Hearing the life Michael described, Alyssa felt like she had lived half a lifetime in the span of his description.
And then, just like that, the words tumbled out.
The backyard fell into an eerie silence. It was as though time itself had ground to a halt. All Alyssa could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart. Her mind became a blank slate, tossing all caution to the wind.
Michael was stunned too.
After a moment, he burst out laughing, "Girl, are you joking?"
"I'm not joking, Michael. I really like you. I've liked you for a long time. I came here today to see you."
In that instant, Alyssa threw caution to the wind. She seemed to forget about Julia. She forgot the shame, the constraints, the should-nots.
This was the first time she had fallen for someone, and she had never imagined she could be so reckless.
Michael's expression hardened, his voice stern as he asserted, "I don't like you. Don't ever say that again. And definitely don't let Julia find out."
"Why can't she know?" Alyssa blurted out, not knowing why she asked such a naive question.
"Because it would break her heart. She sees you as a sister. How could you..." Michael's voice was cold and hard and his face turned to ice, no longer the Michael Alyssa knew.
Alyssa instantly regretted her words, but she couldn't control her heart.
Seeing Michael like this, she became defiant.
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