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Beautiful Stranger Ch. 02

By: theonlinestalker



I know what you all are thinking. It's about damn time. Sorry to have kept you all waiting. I hope you won't hold it against me. I got lost in the other stories and forgot that this one was still brewing...waiting to be finished or at least explained. So as you have all been patiently waiting for...here is the next installment of Isabelle and Michael's story. I hope you enjoy. OH!!! And please comment and vote. I love to hear your feedback...even the less than nice ones. 

As always your friendly onlinestalker 

*********************************

I didn't stop running until I was two blocks away. Part of me thought that he would follow me and demand an answer. But there was no answer that I could give him to make it better. I would forever be plagued with his confession. 

'Isabelle, I love you.'

The words kept echoing in my mind. They were like a broken record playing and playing again from the same point that had begun to skip. The look in his eyes was definitely new and he was looking at me as if he'd seen me for the first time. When he kissed me I felt my head fill up with a light buzzing sound as if everything around me was white noise. 

And when he had held me so close to his body, I swore I could feel his heart beating faster than was humanly possible. Now all that was playing in my head were those words, which were followed by and even more shocking declaration.

'Isabelle Jones, I'll love you till the day I die."

Till the day he died! I had known Michael for years and never once had he shown that he was the slightest interested in me. We had been almost like brother and sister until recently. It wasn't until recently that I found that I looked at him a little differently. That I couldn't wait to see him smile or watch him laugh at a joke I had made. 

But I had thought all of that was normal. It was what friends did with each other. They wanted to make the other smile and hear them laugh. Right? 

I shook my head as if to shake loose any additional thoughts and get rid of the ones I was currently having. No, friends did not have these feelings and I was positive that once I saw him again that everything would have blown over. And he would have forgotten all about his declaration of love. I hoped.

Before I knew it I had stopped in front of a park and watched as the swings swayed in the wind. I was drawn to them and couldn't help walking towards the hypnotic motion. Each step I took towards them felt like an eternity and I found that I had slowed down slightly as I neared them. 

When I stopped in front of them I simply took a hand and placed it on the seat. While it stopped the others still swayed and creaked lightly in the light breeze. I turned and sat down and watched as the others moved gracefully next to each other. And then I closed her eyes and began to sway with them. 

I felt as the wind circled around me, tickling my skin almost sending little shivers up my body. It called to me as if it knew me and wanted me to stay. And so I did. 

I stayed there for what felt like hours but was actually only thirty minutes, just swaying with the rest of the swings. Never getting too high or moving too fast, as that would throw off the balance.

With my eyes still closed, my head leaned back a little and I felt an entirely new sensation. One of falling rapidly towards the ground, but of course this was just a feeling. I leaned my head back up and swayed some more before repeating the action. But this time when I did I felt soft lips pressing against mine. 

I opened my eyes slowly to see Michael leaning over me. When he finally stepped back he walked around to face me. There were a myriad of emotions displayed on his face as if he was finding it hard to pick one. He was still wearing the same t-shirt with the same picture of some random rock band and his faded blue jeans.

"I knew I would find you at a place like this," he finally spoke.

Once his green eyes met mine I was lost in them. And this time when I saw him lean in to kiss me I let him. I let him caress my lips with his and I felt when his arms circled around my body to steady it. I couldn't help wrapping my arms around his neck as he lightly stroked his tongue against mine.

When he broke the kiss I could hear how labored my breathing was. I also noticed the red flush of his skin and smiled a little knowing I was the cause. But just as soon as it had happened I had to end it. I stood quickly and without saying anything went to run away from him. 

Only this time when I went to move away from him he grabbed me by the arm and didn't let go. I looked up into his face and a single tear ran down my cheek. As he bent down to kiss it away I felt the warmth of his breath against my skin. 

And I wanted more than anything to tell him I was sorry for before. But mostly I wanted to just run in the other direction.

"Izzie," he whispered.

"Michael you can't—"

Before I could finish my sentence he had covered my lips with his again. This time with more aggression and force, as if he were starved for kisses and I was his food supply. 

I felt my body lean into his and a small moan left my body. When he finally released me from his iron grip, but still held me firmly to him, I saw the look of determination on his face.

"Don't you dare tell me I don't love you," he said.

"I wasn't," I whispered as I lowered my gaze down to his hands. "I was going to say that you can't keep kissing me like that."

"Why not?" he whispered back. 

He leaned down inches away from my mouth.

"Because you're my best friend," I gasped. 

The closeness was starting to get to me and I tried to stop the tremors that were shaking my body. His green eyes softened a little and he placed his forehead against mine before he let out a deep sigh.

"But I want you to be so much more."

"Michael there is so much more that you don't know. And I can't risk it. I just can't."

"Can't risk what Izzie?" 

He caught my chin with his index finger and lifted my head so that I was gazing into his emerald pools. When I didn't look away he smirked a little and then dropped his head to kiss me again. This time I moved my head so that his lips came into contact with my cheek. 

However this didn't stop him. Instead it fueled him on as he began to trail kisses from my cheek up to my ear. When he stopped there briefly I thought he would give up and back away from me. That was until I felt him lightly nibble on my earlobe. 

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped me or the way my body slightly melted into his. He took this as a sign and lightly nipped at my earlobe with his teeth. This time he definitely heard the gasp that left my lips. And I could almost feel the smile that was taking over his face. 

After a few minutes of this he moved back to my cheek and lightly kissed away the tears that I hadn't realized were falling. Here we were standing in front of a swing set and I was letting him kiss me into oblivion. 

I felt his tongue come into contact with my neck and was quickly snapped out of my reverie. It was at that moment that I noticed his hands were now firmly placed on my hips and he was slightly pulling me towards him. 

His tongue was lightly trailing down my soft milk chocolate skin. All I could think of was how it felt amazing. When he reached my collarbone and nipped at the skin there I moaned softly. He must have heard me because he repeated the action again. And again I let out a low moan.

"Michael," I gasped when I could finally find my voice.

"Yes Isabelle," he mumbled against my body. But he didn't remove his mouth from my skin; he simply just kissed his way to the top of my breast and lingered there for a moment.

"Michael," I nearly screamed.

"No," he said moving back up my body and stopping when he reached my neck.

"What do you mean no?" I bellowed.

"I just do," he said kissing my neck lightly.

"We can't do this," I began when he brought his face within inches of mine.

"Why not?" he challenged me.

"Because—"

"Besides the fact that I'm your best friend," he countered leaning his head in closer to kiss my full lips.

When I didn't say anything he smiled and grabbed my hand. He didn't say a word; he just began to pull me after him. I didn't know what to think or do. 

Should I protest and demand he let me go, or should I just let him take me where ever he wanted no questions asked. It was then that I decided it would have to be a little of both.

"Michael I'm not going with you," I said trying my best to sound stern.

"Yes you are," was all he said.

"At least tell me where we're going."

"It's a surprise."

I was shocked when I looked up and saw a red corvette sitting by the curb of the street. Had I been that wrapped up in my fantasy world that I hadn't heard him pull up in it. He stopped on the passenger side and opened the door. 

I hesitated a moment until he smiled and nodded that I should get in. He quickly walked to the other side of the car and got in. Once inside he started the engine and quickly drove away from the park and all that had happened there.

"Is this the surprise?" I asked gesturing towards the car.

"Part of it," he answered.

"And the other part?"

"Is still a surprise," he said smiling at me but never taking his eyes off the road.

And so we both just sat there in silence. Now the town of Lofton isn't that big but I swore it felt as if we had been driving forever. When we finally came to what looked like an empty building he stopped. I couldn't help the quizzical look that was on my face or the fact that I was rapidly becoming agitated. He knew very well that I hated surprises.

"Get out," he whispered to me in a stern voice.

"Michael—" I began.

"Just get out of the car Izzie," he said smiling at me.

I felt my body do exactly as he told me to do as I slowly opened the door and got out of the car. Once I did he swiftly took me by the hand and guided me toward the door straight ahead of me. He stopped and knocked loudly three times before someone peeked their head out and smiled. 

"Mikey! Long time no see," he said before pausing on me. "I see you brought a friend with you this time.

If I wasn't confused before I most definitely was now. And what was even worse, no one was offering up any information. They were both just cryptically talking to each other. It almost sounded as if it was a different language and I was the only one who didn't speak it.

After walking down a dark corridor we stopped at the door of what looked like an auditorium. I turned to look at Michael, but instead I caught him staring at the stage. 

There was a stool sitting in the middle of it. A smile was now on his face and there was a sparkle in his eyes. Without glancing my way he grabbed my hand and started to run down the aisle with me.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth. Neither could I hide the excitement that was rapidly rising in me. We stopped at the first row of seats in front of the stage and stared up at it. It was huge. It made me feel as if I was a small and insignificant piece of this bigger picture. 

And then it hit me. I was just a small and insignificant piece. And when this all went away where would we be. Because I was sure he would never want me the way I was becoming. 

Breaking me from my thoughts he sat down in one of the seats and sat me on his lap. His arms were snuggly placed around my waist and his head was placed on mine. I could hear him breathing in my scent and it made me sad. Because I knew that it was a fleeting sound. 

Instead I would savor every one that he made. So instead of fighting it I closed my eyes and listened to how his breathing was shallow by steady. I listened to the way he giggled when I leaned my head back and rested it on his shoulder. But most of all I listened to the way he said my name. 

"Isabelle, what are you doing?"

Without thinking I simply replied, "Listening."

"To what?"

"You," I whispered.

"But I haven't said anything," was his only response.

I couldn't help the frown that crossed my face. But I didn't want him to see it. He kissed the side of my neck and then began to talk to me about why we were here. 

"Stay right here."

Lifting me off his lap he stood and then sat me back down in his seat. He walked quickly towards the side door and I watched as it quietly closed behind him. Moments later he reappeared. But he wasn't coming back through the door. He was walking onto the stage carrying a guitar.

That was when it hit me. The stool was set up for him. Was this my surprise? Was my best friend going to serenade me? The light sound of music floated towards my ear and I had my answer.

My mouth dropped open when I heard the words floating out of his mouth, but most of all because he sounded amazing. In all our years of being friends he had never once told me he could sing. I had heard him play guitar plenty of times. But never once were the cords he played accompanied by the lyrics he was now singing to me.

311's Love Song started low and soft. 

As he sang to me my heart swelled and I couldn't help crying. This was one hell of a surprise. As the words to the song floated around me I watched as his eyes stayed fixed on me. He looked serious but at the same time not serious. When I wiped another tear away I heard the words that made reminded me of how he made me feel.

And as I listened to the words, I closed my eyes and whispered the lyrics with him. Once it neared the end of the song I opened my eyes and looked into his deep green pools. He strummed his guitar and sang the last line slowly; trying to emphasize the meaning it had for him.

I will always love you

Once the song was finished he placed his guitar on the stage and disappeared behind the curtain. A few minutes later he walked through the side door smiling. He looked proud of himself as if he wanted to ask me what I had thought of his performance. 

Instead when he stopped in front of me he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to his body. The kiss he gave me told me that he meant every word he had sang. And one of the thoughts I had was that I had to buy that CD. 

He released me and waited for me to say something. The look in his eyes was pure anticipation and anxiety. This was the first time he had openly shared his feelings with anyone. Now he feared that I would throw it back into his face.

"Michael," I slowly whispered.

"Yes?" he said as his voice cracked a little.

"Why me?"

He looked me in the eyes and whispered, "Silly girl. You're everything to me. You were with me when my mom died. You tell me whenever I'm being an asshole. And you never let me get away with anything," he said pausing.

Thinking about what to say next he smiled and began again. "Did you know that when you're sad you look down at your hands? Or did you know that whenever you are nervous you bite your lip? Because I notice everything about you; down to the fact that you are hiding something very important from me," he said pausing to gauge my reaction.

"Michael, I'm sorry but I just can't be that for you," I whispered back.

"You just can't be what for me Izzie?"

Looking into his eyes I whispered, "You're everything."

"It doesn't matter," he began. "You already are."

*************************

On the ride back to my house I looked out the window and thought about what he had said. I wanted to remember everything about him. Even the not so good things. 

On more than one occasion I caught him glancing over at me. But he never said anything. He simply kept whatever he wanted to say to himself. A few moments later we were outside my house. The car slowly pulled into the driveway and stopped. I wanted to move but I couldn't will my body to do so.

Instead I just sat there with my hands in my lap, staring out the window. Almost half an hour passed when finally Michael broke the silence.

"Izzie, do you trust me?"

"Of course," I said turning towards him.

"Then why do you insist on hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding from you...I'm simply sparing you more heartache," I quietly said as I looked down at my hands. Damn it he was right. I did look down at my hands when I was sad.

Lifting my head with one of his hands he caressed my cheek and whispered, "But my heart doesn't ache."

"If you keep this up it will."

I looked down at my hands again and began to fidget. Again he lifted my head and slowly moved toward me. But instead of kissing me he leaned over and opened my door. 

"Call me when you're ready to talk Isabelle," he said into my ear.

But the only words I heard where 'call', 'ready', and 'Isabelle'. How I longed to tell him the truth but how would he respond if he knew that I was slowly losing my hearing. It was bad enough he made fun of it before. It had been a month since I found out it was actually because I had a dormant gene that had finally decided to come out and play.

After that I had made Michael take me to my favorite movie once a week. Once my world went quiet I wanted to remember how it sounded. I wanted to have it engrained into my subconscious. If nothing else went as planned, at least I got to hear him say he loved me.

I was aware that I would have to tell him soon. However it had become even more difficult since he had professed his love for me. Now I could just imagine what he would look like. The words that I was sure would come out of his mouth. He would never want me once he knew I was damaged goods.

Stepping out of the car I closed the door behind me and watched as he backed out of my driveway. I didn't wait for him to drive down the street. Instead I turned and walked into my house. My mother was standing in the kitchen and I watched as she watched her favorite soap opera. 

"Momma," I called to her.

She turned immediately and smiled at me. Her new hearing aid was working perfectly. She had been trying to convince me to go through with the same surgery, but I wanted to wait. One of the side effects of the surgery was that instead of coming out with your hearing you could very well end up deaf way before you would have. So if that was the case, I was willing to take my chances. Every moment with Michael was precious to me, and there was no way I would cheat myself out of the time I had with him.

"Did you finally tell him," she signed to me.

"No," I said to her instead. "Momma you don't have to sign. We can both hear. For now."

"Habit," she said as a smiled crept across her face.

My mom had gone deaf as a child. When I was born they told her that I was doomed to follow in her footsteps. Of course when I finally turned ten and nothing had happened the doctors determined that I should live a normal healthy life. 

It wasn't until I turned seventeen that I noticed little things. The sound of certain things sounded distant. Some of the words were missing from sentences when people spoke to me.

After I told my mom she quickly insisted that we see her doctor. At first I protested but eventually caved. It was then that he found the scar tissue on my ear drums. 

He told me that even though it was rare for something like this to happen so late was rare. He had never seen an adult develop something that should have been developed seven years prior.

"Why not," she signed.

"Mom we're not doing this," I signed back.

"Isabelle, he needs to know!"

"I'll tell him Momma...just not right now," I screamed.

I stormed to my room and slammed my door. It was still a sound that both of us could hear and very much understand. A feeling of remorse crept up in me and I wanted to go out into the hall and apologize to her. But some part of me couldn't face her, because everything she had said was right. No matter how little it was. 

I had to tell him what was going on with me. I just didn't know when or how. It wasn't until I turned to one of the movie posters hanging on my wall that a light went on in my head. I smiled to myself giving my back an invisible celebratory pat on the back. 


Beautiful Stranger Ch. 02



I knew exactly what I was going to do.

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p.s. Don't forget to vote and leave feedback. Hope you enjoyed it.



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 03



Sorry for the extremely long wait. Life got in the way. I hope you enjoy the next chapter. And don't hesitate to let me have it. Lol. I hope you like it.

your friendly onlinestalker

****

The entire way home Michael Sanders replayed the events that had just transpired between him and his best friend. With any luck she would be his girlfriend soon. A smile slowly made its way across his face as he remembered the way her lips felt against his. They were just as soft as he had always imagined, and she was everything he had thought she would be. She was in fact his everything. 

He hadn't been lying to her when he told her that he had loved her since he was seven. If he really looked back at his life, he would notice that he had loved Isabelle Jones since they were babies. Both their parents had been in the hospital at the exact same time. They were born two days apart, making him the oldest. He had always made it a point to tell Isabelle that, because it insured that he got his way. 

From the day they left the hospital, both of their parents made it their mission to keep in touch. And in turn both of them were automatically friends by association. But it was much more than that. Even at a young age Michael made sure that no harm ever came to Isabelle if it didn't have too. This was extremely difficult due to the fact that her mother was deaf. 

That never stopped them from getting into everything, but it did lessen the amount of trouble they got into. They both were taught sign language so that they could communicate with the other. Sometimes when they were at school they would sign so that the other kids didn't know what they were saying. It was their little code that no one was privy too. 

It wasn't until he turned seven that all hell had broken loose. The day had started off like any other day. Isabelle had walked to his house and made her way to his bedroom. Michael's parents gave her a warm smile like always as she walked towards his door. Three knocks later and she was still standing outside his room.

"Michael, Open the door."

"Shit...um...just a minute."

The sound of objects falling alarmed her and without waiting for him she opened the door. "Izzie, I said wait," he yelled. 

Isabelle's eyes widened at the sight before her, because standing in front of her was her best friend. And he was completely naked. This had never bothered her before but they were older now and this was more embarrassing that looking at half naked pictures of them as kids.

"Sorry...sorry." Closing the door she said, "Did you just swear?"

"God Izzie. You just walked in on my naked and you're worried about me swearing?" Opening the door in a pair of jeans. As a seven year old he was cute as a button. His green eyes were a light shade that matched the color of emeralds and she smiled when she thought of how he always seemed to look at her like she was the only friend he had.

"I said sorry."

"So what's up?"

"Are you serious. Today's the big day."

"So?"

"So? So, that means I'm next."

"Izzie, I'll still be older than you," he laughed.

"But I'll still be smarter," she laughed while dodging his grip.

They fell on the floor in a fit of laughter as they caught their breaths. When they both got up he watched as Isabelle held up her finger in an aha moment and walked out of his room. He wanted to follow her, but if he knew Isabelle she probably had something planned. A few seconds later she walked back into the room with a box the size of her hand.

Smiling he looked up at her and then back at the box, "What is it?"

"Open it crazy."

Ripping the box from her hand he quickly tore at the paper and opened it. Inside he found a medal of St. Christopher. "I saved up my allowance to get it for you. It's supposed to be for safe travel or something," she whispered as she looked down at the ground.

In his hand, Michael held the necklace of St. Christopher. His eyes lifted to find hers on the ground and then they diverted back to the necklace. "I don't understand."

"Well...you guys are going on vacation to someplace far this summer. It's supposed to keep you safe while you're gone."

Looking down at it again he lifted it and slipped it over his head. "I'll never take it off."

Michael's head jerked to the side as he noticed the car beside him was honking its horn. Looking up he noticed that the light had turned green. He had let his thoughts run away with him. It was only three blocks to get to his house so it didn't take long. Walking through the gate he noticed for the first time in years that his father was sitting on the porch instead of in front of the television.

