Never in her life had she felt such utter peace as she did at that moment. She couldn’t move – she didn’t want to – for fear of disturbing the delicate illusion within. How long could she keep this up before movement or words would be expected? How long could she stay in bliss?
Not long, if her bladder had anything to say about it.
As stealthily as she could, she slipped out from Michael’s embrace and slid to the edge of the bed, clinging to the sheet. It wasn’t as though she could walk to the bathroom and back naked. What if he woke up while she was in there? He’d see her naked.
That couldn’t happen. But what the hell did Michael do with her clothes? Sara peered back at his sleeping face and felt her breath catch. He was so beautiful in sleep.
Focus, Sara.
She turned her attention back to the floor. Her clothes were nowhere in sight. Since she couldn’t very well take the sheet with her, she felt around under the bed until her fingers connected with fabric.
Michael’s sweatshirt. Perfect. That would cover enough.
It wasn’t until she was washing her hands that she realized Michael had already seen her without clothes. Actually, he’d done a whole lot more than just see her. He’d…they’d…
Wow.
Shutting off the water, Sara stared at her own reflection, looking for some kind of change. Shouldn’t she look different? Shouldn’t she feel different? Other than the dull ache inside, she still just felt like, well…Sara.
Maybe it was a dream. Except…she was wearing nothing other than Michael’s sweatshirt and Michael was in her bed wearing nothing. No way this was a dream.
It was more like a full-scale psychotic break.
Sara splashed her face with the cool water from the faucet and waited for everything to make sense again. He was her best friend, not her boyfriend. Somehow, they’d jumped to lovers in a single night.
Michael Scofield was her lover. Her first lover. Her only lover.
Wow.
She patted the water from her face and shut out the light before easing the door open. There was no point in bathing her bedroom in artificial light while Michael was trying to sleep. As long as she could avoid the squeaky floorboard then she should make it back to bed without disturbing him.
“I swear that never looked half as good on me as it does on you.”
She flicked the tip of her tongue over her lips. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Sara stopped at the side of the bed, unsure of how to act or what to do. “I…uh…hi.”
Even in only the faint moonlight, she could see the easy grin on his lips. “Hi.” He pulled back the blankets and patted the mattress beside him. “You know you don’t need an invitation into your own bed, right?”
“Yeah, I know. I just…”
“You’re just getting shy on me now.” Intense eyes studied her face for a long moment before dropping to the floor. “I can go home, if it would make you more comfortable.”
Go home? Was he kidding? “Huh?”
“Well…I didn’t really plan for things to get so far. I just wanted to kiss you and…” He met her eyes again. “I know you’re upset with me. I understand why you want me to leave.”
“Michael…”
His eyes dropped again. “If you’ll just let me have my shirt back then I’ll get the rest of my clothes and go.” He turned his head as far away from her as he could. “I won’t look. I promise.”
“I’m not upset with you.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to try to make me feel better. I know I took advantage of you tonight and I’m not going to forgive myself for that.”
She sat down next to him and stared at the back of his head. “I don’t feel like you took advantage of me.”
“I did.”
“Um…do I have to have this conversation with the back of your head?” Sara waited for his reluctant head to turn back before continuing. “I wasn’t drunk. You made sure of that. Remember?”
“No. I know that. It’s not that you were drinking. It’s…never mind.”
She bit her lip. “If I was taken advantage of then I think I have a right to know.”
“You were upset when I headed over here and I knew that; I just didn’t care. I wanted to see you. I wanted to kiss you. Hell, I wanted to have sex with you. It’s all I’ve been able to think about for…I don’t know. It’s been on my mind for a long time.” His eyes clouded. “But it wasn’t fair for me to act on it. You didn’t want any of it.”
“I wanted all of it.”
“But you didn’t before I came over here tonight.”
“Michael…” She frowned and tried to find words to make him understand what she barely did herself. “I didn’t know I wanted all this. I didn’t know there was all this or there could be…” She scrubbed her hands over her face. Why couldn’t she stop babbling? “I’m not sorry we…uh…I’m not sorry.”
“Are you sure? I mean, really sure?”
Sara nodded and then looked away. “I’m only sorry that you’re sorry we…did…that.”
“I was only sorry because I thought you were sorry.” He touched her face with light fingers, coaxing her eyes back to him. “I’m not sorry we made love…not if you’re not.”
“Is…is that…what we did? Made love, I mean.”
Michael blinked at her a few times. “Yeah, I thought so. Wait.” He cupped her face in his hands. “You don’t think I was just saying that, do you? I’m in love with you, Sara. That wasn’t just sex to me.”
“It wasn’t? You really love me?”
“So much that I can’t imagine ever loving someone else more. I don’t ever want to be with anyone else.”
“Really?”
“I just want you. Forever. I’d marry you right now if I didn’t think your dad would hunt me down and kill me over it.”
What did he just say? Had he been drinking? “Marriage? Michael…we’re only 16.”
“I don’t think that matters when you’re in love.”
“We’re too young. You’re insane.”
Michael sighed. “What if we weren’t too young? What if it were two years from now? Or five? Would you marry me if we were five years older?”
“Do you realize what you’re saying, Michael?”
“Of course I do.” He pressed a brief kiss to her lips before taking her hands in his. “Sara Tancredi, will you marry me in five years?”
© 2009, Sydney Katt. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of content will result in dragon attacks.
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