious lower body but not exactly surprised. Fighting the urge to shift in his seat, he had just smirked and told her that it was really, really nice to see her again after all that time.

Keyword: understatement.

They had started to chat, their voices low and even, looking like two polite strangers. But their eyes spoke a different story. Two living contradictions sitting at a table, sipping a drink, trying hard to keep up appearances. To a certain extent it had even worked, at least for a while. The more Lisa stared into Michael’s eyes, the more she felt drawn into those black pools of pure magic, desire and wonder. Her body had started to tingle and, when he had casually brushed her hand on the table, her skin had burned. At the same time, when her foot had inadvertently touched his leg under the table, he had almost jumped out of his skin.

They had been snapped out of their trance when they had heard the commotion. The place was getting crowded – the chance to be seen together suddenly increasing. Lisa and Michael had shared a glance of quiet understanding, and he had asked his security to book a room for them.

“So we can continue our chat.” He had looked at her with his most innocent eyes, and she had given him a small smile.

The slightly excessive amount of alcohol consumed at the table had pushed them both in the wrong and yet very right direction. The moment they had opened the door to Michael’s room, they already embodied the perfect recipe for a disaster of epic proportions. A failure made of undiluted and unfightable passion. Once again, the entire universe seemed to conspire to push them together – and that was not even shocking anymore since they ended up gravitating around each other all the time, against all the odds.

“Where’s the – wait a second…”

Michael had giggled and had blindly touched the wall near the door, looking for the light switch.

“Here… move, I think I know where it is.”

He had heard the humor in Lisa’s voice and had felt even more exhilarated. Her shoulder leaning against his, she had tried to push him away and he had almost stumbled.

“Hey! Stop being so bossy – this is my room, not yours.”

Another chuckle. Miss Presley evidently was in a good mood.

“Alright, sorry. Would you mind moving, Michael?”

Then he had suddenly bent forward, and their heads had collided with a thud.

“Ouch!”

“What the fuck, man! Careful!”

“Shit! You’re hardheaded, woman! I might have a concussion here!”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Michael… You’re such a crybaby!”

More giggles. More exhilaration. They had stared at each other in the darkness for a moment and then they had burst out laughing heartily.

So refreshing. So right. Michael couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so at ease. His life after the trial had been continuously enveloped by a grey fog, and it didn’t matter where he went. That dark, heavy mist was always after him, reducing his mental visibility and emotional perception.

But not at that moment.

Eventually, the laughter had subsided, and they had found themselves close, so very close in that dimly lit room.

Lisa had smirked and cleared her throat.

“So… where’s the boo-boo? Let me see…” Her voice sounded sarcastic but, when she had lifted her hand to brush his forehead, her touch had been oh so gentle.

“You hurt?” He had mirrored her movement and time had stood still for a minute.

Once again, Michael couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when they had turned from semi-drunk exes to newly found lovers, but it had happened, just like that. In a sleight of hand. And now Lisa’s fingers were on his face, on his cheeks, and her lips were on his, and they were kissing as if their lives depended on it.

“Lisa… Lise…” He breathed out against her mouth.

She moaned in return and her hands slid down, on his chest, caressing him, feeling the twitching of his muscles under her palms. “We should…” She whispered as he pulled down the zipper of her dress with slightly shaky hands, and she pushed his jacket off his shoulders.

“Yeah… we definitely should… stop…”

His lips found her neck again, and her head fell back, resting against the wall. Her eyes closed but her fingers started working his shirt, unbuttoning it. All the while, Michael’s hands reached down and under her dress, finding the naked skin of her thighs. Then they roamed back up, cupping her breasts. He grunted and pulled the fabric down, his lips immediately on those soft slopes and her nipples, his teeth and tongue leaving marks on her. He wanted to touch her everywhere. He wanted to feel her anywhere. He wanted her to feel him everywhere.