"So you finally told her," he said still rocking.

"Told who what?"

"Don't play with me son," he whispered back.

"Was it that obvious," he said walking towards his father.

"Only since forever," he laughed.

Laughing back he stopped in front of his dad and shook his head, "It doesn't matter. She said she doesn't feel the same way."

"And you believed her?"

Sighing he shook his head again, "No."

"Son, when I met your mother she made it her mission in life to make me miserable. I tried everything to get her to notice me, but nothing ever worked. She turned me down three times before she even went on a date with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he laughed as he recalled those days. "After we'd been dating for awhile I asked her to marry me and you know what...she said no. I know I was surprised too. But I didn't give up. Five foiled tries and three cold nights standing outside her room playing corny love songs later she said yes. It was the longest six months of my life."

"Dad. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because, I'll never get to tell her that I would have waited forever if she made me."

The sad look in his eyes told him exactly what he needed to do. He just hoped it would be enough. Leaning down he hugged his father tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He hadn't talked about his mother since the day she had died, and he wasn't about to let his words of wisdom fall upon deaf ears. Turning around he strode out to his car.

****

I had only begun to set my plan into action. It was something I had seen in my favorite movie. It was classic. I sat at my desk writing down a list of items I would need to pick up from the store. It would take a couple days to finish, plus picking the right place. But if executed correctly it would be amazing.

"Mom, I'm going to the store," I yelled. Before I could say another word I walked straight into my worse nightmare. Sitting in my living room was Michael. He was still in the same clothes. Of course he would be I chastised myself. He had only dropped her off an hour ago. Looking around I saw that my mom was nowhere in sight.

"She went out."

His voice broke my concentration as I was forced to look at him. "Huh?"

Standing up he walked towards me and stopped when he was mere inches from my body. "Your mom. She said she was going out. Her exact words."

"My mom doesn't go out," I said more to myself than to him.

"Well she does now," he laughed.

"Mike, what are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that I'd stand outside your room in the cold with corny music."

"What?"

"Damn, that came out wrong," he laughed. "What I meant was, that I love you Izzie. Whether you want me to or not. I can't help it. And so if it takes you some time to accept that then fine. But I won't make it easy for you. I won't pretend we're just friends anymore, because we're so much more and you know it."

Opening my mouth I quickly closed it, because I had no words to describe how in awe I was of him. Why couldn't I be that brave? Because you're a coward a voice in my head screamed. "Mike."

"Izzie," he countered.

"I have something to tell you. It's big."

"You can tell me anything, baby."

A shiver ran down my spine as those words settled on my ears. He had just called me baby. An involuntary smile crossed my face as I looked up into those big emerald eyes of his. "What?"

"Nothing," I whispered.

"Well what's this big something as you put it."

"Um...can we go somewhere else?"

"I know just the place."

On the drive, I watched out the window. At least I wasn't going blind. At least I would be able to look at him and see everything I loved about him. That was a small miracle that I could live with. As the car turned onto a dirt road I couldn't help but smile. He was taking me to our spot. No one knew about it but us. It was a field out in the middle of nowhere. There was a barn off in the distance but it looked deserted. We'd walk forever just to get to it, but it was well worth the exercise.

"We haven't been here in awhile," he said breaking through my thoughts. "Not since--," he whispered not finishing his thought.

He parked beside the barn and got out of the car. Once I got out and closed the door he held my hand and we walked inside the barn. For a deserted barn it wasn't too bad. There were stalls on one end and a makeshift room on the other that looked like it was used for an office.

He led me into the room and closed the door. "So talk."

"Talk. Okay. Talk."

"Izzie," he whispered pulling me into his embrace. "Just say it. Don't think about it."

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, "I—"

"Shit." 

The sound of ringing cut me off. I looked down at the source as Michael quickly fished it out of his pocket and looked at the caller id. Unknown. His eyes darted up to me and I saw a new look in his eyes. I stepped back and watched as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. Seconds later it stopped.

"That could have been important."

"It wasn't," he said slowly.

"Oh. Who was it?"

"No one."

Letting out a laugh, I said, "Well it sounds like no one is very persistent."

It wasn't until then that he realized his phone had gone off again. Only this time he didn't take it out of his pocket. Instead he was content to let it ring. "I don't need to answer it. I'm here with you and that's all I care about right now."

"Mike, just answer it. It looks like they aren't going to give up until they reach you."

Swearing under his breath he jerked the phone out of his pocket and pressed a button, "What!"

After a few seconds all the color drained in his face, "What?"

I watched intently as his eyes flashed up to mine and looked away. Then without saying a word to me he walked towards the door of the office, opened it, and walked out. He had left me standing all alone with nothing but my thoughts. A few minutes later he walked back into the room looking as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. "We need to go."

"Why," I asked standing up from the chair I had found.

"My dad's had a heart attack."

"Oh my god. Let's go."

The drive back into town was a long one. The entire way neither of us said anything. Mostly because this was like déjà vu. It had been eleven years since his mom had died. And now he feared that the very same thing was happening all over again. That day had been the worst, because it was supposed to be his day. So instead of blowing out candles on his birthday, he got to say goodbye to his mother.

The car screeched to a halt in front of the emergency entrance. He didn't even wait for it to stop completely before he ran inside with me following closely behind him. 

"Jonathan Sanders?"

"Are you his son?"

"Yes ma'am. Is he okay?"

Looking down at her clipboard the nurse frowned and quietly said, "You'll have to wait until the doctor comes out."

"But you could just tell me."

"Sir, I can't. If you can just have a seat and the doctor will be out shortly."

"But—"

"Michael, let's just come over here and sit down."

I could see the pain in his eyes and it broke my heart. I couldn't possibly tell him now. Not when his father's life was hanging in the balance. I could wait a little bit longer. Half an hour passed before the doctor finally came out. The nurse pointed towards us and nodded her head. 

"Michael, my name is Dr. Drake Williams." Pausing to see I was there he cleared his throat and continued. "If I can just talk to you alone for a moment."

"Whatever you have to say you can say in front of her."

Pausing again the doctor nodded and went on to say, "You're father had a massive coronary. We were able to stabilize him long enough for him to give us some information. However...he suffered another attack shortly after. I'm sorry, but his heart couldn't take the second attack so close after he had his first one."

"No."

"He died a few minutes ago."

"No no no no no."

"Son—"

"Don't call me that!"

Clearing his throat he looked toward me and pleaded for me to take him outside. "Mikey, lets go get something to drink or maybe some fresh air."

"You! It's your fault," he screamed at me.

"What?"

"If I hadn't been so wrapped up in you and stayed closer to home he'd be alive."

"Michael," the doctor interjected, "his heart was badly damaged. This attack was inevitable and nothing anyone could have done could have stopped it."

"But I could have been there. I—I wasn't there for him either," he cried. Turning towards me he said, "I could have forgiven you for the first time...but...but"

A tear slid down my cheek as I realized what he was saying. I had taken him away the day his mother died too. I told him it would just be for a few seconds, but time got away from us and before we knew it the sun had gone down. When he didn't come back home, his mother had gone to look for us. It wasn't until he came home an hour later that he found out her car was struck by a drunk driver. She had died on impact.

"Mikey—"

"Don't fucking call me that. Don't even look at me."

"But you said you loved me," I said meekly.

"Love you? I fucking can't stand to look at you right now."

"You don't mean that," I gasped.

"As far as I'm concerned, Isabelle Jones...you're dead to me," he yelled. "Dead!"

Tears coursed down my cheeks as the words washed over me. Nodding my head I whispered my apologies and walked as fast as I could to the exit. Once I had walked a block I broke down and cried. I cried because those words would be the last ones I ever heard him speak.



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 04



Told you I wouldn't make you wait too long. This chapter takes place some time after the last one. There will probably be some confusion but don't worry all of that will be cleared up in the next chapter. So without further adieu I give you Chapter 4.

****

Five years later

"Damn Isabelle."

A smile crossed my face as I walked around in my new outfit. It was a red halter that glowed against my chocolate skin. And the jeans only accentuated the curves and nice firm butt that hid beneath it. 

I didn't have many things that were too dressy, but the items I did have were beautiful. Truth be told I was a tomboy at heart. "You like?"

"If I wasn't gay," he began.

I rolled my eyes at Thomas. He was forever making comments like that. "So where are we going anyway," I signed. 

It had been four years since I had completely lost my hearing. I quickly adjusted to my new life, but it didn't suck any less that I couldn't hear anything anymore. And to make matters worse I didn't have very many memories to fall back on. 

Not long after I left, I was in a pretty bad car wreck. The kind where there's an ambulance and paramedics wheel you out of a screaming death machine of speed. After the accident there were spots of time that I was missing. I could see certain people but I couldn't remember them if I tried. For the first year after I lost my hearing and some of my memories I felt as if I had no one in the world. It was a feeling I had before the accident, but after it just grew to unbearable proportions. 

Thomas had come into my life a couple of years ago. I met him while I was in school. Once I finally lost my hearing I figured a new start was in order, and so I moved as far as I could and reinvented myself. I didn't want to go to a school for the hearing impaired. 

So instead I opted to take a class at the Y. It was a sign language class that was taught after hours. It was there that I first saw Thomas. When he realized I was actually deaf we would practice on each other. After awhile he became a permanent fixture in my life. 

Looking at him, Thomas would have been exactly who I would have gone for. His six foot three inch frame towered over me and I was forever looking up at him. And when I did, his baby blues were staring right back at me. And in there was more love than I could ever imagine one person having for another. 

He wore his hair kind of long these days. Whenever I asked him why he didn't cut it he simply kept telling me how much the guys loved it. I could definitely believe it. Even I loved it. The brown locks just screamed touch me.

"New club. I think it's called Hells Bells."

"Hells Bells?"

"Yeah. I figured it was perfect for you," he winked.

"A club named Hells Bells reminded you of me? Really Tommy?"

"God you know I hate when you call me Tommy? Makes me feel like a little kid."

"Babe, you still act like a little kid," I laughed.

"Tell that to Stephen," he smiled winking at me.

Shaking my head I looked at myself again in the mirror. I hadn't really been out since I moved to New York. The atmosphere wasn't exactly what I was used to. There was so much going on all the time. Thomas was the only steady thing I had in my life.  

Everything else had disappeared five years ago. I trembled a little as I tried to remember my past and was only allowed little snippets. And a frown slowly formed where my smile had just been. The doctor told me that in time I would remember everything. I just need that little ping. Which he described as a little push against my memories to start their engines to rev up.

"Hey," he waved at me.

Snapping back to the present I turned to see Thomas looking at me funny. "Where'd you just go," he signed.

"Nowhere," I said smiling.

"Well next time you go nowhere let me go too. I need a vacation," he laughed.

God I wish I could hear him laugh. The way his face lit up was the most beautiful thing in the world. I had tried to imagine what he would sound like, but my imagination was slowly slipping and even the sound in my head was beginning to fade. I smiled even bigger when he grabbed my hand and led me to the bed to sit beside him. His hands stroked my hair as he looked into my eyes.

"How's your lip reading?"

"Better. Why?"

Dropping his hands he said, "Because I wanted to tell you that I love you. And that you will always have me."

Tears started to form as I watched him tell me he loved me. I knew it was the love a brother had for his sister, but it was more than I had heard in years. I let out a small laugh at myself for using the word heard. His hands quickly wiped away the tears sliding down my cheeks as he looked into my eyes and smiled. 

Yes, he had come into my life at exactly the right time.

****

Music filled his ears as the loud rapid beeping ripped through the speakers. Techno. Whoever invented it should have been shot in his opinion. But that was what they liked and whatever they liked he supplied them with. 

He had just opened the club as a reminder to himself. It was a reminder that everything could go to Hell in a matter of moments. For him it had been a matter of seconds that slowly evolved into years. 

His hands ran through his dirty blonde hair as his eyes scanned the crowed from his VIP balcony. The club was packed tonight. If he was lucky he was going to make twice as much as he had the previous night. It had taken him awhile to get the permit on the outskirt of town. It wasn't a far drive from the city, but I was far enough that many of the critics thought no one would want to grace it's presence. Nothing made him happier than proving them all wrong.

A smile crept across his face as he heard someone approaching him. "Michael, my man."

Turning around he saw the smiling face of his business partner Stephen. He had met him when he moved into town the previous year. After graduating from Texas State he thought he would give big city living a try. 

A small town boy at heart, he figured the worse that could happen was he would have to work twice as hard to achieve his dreams. 

"Stephen, how's it going?"

"You know how it is man. A little bit of this. A little bit of that," he laughed.

"Right," he smiled.

"Actually I wanted to give you a heads up. I have a friend coming here tonight. He's bringing someone with him and I want both of them to have the royal treatment. Champagne...free everything."

"A friend?" he screamed over the music.

Blushing, Stephen looked down at him with his light brown eyes and screamed back, "Yeah. A friend." 

His olive skin still glowed even in the faded lights and dark shadows. His black hair was slicked back and pulled into a ponytail and his eyes gladly followed the shaking bodies and gyrating of all the patrons below. If he told himself the truth, Stephen was hoping that Thomas would become more than a friend. 

He had found that the past month with him was nothing like he had imagined. In their time together he had made him feel like the only man in the universe. 

When Stephen had suggested that he come to the club Thomas immediately mentioned his friend Isabelle. He saw how much he loved her and if that was what it took to gain just a piece of his heart he would gladly welcome her into his life as well.

"Besides, I already told them they were comped for it anyway," he smiled showing off his pearly white teeth.

"Of course you did."

"Hey don't worry man. Maybe this friend of his will take an interest in you," he winked.

"God, do you think of anything else?"

"Of course. Does ice cream count?"

"I guess."

"Covered all over the hard planes of—"

"Whoa whoa man. Too much information. Damn."

Laughing Stephen looked at his friend and screamed, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you."

When he turned to walk away, Michael looked down at the crowd again. The song had changed to a much slower beat and a lot of the crowd had scattered to opposite sides of the dance floor.

Most of the women were being pursued by drunk men looking for easy prey, and even easier women. He shook his head thinking about how desperate a guy had to be to resort to getting a woman drunk before she would even speak to them, let alone sleep with them.

"Hells Bells is featuring it's first ever dance competition tonight. It begins in exactly one...hour," the DJ announced as the music began again. The murmurs in the crowd were few and far between. 

"Oh and did I mention that first place winner will get five easy and a date with the club owner. The man himself Mr. Michael Saunders."

The spotlights flashed on Michael's face as the crowd let out a roar of approval. His eyes widened as he heard himself being offered up on a silver platter. "Stephen!"

But by that time Stephen was down on the dance floor. He could see him hugging a man who was an inch or two taller than he was. On his arm was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. When the lights spun towards her, his breath caught in his throat and his world began to spiral out of control.

"Isabelle?"

****

"You must be Elle," he said taking her hand in his.

Nodding her head she looked at Thomas and smiled. They both laughed at looked back at him again. "What? What's so funny?"

"She's just agreeing that you are exactly as handsome as I made you out to be."

"Oh really. So you talk about me?"

"Everyday," I signed.

His eyebrow lifted in confusion as he looked between the two of us, "She's deaf?"

"She's right here," Thomas translated for me.

"Shit. You understood me?"

"Of course. I'm deaf not blind. I can read your lips."

"Does Thomas always translate for you?"

I shook my head and then smiled at Thomas before signing, "Sometimes I translate for him."

"I don't get it," he said before Thomas turned towards me and began to sign at me furiously. This only broadened my smile, before I too began to sign at him.

"Guys?"

"Oh. Sorry Stephen. I was just telling Elle that she should keep her mouth shut."

"But I didn't open my mouth," I signed and spoke at the same time. Stephen was surprised by the sound of my voice. It didn't sound anything like he had imagined. My words flowed easily and not at all like the few deaf people he had probably come into contact with. 

Watching his confusion, I leaned forward and said, "I never stopped talking. Even though I can't hear my own words I didn't want to become a Mute. People just have to tell me to come down a few octaves. That's all."

"Oh."

Shaking my head I signed to Thomas that I was going to the bar. I gave him a small peck on the cheek and walked away from him. Leaving him alone with the man I knew had stolen his heart. Even if he was too stubborn to admit it. 

Once I got to the bar I sat down and ordered a Cosmopolitan. It was at that moment that I was glad that Thomas had made me pick up learning to read lips. I had begun to grow tired of the never-ending questions on why I was moving my hands so funny. 

So when the bartender turned around and asked what I was having, I simply blurted out the words. Since the music was so loud no one noticed my unusual high-pitched voice or the fact that I was screaming too loud. Everyone was.

It wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder that I turned around. In front of me stood a breathtakingly handsome man. His eyes reminded me so much of when I was younger and for a second I became lost in them. 

It wasn't until I looked down at his pink lips that I noticed he was talking to me. "Can you repeat that?"

"I said 'What are you doing here?'"

"I came here to dance...like everyone else," I said turning back to the bar and my drink.

"You know what I mean! Don't ignore me," he screamed as he turned me back to face him. I caught the words ignore and me.

Before I could say anything I saw Thomas walk up behind him. "Is there a problem?"

"Stay out of this. It isn't your business!" he spat out.

"It is when it involves her," Thomas said squaring his shoulders.

I watched in amazement as Thomas came to my rescue. Turning towards me he walked over and grabbed my face. My eyes darted to his as I focused on his mouth. "No. He didn't hurt me." 

The next words out of my mouth were, "Yes please." And as quickly as he had gotten there Thomas was ushering me out of the club. Before we exited I spared on last glance at the man with the emerald green eyes. His stare was still penetrating my soul and I had to look away before I got lost in his gaze forever.

Smack.

"What the fuck was that man?"

Rubbing his arm he looked at Stephen and then back at the door. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You practically pulled Elle's arm out of the socket."

"Elle?"

"Elle. The beautiful girl you were manhandling."

She was calling herself Elle now? Of course she was he thought angrily. And pretending she didn't know him was a nice trick too. 

When he had told her all those years ago that she was dead to him, he never thought she would still be holding him to his word. So much so that she acted as if she didn't know him at all. To say that it hurt was an understatement, but he had brought it on himself.

"Michael! Earth to Michael!"

"Where does your friend live?"

"Why?"

"Just fucking tell me!"

"No."

Looking him dead in the eyes Michael gritted through his teeth, "No?" 

"I don't know why you have become so obsessed with Elle so fast but I won't let you hurt her. Thomas will take care of her."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he screamed.

Narrowing his eyes, Stephen tensed and walked towards his friend before stopping a few inches from him, "Maybe when you start acting like yourself I'll introduce you two again...without Elle there. When you're done with your obsession with her we'll talk." 

Michael growled under his breath as he watched him walk through the crowd and disappear. "Damn it!"

****

On the way back to my apartment I couldn't help but think of the man in the club. He had been so angry with me and had talked to me as if he knew me. But for the life of me I couldn't remember where I had seen him at. There was something very familiar about him that mad me smile though. 

"Elle?" I felt him tap on my shoulder and watched as he said my name. "We're here."

Nodding I simply stepped out of his car and began to walk towards the door. Turning me towards him he hugged me close to him and then began to sign on my back. "Sorry."

