Chapter 78

This chapter is dedicated to hellokittyhilyric I kept you waiting long enough!

November 1995 - LA

Michael's POV

With cold water I splashed my face, hoping it would ease the pain I felt in my head.

Unfortunately the cold water didn't give me the satisfaction I had hoped for so I searched the cabinets of the bathroom in Lisa's house until I found the place where she kept her medication. In an attempt to find something to soothe my pain some packages of medication fell out.

As I was picking them up, I noticed some strange small pills that seemed to be familiar. At further examination I remembered Maeve using them as well at some point of our relationship.

Birth-control.

With the pills clenched into my fist, I walked back to where my wife was waiting for me at the table.

"Michael, are you alright?" She asked but without saying anything I threw the pills in front of her.

"Were you snooping around?" She asked, her face turning pink.

"Are you on birth control?" I asked completely ignoring her as anger rose inside of me.

"You had no right to go through my-"

"ARE YOU TAKING THESE PILLS OR NOT?" I yelled at her, visibly startling her. She kept staring into my eyes before she slowly nodded.

"You can't be serious" I whispered as I took a few steps away from her.

"What was I supposed to do? You are still in love with Maeve, I couldn't risk getting pregnant! I feared you'd run back to her and take my child with you!"

"YOU LIED TO ME! ALL THIS TIME YOU LIED TO ME!" I yelled at the realization that every time she'd do a pregnancy teat that would of course come back negative, where she'd cry to me about it, she played with me. She never intended to have my children.

"Mich-"

"I can't-" I shook my head as I wordlessly left her house.

December 1995 - Gran Canaria, Spain

Maeve's POV

It's been months since Alexander threatened me and what happened since then is nothing. So I stopped worrying about him, because if nothing happened until now, it meant he held nothing against me.

I won.

Of course only Ava and Sean knew about this, nevertheless, Ava wanted to celebrate and together with Michael and the children we decided to spent a week at a beautiful private property in Spain.

Here we were provided with everything we needed, a cook, maids and enough security to keep us safe. The property came with a private beach and a pool of course (Ava's request).

During this time, I think Michael and I moved forward in our relationship, we managed to bond again and I started to accept that he won't be mine but my friend.

Together we enjoyed sunny days on the beach as a family and for the first time in forever the feeling of normality came back to me. I had the feeling that everything was falling back into place.

"You're still awake?"

"Ouch" I yelled as I hit my head that on the cupboard door I was just looking through, in desperate need of a midnight snack.

"Didn't I tell you to stop scaring me?" I rubbed my head.

"Sorry" Michael laughed. A sound I've grown familiar with again. I like it when he laughs.

I smiled warmly at him before continuing searching for a snack when I found a bag of chips.

"YES!"

*****

We ended up sharing the bag of chips while sitting on the counter, reminiscing the good old days when my phone started ringing.

"Your boyfriend?" Michael asked but I shook my head while staring at the unfamiliar number.

"No boyfriends ever again" I stated before getting up. "Let me get that real quick!" I said while walking out into the night's air.

*****

Michael's POV

No boyfriends ever again.

While Maeve was outside taking the call, her words echoed through my mind. I wasn't aware that her relationship with Alexander didn't work out since she has been busier than ever these past months. When we get the chance to talk, we smalltalk, about work and the weather. That's it.

My eyes followed Maeve as she was pacing back and forth on the patio, the phone pressed to her ear while gesticulating widely with her arms. I couldn't help but laugh, it reminded me so much of the beginning of our friendship. I love how enthusiastic she is.

Reminiscing the good old days made me realize all the mistakes I made by not having her by my side. Maybe it was also the fact that Lisa has been lying to me throughout our marriage that made me even more fragile but right now, I wanted her. I needed her. I needed her comfort.

Maeve's phone call was already finished and she was leaning against the railing by the time I reached the door. She didn't notice me walking out on the patio.