He let out a sigh and searched her mouth again, needing to kiss her, taste her, savor that moment forever, making it last as long as he could. His shirt now unbuttoned, he felt Lisa’s hands on his naked skin. She stilled her movements once she reached his chest, just listening to his heartbeat, all the while kissing him, again and again, their tongues dancing that old dance they knew by heart.

Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump.

He felt like a human drum machine with very primal, very carnal desires.

Michael grabbed Lisa by the waist and picked her up smoothly. Another dance step that was part of their intense, possessive lovemaking and that they had perfected through the years. In fact, she didn’t miss a beat and her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, her lips still latched onto his, their kiss deep and slow. His eyes had gotten used to the dim light and he took a couple of long steps toward a nearby table. He gently placed her on the cold, glass surface and she gasped, immediately grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him into her kiss once again.

“Fuck,” she breathed out as she reached down and started fumbling with his belt. One hand grabbed the belt buckle, the other rested on his rigid shaft and held it through the fabric. Her head spun, and she knew it was too late to stop. She had forgotten what it felt like to hold him in her hand like that, how big and hard and perfect he was, and the sensation was heady. Michael would always feel better in reality than any hot dream could possibly conceive. His scent – cologne and something manly and intoxicating that only belonged to him – and his soft skin, his smooth lips and unshaven chin, his strong, warm hands. It all was a sensorial overload, every time and especially this time. The armor she had carefully tried to build over the years, that veneer that was supposed to protect her from him and the untamable pull that came with him started to crack, and she bled.

Lisa pushed his shirt off his shoulder, and he helped her get rid of it. All the while his hips moved, pushing into her hand and she broke the kiss, grabbing him by the back of his head, her fingers fisted in his hair, her forehead almost touching his. They stared at each other, their breathing labored, and she swallowed.

“I shouldn’t be here with you… doing this…”

When he replied, his voice was low and raspy, heavy with lust. His hands stilled on her thighs.

 “I know… I know you shouldn’t.”

She felt him throb and pulse into her hand. She bit her lip as if she was fighting an internal battle. Never breaking eye-contact, she unbuttoned his pants and pulled down the zipper, her fingers dipping into his briefs, and his head fell forward, their foreheads touching.

“God… you feel so good…” He mumbled as he felt her cool hand on his burning hot skin.

Lisa’s eyes fluttered closed and she smiled in defeat, stroking him slowly. She grabbed his hand and pushed it in between her legs.

“Make me feel good… Oh, God… I need you so fucking much it hurts.”

The last bit of control he was trying so hard to keep on himself snapped, like a rubber band pulled to the extreme. For a moment he had felt guilty to have her in his arms, knowing that she had a husband, a new life. But then again, asking him to make her feel good probably implied that she wasn’t so fine and dandy after all. The thought made his heart soar a little and his desire heightened even more, stomping over his useless guilt trip.

As she kept caressing him and kissing him – her warm lips on his neck, collarbone, chest, her hand still on his dick – he finally managed to undress her completely, and she pushed his pants and underwear down in one swift motion. Michael stepped out of his clothes, needing full contact, skin against skin.

“You are so beautiful, Lise…” His hands traced the lines of her naked body. “…I missed you so much.”

She leaned back on the table and he followed, his mouth on her collarbone and breasts, on her stomach and sides, his teeth nibbling at her pelvic bone. He felt her fingernails scrape his shoulders and shuddered as his kisses descended.

“Open up for me, girl…”

And she did.

Lisa spread her legs and he took her with his mouth and his tongue. Her moans got louder and she let go of all control, surrendering to what she knew could not be avoided. Not physically, not emotionally. Michael felt her capitulation the moment her muscles relaxed under his touch and every tension turned into spasmodic research of the most intimate contact. She was his. At that very moment, she was his once again.

He squeezed his eyes shut and dove into her, his fingers caressing, his mouth stroking her, drinking from her. Her scent and taste went straight to his head and he started feeling dizzy and flustered. When she let out a moan that sounded like a sob, her emotional pain hit him like a slap in the face.

The struggle. A struggle she was hopelessly losing.