"Pulling away from him I signed, "For what?"

"For leaving you alone. That guy looked pissed at you."

Waving away his fears I turned and unlocked my door. Walking into the dark hall I flipped on the light and waited for Thomas to follow me. He had been my roommate for a couple of years ever since his last boyfriend had decided to use him as a human punching bag. 

Once he had come to my door with his eyes swollen shut. It was after that moment that I decided he would live with me for as long as he needed to. It wasn't until later that I realized I needed him just as much.

Sitting my keys down beside the door, I walked further into the tiny apartment we shared. The décor was minimal at best. The walls were still painted white and there was little to nothing on the wall. 

Thomas had tried to get me to decorate but I found that decorating wasn't my given talent. My given talent was something much more important. 

"Isabelle," I felt him sign against my skin. Turning around I saw the questions in his eyes. "Who was that man?"

Signing, "Honestly. I don't know."

Looking me in the eyes he saw that I was telling the truth. Frowning at me he lightly touched my face and said, "Well he sure as hell knows you."

****

"Fuck!" he slammed his fist through a wall. The pain was nothing like what he was feeling. It was an anger he hadn't felt since he was eighteen. A feeling he wanted to slowly ebb away into nothing. 

But when he saw her again all the feelings he had been tapping down and trying to forget emerged to the surface again. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her. At first he almost didn't recognize her. She wasn't the same doe eyed tomboy he remembered. 

The way her hips swayed to the music was hypnotic if not mesmerizing. He had wanted to go to her at that moment. But when he spotted her with another man he saw red flash before his eyes. Why should he care? He didn't know why he did, he only knew that he couldn't stand the sight of her being touched so intimately by someone other than him. 

His intention was to go over and say hi. But when she pretended that she didn't remember him, it was like a slap in the face. If she wanted to act like a bitch he would show her the true meaning of it. All he needed now was to find her and teach her that she had messed with his life for the last time. 

"Boss. We heard a loud noise. Fuck are you bleeding?"

"Don't worry about it Anthony. Just go home. The clubs been closed for a couple of hours."

A weary looked crossed his expression as he watched Michael wrap his hand in a bandage. "I can stay. I don't mind."

"Nonsense. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Anthony nodded his head and quietly closed the door behind him. A small sigh escaped his lips as he remembered a time when he had been truly happy. With her. But just as soon as the thought crossed his mind it quickly disappeared. 

She had ruined it all in the blink of an eye. She had cost him so much time with his family and now they were all gone. 

The only thing he had left was his success. And he'd be damned if he let her invade his thoughts and ruin the last bit of dignity and control he had left.

As he walked out of his back office he watched the cleaning crew pick up their supplies and leave. His eyes wandered around the club as he surveyed his success. 

He was only twenty-three and he already owned three night clubs and two restaurants. Life was good. Now all he had to do was erase the image of her from his memory and go back to the way he had been for the past five years.

Across town Stephen was knocking on the door of the man he loved. He waited patiently for him to answer, but when he didn't he knocked even louder. 

"What!" 

"Sorry Thomas."

"Oh. No, it's okay. Come in."

"Thanks."

As he walked past Thomas he caught a whiff of his cologne. It wafted towards his senses and stayed there. He couldn't help closing his eyes to remember the smell. It was pure heaven. 

When he stopped in the living room he turned around and saw him staring at him. A lump formed in his throat as he tried to form the words he had been practicing since he got into his car.

"I'm sorry for my partner."

"Partner?"

"Business partner," he sputtered, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"Of course. Um. It's not you who needs to apologize."

Looking down at the floor he continued, "I've never seen him so angry before. It was so unlike him to grab a customer like that."

"She doesn't seem too upset by it. But I don't think we'll be coming back to your club anytime soon. Not with him there."

"I understand," he said walking towards the door.

"It doesn't mean you have to go," he heard a voice whisper behind him. Turning he saw blue eyes piercing his brown ones. "Stay...if you want."

"I want," Stephen whispered back through a muffled hoarse voice.

Walking towards him, he slowly ran his fingers through his hair. He loved how the brown locks spiraled around his fingers. His eyes shifted to Thomas' again and he noticed that there was a new look there. Lust? No. Something much more profound than that. And it sent a shiver down his spine. 

"Thomas...I—"

"Shh...don't say anything," he whispered leaning against his hard chest. "Follow me."

****

As my eyes opened the first thing I saw was the time. 8:15. Shit I'm going to be late. Leaping from my bed I fling open my bedroom door and make a beeline towards the bathroom. Opening the door, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight before me. 




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 04



Leaning against the sink I saw Thomas and behind him was Stephen. And they're both naked. And from the look on Stephen's face from the mirror they aren't just saying hello. 

Slowly backing away from the door, I close it and walk back to my room with a smile on my face. It's about damn time. In all the time I've known Thomas, never has he allowed anyone to stay in the apartment. It was either them inviting him over to their place or him arranging a location for them to meet. 

The fact that he allowed Stephen to stay was a profound step towards him recovering and gaining some of his life back. The next thought in my mind was this is the one time I'm glad I can't hear anything. 

Deciding to use the shower down the hall, I quickly dress and race out of the door. Jumping into my car I back out of my parking spot and head towards my destination. I had an interview with a new company and I didn't want to be late. That wasn't the first impression I wanted to make. 

M.S Publishing was an up and coming publishing company. With the drawings I had done for my previous employer and the experience I had working with some big name companies I was a shoo in. Parking in the visitor parking lot, I walked swiftly through the front door and up to the elevator. 

I had ten minutes to make it to the twelfth floor. The elevator doors opened a second later and took me to my destination. When I got to the publication floor I signed a breath of relief. I still had five minutes to spare.

Walking up to the desk, I waited for the secretary to notice me. Once she looked up she smiled and asked me how she could help.

"I'm here for a meeting for the job opening for a new public marketing consultant," I said aloud hoping I wasn't screaming at her.

"Of course."

"Sir. You're 9 o'clock is here."

"Send them in."

Looking up the woman at the front desk smiled, "He'll see you right now Ms. Jones."

"Thank you," I say as I follow the direction her hand is pointing. I walk towards a glossy door that almost looks transparent. As I walk in I quickly open my portfolio and begin to take out the previous projects I had worked on. 

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll get that to you as soon as I can. Yeah...yeah...well I have to go. I have a meeting right now. I will. Bye-bye."

As soon as he ended the call he waited for his new interviewee to speak. When they didn't he began to talk, "So what makes you think you're qualified to do this job?"

Silence.

"I said 'What makes you think you're qualified to do this job?'" he asked turning around.

His body swiveled around in his chair and his eyes locked on the sight in front of him. Her head was down and she was work furiously to reorganize her paperwork but he would recognize that face anywhere.

"You!" he yelled.

When she didn't respond he became furious. "This isn't the way to get a job Isabelle. Or should I call you Elle?"

Again she didn't answer him. Becoming angrier by the second he stood and walked towards her standing in her light. It wasn't until then that she realized he must have been speaking to her. "I'm sorry sir, can you say that again?" she asked as she finally looked up.

"You!"

"Yes. Me! What games are you playing at Isabelle?"

Scrunching my face up I asked him, "What game?"

"You damn well know what game!" he yelled, but was surprised when she didn't flinch. Maybe she had gotten an even thicker skin than he thought.

"I'm sorry sir. I was told to be here at 9. I was. I didn't mean to be so disorganized, but my papers fell on my way in and I barely had time to make it here on time. It's not an excuse but it's the only reason I have."

"Why are you yelling at me...and stop fucking calling me sir!"

Shit. I was yelling. "I apologize. Sometimes I forget to control the level of my voice. I'm still working on that."

"Right," he said sarcastically.

"Right," I repeated seeing the sarcasm in his face. "Look, if this is going to be a problem I can leave. I need this job, but not at the risk of your...your..anger."

"Damn right I'm angry," he yelled turning away from me.

"Could you say that to my face," I asked.

"Oh I'll say that and much more to your face. What are you doing here Isabelle?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? I'm here to fill the public marketing consultant job."

Stepping closer to me he leaned within an inch of my face and said, "You know damn well what I mean."

"Actually sir, I don't."

"Isabelle—"

"First..sir. Stop calling me Isabelle like you know me. My name is Ms. Jones. And I'd like to keep it that way. Professional. And second. If you have an issue with me because of last night at that club I can gladly leave," I huffed.

"There you go yelling again."

"The first time was an accident. This time you're getting on my damn nerves."

Taking a step back he smiled, "Wow Izzy, you've grown a pair I see."

"Fuck this. I'm leaving. Good day and hope you can find someone as qualified as I am," I screamed as I got up to leave. But as I opened the door a hand pushed it closed and I felt the heat coming off his body.

"You're not leaving until I'm done." 

Silence.

Spinning me around to face him I saw his mouth move, "Did you hear me damnit!"

"No."

"No?"

"No. What is that some kind of joke? Make fun of the deaf girl?"

"What...deaf?"

"Yes. Deaf. Me. I'm deaf. Didn't they tell you before they set up this interview?"

"Holy Fuck!"

"Yes. Holy fuck! I'm deaf and you're denying me a job. Wonder how HR will see that. Hmm...oh well."

"But you're talking to me. You can hear what I'm saying," he stuttered.

"No I can SEE what you are saying. I've been reading your lips. I try to have some semblance of a normal life. Especially since most people can't sign."

"When...when did it happen?"

"Not that it's any of your business but it began 5 years ago. Completely 4 years ago."

Looking at me as if I had grown another head I watched as he said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought your office told you—"

"Not now. Then?"

"Then?"

Slamming his hand against the wall beside my head his face turned red as he I saw he say, "Don't fucking play games with me. Before...when we were kids. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kids. Sir, I've never met you before last night."

"That's a lie. I've known you all my life. You're Isabelle Jones from Lofton, Texas."

"I'm sorry," I said looking up at him with shock and confusion. "But, I don't remember you."



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 05



Sorry it took me so long to post this. I hope you like it and it doesn't confuse anyone. Please leave feedback. I love to hear what you think

***

A sound left his mouth, that almost sounded like a gasp. But the look in his eyes was pure anger and confusion. I could see that he thought I was lying. The more I looked into his eyes, I could see something that pulled at my heart. It was a feeling that was familiar and yet it almost hurt to think about it. Was it supposed to feel like this? Like something was caressing my heart and stabbing it at the same time.

My eyes diverted to anyplace other than his. I found that after awhile it was hard to look into those emerald gems. I couldn't keep standing there and look at him. Not without losing a piece of myself to his gaze. And so I turned my head and looked at the chair I had just vacated.

I could feel his body heat quickly leaving and a part of me missed it. A flash of a boy smiling at me caught my attention. And as I looked at him I could see some of the similarities. But that was impossible. So instead I turned and opened the door to leave.

Turning me around he looked at me and asked, "You don't remember me?"

The expression on his face told me that this was something he had never expected. And if I was correct I could see a look of pain or hurt in his expression. A lump formed in my throat and I found that it was harder to answer him. After a few seconds, I shook my head no and waited for him to say something. 

"How's that possible? We were--"

"What?" I asked looking at him expectantly.

He paused for a second and looked down before turning his attention back to me, "Friends."

A part of me was wishing he would say something else. Something that would explain this new feeling I was experiencing. "Oh."

"Yeah." Then he looked at me and asked, "Would you rather I signed. I can see you squinting."

I laughed a little to myself. He was right. I still hadn't fully gotten used to reading lips. Although I could watch his mouth move forever. The way it turned up to one side more than the other when he smirked. It was all I could do to not kiss them. Then I remembered that I was supposed to hate him. He had been an ass to me. So why did I suddenly find myself drawn to him.

"No. I'm just gonna leave."

"No."

"What?"

Probably thinking that I didn't understand he signed, "No."

"I understood you. But why can't I leave. A minute ago you didn't want me here," I signed back.

"I thought you were trying to pretend you didn't know me Izzie. Part of me still thinks that."

Feeling my anger slowly building again I looked him in the eyes and signed, "Fuck you."

Then I turned around and opened the door and walked out hoping that I slammed it. Walking as calmly as I could I made it to the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. I was almost free when I saw a hand stop the doors from closing. When I saw who it was I pushed my anger back down and turned away from him.

When I felt his hand on my shoulder I looked up at him and could see the anger I was trying so hard to keep at bay. "Damn it Izzie. Will you stop running from me."

"I'm not running," I signed.

"The hell you aren't. You did it five years ago. And you're doing it now."

Sighing I looked into his eyes and began to sign slowly. "I don't remember anything from five years ago. Except--I doesn't matter what I remember. I know what I don't remember and what I don't remember is you."

My heart jumped to my throat as I watched him walk closer to me. When my back hit the wall, I realized that I had nowhere else to go. His hand reached up and touched a strand of hair that had fallen out of place, tucking it behind my ear. I couldn't help but bite my lip at the feel of his skin against mine. He must have noticed because his tongue flicked over his own. And then they were kissing me.

I pushed against his chest at first, but as it became more demanding I found that I didn't want him to stop. As my arm snaked around his neck I heard him groan and lean into me. My eyes widened when I felt the evidence of his arousal pressed against me. 

"Whoa...I'll take the stairs."

His head popped up at the sound of someone's voice. When I looked up I finally realized that we were at the lobby. And that I had just kissed a complete stranger. The only thing was he didn't feel like a stranger. Kissing him felt like going home. And that was something I couldn't allow to happen. Looking up at him I pushed him aside and as fast as I could walked out of the lobby and straight to me car. Leaving him alone to wonder what had just happened.

****

Opening the door to the apartment I was greeted with the same silence I was accustomed to. Nothing new there. But what was new was the smell that met me as I walked in. Putting my briefcase down, I walked towards the kitchen and was surprised when I saw Stephen leaning over the stove looking into one of the pots.

He must have heard my footsteps because he turned around with a sauce spoon in his hand. The smile that crossed his face told me that he was happy to meet me. But that smile quickly faded and he walked over to me and gave me a hug. It wasn't until then that I realized I had begun to cry. The tears ran down my cheeks and I didn't know why. I hadn't cried in three years. Not since my mom. 

Finally breaking away from his hold, I wiped my eyes and looked over his shoulder. Remembering that he didn't know how to sign I yelled in his ear, "Where's Thomas."

I could see him cringe at the volume of my voice before he pointed towards the room down the hall. I smiled apologetically and made my way towards his room. Not even bothering to knock I opened the door and found him singing into a hairbrush. I stopped and watched him dance to whatever song was probably playing. 

When he turned around I cupped my hand over my mouth and watched as his eyes narrowed. "Are you laughing at me," he signed.

"Hell yes," I signed back.

Looking at me a little closer he frowned and asked, "Have you been crying?"

I shrugged my shoulder and sat down on his bed. I didn't want to rehash the recent events. Especially how I had just cried on his new boyfriend. No, I would just sit here and let the agony and pain wash over me slowly. I'd let them drown my sorrow and hopefully take my heart with it.

When I felt his hands on my face I looked up and smiled. But it was clear that I had been crying and was about to start again. 

"What happened," he asked as I watched his mouth closely.

"Job interview," I signed.

Slapping his forehead he looked down at me, "Didn't get it?"

"Never got to the interview portion."

He frowned again at me and before he could ask the question I began to explain. "The guy from last night was my interviewer." I watched as his body stiffened and wished I hadn't divulged that bit of information.

"What did he do to you?" he signed to me furiously.

"Nothing. I mean he yelled and accused me of knowing him. Then...he kissed me."

"What!" Thomas turned his head and stared at the source of the outburst. I followed his league and saw how angry he looked. "He kissed you! I told him to stay away from you!"

"Interview," I saw Thomas say.

"So! That doesn't mean kiss her. It means hire her. Maybe get to know her."

Raising my hand I looked at Thomas and asked him, "What is he talking about?"

He shrugged and we both looked at him waiting for an answer. When he didn't say anything, Thomas stood and walked towards him. They had what looked like a heated conversation and then they both looked at me. 

"What?"

"He wanted to know where you lived and Stephen told him to leave you alone. He's obsessed with you."

"He said he knows me," I signed to them both.

Stephen looked to Thomas for a translation and all he got was a strange look. Then he asked me the million dollar question.

"Does he?"

****

Michael looked down at the photos he kept beside his bed. The one he had in his hand was of him and Isabelle before his father died. She had made him go to this cheesy photo booth. Almost all of the pictures were of them being silly and putting rabbit ears on each other. All of them except one. In that one it had him staring at her while she smiled for the camera. 

And now she was saying she didn't remember him. How was any of that possible. They had known each other since they were kids. There was no way she could ever forget him. Deciding to call the only other person who knew them both, he reached in his suit jacket and retrieved his phone. He really hoped the phone number hadn't changed.

Pressing send he waited for someone to pick up the phone. When they did he was shocked to hear the voice of a man. Maybe she had gotten a boyfriend. Or married. Clearing his throat he smiled and asked, "May I speak to Mrs. Jones."

There was a long pause before the man on the other end asked, "The woman that used to live here?"

"Used to?"

He could hear him clear his voice, "Yeah. Nice black lady right. Deaf?"

"Yeah. Did she move or something?" I asked hoping he knew where I could find her.

"Are you family?"

"Something like that," I sighed getting tired of the twenty questions.

"Oh. I'm sorry sir," he said in low tone. "But she died...about three years ago."

A gasp left him as he listened to what the man said. "Died--what do you mean died."

"It was in all of the papers. Her and her daughter were in a real bad accident. The daughter lost what was left of her hearing and the mom was in a coma. She had a stroke about three years ago and suffered brain damage. Her daughter used to come all the time. She kept saying she was the only memory she had left."

There was silence again. Only this time he could hear his heart beating in his chest and the sound of his breath trying to slow down from the haggard sound it was making. 

"You okay?" the man on the other end of the phone asked.

"Um...thanks," he told him before hanging up. "Fuck!" he screamed before he felt the tears streaming down his face. "Fuck." 

****

The following week the only thing Michael thought about was all the time he had lost. All the things he had said to her before she left. And now he couldn't even apologized to her. Not really. She was telling the truth about not remembering. And worst of all the only person she had left was gone. The only person he had left...gone. Fuck. He had been thinking and saying that word a lot lately.

He had to find her. He had to make sure she knew who he was. Maybe it had been a mistake all those years to do what he did. But at the time he was hurting. He needed someone to blame other than himself and she was the closest. Of course she would block him out of her memories. He had told her she was dead to him. And now technically...part of her was.

It was decided. He was going to find her and make her remember him. If it was the last thing he did.

****

It had been a week since I had seen him and yet he filled my every thought. I wanted so badly to see him again, but part of me knew that was a bad idea. I couldn't risk his anger or the way he looked at me. As if he could see through me and directly to my soul. I walked around the grocery store in a daze until I hit something hard and fell flat on my ass.

Looking up I saw the shocked expression of one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. He was absolutely breathtaking and he was saying something to me. 

"What?"

"Sorry. I'm so sorry."

My eyes darted to his hand and hesitantly took it. When he helped me up I brushed off my butt and looked up at him to see that he was still talking. Holding my hand up I looked around him and found a piece of paper. Making a scribbly motion his eyes widened and he looked into his jacket for a second before he found a pen.

