Chapter Six
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Aurora was shocked, "So you left grand dad?"

I nodded.

She layed back down, "Good. Like you said, you didn't deserve to be his second choice."

I smiled as I looked down at my white gold wedding band, "Yes. Well as it turns out, me leaving was the best thing I could have done."

"So what happened next?"
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Michael did not stand in the way of me leaving the ranch and it was almost a week before I heard from him again.

During that week, I tried to get back to my life by going to the office and pulling twelve hour days like I used to before I met him but yet it wasn't completely the same because I still found myself wondering how he and the children were. This left me distracted and not able to concentrate fully on my work, so much so that my dad became worried about me, "What's going on Darling?" he asked me one day in my office.

I did not want to get into it at all, "What do you mean dad?"

He closed the door behind himself and sat down in one of the leather chairs that faced my oversized brown desk, "Darling, you have been very distant and unfocused since you came back to work. What happened at Neverland?"

I sat back in my chair and took my glasses off, "I don't know Dad. Things were going so well. After the fashion show he told me he loved me, asks me to move in with him and then he goes and defends his ex wife over me."

Dad's eyes widened, "Well, that would make anyone angry. What happened with the ex wife?"

"She called me a nobody and then accused me of trying to steal his fortune. I guess she couldn't handle it when I told her who I was and she was very wrong about me wanting his fortune."

Pierre chuckled, "Darling, you barely want to use your own fortune. Why would you want his?"

"That's what I told her. She then got mad and stormed away. Michael worried about her reaction."

"Nicole, did you ever think that he loves you both?"

My eyes widened and I was angry all over again, "Dad, you're supposed to be on my side."

He put his hands up in defense of his position, "Now just hear me out, from what you have told me he has a hard time trusting people and doesn't really have a close circle of friends."

I wasn't sure where he was going with this, "Yes?"

"Well, maybe he wanted to hold on to his friendship and did not handle it the right way."

I knew Michael was relationally awkward sometimes but even if that was the case, I couldn't be some one's second choice, "Well then what would you suggest I do? I can't be someone's second choice."

"What makes you think you are?" He ran his hand through his short grey hair in frustration, "Look Nicole, I saw the way he looked at you when he was at the fashion show. I doubt very much that he would look at you that way if he was really interested in someone else."

I remembered the way he acted the night of the fashion show, he didn't take his eyes off of me for a second and how sublimely happy he was when we were at my apartment and I realized my dad was right, "What should I do?"

"Talk to him Nicole. I have never seen you happier than you are with Mr. Jackson. It would be insanity for you two not to be together."

His words were on my mind for the rest of the day and especially so when I got back to my apartment that night because there were several messages on my answering machine, all of which were from Mr. Jackson. They were all asking me to call back when I got home from work, except for the last one which said,
"Hey Nicole, it's me. I know I probably sound like a stalker right now but I've been thinking. I'm truly sorry for what happened the other day at the ranch. I do love you and I was wrong not to consider your feelings. I hope you can forgive me because I really miss you."

I was almost in tears at the sound of that message Oh Michael. But before I could call him back, there was a knock at my door and to my surprise and wonder there was Michael standing at my door in the gold sequence jacket I had made for him and he was holding a small bouquet of purple and pink azaleas with a single white rose in the middle of it, "Hi." was all he said.

I couldn't help but smile seeing him in my door way dressed that way "You definitely look like a peacock right now." was all I was able to say to him as he handed me the flowers.

He held his arms open wide and shrugged,"Yes well, I had to get your attention some how. May I come in?"

I nodded and stepped aside and let him enter the apartment.

"I just got your messages." I said once I closed the door, "I've been at work a lot lately."

"Has it been a success?" he asked nervously.

I shrugged, "I think so." I put the flowers down on the table beside my sofa, "How have you been?"

He shrugged and told me that he hadn't done much this week except hang out with his kids, "I haven't really wanted to do anything else." He then came close to me and boldly placed his hands on my hips, "I am so sorry about the other day. I was insensitive."

I moved my hands up his arms and rested them on his shoulders, "And I'm sorry for reacting the way I did towards Lisa Marie and you. Sometimes, my temper does get the better of me."

"My violent girl." he said as he kissed my forehead and then held me in his arms, "God I have missed you."

"I've missed you too." as soon as I said that I could feel every muscle in his upper body relax which made me sense that he had something other than reconciliation on his mind, "Michael, is there something else on your mind?"

"Uh yeah." He pulled away from me and reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small purple velvet ring box and before I knew it, he was down on one knee in front of me presenting me with a heart shaped diamond ring, "Ever since I met you I knew you were someone special. And I was wondering, Nicole would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Even though he and I had only known each other for a month and a half, I couldn't imagine my life with out him and because of that there was only one thing I could say, "Of course I will marry you Michael. Nothing would make me happier!"

His face lit up as he got up off his knees, placed the ring on my left hand and held me tightly in his arms, "Oh I love you."