Let's just say that waking up the following morning was.....interesting. A bittersweet feeling. Sweet for the fact that my hangover had gone away completely (Thank the Lord!) Bitter because right now I'd rather remain asleep than awake and having to face....I slowly rolled over, my head nestled deep in between the comfortable white sheets.....suddenly my green eyes snapped open. I sat straight up, fully alert now. How in the hell did I end up in my bed?! I could've sworn last night I was on the floor with....I glance to my left and find Michael passed out on the wooden floor. I can't help but feel a little pinch of guilt....I remembered reading in some tabloid magazine a while back that he suffered from back problems.....then again, I remembered what he had said to me last night, about how it was no wonder Justin cheated on my ass....I get up from the bed, walk over to where Michael is, snoring lightly. "Jackson get up" I say, kicking at his side. He must be a light sleeper cuz that shit instantly wakes him up. Michael stretched a bit, covering his mouth to let out a tired yawn. "Autumn? Hey did you sleep alright?" "How'd I end up in bed last night?" I asked, my hands on my hips. I could see the blush creep up in his cheeks as he looked away. "I uh, I put you there....listen Autumn.....what happened last night-" "Save it!" I sharply cut him off, holding my hand up. "We don't have to talk about it" I say. And it's the truth. I really didn't. It was embarrassing enough that I fuckin had a nervous breakdown and it just had to be in front if HIM no less. Michael got up from the floor, wincing as he placed a hand on his lower back. "Look, I didn't mean ANYTHING I said, really. I was just, I don't know I was...." he couldn't seem to find the right words to finish. I shook my head. "It's fine, alright? Let's just drop it" I walk over towards my dresser and begin to pull out clothes. I had to get ready for work. "Autumn please, if you just hear me out-" Michael tries to say but I slam the dresser shut, signifying I'm in NO mood to talk. Suddenly there's a honking noise coming from outside. Michael and I both look up towards the window. "Oh that must be my ride....I called for it earlier this morning...." he says, leaning down to put back on his shoes. Those stupid black penny loafers..... I don't respond and turn my back towards him, continuing to put my work outfit together. "Thank you...for letting me spend the night here" I shrug, my back still facing him. "Whatever" I mumbled out. I didn't mean to act like such a cold hearted bitch to him. It was my way of trying to put my tough guard back up. He had already seen me in my most vulnerable state last night and I did NOT want to repeat that. "Well I guess, I guess I'll see you around then?" Michael asked, his voice hopeful. ".....Probably not....bye" I responded honestly, getting ready to walk away from him. He had reached out to touch my arm but I snatched it away. "Autumn? What's wro-" "Look I already said goodbye, so can you leave now? I'm gonna be late for work!" I spat, glaring. He looked visibly hurt but I tried not to care. I didn't WANT to care. Letting out a sigh, Michael left my room without another word. When I heard the front door close, I let out a sigh of relief, quickly wiping my eyes since I knew the tears were threatening to fall any minute. God I'm such an ass! I felt horrible for treating him like that but he was trying to get too close to me and I don't know, I guess I'm just not ready for that type of intimacy yet. It scares the hell out of me. Shit, He wasn't even wearing a disguise.....If he got mauled by some crazy fan I could care less. Once I finally managed to get myself back together, I took a shower. I tried to relax underneath the warm water but it was damn near impossible. It seemed like everytime I shut my eyes, memories of last night would replay in my mind. Michael had been so gentle....NO I'm not talking about THAT kind of gentle!! We didn't do anything sexual. But while I was crying my eyes out, he held me the entire time, whispering sweet things in my ear in attempt to calm me down. It actually worked too. At one point I even remembered feeling his slender fingers running threw my hair, grazing my scalp. It felt soooo good! I'm pretty sure I fell asleep with him doing that. I had told him things that went down between Justin and I, about the abusive relationship I had been in since I was 16 with him (Justin was my high school sweetheart so yes, he was the only boy I had ever been with....how pathetic is that?) I swear, I told Michael things about my past relationship that I hadn't told my family or friends....Why? I guess it was simply because I just needed someone to confide in and he had definitely fit that role, even if it was only for one night.....When I finally got out of the shower, I changed in to a pair of black dress pants with a blue silk blouse and black blazer. I quickly put on my black flats and brushed my somewhat curly but not really goldish brown hair in a low ponytail (One of the joys of being mixed I guess, getting wild untamed curls:my mom's black, father's white) I arrived at work pretty early, way early before everyone else. I took a seat in my little cubicle, typing away on the paperwork on my laptop. "Daaaaamn you're here bright and early miss sunshine!" I hear a voice call out. I smiled a little, instantly recognizing who the voice belonged to. "Nice to see you too Kristy" I get up from my chair to give her a hug. The remainder of the day seemed to zoom by really fast. Kristen told me how she had tried to call me last night but it kept going straight to my voicemail.  "What was that all about?" She asked. Instead of beating around the Bush and sugar coating it, I told her what happened. "Wait what?!! Justin cheated?! And with Stay hoe no less?!" She yelled, causing all the other co workers to look at her. I nodded, trying to hold back laughter. She was so pissed! Speaking of Britney Spears, Stay hoe ahem, sorry I mean STACY didn't even show up for work today. I wasn't surprised though. The rumor around work was that she called in 'sick' but that's a load of bull. In reality, she probably didn't want to come in because she KNEW that not only I would kick her ass, but Kristen would be my sidekick. It was weird though....when I did talk about Justin with her, for some reason I kept thinking of Michael instead.....I didn't really tell Kristen about the abuse I received from Justin either. Honestly I couldn't find the courage to but I don't know, with Michael it was so much more easier to tell....I guess maybe because he sensed it right away. I also didn't tell her about my nervous breakdown. In all my years of knowing Kristen, she's NEVER seen me cry (when we were younger she use to joke I was 'anti emotion') and I planned to keep it that way. Oh, and Michael's name NEVER came up in the conversation either. Because I had arrived early at work, I was able to get all of the paperwork typed up and left around 5:30. Kristen promised she'd help me plan Nadia's surprise sweet 16 party. Even though my sister's birthday had been a couple days ago, I was still gonna throw her a rockin badass party :) When I got home that night, I immediately stripped down to my bra and underwear, jumping in my large bed. I whipped out my cell, dialling my sister's number. "Hey Nad! It's Fall. How you been miss sweet sixteen?" I talked with her for a good 2 and a half hours before calling it a night and finally going to sleep....