Taking it from his hand I wrote him a note and handed it to him. I looked at him expectantly and saw his mouth form a smile. He wrote something as well and handed it back to me. 

On the piece of paper below the words I'm deaf, were the words...Oh, okay. 

His hazel eyes stared at me before he grabbed the piece of paper and wrote something else on it. Looking down I smiled and looked up at him before shaking my head. 

Why not?

Smiling I wrote, 'I don't date strangers.

'I'm not a stranger. I almost killed you. See. Not a stranger. 

I laughed again when I saw him pleading with his hands. He had spelled out the word please. 'It's all I know,' he laughed after he handed me the paper back.

Fine.

He pumped his fist as if to say he was victorious and did a little dance in the aisle. I laughed and began to walk away from him before I felt his hand on my arm. Looking at me he grabbed the paper and wrote, 'What's your name.'

Isabelle.

I'm Aidan. Meet me at God's Ground if you don't feel comfortable giving me your address. 

And with that he wrote down his number and turned around to walk away from me. Damn, he had an ass you could bounce a quarter off of. His brown hair was cut short and his skin was an olive tone. I smiled as I walked away and went back to my shopping. Tonight was going to be fantastic. 

****

I dressed with tonight in mind. God's Ground was a new restaurant a few blocks from where I lived. He must live closer than I realized. When I arrived, he was already waiting for me. As I walked up to him he greeted me by signing hello. I smiled realizing that he had learned something just for me. Shortly after I had gotten home I text him and let him know that I could read lips. He seemed a little relieved, but the fact that he took the time to learn a few words warmed my heart.

We were seated close to a window, and shortly after ordered drinks. There was a comfortable silence before he looked at me and half signed half spoke his first question of the night. 

"Have you been deaf all your life?"

I shook my head and held up four fingers. "Wow. Why haven't you tried surgery to fix it. Or hearing aids. They have so much new technology out."

"And how would you know that," I wrote on the paper he had brought with him. 

Smiling at me he wrote down, "Because I'm a doctor."

My smile faltered a little before I looked at him and realized he was serious. "I've never worked with anyone who was deaf, but I do have a colleague who specializes in hearing loss and he's had very big breakthroughs in this type of thing," he wrote.

When I didn't look at him, I saw his hand pick up the pen again and tap it against what he had written.

"What do you have to lose?"

Looking up at him I smiled a little before I spoke for the first time since I had met him. "What indeed."



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 06



Sorry for the large gap in time. I've had a lot of things going on, but with all the comments and request how could I deny everyone. So I hope you like this chapter.

Enjoy,

Your friendly onlinestalker

****

Aidan had become a new fixture in my life. We talked online almost everyday and when there was time, he would stop by the apartment to talk about the benefits of Cochlear implants. Even with all the facts there was a lot that I had to think about. When I told him that he simply smiled at me and nodded. 

In the weeks that I had known him, he had asked Thomas and I to teach him sign language. We started with the simple stuff, like the alphabet and saying one-word responses. By day one he already knew how to say thank you, yes, and no. 

His hazel eyes always lit up when he tried to sign, but messed up horribly. He would laugh when I wrote down on the notepad we shared what he had actually said. But even with his failed attempts and several blunders he was determined to be just as good of a friend to me as Thomas was. 

By the third week he was practically a pro. Sure there were some things that he couldn't sign and I had to go very slow, but for the most part he had the gist of it. And with the frequency of our visits, I was sure he'd be just as good if not better than he was now.

Also in the time that I had spent with him, most of our conversations with his friend Logan took place at his home. Logan was the doctor who was supposed to give me back my hearing. Just the thought made me smile. I would finally be able to listen to the sound of everything I'd been missing. 

I drove up to a graveled road and turned straight onto a large drive way. Before me stood a two story ranch home with the biggest backyard I had ever laid my eyes on. 

Walking into the foyer I was greeted with the prism effect of his chandelier bouncing off the hunter green walls. Looking around I was beginning to wonder how someone so messy had ended up becoming a doctor. Not that he was a slob, just that it looked extremely....busy.

"It's organized chaos," he laughed.

I could only shake my head at that. He had the chaos part right. I smiled as I watched him run his fingers through his shoulder length hair for the fifth time since I had entered. I had many failed attempts trying to convince him that no self-respecting doctor wore a ponytail. 

To which he responded, "It makes me look suave and debonair."

Grabbing the notepad from him I smiled and quickly wrote, "You do know that's the same thing as suave, right?"

He looked at me and frowned as I struggled to hold in a laugh. "Not funny Isabelle," he signed.

He had become almost like a big brother to me. A six foot three inch white brother. At first it had taken Thomas awhile to trust him, but given my background that was understandable. If it weren't for Stephen, I would have never gotten to know the man known as Aidan Wolfe.

I smiled as I opened my eyes and noticed that the sun was peeking through my blinds. The smell of bacon and pancakes tingled my nose as I threw my feet onto the floor. I hadn't bothered to put on my robe. The only people ever over were Stephen and Aidan. 

And there was no way either of them wanted anything more than to make fun of my array of childlike pajamas. Today I had the pleasure of wearing my Mickey Mouse pajamas and a black tank top. 

When I entered the kitchen I stopped dead in my tracks. The sight in front of me made my heart stop and my breath catch in my throat. Eyes as green as fresh mowed grass stared back at me. I wanted to turn and run back to my room, but it was too late. He had already seen me. 

Finally composing myself, I took a deep breath and walked up to Thomas as if he wasn't there. His eyes never left Michael as he leaned to his left and allowed me to kiss his cheek. I could feel the tension in the air and was slowly suffocating. Time ticked on as we all just stared at each other.

Sighing I grabbed a plate and loaded up with eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The orange juice had already been set out as well as the syrup. If they wanted to have a staring contest, then that was their prerogative. 

The syrup drenched my pancakes as I watched it run slowly down the sides. It reminded me of the life I currently had. Cold and slowly drowning me. It wasn't until I saw a hand tapping on the table in front of me that I looked up.

"Yes," I signed.

"I didn't know he'd stop by. If you want him gone just tell me," Thomas signed back.

Stepping forward I watched as Michael furiously spoke with his hands. The way they moved reminded me of something familiar, and a flash of those same hands caressing my face caught me off guard, and I started to choke on my pancakes.

"God Elle, what are you trying to do...kill yourself," he shouted before he realized how dumb it was. But it didn't matter about his memory lapse. I had looked up in time to read his lips. Or at least part of what he was saying. 

I waved him away, letting him know that the food had simply gone down the wrong way. I said all of this while failing to avert my eyes from Michael. I could feel his gaze burning a hole into my body. And the only thing I could feel was longing and something else. Sadness?

Standing up without warning, I walked towards my bedroom and closed the door. I needed time to clear my head. Besides, he was still a stranger. A stranger who had man handled me the last two times I had spoken to him. But when I closed my eyes, all I saw was those emerald eyes staring at me.

"Fuck."

****

Michael waited until Isabelle had left the kitchen before he turned to face Thomas. He didn't like the fact that his lapse of judgment five years ago had opened up a spot for him. He had always been Isabelle's shoulder to cry on. The one person that she could depend on when there was no one else around. 

When he spotted her in his club, he had been filled with rage. How dare she walk in looking even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. He had wanted to rub in her face that he had done something with his life. That she was no longer needed to make him whole. 

But when she looked at him with confused eyes as if she didn't remember him, it had only fueled the anger he felt for her. 

Now he didn't have to worry about apologizing to her. She didn't remember any of it anyway. That thought made him frown and turn to look at Thomas again. The dark haired man glared at him before taking a step around the counter and sitting at the bar. Following suit, Michael sat down beside him.

"Who are you," Thomas finally asked.

His blue eyes looked cautious and weary. Michael could tell that he was a true friend, but that didn't erase the memories and hurt that he felt. He picked up the pitcher of orange juice and poured a cup before he contemplated his answer. Who was he?

Finally he said, "No one."

"That's obviously a lie. Or else you wouldn't be stalking Elle."

He flinched at the sound of that nickname. She had always been Izzie to him. Always his Izzie. But now she was someone's Elle, and that was almost as bad as her not remembering.

Michael cleared his throat before he said, "Izzie and I have a very complicated history together."

"Well obviously she doesn't remember. So why don't you fill me in on your 'complicated' history," Thomas gritted between his teeth. 

"Shouldn't I be talking about this to Izzie? She's the one I want to speak with. Not her wanna be bodyguard."

It was in that moment that the bar stool toppled over and Michael was been hoisted off his seat. 

"Now you listen to me cuz I'm only gonna say this once. When I met Isabelle she was quiet and shy. Never spoke to anyone. I didn't know she was deaf till later. She's had to build everything from the ground up since her accident, and then you walk in to her life accusing her of...of who knows what. And you want me to just let you mess with her mind some more. I don't fucking think so."

Both men were breathing hard as they stared at the other. The once calm blue eyes that glared at him were now an icy inferno. The room had been rendered silent and the only thing echoing in the air was the sound of their haggard breathing. As if they were both gasping for the right response, but failed horribly to verbalize it.

Brushing his hands off of his shirt, Michael picked up his cup of orange juice and took a generous sip. His eyes swept back to the tall man standing beside him. He could see that he hadn't relaxed his stance and this made Michael sigh loudly.

"I'm just an old friend," he whispered.

"Old friend my ass," Thomas gritted out.

Michael looked up again and opened his mouth, but quickly closed it when he heard a knock on the door. "Aren't you gonna answer that." 

But before Thomas could answer his question, the sound of a key being placed into the lock and turned floated towards them. The door opened slowly and quietly hit the wall as it flung open wider. Two big paper bags obscured the view of the carrier and he relied solely on his peripherals to maneuver through the small living room to the kitchen.

"Dude, traffic was fucking insane," came an unfamiliar voice.

When the bags were finally placed on the counter, the man behind them turned away and walked towards the fridge. "I almost got run off the road by a seventy year old woman. I mean what kind of world do we live in when sweet grandma's start flipping you off as they speed by."

Aidan looked up from the open fridge door and paused for a second, "Oh sorry. I didn't know you had company. I should have called first, but Izzie told me to come over last night."

"Izzie?"

Turning towards the unfamiliar voice, Aidan smirked a little and nodded. "Yeah. She's making me go to some movie with her. I've already seen it four times this week, but she keeps insisting." Laughing at the thought he continued by saying, "I keep telling her nothing's gonna change. The main character--"

"Always dies in the end," Michael whispered.

"Yeah," Aidan slowly said before he turned to give a puzzled look to Thomas.

"It was always her favorite movie. I guess some things are ingrained in you."

"Guess so," Aidan whispered back. "I'm Aidan. You must be an old friend of Izzie's."

Taking his hand he glared at him. How dare he call her Izzie! "Something like that."

"Well nice to meet you." Turning away from him he looked at Thomas again, "She asleep?"

A snort was the only reply needed. "Of course not," Aidan laughed. "Can't actually sleep in on a Saturday, the world might come to an end. Oh, nice to meet you--," 

"Michael," he answered, filling in the blank he had intentionally left earlier.

Aidan smiled again and picked up an apple before he made his way towards Isabelle's room. Michael fumed inside as he thought of what he could possibly want with her so early in the morning. Dressed in just a pair of running shorts and a white t-shirt. His eyes never left the door as it opened and closed. The sound of laughter was the final straw as he began walking towards the closed door.

He was stopped in his tracks by Thomas, who was now blocking his path. "Move."

"Don't forget you're a guest in my house."

"Is that her boyfriend? Is she dating him?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business. You two were only friends...right?"

If looks could kill, Thomas would definitely have been dead now. The only thing stopping the conversation from getting out of hand was the sound of the door closing. "Did you know your front door was open, babe?"

The voice lingered into the kitchen and immediately Michael knew whom it belonged to. When Stephen saw that his friend was there he tried to keep his composure, but was finding it harder by the second. 

"How many people have keys to this place?" Michael asked incredulously. 

"Mikey, what are you doing here? I thought we talked about your obsession with Elle. It's not healthy."

Michael's eyes finally looked towards his friend. "I was just leaving."

Finishing off the juice in his cup, he placed it back on the counter with a hard thud. He looked at both Thomas and Stephen before he grabbed his keys and began to walk from the kitchen. He had made it halfway to the door before he turned around and yelled out to them both. "Tell Isabelle that we're not finished yet."

And with that he quickly opened the door and walked out of the apartment, letting the door shut with a thud.

****

Later that night I thought of nothing but Michael Sanders. The way his eyes looked over my body as if he was caressing it. The way one side of his mouth lifted slightly higher than the other in a smirk when he thought he was winning. And for a moment earlier that day he had been winning, though I wasn't sure what.

Aidan had asked about him when he walked into my room, but I was in no mood to talk about him. He was a stranger and I was glad to keep it that way. Of course, Aidan wasn't buying it, but like the good friend that he is, he kept his mouth firmly shut. 

Now here I was tossing and turning as I tried to find a comfortable place to lay. After half an hour of fighting with my pillow, I finally began to drift off to sleep. 

Looking around me I could see that I was in a hospital. Michael was beside me and he looked as if he had been shaking. 

Was I dreaming? 

"He died a few minutes ago," the doctor told us both.

The words had left his mouth in almost a whisper, but there was no doubting what he said. He had just told him that his father was never coming back. I watched myself lean forward to tell him that maybe we needed fresh air, to calm ourselves down when he snapped at me.

Part of the conversation was muffled as if I was listening to him underwater. But the look on his face said it all. He hated me. My best friend hated me and there was nothing I could do about it.

I backed away as if I had been burned. Realizing that he was serious, I nodded my head and whispered my apologies as I walked as fast as I could towards the exit. Once I had made it a block away from the hospital I sat down on a curb and cried. 

They were sobs that attacked my body with such force that I couldn't walk any further. I had wanted so badly to tell him about my hearing loss. But that wasn't going to happen now. As I wiped the tears from my eyes I stood and began walking again. I'd just give him time to calm down. Yeah...time to cool down and think straight. 

A few days passed and it was a little after seven in the morning, when I went to his house. Walking through the very familiar gates and up the stairs to his porch, I knocked on his door. There was no answer. Maybe he's in the back. I knocked harder and was shocked when the door was thrown open with such force. Standing in front of me stood Michael in a black suit and tie. 

His green eyes were blood shot from crying. Even though I hardly ever saw him cry, I could always tell when he actually had. I wanted so badly to reach out to him. To hold him close to me and console him. Instead, I stood frozen looking at him with wary eyes. 

"Mikey...I mean Michael. I'm so sorry," I whispered.

His eyes lowered to the ground before they lifted and stared at me. He had the same look as before. Pure hatred. My heart broke to think that I was the reason behind that look. Never in our lives had he looked at me as if he wanted me gone. And now that's all he wanted. 

"Why'd you come," I heard through my thoughts.

Looking at him I took a step forward and attempted to hug him. When he took a step back I stopped and lowered my arms. "I know today's the funeral. I wanted to be there for you."

The saddest laugh escaped his mouth as he shook his head. "You want to be there for me? Kind of like I should have been for them?"

I didn't respond. Instead I simply nodded my head numbly. He took a step towards me pushing me back slightly as he closed the door behind him. "I don't want you near us, Isabelle. Go home."

For the second time that week my heart broke. But instead I stood there and took another step towards him. "Michael..."

"Go. Home."

That was the last time I saw him. I went to the funeral out of respect. But the next day when I went to his house I found that he wasn't there. Instead there was a realtor. She informed me that he had called her a week ago to let her know he wanted to sell the house as soon as possible. 

They had finally gotten it on the market and he would be in touch. When I asked how to get in touch with him, she asked if I was Isabelle. When I nodded my head she simply frowned at me and handed me an envelope. I took it with shaky hands and watched as she turned her back and continued going through the house.

He had left most of the furniture. Obviously he didn't want any memories haunting him. Instead he had left all of them to me. I looked down at the note again and hugged it to my body. I'd wait to open it when I got home. Turning around I walked out the door, listening to it creak for the last time. Silently wondering if I would ever see him again. 

***

Thomas sat in the dark staring at his computer screen. After their first encounter with Michael Sanders, he took it upon himself to investigate him. He hadn't talked to Isabelle about it because he knew she would ask him to drop the issue.

Now he stared at what the private investigator had sent him. Both parents had died by the time he was eighteen. There was also a picture attached of a girl, but it hadn't finished downloading yet. In the back of his mind, Thomas already knew the girl was Isabelle. Now he just had to figure out what had happened between the to make him so angry and her unknowingly gravitate towards him.

The phone beside his bed broke his reverie as he turned to see who was calling. Smiling, he flipped it open and in the sexiest voice he could conjure whispered, "Hey Sexy."

"I love when you call me that."

Laughing, Thomas said, "You love everything I call you."

"True. But you always say just what I want to hear."

Sighing he looked back at the screen. "Stephen, what do you know about your business partner?"

"Mikey?"

"Yeah, him."

"He's a good guy. A little impulsive but he's got a good heart."

"What about his past?"

"He doesn't talk about—what's this about Tommy?"

A sign left his lips again as he listened to him say his childhood name. It had never sounded sexier than flowing off his lips.

"Baby...you still there?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. It's nothing."

"Thomas?"


Really. Just forget I asked."

"For now," Stephen answered.

"For now," he repeated after him. 

***

I woke up thinking about the dream I had. It had felt so real, and yet I wasn't sure how much of it I should believe. The sun hadn't made its way through my blinds yet, which meant it was early enough for me to get ready. Aidan was coming over early to talk about the surgery. I smiled to myself every time I thought about it. I had taken to referring to it simply as 'the surgery'. My feet hit the floor and instantly cold met it. I seriously needed to buy a rug. 

I walked towards the door and opened it slowly. Self conscious of the noise it probably made. When it was finally open I smiled as I saw that Aidan was already there. His back was to me as he spoke to Thomas. Thomas simply nodded periodically at whatever he said. 

Slowly I made my way to them both and covered my hands over Aidan's eyes. His body stiffened before he relaxed and lifted his hands. "Tiffany?"

He flinched as I removed one hand to pinch him. His body shook with laughter as he turned around and hugged me. 

"What are you doing here so early," I signed.

He looked at me carefully, weighing the response that he should give to me. "Honestly," I signed.

"Honestly? Thomas called me. But my story is that I couldn't wait to see your pretty face," he signed back.

I smiled and told him how flattery would get him everywhere with me. This made him laugh a little as well. When I looked up at Thomas I could see that he hadn't slept much. I wanted to ask him what they were talking about, but I knew he wouldn't give me an answer. At least not the truth.




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 06



Turning back towards Aidan, I smiled and grabbed his hands. I had so much I wanted to tell him. The dream I had resembled something that could possibly be a memory. And I wanted him to be the first person I told. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell Thomas. It was just that at the moment, Aidan was the more open minded of the two. And so I walked swiftly towards my bedroom with him following closely behind me.

When the door shut, I turned and sat in the chair in front of my computer. Aidan took his usual seat on my bed and waited patiently for me to begin talking. For a moment, I just sat in the chair looking at him. Part of me was comparing him to Michael while the other part of me wondered what made them so important to me.

