Page 14 of Christmas Souls

"Okay. I liked it too, by the way."

I give him a small smile, and then I'm pretty sure I hurt him once more as words fly out of my mouth.

"It can be a no-strings-attached thing, you know?"

A dark look comes into his face, and he lets go of me.

"Is that what you really want, Mandy? For me to treat you like you don't matter to me?"

"I just don't want to make promises I might not be able to keep."

"Are you going back to New York, or better yet, Hollywood?"

"I…I don't know, Michael. It's the honest truth."

I can feel the heat of his body next to me, but very unlike himself, he doesn't put his arms around me to comfort me. I think he's really angry this time, but I can't deal with everything all at once. Something has to give. This wouldn't hurt so much if I still didn't love him. God, I love him. I start shaking and put my arms around myself to hold myself steady.

"Come on, let me drive you to Ana Maria's."

"I…I brought…my car."

"You're in no shape to be driving. I'll get your car back to you later. Let's go."

He doesn't reach for me, telling me just how upset he is. I get up and follow him to where he's parked his truck next to my car. We drive in silence, and anguish fills me. What will Michael think if he finds out the lows I had to go through to make ends meet back in New York? I'd almost rather accept Mayor Douchebag's offer than let him and all the fine people in this town know about what happened.

He stops in front of Ana's house, but I don't get out of the car. I'm frozen in place and confused, terrified and disheartened. I feel the door next to me open, and Michael reaches for my seat belt. He lets me loose and grabs me by the arm. I go willingly, and we step toward Ana's front porch. I reach for my purse to get the key out and I fumble with it, and it falls to the floor.

Michael bends down, grabs it, and opens the door for me.

"Are you going to be okay?"

I look at him like he's a ghost. What would he say if I told him the truth?

"Mandy?"

He reaches for my arm and squeezes it gently. That brings me back to the present, and I realize I'm acting like a fool.

"I'll be okay, Michael. Thank you for dropping me off."

He looks unsure of my response, but I walk with him up to the door and say goodbye there. He turns back toward the car but keeps looking back to see how I am. I close the door and go to the sofa and collapse on it. The tears start falling and I don't know how I'm going to get myself out of this hellhole I created.

If only I hadn't pushed Michael away all those years ago—and again now.

If only.

Chapter 7

Michael

I've been avoiding Mandy for the past two days. I'm so angry at her for wanting our relationship to be a 'no strings' one. Does she think I'm the kind of man that would go for that? What could make her offer me something like this?

I'm taking the day off from construction at her grandmother's house. My mind is racing a mile a minute, and I can't concentrate. Suddenly, my doorbell rings. I hope it's not one of my brothers. They won't understand what's going on with me and Mandy. Hell, I don't understand what's going on between us.

There is something there. I felt it in the kiss we shared. She can try and pass it off as just two people coming together, but thepassion and need that we shared during that kiss was irrefutable proof that there was something there.

I look through the peephole and am surprised to see Mandy standing there with something in her arms. I open the door and look down at her curvy frame. She's so edible it's hard for me to acknowledge her presence.

"Hi, Michael."