Chapter Thirty-Three - Michaela
Chapter Thirty-Three
MICHAELA
"WHAT THE FUCK ?" JOSH practically growls, his eyes shooting daggers into Finn. He looks between us unsure who he should lay into first.
"Josh–"
"No," he stops me. "I don't want to hear your shit, Michaela."
Finn pulls me behind him trying to shield me from my brother’s wrath.
"What the fuck is going on here, Sheffield?" The look on my brother's face breaks my heart. I don't think I've ever seen him look so hurt, so betrayed, so furious. "This better not be what I think it is."
Finn sighs, straightening his broad shoulders. He's preparing to take the brunt of this, but it's not even his fault. This is only happening because of me. Because I was too scared to be honest. Because I wasn’t ready for everyone to know the truth. Because I waited to tell my brother about the divorce, about Finn. I half expect him to shake off my touch when I reach for his hand, but he doesn't. He accepts it, lacing our fingers together, and squeezes gently.
"You bastard!" Josh lunges, and Finn pushes me away before Josh’s fist connects with his face.
"Josh!" I scream.
"How could you do this, Michaela?" His fury turns on me blocking me from Finn. And fuck, if the look of pure disappointment doesn't almost kill me right here and now. "How could you cheat on David?"
How could I cheat on David? Doesn't he know me better than that?
“Josh, what is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? You’re the one—”
“This is what I wanted to talk to you about at lunch.”
“At lunch,” Josh scoffs. “Michaela, this isn’t something you casually throw out over some sandwiches.”
"Get the fuck out." I shove him towards the door, but he plants his feet. “Josh, you need to leave, right now . If you don’t get the fuck out, I’ll call the police.” He doesn’t believe me; hell, I wouldn’t believe me. Usually, I’d never even think about threatening my brother with something so drastic, but right now I’d do anything to get him away from here. He needs to calm down. Needs to breathe so he can think rationally. “You just assaulted your best friend, and for what? Your adult sister making adult decisions? You can’t just come in swinging!”
Slowly, his grip loosens on my wrist, and I turn to check on Finn. I pull his hand from his face to examine the damage done — a bruise already forming on his left cheek near his jaw. There is some coverage from his stubble, but not enough.
When his brown eyes meet mine, my heart breaks in two. This is exactly what he didn't want, what he was afraid of. We knew Josh might have trouble accepting our relationship at first. I thought I could break it to him slowly and not with Finn around. Thought that would help lessen the blow.
"Josh, please leave," Finn's words are firm and demanding as he holds my stare. "Your sister will call you later to schedule a talk."
"Oh," my brother scoffs, "you speak for her now?"
"What did I say?" I threaten, but my eyes never leave Finn.
"Your place, two o'clock, Michaela. Don’t be late,” Josh warns before he slams the door behind him.
“Finn,” I sigh. “I’m so—”
His raised hand silences me before he rubs the sore spot on his jaw. “Please just handle it.” He doesn’t say anything else walking out of the condo.
"Well, you're dressed, that's a good sign.” Josh knocked on my door five minutes before two, and the arrogance of it instantly pissed me off. He most likely expected me to be late or not show at all.
The way he paces my living room tells me he still hasn’t fully processed what happened this morning. I suppose that’s fair, it’s not every day you find your sister half-naked at your best friend’s door. "Oh, don't give me that look, Michaela. I'm not the one in the wrong here,” he says when I cross my arms tightly waiting for the lecture to begin.
“You’re right, I forgot who I was talking to: Saint Josh."
"Don't be so dramatic, MJ.”
"You're the one who threw punches this morning!”
“I’m not going to apologize! I came to see if my best friend wanted to grab breakfast before I met you, and what do I find? My sister, half-naked, answering the damn door of his apartment!” Josh shakes his head as if he's still in disbelief. “Don’t you think you should have asked me if it was okay to fuck my best friend first?”
“I’m an adult, Josh. I don’t need your permission to sleep with someone, including your best friend.”
"How long has this been going on?"
"That's none of your business.”
"Not my business?” he scoffs. “You don't think I have a right to know when you're fucking around on your husband with one of my friends?"
"Okay, first of all, I'm not fucking around on anyone. And second, no, it’s not your business. We weren't ready to tell you because of shit like this! Because of how you reacted this morning."
"How could you do this to David? And with him!"
"You're not listening to a damn word I say. David and I are not together. We haven't been together in months."
The words finally start to sink in. His brows furrow together as he processes my words, and the realization hits. His eyes meet mine, "You're not... What?"
"David asked me for a divorce…in Italy."
His eyes widen. "Italy? That was practically five months ago, Michaela!"
"I'm aware of when it was, Josh." I pull my cardigan tighter around me.
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"I don't know." I shrug as tears build behind my eyes. One slips down my cheek. "I guess, a part of me thought I could fix it before it was final. If I could fix it, I wouldn't have to tell anyone. It would be like it never happened, but..."
“Sleeping with Finn wasn’t going to fix anything.”
“Finn was an accident.”
"I never meant for it to happen. God, Josh. It wasn't supposed to happen, but working with him on Sheffield House… I saw a side of him I never knew. I got to know him. I—”
“Do not say you’re in love with him,” my brother stops me. I swallow my words meeting his stare — it’s not as cold, but he still looks hurt.
"No, but I think I could,” I laugh softly.