Aidan was important to me because he accepted me as I already was. Yes, he's a doctor and I could have easily written his fascination off as a new project to conquer. But the fact that he wanted to learn sign language and his willingness to force himself into my life made him as important to me.

Then there was Michael. I didn't remember anything about him and yet my body knew him. Really knew him. Not in a sexual way. I had a feeling that nothing like that ever happened between us. But there was something about him that made me trust him even though part of me was afraid of him. 

Now that I think about it, it's the kind of fear you experience when trying something for the first time. Your heart pounds at the unexpectedness of it. Not knowing what's going to happen next. Will I fall to my untimely death or will I fly? That was the feeling I got whenever I was near him. 

He made me feel like I was falling and flying at the same time.

My eyes drifted towards Aidan, to find that he was looking at me with a puzzled frown on his face. I smiled again and moved to sit beside him. His head turned towards me as he waited for me to start the conversation. My head lowered and then lifted to see that he was still looking at me with the same expression on his face.

"I think I remember," I signed.

His gaze didn't waver. Instead he held up his hands and signed, "How do you know?"

My brow lifted at this question as I began to wonder the same thing. How did I know? After a few seconds I shook my head and signed, "I just do."

"Hmm. What do you remember?"

Without missing a beat I signed, "He hated me. I still think part of him does."

A smile slowly emerged on his face as he shook his head. "It didn't look like he hated you yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

Nodding his head, Aidan smiled again a bit wider and continued, "He wanted to tear my head off when I mentioned that you asked me to come over."

"Really?"

"Really," he laughed. God, what I wouldn't give to hear that sound again. If only for a second. I felt his fingers under my chin, coaxing it up so that I could meet his gaze. His hazel eyes were intense as he looked at me and finally signed, "Maybe you should go to him and talk. It might help if you find out more about the two of you."

"I don't know," I began.

"You'll never know if you don't try Izzie."

Looking up at him again I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. He was right. I wouldn't know unless I tried.

***

The water cascaded down his back as he leaned his head forward. He forced his eyes to remain closed for just a few more seconds. It had been a long time since he allowed himself to time to truly think. The hot water was allowing him to do that. His muscles had been tense from all the stress at work, and the added stress of finding Isabelle and her memory loss wasn't helping.

A flash of her soft skin flashed in his mind. It was still as beautiful as she remembered. He wondered if it felt just as soft as he remembered. He groaned when he thought of how her lips felt caressing his. How she had let him nip them and the sounds he elicited from her. 

Had it really been five years? It had felt like an eternity and he had just seen her yesterday. "God Izzie. What have you done to me?"

Before he could let the question fester he was roused from his ponderings by the sound of his doorbell. For a moment he thought about ignoring whoever it was, but they were being very persistent. Turning the water off, he grabbed the towel hanging on the rack by his door and wrapped it loosely around his waist.

Whoever it was would be in for a rude awakening. Because there was no way in hell he was going to get dressed just for them. Not when they were interrupting his personal time. His hair dripped with water as he ran his fingers through the blonde locks. 

"Fuck. Hold on," he screamed as the doorbell rang three more times. When pounding accompanied the doorbell he ripped his door open and yelled, "What!"

His face instantly softened when he saw who was standing in front of him. "Isabelle," he whispered.

Smiling weakly, she held up her hands and began to sign furiously. "Sorry to come by without calling, but..." she smiled breaking off quickly.

He couldn't help but smile too at her joke. "Um. Can I come in," she asked.

Almost as if on autopilot, Michael nodded his head and moved to the side allowing her to walk by him. He almost moaned when he caught the faint hint of raspberries on her skin. He always did love the way she smelled. 

When she turned, he noticed that her eyes looked everywhere but at him. It wasn't until then that he realized he was dripping wet with only a towel wrapped around his body. Was she blushing? Walking towards her, he stopped a few inches from her and moved his face to catch her attention. When she looked at him, she smiled and turned her head to the side again. 

Oh yeah. She was definitely blushing.

"Izzie," he signed in front of her face.

This time she couldn't help but look at him. When her chocolate brown orbs met his green ones her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know why, but she wanted him to kiss her. 

Instead he lifted his hands and began to talk again. "What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?"

"Um...Stephen. I hope you don't mind," she signed back.

He shook his head walking closer to her. She didn't realize until it was too late that she had been backing away from him. When her feet hit the back of his couch she lost her balance and landed soundly on her backside. He smiled at her attempt to escape and leaned forward placing his hands on either side of her.

"So...you said you could read lips," he asked her this time actually talking.

She nodded her head mutely waiting for him to continue. When he didn't she nibbled on her bottom lip. Some things never changed he noticed. And before he could think of what he was doing he could feel her lips softly against his. A sigh left his throat. Exactly the same. 

But when he heard the moan that escaped her, he couldn't help but deepen the kiss. Her hands reached up to push him away, but once they collided with the hard planes of his chest she melted into his embrace. Within seconds she was being pulled to her feet and walked backwards. She laughed a little when they almost tripped over a couple items that got in their way.

When they finally stopped moving she opened her eyes and noticed that they were in a bedroom. His bedroom.

Her eyes met his and a gasp left her lips. He was staring at her with such lust in his eyes that it made her shiver. The dull ache between her legs now became a painful throbbing sensation as she watched him lean forward and stop mere inches from her lips. 

The anticipation from that pause in time was enough to drive her completely crazy. And without realizing it, she closed the remaining distance between the two of them, crashing her lips onto his. 

That was all he needed as he began to pull at her clothing. It was the first time he actually noticed what she was wearing. It was a blue and white sundress that clung closely to her body. As if he had spoken the words to her, she lifted her hands and allowed him to remove it from her body.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her half naked body. Her breasts were perfect. Not too small but not too big. His hands moved lightly over them, gently squeezing them in the palm of his hands. When her eyes closed he leaned down and flicked each bud with the tip of his tongue. He was rewarded with the sound of her groaning as she grabbed his head. 

She was nearly delirious with need that she couldn't think of what was actually happening. She had only come over to talk to him, and here she was exposed to him. Loving ever second of it. When his hand slid down her stomach she arched her back towards his touch almost begging him to continue. And continue he did. 

A cry left her mouth when she felt his fingers lightly strumming her clit. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was that thought that made her think twice. She had never felt anything like this before. 

For the first time since she had met him, Isabelle remembered that she was still a virgin, and she was about to do something she couldn't take back. 

Pulling away from him, she looked at him through hooded eyes. The expression on his face was one of lust and confusion. Trying her hardest to avoid his gaze, she pulled on her dress quickly and walked out of his room. Quietly chastising herself for being so foolish. She didn't even know him.

Once she got to the door, she stopped at the feel of callused hands on her arms. She wanted to turn around, but she feared what she would see if she did. So instead she looked directly at the door. 

Michael however, wasn't going to allow her to chicken out without an explanation. "Izzie, what...I don't understand."

The confusion was clearly written on his face, and for some reason this broke her heart even more. "I'm sorry," was her only response.

"Don't be," he whispered to her as he caressed her face.

"I can't do this, Michael. I can't be whoever you think I am," she finally signed.

Dropping his hands from her face, he frowned slightly. And then as if a light bulb went off in his head he smiled again and signed, "I thought I already told you once Izzie."

"What?" she asked.

"You're my everything."

And with that he grabbed her and pulled her to his naked body. Maybe being his everything wouldn't be so bad after all.



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 07



I know a lot of you probably hate me. But I've had a lot going on in my life that's prevented me from writing. But after several emails and comments about whether or not I was finishing this story, I had to write the next chapter. But then it took me forever to figure out the direction I wanted to go with it. I know...that's a lot of buts. However, here it is. I just hope it was worth the wait.

-your friendly onlinestalker

****

My hand trembled as I lifted it in front of me, pausing briefly before ringing the doorbell. When nothing happened, I stepped to the side and tried my hardest to look through the window. But of course the blinds were pulled together. Not wasting any more time, I raised my hand again, this time knocking as hard as I could. 

The more I thought about what I was doing here the louder I knocked. Someone had to be here. I could see a car parked in the garage. And if no one answered I wasn't sure if I'd get the nerve to try again. 

In my panic, I decided to ring the doorbell again. And then again, until someone was sure to answer the door. I was just about to press down the doorbell again when the door flew open and in front of me stood a half naked Michael. And to make matters worse, he was dripping wet.

I watched as his features softened from the hard angry planes they had been just seconds after opening the door. Now instead, was a confused expression on his face. 

"Isabelle."

What I would have given to have heard him say my name. Instead I held up my hands and began signing. "Sorry to come by without calling, but..." I broke off, trying not to roll my eyes at the lame joke I had just made.

To my surprise, he smiled. "Um...can I come in?"

Nodding his head, he moved to the side allowing me to walk into the living room. The room was small but very comfortable at the same time. Not a lot of pictures littered the wall but it was obvious that he had decorated. Definitely not bad for a guy.

As I walked towards his couch, I stopped and turned to face him, but my eyes refused to meet his. It wasn't until I mustered up the courage to glance his way that I noticed he had only a towel wrapped around his body. And the way the beads of water slowly ran down his chest were making it harder for me to breath. 

Shit. Am I blushing? My hands touched my cheeks as I watched him walk towards me, stopping only a few inches from me. I could feel the heat radiating from his body and for a second I could see myself reaching out to touch him. 

A blur passed by my face causing me to blink. Looking up at him, I realized for the first time that I had been staring at his chest. A nervous smile was all I could manage as I turned my head.

Again his hand passed in front of my face.

"Izzie."

This time I was forced to look at him, but when my eyes met his green orbs it felt as if my lungs had stopped working.

"What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?" he signed. 

"Um...Stephen. I hope you don't mind," I signed brokenly taking a few steps away from him.

He shook his head before I had finished, walking slowly towards me like a lion stalking its prey. I realized too late that he was backing me into a corner until my feet hit the back of his couch and I lost my balance, landing soundly on my butt. 

The smile on his face showed that he thought my attempt at escape was funny. "So you said you could read lips," he asked as he leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of me.

I nodded mutely at him, nibbling lightly on my bottom lip. And before I could say anything I felt his lips against mine and all I could think was this must be Heaven.

A moan escaped, but from whom wasn't clear. It was then that I realized this wasn't what I had come here for. My hands pushed at his chest trying to stop his assault on my lips, but once they collided with the hard planes of his chest I was a goner. 

Within seconds I was being pulled to my feet, turned, and walked backwards. A little laugh left me when we almost tripped over a couple of items that hadn't known to get out of our way.

When we finally stopped moving, I opened my eyes only to notice that I was standing in what appeared to be a bedroom. His bedroom.

My eyes met his and I couldn't help but gasp. The look in his eyes was that of pure lust and something else that made a shiver course down my spine. The dull ache between my legs was now a painful throbbing sensation as I watched him move mere inches away from my lips again.

The anticipation from that one pause in time was enough to drive me mad. And without realizing it, I closed the remaining distance between us, crashing my lips onto his.

Within seconds my sundress was being pulled over my head and tossed behind him. Callused hands moved to my breast, weighing each one as his thumbs slowly brushed against my nipples. Gently squeezing them in the palm of his hands. My eyes closed at the sensation, when it was replaced by the flick of his tongue to each rosebud. 

A moan escaped my lips as I writhed against his mouth, wanting him to continue on his assault. When his hand slid down my stomach, my body automatically arched towards his touch. Almost begging him to continue. And continue he did. 

A cry left my mouth when his fingers lightly flicked at my clit. The sensation was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was that thought that made me realize that it actually was something I had never felt before. 

And just like that, for the first time since I had met Michael Saunders, I remembered that I was still a virgin. And here I was about to do something I couldn't take back, with someone I couldn't even remember.

I quickly pulled away from him, looking at him through hooded eyes. The expression on his face was that of lust and confusion. My eyes shifted to the left as I tried to avoid his gaze, while I leaned down and quickly threw on the dress he had taken off of me in our lust fueled haze. 

Quietly, I chastised myself for being so foolish. I didn't even know him. The feel of his hands on my arms stopped me from moving further. As I turned towards him I watched his eyes darken, and his mouth open slightly.

****

"Izzie?"

I blinked my eyes a couple of times, before I looked back at his hands. They were still on either side of me, and I was still placed firmly on his couch. His eyes pleaded with me to say something. Anything. But I couldn't do it. Had I just been day dreaming about him in the process of making love to me?

"What'd you say?" I signed, trying my hardest not to blush. 

"I asked if you could read lips," he repeated. 

I moved my hands slower than normal as I told him, "Oh...yes. I'm still learning but I'm not so bad at it."

"I can see that," he laughed. "Izzie, there's so much I want to tell you."

"Why do you call me Izzie?" I finally blurted out. The vibrations of the words leaving my mouth felt strange. I wasn't used to actually talking and when I did, it always left an odd tingle in my mouth.

"You still sound the same," he smiled.

Ignoring his statement, I lifted my hands and repeated the question, adding in that only Aidan called my Izzie. 

At the mention of Aidan's name I saw his smile falter slightly before he plastered it back on his face. "Because it's what I always called you."

"Always?"

"When we were kids," he nodded. 

Then with his hands still in front of him, he signed, "You always called me Michael. Unless something was wrong. Then you called me Mikey."

"I see," I signed.

"You always said that. And then you'd say--"

"Why do people say that? Of course I see...but what," I finished.

"Yeah," he laughed.

It was then that music began playing in my head. The voice accompanying it was very mellow and sounded like velvet wrapping around my heartstrings. A boy, a little younger than the man standing in front of me sat on a stool singing softly. His hands strumming at the strings slowly as he looked up and caught the attention of his audience.

Me?

Was he singing to me?

I could feel my hand being tugged as I walked behind him. We stopped in front of the couch, when he pushed me down lightly. I plopped down on the sofa and frowned. I could hear the music in my head. I could even see his mouth moving, but I wanted to hear the words.

"You sing," I said. It wasn't a question, more than it was a statement.

"I do," he signed back.

"And you sang to me?"

Raising an eyebrow he smiled and signed, "Are you asking or telling me?"

"Fuck. I don't know."

It was then that I looked up into those emerald gems he called eyes. Every time I looked into them I was a goner. But to make matters worse, he had to smile too. His dimples accentuating just how beautiful he was. 

"You hate me," I signed, trying to distract my thoughts back to the matter at home. I had remembered him and his hatred of me. No matter what his eyes said now, there was a time in our lives when he couldn't stand to look at me.

It was then that he frowned. "Where did you get that idea?"

"You."

"Sure, I was an ass when I first saw you. And the second time. But it wasn't hate."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

A few seconds after the statement was made, he realized what she had meant. She had remembered their last conversation. The one where he had told her how he couldn't possibly love her. It was the conversation where he had blamed her for the death of his father. 

And also for the absence of his presence when both is parents had died. Even though he hadn't really meant the words, obviously it was strong enough for her to remember them first over every other memory she could have had.

"I don't---"

"You do," I interrupted. "But I also remember how you were before you hated me. How you looked at me with warmth and caring," I signed. 

"I still care about you, Izzie. In fact, I lo--"

Holding up my hand, I tried my hardest to smile. "Let's not try to dig salt out of old wounds. It was a mistake for me to come here in the first place. Just forget I was here."

"Izz--"

"I -I got to go," I signed quickly turning and finally doing what I had fantasized about earlier. Leaving.

****

My feet felt like lead as I rushed towards the door. I had to get out of here. I had to get away from him. The sound of my breathing thundered in my head and for a second I felt I would pass out. What the hell had I been thinking? One moment we're talking and the next I'm daydreaming about practically mauling him in his house. Letting him touch me in a way no one else ever had. 

I don't even know him. Sure, I remembered something about him. Something that made me want to go to him and make everything better. But most of all, I remembered that he hated me. Even if it was years ago, there was definitely a barrier between us that he wasn't ready to let go of yet. 

That's not exactly a sign to throw myself at him. It was bad enough that he thought I was someone I obviously wasn't. Not anymore. Now he was going to think I was a slut too.

The cold metal of the door knob shocked my hand as I reached for it. All I needed to do was twist my hand ever so gently and it would be open, and I would be free of this living nightmare. But before I could test my theory, I could feel callused hands sliding over mine. Effectively preventing me from my escape.

My eyes closed instantly at the feel of his hands on top of mine. His thumb slowly moving over my hand as he waited for me to turn around. But that was impossible for me to do, because fear was now creeping up my spine. Instead my eyes stayed glued to our hands. Locked tightly around the door knob. The felling I got as I watched the contrast in our skin tones and the gentle way he touched me made me want to run away even more.

It wasn't until I was facing him that I realized he had been tugging on me to turn towards him. The look on his face broke my heart. It was as if his entire world had been engulfed in a ball of fire and he didn't know how to put it out.

"I'm sorry."

The words spilled from my lips before I could stop them. "Don't be," he signed.

"I can't--"

"You can't what? Tell me? You can Izzie. You can tell me anything."

Those words sparked something within me. Had he spoken those words to me before? 

"What did you just say," I signed.

"Fuck. Sorry." Lifting his hands up he signed the words, "You can't what? Tell me? You can Izzie. You can tell me anything."

The images of a younger version of him flashed in my head. And I couldn't help but smile at the shirt he was wearing. It had a picture of a band on it and the words 'Who Knew?' below it. 

"Why are you smiling?"

"Am I?" I asked as my hands went to my cheeks. 

"Yes."

Clearing my throat I tried to plaster a serious look on my face. "As I was saying before...I can't do this," I signed, motioning between the two of us. "I can't be whoever you think I am. Whoever I was."

I watched as his hands moved from my arms to gently touch my face. The frown that I had seen earlier quickly marring it. I had finally caused him enough pain to make him forget me. He just needed a moment to let it sink in. But just as fast as the frown had appeared it was gone and a smile was once again in its place. 

Slowly his hands moved in front of my face and I watched as he signed, "I thought I already told you once Izzie."

"What?"

"You're my everything." And with that being out in the open he grabbed my and pulled me against his naked body. The bulge below his waist, poking against my skin was enough to make my skin flush. 

Twisting out of his hold, I backed away from him without saying a word. Then with a shake of my head I turned and flung the door open running from his house. Images of a half naked Michael still fresh in my head.

Maybe being his everything wouldn't be such a bad thing, I thought as I pictured him pulling my body against the wet planes of his chest.

****

Before he could stop her from leaving, he heard the loud bang of his door slamming shut. He really needed to talk to her about how she was supposed to exit a room. He wasn't sure his doors could take much more of her abuse.

It was then that Michael laughed to himself. She still ran when she got overwhelmed with her emotions. The last time she had run from him was when he had told her he was in love with her. So even if she hadn't stayed long enough for him to express his feelings for her, she had just confirmed what he had hoped. The old feelings she had for him were still there. It was just a matter of breaking down this hard shell she had built around herself. 

If he was honest with himself, he was probably to blame for most of it. Though she didn't remember everything about him, subconsciously she had cataloged everything he had said to her. Now that it was starting to come back to her, he was going to have to make sure that the good memories outshined the bad.

No matter how horrible the bad were, he still had to try.

A chill spread through the room, and it was then that Michael realized he was only wearing a towel. He let out a small chuckle as he walked back towards his bedroom. He'd just have to pay her a visit later on. No matter what her guard dog Thomas thought about it, he was going to have that talk with her. 

