Read Online Raindrops on Roses: Book One of the Favorite Things Trilogy by Millenia Black - Free Book Online Page A

sobbed. "We're supposed to
get married—I fucking moved in with you!" She'd never felt so humiliated, so
cast aside in all her life.
    Michael sat there shaking his head with his
arms folded, saying nothing more as Amber cried and cried.
    Tense minutes ticked by.
    Finally, he got up from the bed and moved
about the room getting dressed.
    Amber didn't move.
    "I have to get to work," he said, tucking in
his shirt. "We'll talk more later, and we'll get things settled."
He paused. "But I think I should pack a bag and check into a hotel
tonight."
    She couldn't take anymore.
"No, Michael, please..." She flew over to him. " Please , don't do this," she pleaded.
" Please . You're
making a huge mistake. Huge . Please don't dump what we
have—don't dump me . Give us another chance to get back what we've had all these
years."
    She may as well have been down on her
knees.
    Michael sighed, looking beaten. "Am, we're
not the same people we've been all these years. We've had our
moment; we've had our time. Look, I feel guilty enough as it is.
You're killing me here..."
    "No, you're killing me! You can't just leave
me like this. You can't. Listen—we can just go on as if this never even
happened. I'll never bring it up again, okay? But I can't bear the
thought of you moving out on me." She grabbed his arms.
" Don't you know you are my life? I'll just die, okay? This will kill me. I know it
will."
    Having nothing left, not even her pride,
Amber dropped down to the floor in tears.
    Michael stood there a long
time, hands on his hips, listening to her cry. When she began to
dry heave, he got down on the floor and gently pulled her into his
arms. "Okay. Shh, shh," he said. "Hey. Calm down, babe, it's okay.
You're right—maybe I haven't really thought this all the way
through." He sighed. "We are a lot to walk away from. Shh. It's okay now. I'm
sorry. Please stop crying, Am...I'm not going anywhere."
    He sat there holding her, stroking her head
until her breathing returned to normal. "I have to go in now, but
I'll try to wrap things up early, okay? I have a couple meetings
but I'll try to get home as soon as I can. We'll talk more later,
all right?"
    She nodded, too embarrassed to speak as he
helped her up off the floor.
    The
begging .
    Having to beg him to stay had wounded her
deep down inside. And she knew she would never be quite the same
again.

    •~•

    Once Michael had gone and
she was feeling more like herself, Amber picked up the phone and
called her mother. Her chest was in a knot and all she could think
was, When did this happen? When had he
started seeing Priscilla Bauer?
    As the phone rang, she resisted an
overwhelming urge to bite her nails for comfort like she did when
she was a kid. Chewing them had always been one of her favorite
things to do when she got upset.
    "Hello?" said Julie Holland. Her deep,
smoke-rich tone had always comforted Amber.
    "Mom," she said, trying to
keep her voice even, "you won't believe what just happened to me."
    "What happened, honey? What's wrong?"
    "Michael's cheating."
Amber trembled as she said the words. "With Priscilla Bauer...the
granddaughter of Veronica
Bauer ."
    "The actress?"
    "Yes."
    "Oh, my God."
    " Okay?? "
    "Wha...well..." Julie stuttered. "Are you
certain? I mean, how do you know?"
    "I saw a text from her right on
his phone," she croaked, "and I immediately confronted him about it
and he admitted it. He didn't even try to deny it."
    "Holy."
    "I know. And it gets worse."
    " Worse? " her mom barked. "What can be
worse than that?"
    "I'll tell you. He told me
that we were finished and he was gonna move out tonight." Amber heard her mom
gasped. " Yeah . He
said he'd been planning to tell me, but he's been waiting for the
right time."
    "Oh, my God. Amby. I don't
believe what I'm hearing. Michael? Moving out? Boy, I didn't see that one coming at
all...am I just out of touch?"
    "Apparently. Because your
'prince Michael' started screwing around on me after all these
years." Amber fought back