"Maeve" I called her name and as soon as she turned around, I cupped her face and pressed my lips against hers.

*****

"Michael" I heard a female voice whispering.

"No" I mumbled in my sleep as I pulled my blanket closer.

"Michael!" The voice got louder. With my eyes closed I turned to the side, hoping the voice would disappear if I just ignored it.

"MICHAEL! WAKE UP" This time the voice was male as I recognized Sean yelling at me, my eyes sprung open and my body shot up.

"WHAT?" I yelled back with widened eyes.

"Where's Maeve?" Ava's soft voice asked.

"What do you mean 'where's Maeve'?" I repeated as I recalled yesterday's events. I remembered we were making out and eventually ended up having sex on the couch where we fell asleep.

Oh Shit. I am still naked underneath the covers.

"She's not in her room, not at the beach, we can't find her."

"Okay" I said blankly while gripping tight to the sheets in fear I'd loose them.

"She wouldn't leave without telling us would she? I mean, maybe she's just getting breakfast and hasn't returned yet, maybe she's taking a stroll down the neighborho- OUCH, Sean what was that for?" Sean nudged Ava's side making her stop and look at him. He wiggled his eyebrows before looking at me.

Both now were looking at me until Ava realized.

"You had sex with Maeve last night!"

With my eyes pressed closed I slowly nodded my head before I heard Ava let out an excited shriek.

"That still doesn't make any sense. Why would she run away after having sex with you? I saw your dancing, you can't be that bad!"

*****

One of the security guards informed us that Maeve left the property at around 2 o'clock in the morning but she didn't say where she was off to. According to the men she seemed distraught.

"Okay, I found out that Maeve hired a pilot and is currently on her way back to LA" Bill said as he came back into the living room, where Ava, Sean and myself stayed while Anna took care of the kids.

Bill spent the night at a hotel, that's why he didn't know about Maeve disappearing until we called him.

"Why-"

He stopped Ava right then and there. "There's more! I talked to my source at the LA Police Department, apparently they filed a lawsuit against her this morning. Right now, the police is waiting for her at the airport."

"A lawsuit?! What for?" I asked unbelieving every single word said.

"He couldn't tell me. What he told me is that she will spend the time in prison until the official hearing. No bail."

"WHAT?" I jumped off my seat, running my hands through my hair.

"To me it looks like she's turning herself in to the police. What happened yesterday?"

All eyes turned to me but I didn't want to answer the question.

"You mean before or after Michael and Maeve slept together?"

Thanks Ava.

Without any kind of reaction Bill looked at me. That's what I love about him. He doesn't care.

"She got a call before... we..." I didn't want to say it out loud so I let it be but of course Ava helped.

"Had sex?"

"Please stop saying that!" I turned towards her.

"What? You and Maeve having sex?"

"Yes! Just stop for fucks sake okay?" I raised my voice a little. This situation was overwhelming as it was, I didn't need Ava's comments.

But her eyes kept piercing at me. "Ava, drop it" Sean pulled her by her arm but she shook him off and came walking a few steps towards me.

"Do you remember who picked up the pieces the last time you hurt her? We did! We watched her spend months- no years, moving on from you and within a week, you destroyed all her progress. Michael, you are married! What were you thinking?"

*****

In the early afternoon we received the news about Maeve's imprisonment.

"What are they accusing her of?" I asked as soon as Bill got off the phone. Before answering he let out a sigh.

"Murder"

Gasps filled the room, neither Ava, Sean nor I had any words left.

"And it's not looking good for her!"

"What do you mean?"

"The only fingerprints on the murder weapon are hers..." Bill informed us. I shook my head in disbelief before I looked at Ava and Sean who were looking knowingly at each other.

"Her being arrested will be in the news shortly... our plane back to LA leaves this evening, please be ready by 7!" Bill proceeded to leave when Ava asked "who did Mae allegedly murder?"

Bill's eyes met mine before he answered "Jared".