Passing by the kitchen counter, he grabbed his phone and pressed the number three button. After a few rings, the person on the other end picked up, but they didn't say anything.

"I need a favor."

"I told you no more favors....not after last time. I almost got arrested, dude."

A smile crossed his face as he remembered the incident in question. "It's nothing like that. It has to do with Isabelle."

There was a long pause before the person on the other end let out a ragged breath. "You sure about this?"

"What do you think?"

A light chuckle floated towards him, "Fine. What do you need? Just know if it has to do with computers or paperwork the deal is off."

"Nothing like that. I just need you to grab a few things for me and meet me at my villa."

The sound of paper crinkling could be heard before the man on the other end finally cleared his throat. "Go."

Michael rattled off a list of items he would need for his attempt to woo Izzie. It was a sure fire way to make her remember something. Even if it was something small. Finally finished with his list, the man on the other end repeated the list and jotted down the location. 

"You sure you can get all that?"

A scoff was his only response. And with that the line went silent. Taking the phone from his ear, he saw that his friend had hung up on him. The smile on his face made it evident that he was going to get what he needed and have it before sundown. 

Michael was determined to make amends for everything. And if it was the last thing he did, he'd make sure she loved him again. Even if it took his last breath.

****

I was sure that I had slammed his door. I hadn't meant to, but I was too flustered to think of closing it properly behind me. The best alternative was to just fling it shut to ensure that he wasn't going to follow me. Of course, it was shortly after that I remembered he was half naked, and probably would have had to get dressed before trying to come after me.

No matter. It was too big a risk to take.

This distance to my car seemed astronomical. When had his driveway gotten so long? I spared one glace behind me to find that my earlier assumption had been correct. He wasn't following me. Although if I was being honest with myself, part of me was kind of sad he wasn't. And then there was the rational part of me, jumping for joy. 

The truth was that I couldn't handle another encounter with him this soon. Not after the close call I could have had. If there was one thing I was quickly learning, it was that I had to reinforce the wall I had built around my heart. I couldn't afford to have it come crumbling down. 

I reached my car, quickly unlocking the driver door and climbing inside. The slight vibration of my phone made me stop. Lifting my butt up, I reached beneath me to find that I was sitting on my cell phone. How did it get there?

New message.

I had a new text and I couldn't fight the smile on my face when I saw who it was from. Pressing the ok button, I read the message and began to chuckle to myself. Aidan had just asked me if I was okay or if I had finally succumbed to the manly wiles of Michael.

Taking a second to think about what I would type, I decided to go with the simple, straight forward answer.

No.

Within seconds of pressing send, I received a frown and the question, "Why?"

Instantly my eyes closed and I thought back at how close Michael had been to me when we last spoke. How his skin radiated heat even as his body slowly dripped water down his toned body. Why was indeed a valid question, it was just one that I couldn't answer in a text message. Or at all at the moment.

"I will be there in a bit," I text back.

"K."

And closing my phone, I looked up to see the shadow of a man looking out at me. I tried my best to not make eye contact but it was hard. It was as if he were trying to lure me back into his trap. I mean his house. 

Not this time. After fumbling slightly with my keys, I inserted one into the ignition and started up my car. I needed to get to Aidan.

I needed to talk to him more than ever.

****

The drive to Aidan's house seemed longer than normal. It probably had something to do with the man I had left only moments ago. It seemed almost impossible to get him out of my thoughts. Each time I told myself that I did the right thing by leaving, his face would flash in front of me. I turned my car left onto a long windy drive, stopping my car directly in front of Aidan's garage. Once again, I shook my head. 

My distraction definitely had something to do with the man I had just left moments ago. He was swarming throughout my head, refusing to leave. 




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 07



"Typical Michael."

The instant the words left my mouth I felt my nose wrinkle. How would I know if it was typical of him?

Because, you know him.

"Not after just one flash of a memory," I spoke to my subconscious. But then there was this tugging in my heart, and this pulling at my soul every time I thought about him. And it was even worse when he was near. 

I stared blankly out the window at the drops of rain pounding at my window. It had all started with a flash of lightning. I'm not sure why, but I missed the sound of thunder. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky before effectively disappearing from sight. 

It hadn't been ten minutes ago that the sky had been bright blue with nice fluffy white clouds floating airily towards nothing. And within seconds its blue haven was now an ashen haze of smoke overhead, the occasional flash of lightning now accompanying it. Now the storm was in full swing and the only thing in my head was Michael. 

And for some odd reason—the universe.

It was actual pounding that brought me out of my trance. The feeling of my car shaking slightly caused me to shake as well. Turning my head I looked directly at a smiling Aidan. His index finger pointed to me and then down towards my handle. And without waiting for me to open the door, I felt the shaking again as he tried to open my locked door. 

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face, as I watched his soaked appearance outside my car. "Open the garage," I signed.

He briefly paused, and then shook his head. "Get out," he mouthed.

"In this weather?" I signed back at him. He was crazy. Especially when I knew all he had to do was go back inside and open his damn garage door.

"What's wrong with this weather," he finally signed to me. "It's perfect."

And to prove his point, he closed his eyes and looked up. Of course it was perfect for him. He was nothing but a big kid at heart. All cushion and no tough exterior. It was then that I saw Michael do the same thing. He looked much younger and his eyes were closed, head pointed up to the sky. I waited a brief second smiling up at him before I did the same thing. 

The rain wasn't harsh or demanding. It simply glided over my skin, washing away any fear I felt of being here alone with him. Bringing my head down, I blinked the water from my eyes only to see the most beautiful green eyes staring at me.

"Did you know that rain cleanses everything it touches. It's a sign of starting fresh."

Giving me that half smile that I had come to love he leaned down and stopped inches from my face, "And what about the thunder and lightning?"

The feeling of my car swaying slightly brought me out of my reverie. I watched as he removed his hands from above my window. Probably on the top of my car moving it slightly.

"Umbrella?" I signed to him.

Again I got the shake of his head for an answer. Knowing I was losing a battle that I really should be winning, I took a deep breath and pushed open my door. Large drops of water instantly met me as I placed one, then the other foot on the ground.

"That's my girl," he signed, smiling at me.

I tried to run at that moment, to get away from the rain. I didn't want to slowly drown, but for the second time today strong arms kept me in place. "You're always running from things, Izzie," masculine hands signed against my skin.

Turning in his embrace, I looked up at him and the face I saw wasn't Aidan's. It was Michael's. Those emerald green eyes were quietly boring into me.

"What?"

Holding his hands in front of me, he signed, "You're always running from things. Stay and just enjoy life for a moment."

"I enjoy life." I defended.

"No, you don't. And why are you looking at me like that?"

"What?" 

Closing my eyes for a second, I opened them to find that it was Aidan standing in front of me. "Aidan—"

His fingers pressed against my lips lightly, shutting me up. There was something in his eyes that looked different. I searched for what seemed like hours before he removed his finger and grabbed my hand. I was still confused as to what was happening, but he just led me away from my car and the rest of the way towards his door. 

When we stopped in front of his door, he spun me around three times and then dipped me. The move was so quick that I didn't have time to process what was happening. All there was to do was enjoy what was happening at that moment. It made me feel like a kid without a care in the world. Something I hadn't experienced in who knew when.

Once he brought me back up, he gently kissed my forehead and smiled at me. "Now we can go in," he signed to me.

I smiled up at him as he held out his hand. He was indeed my family. This only proved that to me more than ever. I needed him more than I had needed anyone besides Thomas in awhile. He was someone who kept me grounded.

Once inside, the smell of something sweet hit my nose. It smelled like apples and cinnamon. My eyes shifted towards him, and he smiled knowingly. Apple pie was my favorite. And his was absolutely divine. My hand slipped out of his as I walked towards his enormous kitchen. The smell only pulled me closer to my destination, where I immediately stopped.

In front of me, sitting at the kitchen counter was Thomas. Why was Thomas here?

"Aidan called me," he signed. "And before you ask...no you didn't say anything out loud. I just know you that well."

Again my eyes met Aidan's and for the first time I noticed that he wasn't looking at me directly. 

"Sorry Izzie," he whispered even though he knew she couldn't hear him. 

Movement from the corner of my eye had me turning to see who was there. It was Stephen and the doctor I had met at Aidan's house a few weeks prior. Why was he here? Turning to them all, I asked the same question. When none of them answered me, I turned to the man to my left and spoke to him in what I hoped was a calm and even voice.

"What are you here for?"

Lifting his hands, he pointed a single finger at me. Confusion marred my features. "Me?"

His head nodded at me and then he lifted his hands and began to speak to me. "Don't you think you've waited long enough Isabelle? We've already told you that you are the perfect candidate. You could have your hearing back in a matter of weeks. Why won't you let your friends and family help you?"

Turning towards the rest of the group, I tried my best to range their reaction to what they thought I would do. Everyone but Thomas looked at me with hope. Instead Thomas looked at me with determination. He wasn't going to let me suffer through this any longer, and his expression told me that.

"What do I need to do? I asked, probably louder than before, as I turned my head to look at him.

I watched as the man before me took a step forward, holding out his hand to me. "Come with me...now."

"What?"

"Don't be afraid. But we've already set aside an appointment for you to have surgery first thing in the morning. We just need you to stay overnight for some tests and then to prep you."

"WHAT!"

"It was just in case you said yes. No one is forcing you to do anything. Just take my hand if you want your life changed drastically—forever."

Once again my eyes sought the comfort of the men in my life; I had come to think of all of them as my family. Turning my attention back to the doctor in front of me, I took a small step forward and reached for his hand.

The heat from his grip made me whimper slightly. There was a pounding in my chest that was sure to be my heart, but only it was too fast. Too much like a hammer against my ribs, threatening to break free. 

My clothes still clung to my body as the water slowly seeped into every pore or my skin. Sparing one more glance behind me, I watched with some trepidation as Thomas, Aidan, and Stephen urged me silently to go with him.

And that's exactly what I did.

****

Michael sat on the porch of his villa, waiting for word on the night. He had it all planned out. He would wait for her arrival inside, and then shower her with his affection. Not the way he would a man in love with a woman, but the way he did when they were kids. He'd show her why they had been best friends. 

Everything she loved had been ordered, even her favorite movie. By the end of the night, he hoped she would at least trust him enough to get to know him. That was all he could ask for at the moment. He sure as hell couldn't ask for her love. 

But if earlier in the day was any indication, he knew that it wouldn't be long before he had it. She had wanted him. Of that he was sure. She had looked at him with as much desire as he had looked at her with. 

It was a new look for her. The last time he had seen her, she was this thin eighteen year old kid who he considered his family. Well, thin was a bit of an exaggeration. She was curvy to say the least. Very curvy. But now she was a woman who could hold her own and wasn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit. He found that he liked that about her. 

He liked that she wasn't going to back down to him. It was extremely sexy.

The sound of thunder echoed in the background, soon followed by an electric blue flash of light. Izzie had always liked storms. Mostly because she said the rain cleansed everything it touched. When he had asked her about the thunder and the lightning, and she had simply looked up at him and smiled.

"The thunder is the universe talking to us. It's letting us know that it is blessing us with an offering. The rain."

"And the lightning?"

"That one's easy. The lightning is illuminating the way for those who have lost their way. After all the nose that Thunder makes someone's bound to go off the beaten path."

As she told him her theory, he watched her smile light up her face. It was one of those rare moments he had thought of pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. But for a fifteen year old it was much harder than he had thought. Not because rejection was something he feared.

Rejection from Isabelle however was.

Another crash of thunder snapped him out of his thoughts. His eyes shifted down to his watch. The digital reading told him it was almost eight thirty. If all went well, Izzie should be pulling up any minute. 

But when another thirty minutes elapsed, Michael began to worry. Reaching for his cell phone, he pressed the number four on his speed dial. The phone rang once before he heard the gruff sound of someone's voice on the other end.

"I was just about to call you."

"Were you Phillip? And why was that?"

"To tell you that I couldn't find her—"

"What?"

"Before you get too worried let me finish. I couldn't find her—at first. That's what took me so long to try getting in contact with you. She's a tricky one to track down. But it turns out that one of her friends intercepted her on the way home. Someone named Aidan Wolfe. Apparently they set up some kind of intervention for her."

At the sound of that name, Michael felt his blood begin to boil. This man was beginning to be a thorn in his side. "Where is she now?"

"Remember when I told you not to get too worried—"

"Phillip!" 

"She's in the hospital. She's getting—hello? Michael! Hello?" When there was no response he pulled the phone away from his ear to find a blank screen. "Damn it."

At the mention of the word hospital, Michael had immediately hung up. He had to get to the hospital. Time stood still as he rushed to his car and started the engine. 

What if she had been in some kind of an accident? 

No. He said Aidan Wolfe had gotten to her. 

Even when he thought his name he wanted to punch the guy in the face.

What if they had forced her to do something she didn't want to do?

The glare of oncoming lights caught him off guard, reminding him to focus on the road. It wouldn't do him any good if he landed himself in the hospital. 

Ten minutes later Michael was parking his car outside the emergency room. He knew he wasn't supposed to but to him this was an emergency. Once he had the car parked, he ran at full speed through the white halls, stopping directly in front of the information counter. He paused for a brief second to take a deep breath.

"Isabelle...Jones," he gasped.

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"I'm looking for Isabelle Jones," he repeated.

"One moment," she smiled and began typing away at the keyboard in front of her. "And you are sir?"

"Her boyfriend," he stated without hesitating.

"Of course. She's on the third floor right now. Room 351."

"Thank you!" he yelled as he ran towards the elevator down the hall. The elevator ride up felt like an eternity, and when it opened up it took everything in him to not run down the hall calling her name.

As he stepped onto the floor, he looked to his left. Screaming out her name wouldn't be necessary after all, because sitting in the lobby area was Thomas and Aidan. Anger rose at the sight of Aidan sitting there as if he belonged. Didn't he know that Isabelle was his? 

Neither person lifted their head at the sound of the elevator doors closing. It wasn't until Michael's shadow loomed over them both did they look up. "Where's Izzie," he demanded.

"How'd you know Izzie was here?" Aidan countered. 

"Stop calling her that. She is not your Izzie."

Quickly standing, Aidan let him know that she wasn't his either. The tension in the air was strong enough to be cut with a knife. Both men stood inches away from the other, neither wanting to be the first one to back down.

"I know she's your girlfriend now. But I love her and I can't lose her again. I'll fight for her. Literally." Then taking a deep breath he continued, "If I have to I will literally fight for her."

The smile on Aidan's face only fueled his anger and he found himself taking another step towards him. "For the love of god, put it away. Both of you," Thomas groaned.

This made Michael turn to look at him. "I'm not Izzie's boyfriend. I'm just her friend," Aidan almost laughed. When Michael turned back to look at him he saw the amusement written all over her face. 

"If you knew anything, you'd see the way she looked at you when you were at her place. It isn't the same way she looks at me. Not even close."

Pausing for a second he looked up at Michael and said, "Maybe you should tell her how you feel instead of challenging me to fight. Knowing Izzie, she'd be pissed you thought of taking her from me. Especially, since she isn't an object that can be taken away from someone."

At those words, Michael knew he was right. She wasn't an object. She was a person and was more than capable of making her own decisions.

"Fuck. You're right." His hand brushed through his locks of blonde hair before he looked at the two men in front of him and asked, "Why is she here?"

Michael sat down and listened carefully as they told him the entire story. How Thomas had come to meet her. How Aidan had bumped into her at the grocery store. Even how she had been remembering snippets of her life, minus some details that they figured Isabelle wanted to tell him herself.

"And that's the entire story. Well for the most part."

"Wow."

"Wow indeed Michael."

Scratching the back of his head, he looked down the hall and sighed. "So I guess we're just waiting for her to come back from her tests, huh."

"Yeah."

Two hours passed, but there was no sign of Isabelle. It was as if time ticked on slowly, and decided that it wasn't time for her to resurface. 

"How long does it take for tests?" Michael groaned, pacing back and forward.

"Let's just go ask the nurse over there," Aidan pointed.

As they all approached the nurses' station to find out what was going on, they noticed that the woman behind the desk wasn't paying attention to them. Instead she watched the television that was hidden in the corner of her small cubicle.

"Excuse me—Brenda," Thomas paused. "We were wondering if there was any news on our friend. Isabelle Jones."

A smile sigh left her mouth as she looked down and typed a few keys. The sound of a low beep could be heard and then looking up she said, "Miss Jones has been in surgery for the past three and a half hours."

"WHAT!" they all yelled.

"How is that possible?" Michael demanded.

"She's not supposed to be in surgery until seven," Aidan interjected.

Holding her hands up, the nurse told them to calm down. "Calm down," Thomas growled. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"By letting me explain," a deep voice spoke from behind them. 

All heads turned to find a man standing there in blue scrubs. His hands looked as if they had just been washed and he smelled of disinfectant and soap. "Thanks for your help, Brenda."

"No problem, Dr. Jenkins."

"How about you guys follow me," he said motioning to them all. 

"What happened to my colleague," Aidan asked first.

"He's with Miss Jones right now. He asked me to come up and talk to you. Although he said there would only be two of you. You must be Stephen," he asked looking at Michael.

"No. I'm not," was his only response.

"Then you must be Michael," he stated.

"How would you know that," Michael asked taking a step towards the doctor.

"We'll get to that in a minute," Thomas interrupted. "Is Isabelle okay?" 

"Yes. She's doing great. There was an opening this afternoon for her surgery. And well, we had to act fast if we wanted the room for it. Miss Jones agreed and thought it was best to not tell you anything. We had to respect her wishes."

"Patient/Doctor Confidentiality, right?" Aidan spat.

"Exactly," Dr. Jenkins said with a small smirk on his face. "She's sleeping now, but before she went to sleep she did ask for someone named Michael."

"That's me!"

Dr. Jenkins eyes immediately went to the man who had introduced himself earlier as Michael. "I'm sorry. That's me," he said quieter.

"I figured that out when you said your name was Michael earlier. It actually saves me the trouble of trying to track you down."

Looking at the group as a whole, he smiled. "The Cochlear implant was a success everyone. We should know something once the swelling goes down in about two weeks. It all depends on how well she heals. But it looks very promising.

"When can we see her?" 

"You can see her now if you want. But only one at a time, then once we move her to a room all of you can see her at the same time. We'd just like to keep her calm and the less people who see her the more likely it is that she remain that way."

"Understood," Aidan said quickly.

Raising his hand, Michael asked the question he was sure everyone wanted to know, "When can she go home?"

"We'll have to keep her overnight for observations. So seeing as it is now twelve fifteen, I'd say we'll keep her until later on tonight and see how it goes from there."

Once the doctor left everyone turned to Michael. "Well what are you waiting for? Go."

"Are you sure?"

"Go before we change our minds. Besides you heard the doctor. She asked for you. Not us," Thomas frowned.

With a nod of his head, Michael began to walk in the direction of where Isabelle was supposed to be resting. But before he could make it to the elevator he paused and turned to look at both Aidan and Thomas. "Thank you."

And then he walked into the elevator and watched as the doors closed. He just hoped she wanted to see him after all.