He slid up her body and found her mouth again, and they kissed as if time and loose ends didn’t exist. He took her hand and guided it to his steel, now craving for release. The desire was almost painful, to the point that his lungs constricted with every breath he took.

“Take it…” He said, his voice husky and unsteady. “It’s yours.”

Lisa’s eyes snapped open and she looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. For a moment, Michael marveled at how the warm blue of her glossy irises seemed to shine in the dim light. Then she grabbed him and tugged at him gently, as her thigh wrapped around his hip, her heel pushing into the small of his back, pulling him into her. She swallowed and stroked his cheek, then held onto his neck.

“Don’t be gentle…”

There it was. Guilt. As clear as day.

This was sex but also so much more than that. Michael saw it in her eyes. She didn’t feel guilty about Lockwood. She felt guilty about him. And this was love, but also penance. This was atonement.

When he penetrated her, it happened in one single and forceful thrust that sheathed him to the hilt, and she let out a cry, then squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, straining to take his size. Her hands reached for him and grabbed his arms. Her eyes opened again, and she looked at him from below her long eyelashes.

“Don’t be gentle, Michael… Don’t go easy on me…” She panted. “…Do me hard… Hurt me… Hurt me good.”

He knew what she meant and bent over, kissing her lips softly, the tip of his tongue gently stroking her lips. All the while he surged forward, with steady, hard, controlled thrusts, swallowing as he felt her pant and quiver against the impact. His eyes, so soft and gentle, were in perfect contrast with the force of his attack and they stared at each other, sighing and moaning, their souls blending for the millionth time in their lifetime.

After climaxing hard, she shoved him back abruptly and he was forced to leave her warmth. Her legs unsteady, she climbed down the table and dropped on her knees right in front of him, her hands immediately on his ass, pulling him into her, taking him into her mouth for a long, heavenly moment.

“Shit… Fuck!” He raked his fingers through his sweaty hair as he glanced down. He was on fire. And so was she. His entire body shook as she worshipped him with her tongue and lips, and eventually he had to pull her up and into his arms, kissing her until he was breathless. He didn’t want to come that way. At least not at that moment.

Lisa backed off and turned her back to him, bending over the table. Leaning on her elbows, she watched him over her shoulder, her eyes bright, shiny, and unreadable. So close. So far away.

“Mike…” She was breathless. “Please…” Intoxicated by everything that was her, he stepped closer once again and rested his hands on her hips, steadying her. He didn’t need any help to breach her once again from behind, and her head dropped forward. She moaned and then sighed. “Come on baby… You know how I need you…”

“Yeah…” He started to move again, hard and deep, trying as best as he could to distract himself from the wildfire erupting inside of him. “Yes, I do. Take me, Lisa. Take it all.”

And she did take everything he had to give, pushing back with each of his thrusts, whimpering and sobbing, the muscles of her back twitching and burning under the assault. Feeling complete.

As he kept moving, Michael tossed his head as droplets of sweat dripped from his chin and trickled down his chest. This was heaven. And hell. He felt her climax again, and then one more time, and he went into complete overload. Every inch of him thumped and throbbed, his penis buried inside of her was on fire, his heart broken and reborn all at once.

“Lise… girl… I just can’t hold it anymore…” He pulled her up and held her against him, her back pressing against his chest, he turned her head and kissed her, breathing against her lips. “I gotta come…”

“Yeah… oh, baby… please” She reached back and fisted her fingers into his hair. “I can feel you. Come on… Give it to me…Oh shit…”

Consumed by each other, both burned at the stake, they moved in their dance once again and their orgasm was simultaneous and entirely in sync, as powerful as a grenade, savage and uncontrollable. They yelped and moaned, their dirty words mixing with something that could not be expressed in the bright light of day, and that could only reside in the darkness of their secret moments.

It would be ten years before they were going to be like that once again.

“Hey… what’s going on here?”

Lisa’s feeble voice startled Michael, even though he had noticed Lockwood’s eyes suddenly leave Priscilla and focus on something that stood behind her.

