Never Regret

A couple of days passed since the gig in Portland where I’d apologised to my bandmates. We’d been busy ever since though, having a 10 hour drive to San Francisco in California before spending a day looking at the sights in our separate bands. Seeing as it was October and San Francisco was quite North, it was a little chilly, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Michael yet, even though JC, Logan, Reece and Taylor were urging me to. I don’t even know what I’d say.

But it seems like the fates have different plans for me.

“JC told me I’d find you here,” Michael said softly.

Or at least my friends have different plans for me. I looked up from where I was strumming on my black Fender acoustic guitar to see Michael standing in the doorway. I was in a small storage room by the side of the stage in the venue we were playing at in a few days time, just getting some practice in by myself.

“JC huh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I wanted to talk to you. And he said you wanted to talk to me too,” Michael shrugged.

I’m going to punch JC later. I sighed but nodded, setting my guitar back on the rack with the others.

“Shoot,” I said simply, smiling.

“You go first,” Michael chuckled.

Er, no.

“Nah, you go first. After all, you did take the trouble to find me,” I insisted.

“Okay...well, I’m worried about you,” Michael started.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“You practically disappeared for over a week, and then suddenly you’re apologising on stage...it’s all a bit weird,” Michael admitted.

“Eh, I guess,” I said reluctantly.

“What happened to you? I mean, we guessed that you’d fallen out with JC, Logan, Reece and Taylor, but no-one knows why,” Michael said softly, leaning against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest.

I chewed my bottom lip, looking up at him shyly. Do I tell him? Michael frowned slightly, raising an eyebrow. I sighed. I probably should tell him. After all, I did announce a few days ago that I’m not scared anymore.

“It was about you, actually,” I finally replied.

“What?!” Michael yelped.

I giggled.

“About our kiss. It kinda escalated to something that you need to see,” I said nervously.

“What do you mean?” Michael asked, confused.

I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the venue and through the parking lot till we reached my bus. I let go of his hand, pressing the code to unlock the door, before walking on. Michael followed silently. No-one was on here, which makes this a lot easier for me.

“What’s going on, Kenzie?” Michael asked, worried.

“I had a small argument with Logan, Reece, JC and Taylor about our kiss, then they got me drunk to get more information about me, which they recorded on Tay’s video camera. Uh, just watch it, you’ll see,” I explained.

I plugged the camera into my laptop, waiting till the video had loaded to press play.

“So Mack, how are you enjoying the tour so far?” Reece smiled.

“It’s amaaaazing!” I grinned madly.

“Any reason why?” Taylor asked innocently.

“I get to be with my bestest friends in the whole wide world!” I giggled, throwing my arms wide.

“Aww!” Taylor gushed.

“Anyone else?” Logan prompted.

I blushed deeply, covering my face.

“Come on, tell us!” Logan teased.

“Maybe...Michael?” Taylor asked with a small smirk.

“Michael,” I whispered.

“What about Michael?” Reece mused.

I giggled.

“He’s really nice, he’s really sweet, he’s really funny and he’s reeeeally pretty,” I slurred.

“Pretty huh? You like him or something?” Logan grinned.

My eyes went wide, but a small smile slipped onto my lips.

“I do. I do, I do, I do. But I can’t,” I whispered loudly.

“Why not?” Taylor frowned.

“Because everyone will end up like Joseph. Every boy I like will be like him and I can’t do that. I don’t want that again,” I said sadly.

“But what if Michael wasn’t like that?” Logan said softly.

“But...”

“Just what if?” Logan interrupted.

I appeared to think for a minute, swaying slightly.

“I...I don’t know. But I like him. I liked our kiss and I want to kiss him again. I like him, but I’m scared,” I said slowly.

“Thank you.”

The video ended, but I didn’t move to close the play window. I was frozen in fear, too scared to look at Michael to see his reaction.

“Is this true?” he whispered.

“Mmhmm,” I mumbled, looking down at my hands in my lap.

“You like me?” Michael asked again.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t.

“Kenzie, do you like me?” Michael repeated.

I didn’t answer again. So Michael lifted my head to face him, looking deeply into my eyes. And there was no way I could resist any longer.

“Yeah, I do,” I whimpered.

Michael grinned widely, and I turned my head to look into my lap again. I can’t do this.

“Nuh uh, you aren’t getting away that easily,” Michael chuckled.

He turned my face to look at him again, stroking my cheekbone with his thumb as his hand cupped my cheek.

“I really like you, Kenzie. I have ever since the first time I saw you. And you just confessed your feelings for me, so I’m not letting you go,” Michael said with a warm smile.