****

I blinked my eyes slowly, trying to rid myself of the sleep I felt. My head hurt, but it was worth it. As I lifted my hands to my head, I felt the gauze that covered both my ears. It was odd to have something covering them. Not that I needed them to actually hear anything. 

It had already been explained to me that it would be several weeks before the actual device could be hooked up to my implants. Now my only issue was waiting patiently for that to happen. 

What were a few more weeks of waiting? I'd already been waiting over five years. Movement caught my eye as I looked up and saw a sleeping Michael sitting beside my bed. His head was nestled against a pillow and his mouth was open slightly. 




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 07



He had come.

A smile covered my face as I watched him. He'd come. 

As if it were a scene from a movie, he began to blink his eyes. Waking up just in time to see me staring at him with a goofy smile on my face. 

And what was even better. He smiled back at me.

"Hi," he signed.

"Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like someone drilled a hole in my head," I joked.

But Michael didn't smile. Instead he looked away from me. "What if something had went wrong, Izzie? I would have never been able to tell you—" 

"Tell me now," I said out loud. 

It was then that his eyes shifted towards me and he lifted himself from his chair. A single tear slid down his cheek and he rushed to wipe it away. The beating of my heart was almost unbearable as I waited for him to say the words I'd dreamed about.

"I—," 

"Yes," I signed leaning forward a little.

"Isabelle Jones—I love you. I've never stopped. And even if you never remember that, I can't go on with it buried in my heart. Not anymore. I plan on proving that to you. If you'll let me."

A smile was the only thing I could manage. "We'll take it slow," I signed taking one of his hands in mine.

Leaning closer to me he kissed my cheek. "I'd like that," he signed once he had pulled himself away from me.

"I'd like that too," I whispered as my head hit the pillow and sleep came over me. Images of a younger version of the two of us drifted through my head.



Beautiful Stranger Ch. 08



I know you all probably hate me and I'm sorry for that. I didn't expect it to take so long to update this. But now that I finally have I hope that you will all read it and enjoy. This starts off with Izzie remembering her intervention and goes on from there. Feel free to leave comments and votes. And once again I hope you enjoy it.

-theonlinestalker 

*****

The rain caressed my skin, coaxing me to sway with it to an imaginary beat. The soft rapping of each drop bouncing off my flesh only to slowly trail kisses down my body. The water only reminded me that the tingling that I felt was due to Michael's touch. I still hungered for the promise of something more from him and I was furious at myself for not allowing it the release my body had dreamed about.

My eyes glanced back at Aidan and for the first time I noticed that he was smiling at me. I must look like a fool to him standing in the pouring rain with my eyes closed. But even with him staring at me, I closed my eyes once more and tilted my head back. The torrent of rain melted against my flesh as I tried to erase my thoughts of Michael. The way he looked at me when he had opened his door to find me standing on the other side was nothing short of shock. And then the way he pleaded with me just with his eyes to stay and talk to him. But that was something I couldn't do. Some doors were meant to stay locked. 

And this was one door that I couldn't afford to open.

Doors that I should let stay shut forever and yet the more that I thought about it; the more I wanted to drive back to his house and jump into his arms. But that was something I wasn't willing to allow myself to do. 

Even as thoughts of him bombarded my conscious, I compelled myself to just feel the droplets of rain falling around me. There was something about the rain that seemed to soothe me in this moment. I couldn't put my finger on what that was, but I knew deep down that there was something magical about it. It was as if it were washing me clean of my past and giving me a fresh start at a life I didn't know I wanted. 

Of course, technically, I didn't know what I wanted because I didn't know anything about my past.

Irony can be a bitch sometimes.

I let out a small gasp as I felt a hand grasping my arm. My eyes opened and I couldn't help but smile at Aidan as he pulled me towards his home. My feet led me towards the door to the huge house in front of me, trailing mud up each step. The sound of the muddy water squished under my feet with each step I took making me smile. 

It took a lot of focus to keep one foot in front of the other as Aidan dragged me behind him. A few times I actually slid, but at the last minute had managed to get my balance. That had caused him to laugh out loud at me.

As the doors swung open to the foyer, the smell of apples and cinnamon collided with my nose, pulling me further into Aidan's home. My eyes went to his automatically as I tried to fight off the goofy smile that crossed my face. Instead I found an identical one plastered on his face, but there was also something else. 

He knew that apple pie was my favorite desert, and to say that his was absolutely divine would be an understatement.

I took a small step forward towards the hypnotic smell allowing my hand to slip from Aidan's. A piece of apple pie was just what the doctor ordered. Especially after the encounter I had just left with Michael. Apple pie and ice cream. 

The smell pulled me closer to my destination, wrapping around me with each step I took. I looked back to see that Aidan was fidgeting. What was his problem?

As I made it to the door, I stopped in my tracks. The sight before me made all the tension in my chest disappear. Sitting at the kitchen counter was Thomas. I smiled at him and walked towards him to get a much needed hug. I wanted to tell him about the day I'd had, but stopped when I realized that Thomas was here in Aidan's house.

Why was Thomas here? He never came to Aidan's place.

"Aidan called me," Thomas signed. "And before you ask—no, you didn't say anything out loud. I just know you that well.

My eyes moved back to Aidan. If only that were true, I mused. The truth was that I didn't even know myself that well. How could anyone else?

It was then for the first time since we stepped foot inside his house that I noticed Aidan was actively avoiding my eyes. I squinted as I tried to read his lips, but he had turned his body sideways towards the opposite side of the kitchen.

It was then that I noticed movement from the corner of my eye. In the corner were two more people sitting at the kitchen table. Stephen and another man I had never seen before sat there patiently waiting for a reaction from me

I blinked rapidly as I stared at the group of men I had come to think of as family. Their faces now held an array of emotions ranging from trepidation to guilt. My gaze left Stephen as I turned once more to Aidan. The look of confusion on my face was obvious enough to cause him to drop his gaze from mine.

In the background flashes of icy blue electricity shot through the night sky. Each streak of light cast through the window behind me; momentarily drawing my attention to the storm before I turned back to Thomas.

I watched with confusion as he lifted his hands and signed, "This is an intervention."

"Intervention?" I signed back. "For me?"

The nod was the only response I received. Scanning the room again my eyes landed on the face I wasn't familiar with.

"Aidan," I signed as my body turned to him. "What the hell?"

"That's the friend I spoke to you about. Izzie it's time to at least consider your choices of surgery. We've talked about it for a while," he signed.

Taking a step back I shook my head. The betrayal I felt was more than I could take. This day wasn't getting any better for me.

"How could you?" I cried, casting my eyes at everyone in the room. "All of you? How could you?"

The touch of a hand caused me to stop, but when I looked down there was nothing there.

"Don't you think you've waited long enough Isabelle? We've already told you that you are the perfect candidate," Aidan's doctor friend signed. "You could have your hearing back in a matter of weeks. Why won't you let your friends and family help you?"

"Because, I'm scared!"

My body tossed gently as I tried to move away from everyone. The movements become harder forcing me to look up. Rays of sunlight greeted me as I blinked my eyes rapidly. Their warm glow contradicted the harsh darkness of the storm I had remembered. Even though I didn't know how the storm had passed so quickly I couldn't help smiling to myself. 

I tried to close my eyes to remember the feeling of content when my body was once again moved. Opening my eyes again I frowned and looked up at the most beautiful man I had ever seen. 

Michael.

Of course I would see him. He was always the first thing I saw in the morning. This time had been stranger than the others though. This dream had involved me being bound to a hospital bed, but Michael had been with me and that had more than made up for it.

What was even better than his presence was that he had told me he loved me. He had always loved me and no matter how hard he tried, he could never make those feelings stop. Those words were like music to my eyes. I chuckled at my lame joke and closed my eyes once more. His words made me want to remember a time when we were friends, so that I could understand the man he had become.

The soft touch of fingers made me open my eyes once more to see a concerned Michael staring down at me. His vibrant emerald eyes stared at me and for the first time I noticed that his hands were moving. Was what happened real? Did he really profess his love to me? And where was I?

For the first time, I allowed my eyes to roam. The pale white walls greeted me in my quest to search my surroundings. A picture was thrown up here and there for good measure. Each pastel landscape accentuated the horrible flower motif beside them. No sane person would ever dream of buying these things if they didn't have to. 

The machine beside my bed waved up and down as it monitored my heart. It wasn't a dream.

My eyes once again found Michael's before I lifted my hands and then let them fall back to my sides. I wasn't sure what to say. And as if reading my mind, he lifted his hands and signed, "You're in the hospital. The doctors warned us you'd be pretty out of it last night, so that's why you probably don't remember much."

I remember you being here.

"You pretty much passed out after I talked to you. Thomas and Aidan are outside, they needed coffee," he signed before adding, "And the doctor said only one of us could visit at a time. They let me go first."

The smile on his face made me smile in return. He looked so young when he smiled. He should do it more often. 

I couldn't help but smile at the mention of them both, they were the reason I was here. The reason I could get my hearing back in a matter of weeks. At first, I was upset and amazed at how they had gone behind my back and orchestrated this whole thing. But then as time passed, I realized what they said was true. And even though there was no sign that read Intervention, it was an intervention that I truly needed.

"What are you scared of?" Michael signed. I hadn't realized that I had screamed those words out loud. The expression on his face let me know that he was concerned. 

It was then that movement caught my eye. Craning my head up and to the left a little, I saw three smiling men. Each one looking at me like kids at Christmas just before their parents tells them to rip into their presents. 

It didn't escape my attention that Stephen's arms were wrapped protectively around Thomas' waist. He must have been terrified with me in surgery. If there was one thing that Thomas hated, it was the not knowing part. Add me in the mix and he was probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Come in," I signed with a smile on my face.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I saw Thomas push Aidan behind him and make a beeline to my bed. It reminded me of the three stooges the way they were fighting to get to me. Each one stopped short of the bed breathing theatrically hard. And then there was nothing.

As I waited for one of them to say something, I noticed that each of them avoided my eyes. Even going so far as to look above me. All of them but Michael and Aidan.

Rolling my eyes I snapped my fingers, thankful that the sound couldn't add to the pounding in my head. My hands raised slowly as I signed, "What? You never saw a deaf chick before?"

"Finally," Thomas signed as he sat down on my bed. "Something funny," he smiled.

The looks on their faces told me that the joke had the desired effect as all of them smiled at me. How did I get so lucky that I ended up with all of these men in my life?

"Hi to you too Tommy," I signed back.

"I'll even let that slide right now," he smiled although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't ever make a decision that big and not let us know Elle. When they told us that you were in surgery I almost had a heart attack. It was supposed to just be a simple exam and consultation."

"Thomas, stop signing so fast. I'm still doped up on drugs," I signed back to him.

"Sorry Kiddo. Can't help it," he laughed. 

My eyes drifted towards Aidan and saw that he was standing back from the rest of the group. "Come here," I signed. I watched as his eyes moved from my hands to Michael and then back to me again. I frowned as I watched the interaction between the two of them. Then taking my hand, I pointed at Aidan and then furiously pointed to the spot in front of me.

I watched as a smile erupted on his face and he came over to stand beside me. And then I took his hand and wrote on it with my finger. He looked back at the group and then nodded. I smiled and finally mouthed, "I thought so" before opening my arms for a hug.

"Wait. What did she just say to you," Thomas asked interrupting our moment.

"So when can I leave," I asked ignoring him.

"I need to learn sign language," Stephen huffed as he looked at Thomas to translate.

A smile spread across my face as I looked at him and signed the same words. Thomas looked at me as if for confirmation before I nodded and then he too smiled.

"Today," Michael signed answering my previous question. "We just have to talk to your doctor and then sign some papers."

"Good. I could use a nice hot bath," I signed and then frowned as I saw everyone in the room pause and look at each other. Stephen's face was even turning a rosy shade of pink.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Taking a step forward Aidan looked down at me and smiled. "Not at all," he signed while looking over at Michael. "Everything is perfect."

****

Michael watched as she had each of them come into the room and the way that Thomas fawned over her as if she was his child. He really was a good friend. It was that Aidan guy he didn't trust. No matter what anyone said, there was something more beneath his best friend act. And Michael knew from experience that even if you started out being just friends those feelings could easily escalate.

They had for him.

Isabelle obviously sensed the tension because she demanded that Aidan come up to her. And then she talked to him the way she used to talk to Michael when she didn't want anyone to know. She wrote small letters on his hand in a code that they had made up. And yet here she was using it with him.

Did the fact that she could remember that code mean that she was getting closer to remembering him? It wasn't until Stephen proclaimed that he needed to learn sign language that Michael tore his gaze from the two. 

It was then that Izzie asked when she could leave.

"Today," Michael answered before anyone else had a chance to open their mouths.

"Good. I need a nice hot bath."

The groan that left his mouth had been purely accidental, but still it had left. The thought of her naked in a hot bubble bath had popped into his head as soon as she signed the words. He had never seen Izzie naked but from the glimpses he had gotten from just the hospital gown, he would bet she was even more gorgeous without clothes.

The smile she plastered on her face hadn't helped. If anything she reminded him of the young girl he used to know. He loved who she had become, but part of him missed the old Isabelle Jones too.

Michael slowly looked around as he noticed the expression on Isabelle's face. She might not have heard him, but obviously everyone else had and their body language must have told her something was up, because the next thing she signed was, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Aidan had smiled at me, turning back to look down at her. "Everything is perfect."

"So who's taking me home?"

The question was spoken out loud which caught Michael off guard. Her voice still sounded as musical as it had all those years ago. It was a little different, but still very much Isabelle.

"I am," he nearly screamed.

All eyes fell on Michael as he blushed and signed, "I am."

"I guess Michael is," Thomas smiled while shaking his head.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he smiled back.

****

The car bounced slightly as it cruised down the pot hole ridden road. My eyes remained closed the entire drive, even though I wasn't really asleep. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to muster up the courage to talk to Michael.

His emerald eyes always seemed to melt my heart and after our declaration of love, we needed cooler heads to prevail. And my hormones seemed to imagine him dripping water off his body every time I looked at him. 

And so I pretended to sleep until sleep actually washed over me.

I had closed my eyes and allowed the pain medication to lull me into a calm state. And daydream. In them a younger version of me sat in a field looking at a wagon. The crimson glint of the metal had been rubbed off in places to reveal rusted metal beneath. And yet I stood there looking at this child's toy as if it was something magical.

The sound of someone behind me made me smile as I turned my head and looked at a younger version of Michael. And even though he looked manlier there was something just as boyish about the older version as there was the dream Michael.

"I knew I'd find you here," he smiled as he kissed the top of my head.

"How'd you know that?"

"Because you find beauty in everything and everything sees the beauty in you," he whispered in my ear.

"Mikey, that sounds like a riddle," I laughed. It had been years since I'd actually heard the sound of my laughter, but I could still remember what it sounded like.

Dream Michael just spun me around and picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder as he ran further into the thicket of grass that had grown around the red wagon. 

That had been the exact moment that I had felt his hand shaking me awake. Back to reality where I knew very little about him except for the fact that I loved him and wanted to be with him as much as he claimed to love me.

Seconds later the car came to a halt, and I could feel the low vibrations of the engine turn off. My eyes opened into half lids as I stretched my arms and legs. Opening the door, I took a deep breath and then decided it was best to leave the car and scurry into the house before anything awkward could be said.

One foot touched the ground before I realized that I wasn't at my house.

"Where are we," I signed to him looking around. "This isn't my house. Or your house."

"It's my villa. We're taking a little vacation from the world for the week." 

"I can't take a vacation; I need to find a job. What about Thomas? I can't just go off with you to who knows where and just stay for a week," I signed furiously.

Closing his hands over mine, he kissed each one slowly and then pushed them down to my side. 

"To answer your questions and concerns," he signed with a smile on his face. "You have a job. Thomas and I spoke about this in the hospital and he's okay with it. He has my phone number and said to tell you he'd be checking in on you every day. And you do know me."

"And when were you going to tell me all this?" I signed glaring at him.

"Now," he smiled.

"You ass--"

"Izzie—I know you won't remember this about me, but I don't listen to you often.

"I can see that," I frowned.

"Come with me," he signed walking as quickly as he could towards the walkway. All around me the sky had begun to change. Fuchsia clashed with tangerine ribbons as the sun sank into the horizon. Within moments everything would be encased in darkness. At that thought a shiver ran down my spine. Could I handle being alone with him for a week? And in the middle of nowhere at that.

My hand reached out to grab his and I was reward with a quick glance from those emerald jewels I dreamed about. Three steps later and a mini maneuver through a hallway, Michael and I stood in the main room of his villa. Or as he liked to call it, his Great Room.

"Michael," I spoke out loud, waiting for him to turn towards me. "What are we doing here?"

A half smile graced his face as he took a step towards me and then lowered his face within inches of mine. His eyes caressed my face as I watched them dart from my eyes to my lips. And then his lips covered mine in the sweetest kiss I had ever experienced.

Time stood still as I melted into his body. The vibration of a groan echoed through me and the only thing I could think of to do was grab on and enjoy the ride. Soft lips trailed kisses to the corner of my mouth, slowly moving down to my jaw line. My head lulled back as I felt the same feeling I had when I was at his house. This wanton needed to give myself over to him taking over and threatening to grab hold of me.




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 08



The rough texture of his tongue running down my neck caused a shiver to course through my body as he gently placed a kiss at the same location. And then a light nip.

The rumbling vibrations of his laughter only served to aid the moisture between my legs as I tried my best to stop this feeling that was going through me.

My mouth opened as I tried to stifle a moan I was sure escaped anyway, falling into the walls to whisper amongst themselves before returning back to me and crashing into my soul. The fabric of my t-shirt lifting slightly as my arms wrapped around his neck.

Pulling back, Michael looked down at me and mouthed, "I love you," before returning his teeth to my ear to light nip at it.

Those words like a glass of ice water dashed the fire in me. I loved him too, but this was not the way I wanted to get to know him. No, if we were going to do this we were going to be friends. And the only memories I had so far were of his hate for me and mixed signals of lust tangled in.

And so as much as it hurt me to do so, I pushed at his chest until he stepped away from me. "I can't do this."

And then turning my back, I walked to the first room I saw and closed the door.

*****

My back hit the door with such force that it gave me a headache. I had forgotten about my surgery with all of the emotions swirling around inside of me. The attraction I felt for Michael had hit me with such force that it was too much to bear. And even though I had said I wanted to get to know him, what I wanted more was to rip the shirt off of his body. And that could come to be problematic in the grand scheme of things.

Reaching my hand into my pocket, I fished out my phone. As I scrolled through my contact list I found the number I needed and quickly pressed the mail icon.

As the text box opened I quickly typed in three words and hit the send button.

What the fuck!

Seconds later my phone vibrated and the letters "l.o.l" were displayed, which only made me even angrier.

Seriously Thomas. You gave me to him for the week? What the fuck!

Thomas: I didn't give you to him. He explained his plan to me and I figured you'd never get to know him if you keep avoiding him.

I knew that he had a point, but I also knew that after the incident at his house there was no way I could do this. And if I had ever gotten the chance to talk to Thomas about what happened maybe he wouldn't have thrown me to the wolves. But even as that thought crossed my mind I knew deep down that if I had told Thomas about seeing Michael half naked and daydreaming about jumping him, he would have sent me with him even faster and with a suitcase full of lingerie.

