Page 122 of Robbin’ the Rich

“Okay, honey, everything will be fine. It’s only been a couple months. We will take care of it,” my dad said.

“It’s kind of romantic though,” said my mother in a wistful voice.

“What is romantic?”

“Micah taking the fall for you. Honey, are you sure you won’t take him back?”

“Now is not the time. I need to get all this sorted first.”

We pulled into the church’s parking garage. The atrium was empty except for a few security guards. It looked like the service had already begun.

When we get in one of the guards tells us to enter quietly and sit in the back. I go in and I have to give it to them; it really is beautiful. It is lit by thousands of candles, and they act out the nativity with a choir of angels singing from the stage. I sit towards the back. Then I spot Micah sitting next to his mother and younger brother.

My heart almost stops beating in my chest at the sight of him. He looked exactly the same, even if his eyes did have a hollow quality.

I should have been patient. I should have sat here and waited for the service to end before I pulled him aside… I should’ve, but I couldn’t.

I got up and slowly started creeping down the side aisle, inching my way towards him. My parents, being who they are, stood and crept behind me. That was not helping me to be less conspicuous.

I could feel every single eye on me, or at least it felt that way. I knew the ushers were closing in. Then, as if he could sense me Micah’s head turned. His eyes connected with mine, and it was as if time slowed. Then he turned back to the stage, it was like a balloon popped in my heart. Then his head whipped back to me with an utter look of confusion on his face. He gave his head a little shake before he smiled at me at the same moments angels sang on the stage.

He stood, then all eyes were on us. The ushers had reached us and were quietly trying to escort us out. I turned back to Micah who was walking right for me.

I let the ushers escort us out where the security officers were waiting for us. Micah came out the door as the security guard wrapped his hand around my wrist.

“Let her go.”

The guard turned to Micah. “She was about to interrupt the service.”

“I don’t care–”

“What is going on out here?” another voice demanded in a whispered hush.

A man who looked like Micah, only a little beefier, with short, neat hair and a tailored suit stepped into the middle of us.

“Take them to my father’s office. We will deal with this when the service is over.”

“Is that really necessary?” my mother asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

We were ushered into an office the size of my entire apartment.

“Wait here,” said the man I’m assuming was Micah’s brother.

“Robin, what are you doing here?” Micah said, walking over to me putting his hands on my shoulders.

My instant reaction was to lean into him and wrap my arms around him, but we weren’t there yet.

“Did you take the rap for me?”

He pulled back and looked at me. “Is this about Lantern House?”

“Yes. Did you say you did it?”

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MICAH