He turned and saw her. She was standing in the hospital hall, beautiful and pale, her hair down on her shoulders, wearing a robe and trying hard to keep her stance stable and strong. Michael knew she was hurting – he could see it in her eyes. Harper and Finley were holding onto her hands. Clearly, Lisa had decided that she wanted to be with the twins until the very last moment. Or maybe she was checking on Michael, who had never returned to her room. Riley stood just a few steps behind, nervously biting her lips.

Priscilla smiled.

“Oh, hello sweetheart. Nothing is going on. We were just chatting. Right, Lockwood?”

Lockwood’s eyes didn’t leave Lisa.

“Right,” he replied, unsurely.

Lisa looked down at the girls and smiled, very sweetly. When she spoke, her voice sounded just as gentle and calm.

“Alright girls, you go with your dad. I’ll be seeing you very soon, OK? And next time we will all be back home.” Wincing, she crouched down and kissed them both on the cheeks, then watched them as they ran over to their father.

Lockwood took the twins’ hands and cleared his throat.

“So… everything’s fine, then.”

“As long as it really is, yes.” Michael replied in a bland voice.

Priscilla didn’t say anything, and Lockwood realized that it was best to leave with no further comments. Touching his hat uncomfortably, he ushered the little girls to the exit door.

When he finally disappeared, Michael took a deep breath and then let it go, removing his glasses for a moment and rubbing his eyes. Then he walked over to Lisa and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She framed his face with her hands and pulled back, studying him.

“What the hell was that? What shouldn’t be fine?”

“Why are you walking around? You should be resting.”

Lisa made a face.

“Don’t ignore my question.”

He snorted and shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“I am not. I am just saying that you shouldn’t wear yourself out.”

“Lockwood threatened Michael.” Priscilla chimed in from behind his back, crossing her arms over her chest and Riley gasped.

Michael rolled his eyes. “He didn’t threaten me…“

“Yes or no? Michael?” Lisa was still studying him, and he saw her fiery gaze rumble behind the apparently calm surface of her eyes.

“Oh yes, he did,” Priscilla walked over and rested her hand on Lisa’s shoulder, squeezing it for a moment before letting it go. “But the cockfight was cut off before any bloodshed. Thankfully.”

“Michael…” Lisa’s warning tone was hard to miss.

“Look – you know I’m all about peace and love, so don’t worry, OK?” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and she scoffed.

“You are, baby. But I also know how you react when you feel cornered.”

Michael squared his jaw and didn’t reply.

“Lisa Marie, Michael was right. Lockwood was insulting you and provoking him, and his reaction was more than justified.”

Well… Look at that!

Once again, he couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that Priscilla was actually defending him. Maybe this was a parallel universe, after all.

“He was provoking you?” Lisa didn’t look at her mother, keeping her eyes focused on him instead.

“He was just being his obnoxious self. But nothing happened, baby. Believe me.” He took her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “Come on… let’s go back to your room. You gotta lie down.”

Lisa slowly started walking down the hall with him, holding his hand.

“Did you threaten him for real?”

Michael laughed.

“No, I didn’t. But he’s the rat who’s been reporting bullshit to the press. He, and someone else in your entourage.”

“I have that covered.” Priscilla’s voice reached them from behind.

The lady apparently had cyborg hearing.

“She does. Some heads will be rolling soon,” Michael whispered in a conspirative tone, and Lisa laughed.

“I just don’t want you to draw any useless attention,” she murmured then, turning serious and glancing at him. “That’s all. You being here is already more than we had agreed on.”

“You worry too much, girl.” He rubbed the palm of his hand on his bearded chin. “The only useless thing here is that fool.”

“Mh…” Lisa brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it. “Thanks for defending me, prince charming.”

He giggled.

“Lise?”

“Yes, Michael?”

“I’m glad we had sex while you were still married to him.”

“You’re right. In retrospect, he totally deserved it.”

Chapter song