At this thought I could feel myself frowning as I began typing.

Did you pack lingerie in my suitcase when you packed it Thomas?!

Only four seconds passed before my phone vibrated and the only words displayed were "have fun".

I stumbled forward in a haze, slowly sitting down on the bed to catch my bearings. Thomas had set me up. The thought made the pounding in my head intensify. It was as if something in my head wanted me to remember everything, but at the same time maybe I didn't want to. Everything was too much for me. Why was my life becoming so dramatic? 

My body lowered to the bed as I tried to come up with an answer to my question. However nothing came to me and I was left wondering what I was going to do for an entire week. 

The only thought in my mind as my eyes closed was of Michael and those damn emerald eyes.

****

My eyes opened to find the room cloaked in darkness. I had come into the room to clear my head, but obviously I had fallen asleep. The throbbing in my head was a distant memory, so obviously I needed the rest. It also didn't hurt that I had escaped the clutches of Michael as well. His lips moving down my neck had been too much for me. And the fact that he loved me was throwing me for a loop. I could barely remember anything nice about him and here I was pining for him. All my memories pointed to the fact that he was a selfish ass. And yet when he touched me all of those feelings melted away.

Why me?

Of course no one answered me back. Especially since I had said it in my head and not aloud. Would imaginary me have heard it if someone had answered back? I'd like to think she would. 

Slowly sitting up, I threw my legs around to the floor. I needed to use the bathroom like I couldn't believe. I might have helped if I knew where it was. And the fact that it was completely dark wasn't going to aid me in my search for it. 

"How hard could it be," I whispered to myself. 

My hand rested on the doorknob for a split second before I ripped the door open and stepped into the dark hall. I felt like the victim in a horror movie. With any luck I'd fall on the floor after falling over an imaginary object. Two steps later and I had reached the first door on the left. Bathrooms were normally in the middle of the hall right? Yeah. Right.

Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open. My hand moved across the wall searching for the light switch. After a second of searching I finally found it, and with a triumphant smile I flipped it upwards. My victory was short lived as I stared at a sleeping Michael. A sleeping, naked Michael.

"Shit."

Slowly I watched as his arm moved towards his face. The horror that must be etched on my face surely showed until finally he wiped his mouth and then stopped moving again. A sigh of relief left me as I turned to quickly leave and ran directly into his dresser. Although I couldn't actually hear the noise that the items made as they hit the floor, I was sure they had to be loud.

Not wanting to but having no other choice, I turned around only to be confronted with Michael sitting up in bed with a pillow placed on his lap. The sight would have made me laugh if I weren't so embarrassed. 

"Um...hi?" I signed.

"Hi," he signed back as he looked down at the floor while trying his hardest not to blush. Of course it wasn't working as I watched the tips of his ears turn red.

Clearing my thought, I waited for him to look up at me. "Sorry. I was looking for the bathroom."

"Next door to me," he answered looking away again, this time smiling. 

Not wanting to see what would happen next I turned and quickly fled to the bathroom adjacent to his room. I knew I slammed the door but I was too embarrassed to care. Surely he would think I was a pervert. I groaned a loud and wished I could escape. How was I going to get through the week with this man? Not only was he sexy but he was always naked or wet. It wasn't fair.

The door vibrating beneath my back brought my attention back to the present. I didn't want to open the door. I knew what was waiting on the other side. And with my luck he'd be naked AND wet with that sexy smile on his face and a red bow. The last part made me smile. I did like presents. 

Once again my back vibrated and I knew that I would have to open the door. Slowly turning towards the large wooden blockade, I took a deep breath and then slowly turned the door knob. Opening the door slowly I peeked my head out and saw Michael looking at me curiously.

"What are you doing," he signed.

Taking one hand and moving it out in the hallway I simply signed, "Nothing."

"Then come out of the bathroom."

I shook my head no and then slammed the door in his face.

As if on some type of timer the door vibrated against my back. And then the strangest thing happened. He started knocking in patterns. First three knocks then a slight pause followed by two quick knocks and a loud bang. Frustrated by the last bang I immediately turned, flung the door open and started screaming at him.

"How dare you call me spoiled Michael Sanders?

"What?"

"Spoiled my ass!" I yelled. "If I'm spoiled then so are you. Dragging me out to the middle of nowhere and then trying to seduce me and...and...being naked!"

By the end of my tirade I was completely out of breath and my throat hurt. I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually yelled at someone using my voice. My throat was dry and scratchy from the exertion I had placed on my larynx. But instead of saying anything to me, Michael simply looked at me with his mouth slightly open.

"Stop looking at me like I'm an idiot."

"You understood the knock?"

"What? No!"

"Then how'd you know I said spoiled?"

"You didn't. You knocked and then---" I signed suddenly stopping.

"That was something I made up when we were kids," Michael continued. "I always did that knock when you were mad at me and one day you screamed at me to knock it off. You said you didn't even know why I always did it and I told you it was my spoiled knock."

"That's stupid," I whispered.

Smiling he nodded, "That's what you said to me then too. It always pisses you off."

"So you were trying to piss me off?"

"I didn't even think you'd remember it. I didn't even think about it. I just did it."

There was silence in the room for a second before I looked up at him and signed, "Take it back."

"What?"

"What you said. Take it back," I frowned.

"No."

"What do you mean no."

"I mean stop acting like a spoiled brat and talk to me like a grown up and I'll apologize," Michael signed and then quickly turned away and walked towards the end of the hallway before disappearing.

"Sometimes I hate you," I whispered into the dark.

*****

As Michael rounded the corner he smiled to himself. If Isabelle was anything like she was as a teenager then any minute she would come barreling around the corner to give him a piece of her mind. If there was one thing she hated the most was being called spoiled.

If he was being honest the only reason he did it most of the time was to get a rise out of her. He knew that if it came down to it he could at least get her to yell at him instead of giving the silent treatment. And the sound of her voice was better than no sound at all. 

Michael shook his head as he thought about the irony. Now she barely talked because she couldn't even hear the sound of her voice. But with any luck that would change soon. 

A hard force pushed him forward causing him to stumble and land on the couch in front of him. Turning over he couldn't help but smile up at Isabelle. Her eyes were wide with anger and her hands were moving rapidly as she yelled at him with her hands.

"This is new," he signed back.

Without stopping her rant, Isabelle walked up to him taking her finger and poked him in the chest as hard as she could.

"Ouch!"

"That's what you deserve," she signed.

As his hand reached up, Michael watched Isabelle take a step backwards.

"I just want to talk," he signed. "Come sit with me."

"Not until you take it back," she signed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Are you serious right now Izzie?"

When she didn't move from her spot in the middle of the room Michael rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. I'm sorry."

"No. Say it like you mean it."

"I'm sorry?" he smiled.

"I'm sorry Isabelle Jones. You are far wiser than I could ever be," she signed.

"Izzie—"

"Nope. Not till you say it," she frowned as her arms crossed against her chest.

"Izzie—you do realize that's something we used to say to each other as kids right?" he asked. 

His expression was now serious and for the first time since he'd stepped into the room Michael needed to talk to her. How could she keep remembering all of these things they had done together but not him? How was that possible? 

"I—it just came out. I don't even know where it came from," she signed. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she tried her best not to cry. But Michael could tell that she needed to. She needed to let it all out or she would never feel better. She would never heal.

"Izzie just let it go," Michael signed as he stood and walked towards her.

"I don't even know you."

"Yes you do."

"No! I don't! You keep saying that, but I don't! Old Izzie—she knew you. But I don't know you!" she screamed again for the second time that day.

The tension was palpable as he watched her try not to cry. She had gotten better at holding the tears at bay, but he could still tell she wanted to start bawling. Her lip trembled slightly before she licked her lips and took a deep breath. 

"Hi. I'm Michael Sanders," he signed and then shoved his hand into the air between the two of them.

When Isabelle didn't move he looked at her as if it were a conspiracy and then signed, "You're supposed to shake my hand and say your name too."

A small smile spread across her face before she grabbed his hand and then signed, "Hi. I'm Isabelle Jones. But all my friends call me Belle. Well, all except one. He calls me Izzie."

"I think I'd like to call you Izzie too," he signed. And with that the two of them smiled.

"Sorry I've been pressuring you to remember."

"Remember what strange man who I just met," Isabelle asked. The smile on her face was light and mischievous which only caused Michael to smile more. 

Maybe getting to know each other all over again wouldn't be so hard after all. 

****

The world is vibrating, I thought as I dreamed of the conversation Michael and I had shared. With each passing second the vibrating only increased and then finally my body collided with something hard. 

"Crap," I whispered.

Finally opening my eyes I was forced to close them again as the bright light seeped into my sleep filled brain. Once again something vibrated forcing me to open my eyes again. Chestnut colored wood stared at me as I gazed at its grainy texture. Was I on the floor?

It was then that I noticed bare feet in front of me and then a hand. The aching in my head increased as I looked up to see a worried Michael standing over me. Trying my best to smile up at him I reached up and grabbed his hand. My body ached from the fall I had taken and once I was standing firmly on both feet I felt my body sway.

Michael's other hand grabbed me before I could fall again, but I still felt woozy. My feet slowly walked me backwards as he led me to the bed behind me. The backs of my legs touched the bed before I allowed myself to lower down to the plush mattress below.

"Are you okay," he finally signed.

"I think so?" I signed back looking complexed.

"I heard this loud music from your room and then a loud thud. I came in to check on you and you were lying in the floor," he frowned.

"Music?"

"Yeah. Your phone was playing a song and it was vibrating. It almost fell off the nightstand but I caught it before it fell on your head," he answered gesturing towards my phone.

That was strange. There wasn't any music on her phone. It would have been pointless considering I wouldn't have been able to hear it. And then I remembered all the times Thomas had picked up my phone and spent time scrolling through the functions. I wonder what song? And then recognition dawned on me.

"What song?"

Smiling Michael lifted his hands and said, "I'm sexy and I know it."

"Asshole," I signed.

The look Michael gave me was comical. It was a mixture of confusion and sadness. "Not you," I quickly explained. "Thomas."

After a second I watched as Michaels face lit up and his mouth opened in laughter. How I'd love to hear that sound again. In my dreams his laughter was like medicine. It always made me feel alive. Was that what he really sounded like? The way his face lit up made me think that it must be.

Seconds later he stopped laughing and began wiping at his eyes. "I made breakfast, come and eat."

And then he left as if nothing had just happened.

I guess day two had officially started.

****

Thomas stared at his phone for the sixth time that morning. Isabelle hadn't text him back yet. He had been blowing her phone up all morning and still he had gotten nothing. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give Michael the okay to take her for the week. He was aware that she was a grown woman, and he had pretty much told a total stranger to kidnap his best friend for an entire week.

Sure Michael had told him that they were best friends as kids. He had even shown him tons of pictures of them, but when it came down to it he was a stranger to her. What if she was mad at him?

He'd never know Isabelle to ignore any of his text. What if secretly this Michael person and she were bitter at the end and he wanted to punish her for something. What if—

"Thomas, she's fine," Stephen broke in to his thoughts as he was about to go off on a tangent.

"What?"

"Isabelle. She is fine. I'm sure they are just getting to know each other. That's what you wanted right?"

"Right. But—"

"And the whole point was to wait for her to contact you any way right?"

"Right. But—"

"Then let her contact you. She may have been a little upset but I'm sure she doesn't hate you. No one could hate you baby. She's fine," Thomas smiled walking up to Thomas and giving him a kiss on the neck.

The simple gesture caused his heart to speed up and then his body relaxed into Stephen's touch. "I hate it when you make sense."

"Yes. I know," Stephen smiled against his skin, dragging his tongue up his neck and nipping softly at his jawline. 

"Stephen—" he groaned.

"Thomas," he smiled.

"You know that we can't do this right now. What—we—work," he gasped as he felt Stephen's hand move towards the band of his boxers. "We need to—fuck," he gasped at the feel of Stephen's hand grasping him.

"Well if you insist," Stephen chuckled lowering himself down his lover's body. His tongue left a trail of his kisses down Thomas' abdomen before he stopped at his belly button. The rough texture of his tongue felt like magic against Thomas' skin and he had to force himself not to grab his head and push him down to where he wanted him.

"So pretty," he heard Stephen whisper before he felt his hands slid his boxers down his thighs.

"Stephen—please," he gasped trying to catch his breath. 

The feeling of Stephen's breath against his body was torture. He wanted him to touch him. He needed him to put him out of his misery. The flick of a tongue against his hard member caught him off guard as he groaned and pushed his head back.

But as soon as it started he felt Stephen stop.

"No," he groaned placing his hand on Stephen's head. 

"Phone."

"What?" Thomas gasped moving his hips closer to his lover's mouth.

"Babe. You're phone," he smiled looking up at him before leaning down to flick his tongue against him again. Then as if nothing had been going on, Stephen leaned back on his knees and slowly got up. 

"But—"

"You better go check it," he winked before walking away.

Minutes passed before he was able to catch his breath. Maybe Isabelle would understand if he didn't text her back immediately. Then again he had been worried about her earlier. And he had withheld vital information that she was entitled to.

Sighing Thomas picked up the phone and stared at it and then started laughing.

Izzie:I'm sexy and I know it?

Michael told you I'm guessing.

Izzie:Um...yeah

It's funny right Belle?

Izzie:I wanted to be angry but it did make me laugh

Knew it

Izzie:Now about this lingerie and the fact that you left me alone with Michael

It looked like it was finally time for him to pay the Piper. He just hoped she'd be gentle with him when she found out he'd be conspiring against her for some time.

****

It had taken me some time to get the address out of Michael but he finally gave it to me. If I was going to be here for five more days then there was no way Thomas wasn't going to come see me. As much as I knew we needed this time to ourselves, I still needed Thomas too. If only to be there in case I couldn't take it.

He had text me and let me know that it would defeat the purpose if he came. But I reminded him that he was the reason I was here in the first place. I might have also told him that I caught him and Stephen having sex in the bathroom once and that I'd tell him next time. That had gotten him in his car in a heartbeat. Plus the little fact that I had heard him say he loved him once when he thought no one was at home.




Beautiful Stranger Ch. 08



I wouldn't call what I did blackmail as much as it was motivation. Okay, it was blackmail.

But I was desperate and I didn't know if I could stay with Michael alone the entire time. Even though we had started over it was even more difficult. He hadn't gotten less sexy because we said we'd take it slow and start out as friends. If anything his gesture made me want to rip his clothes off even more.

My eyes darted towards the window once more and finally I could relax. Thomas' car was slowly coming to a stop in the driveway and I watched as he got out. A smile spread across my face as I saw Stephen get out of the passenger side. I guess he couldn't stay away from him either.

My little Tommy was growing up.

I made my way to the door, flinging it open as he made it to the front door. I wanted to glare at him and tell him how much I hated him for what he did, but really I was happy. He had seen how much I needed to be where I was. But it didn't help that I wasn't consulted.

The expression on my face must have been one of distaste because Thomas frowned and then forming an fist lifted it to his chest moved it in a clockwise motion.

"I'm sorry too," I signed back as I flung my arms around him.

"What are you sorry for?" he asked once we had separated.

"For blackmailing you. I wouldn't have told him anything."

Smiling at me Thomas simply said, "I know."

"Then why'd you haul your ass here?" I smiled back.

"Stephen threatened to withhold sex," he frowned again which only made me laugh.

"Stephen what?"

I watched as Thomas turned his head to look at the man behind him. And then he spoke to us again.

Turning back to look at me Thomas simply signed, "He learned how to spell his name a yesterday."

This made me laugh as I stepped back into the house and motioned for them to both come in. What would I do without him in my life? I didn't even want to think about it. It was literally unthinkable.

Michael walked into the room at the same time we did. He paused and stared at us for a few seconds before he slowly smiled. I knew he had to be smiling at the look on my face because standing in front of me was an incredibly sexy man wearing nothing but a towel. He had another one in his hand that he had been using to dry his hair. It was déjà vu. 

"Really? I swear you never have clothes on."

"We don't mind," Thomas and Stephen said at the same time.

My eyes bore into them as I watched them drool over Michael. Turning back to look at him I groaned and then threw my hands up. "Put some clothes on."

"Aye aye Captain," he winked and then turned to walk into his room.

A light tap startled me causing me to swing around to face the two men behind me. "Does he do that a lot?"

"Unfortunately."

"Shit. I might stay the rest of the week after all," Thomas smiled.

I couldn't do anything but shake my head at him. I really loved my friends. 

****

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Thomas and Stephen had caught me up on how everyone had been so worried about me when I went through my surgery. And that Michael had been by my side the entire time. 

It was then that that had come up with this idea that if I was alone with him I'd have to confront my feelings and hopefully I'd get some of my memories back. Or at least admit I had feelings for him.

That part of their plan had worked. I did have feelings for him, but I wasn't quite ready to bear my soul to him. Now hours later I watched as the two of them drove away. Thomas had promised to check in on me in the morning and apologized once more for tricking me.

And then I was left alone with Michael Sanders.

At least he was dry and fully clothed this time.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked interrupting my thoughts.

"You," I answered truthfully.

"What about me."

"I've dreamed about you for five years," I signed and then dropped my gaze to the ground.

A hand touched my face softly, moving down to my chin and forcing me to look up. Emerald gems stared into my hazel ones. "What do you mean?" he mouthed.

How could I tell him this without sounding like a crazy person? I didn't get a chance to contemplate how I would explain my revelation before I felt his lips touch mine. It was the lightest feeling and then I felt his lips press down harder forcing my mouth to open. His tongue snaked inside my mouth before it darted back and then repeated the motion again.

A vibration rocked my body as I tried to control my breathing. I needed to move away from him, but then I felt it. The very thing I wanted and was scared of at the same time. I needed to stop this before I got out of control, but instead I found myself wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

My body ached for him and I wasn't sure how to get this ache to stop. I had never felt so turned on. It wasn't until him. A hand moved down to my ass and palmed one cheek followed by another. Before I knew what was happening my body was being lifted and my legs were wrapping around his waist. 

Our bodies moved together in a fevered motion as we devoured the others lips. Michael's hand reached up and pulled my head back lowering his lips to my neck. 

I couldn't stop the groan from escaping my mouth and though I couldn't hear it, I felt it vibrate in my throat. What was he doing to me?

One of his hands moved up my body and stopped on my back. His finger moved down my back and then over before repeating a different pattern. It took me a few seconds before I realized he was talking to me.

R. U. Sure?

Tears sprung to my eyes as I stared at his face and then shook my head. Disappointment crossed his face before he nodded and then slowly lowered me back to the floor.

"It's okay," he signed taking a step away from me.

My eyes darted to his jeans and the sizeable erection he had. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be Izzie," he smiled weakly. I wanted so badly to go to him but there was so much I was confused about. This was turning out to be the most horrible idea any one had ever had.

"Michael—"

"I'm gonna go get ready for bed. It's pretty late. Night Izzie," he signed. And then he turned and disappeared into his room down the hall. 

"I'm sorry," I whispered to the empty room.

For the first time since I had met Michael Sanders, I felt like I had lost my best friend in the entire world.