“I can’t do this, Michael. I can’t...get close to someone again,” I protested, shaking my head.

“I would never treat you like he did, Kenzie, you know that. You deserve so much more than him, and I want to show you what a real relationship is like. I want to show you what you’ve missed out on for the last five years,” Michael said seriously.

My hesitation must’ve shown in my eyes, because Michael sighed.

“I can’t and I won’t force you into anything you don’t want to do, Kenzie. So if you don’t want to be in a relationship, then I’ll just have to accept it. But I want you to know something – there wouldn’t be a day that goes by in which I wouldn’t give you the love you deserve. I would never hurt you. You mean so much to me, Kenzie. I just wish you’d give me a chance,” Michael said softly.

I chewed my bottom lip, letting his words process. There are no words to describe how much I want to be with him. I know he’d do every single thing that he just said. But I don’t know if I can let my heart go just like that. But the simple gentle movement of his thumb on my cheek made the decision for me.

“Promise me you’ll never hurt me?” I murmured, staring into his eyes as I slid my hands up his chest.

“I promise you with every fibre of my being,” Michael said sincerely.

I felt my heart start racing as I leant my head up. This was it. Michael met me half-way, connecting our lips softly, and I inhaled deeply through my nose, moving my body as close to his as I could. He was a drug I could never get enough of, a deadly drug that I craved. As our kiss became faster and more intense, fire coursing through my body, Michael picked my legs up and threw them over his lap so I was facing him more, his tongue begging entry at my lips. And I willingly parted them, so as our tongues tangled I knotted my fingers in his messy hair, smiling as his hands ran over my body. His kiss was just like I remembered it. Passionate, intense, fiery...perfect. Like before, I knew I would crave him even more as soon as our lips were parted. Then he tugged on my lip ring with his teeth, making me groan softly into his mouth.

Michael smiled, pulling away. He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed.

“You have no idea how much I want you,” he murmured, his lips hitting mine with every word.

I stayed silent, not sure how to react. Michael returned his attention to my lips, pressing soft feather-light kisses in pecks, before travelling across my jaw, leaving electric tingles on my skin. He kissed down my neck, holding my body tightly to his as he nipped and lightly sucked my skin in a way that made me tilt my head back in desire, biting my lip with my eyes closed. This. Was. Incredible.

“Woah!”

I quickly lifted my head away from Michael, him sitting upright, and I blushed deeply as I saw JC, Logan, Reece, Taylor and Pete standing in the entrance to the lounge. They all looked shocked, especially Pete, but then JC grinned.

“You showed him, didn’t you?” JC asked, pointing at the video camera plugged into my laptop.

I just nodded, moving my hands from Michael’s hair to his chest.

“And...?” Taylor prompted.

I glanced up at Michael quickly, biting my lip ring, before looking back at the small group.

“I don’t know,” I said softly.

“What?” Reece chuckled.

“Is it alright if we show Pete? We need to explain what really happened,” Logan asked hesitantly.

“Yeah,” I nodded simply.

“Don’t let her go, okay?” JC said quietly to Michael.

“I’m not going to,” Michael replied firmly, wrapping his arms tightly round my waist.

“Is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on?!” Pete asked, bewildered.

“Yeah, we’ll go outside and tell everyone else at the same time,” Logan laughed.

“Go back to what you were doing,” Taylor winked.

“Remember, if things get hot and heavy, down and dirty, put a hat on the door handle so we know not to come in,” Reece winked dramatically.

I blushed deeply and buried my face in the crook of Michael’s neck as they all laughed, slowly filing out.

“We’re alone again,” Michael murmured, running his fingers through my hair.

I lifted my head, shyly looking into his dark blue eyes.

“I was kinda worried they’d kill me,” Michael confessed.

“Why? They seemed alright with it,” I shrugged.

“Well, JC did tell me back in July that he’d give me one chance with you. I don’t know if he told anyone else that, but I think he trusts me. I’m assuming everyone else just wants you to be happy,” Michael said sheepishly.

“JC? I should’ve known,” I grumbled.

“Hey, I owe that guy. If he didn’t give me the confidence to go after you we wouldn’t be here right now,” Michael grinned.

“Mmm, that would suck,” I chuckled, resting my forehead against his.

Michael looked into my eyes for a few seconds, before smiling sweetly.

“Will you be my girlfriend, Kenzie?” Michael asked softly.

I didn’t even have to think.

“Yeah,” I nodded, smiling.

Michael smiled back, before pressing his lips to mine again.