Page 126 of Robbin’ the Rich

“What just happened?” I said on our way to the car.

“I’m not entirely sure. That is a lot to process.”

“No shit.”

Micah crossed over to the passenger side of the car to open the door for me. That in and of itself was enough to squeeze at my heart. I was a fully capable woman, honestly probably stronger than Micah, but he still took care of me in all these little ways, even when we weren’t together anymore. As he bent to open the door the urge to kiss him was overwhelming, but we had to talk before we could do that.

So, I sat down and let him close the door behind me. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Mom: I just wanted to tell you Micah is invited to Christmas breakfast tomorrow. I hope to see both of you then. I love you, Robin. Merry Christmas.

The door across from me opened with a rush of air as Micah sat down and turned on the car.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, motioning to my phone.

“Oh, yeah, that was just my mom… tell me you’re invited to Christmas Breakfast.”

He smiled as he put the car into reverse. “Oh well that’s nice, I have a feeling I won’t be at my own family's Christmas celebration… I’m not even sure when I’m going to see them again.”

“I feel like I should apologize for that.”

“Don’t you dare! That was what I tried to do. I had finally found the courage to break away before all this pulled me back in.”

“Again, I have the strangest feeling to apologize for that as well.”

“Again, don’t you dare! Never apologize for doing what is right, and what you did was just and right. I just wish I would have had the courage to do what was right sooner.”

We sat in silence as Micah made his way down the nearly vacant streets of Briar Glenn. It was just after eleven on Christmas Eve. As we drove, we passed house after house with the decorations lit and Christmas trees in the window all preparing for the magic of Christmas morning.

He pulled into the parking lot of my building and put the car into park.

I finally braved a look at his face. He was already watching me with a careful expression. I had missed him so much, and now that all the drama of tonight was over, that was the only feeling left.

I missed him. I missed the way he understood me. I missed the way he never got pissed when I kicked his ass in video games. I even missed how he wouldn’t stop and explain scienc-y things to me like I had any clue what he was walking about.

“What is it?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You just had a funny smile on your face.”

“Do you want to come up?” I asked. “I feel like we should talk.”

He licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah, I would like that.”

We both got out of the car and climbed the stairs to the second floor. When I pulled out my key to unlock the door, I was more nervous than I’d ever been with Micah. Even that first night when I brought him home for a one night stand it was supposed to be fun and flirty, how could I have known then I would fall in love with this man.

I opened the door and we both entered in silence.

“Micah… I… I don’t really know what to say.”

He just looked at me a took a small step towards me, not enough to touch me, but close enough that I noticed.

“I know what to say. And I’ll say it a million times until you stop needing to hear it. I am so sorry. I’m sorry I never told you the truth. I’ve regretted ever since that first morning when you mentioned the church, but I wanted you to give me a chance and not be tainted by my family.”

I nodded, because I did understand that. I knew if he told me that first day, I never would have gone out with him again.

“Then I was just waiting to find the right time. And I kept falling deeper in love with you. I was so scared. It's not an excuse, but it’s the truth.”