The Secret of Ella and Micha

you get when you’re like this.”
    I grab a fist full of his shirt and jerk him toward me. “Like what?”
    Again, he forfeits up his hands. “Micha man, calm down and go drink some coffee or something. You’re trashed out of your mind.”
    I release him and rake my fingers through my hair, frustrated with something I can’t grasp. “Coffee’s a myth… And I need something else.” My eyes travel to the back door window, and suddenly I understand what I need. I pat Ethan’s shoulder. “Clear everyone out before my mom gets home, okay?”
    “Alright, man will do,” he replies confoundedly. “But where are you going?”
    “On a walk.” I knock people out of my way, and stumble out the back door. Regaining my balance, I trip across the grass and climb over the fence. Ella’s dad’s Firebird is parked in the driveway, so he must be home from the bar. Doesn’t matter, though. He won’t notice or care if I sneak in. I’ve been doing it since we were kids.
    Although, my intentions did get a bit dirtier the older we got.
    I stare up at her bedroom window until I reach the tree. After a drunken struggle, I make it to the top and I inch along the branch to the window. Cupping me hands around my eyes, I peek inside. The lights are off, but the glow of the moon lights a trail to her bed. She’s fast asleep. I inch open the window, slicing my finger on a rusty nail. “Mother…” I suck on my finger tip, the taste of blood and vodka bitter against my tongue as I head dive through the window and hit the floor with a soft thud.
    Her friend shoots upright from the bed on the floor, her eyes wide. “Oh my God.”
    I put my finger to my lips as I get to my feet. “Shh...” She still looks worried so I dazzle her with my most charming smile.
    That seems to win her over and she settles back in her bed. As carefully as I can, I step over her bed and crawl in with Ella. She’s always been a heavy sleeper and doesn’t stir. I press my chest against her back, drape my arm over her waist, and feel the rhythm of her breathing. God, I’ve missed this way too much. It’s not healthy. I burrow my face in her neck, smelling the scent of her hair, vanilla mixed with something that’s only her.
    I shut my eyes and for the first time in eight months, I fall into a peaceful sleep.

    Ella
    I sleep horribly for half the night, tossing and turning, like the princess sleeping on a pea. Only I am far from a princess and the pea is my guilty conscience. I don’t know why I feel guilty about blowing off Micha. I’ve done it breezily for the past eight months. Although, he wasn’t living right next door with his sad puppy dog eyes and charming sexiness.
    My sleep deprivation only got worse when my dad stumbled into the house in the middle of the night, bumping over cups and bottles, drunk off his ass. Later, I heard him crying in the bathroom my mom died in. It still hurts to hear because his tears are my fault.
    Once I fall asleep, I am out and it ends up being the best night’s rest I’ve had in ages. When I wake up in the late afternoon, I feel refreshed and calm. Until I realize why.
    Micha is in my bed and has me in his long, lean arms. His body is curved into mine, so every single part of him is touching me. I know it’s him by the smell of his cologne mixed with mint and something else that only belongs to Micha. I pretend to be asleep, engulfed in a wonderful dream, refusing to wake up until he leaves.
    “I know you’re awake,” he whispers in my ear. His voice is hoarse and his breath is stale with booze. “So open your eyes and quit avoiding me.”
    “You know it’s illegal to walk into someone’s house without permission,” I say with my eyes shut. “And sneaking into someone’s bed—that’s the move of a pervert.”
    “I didn’t walk in. I fell in,” he says, amused. I pinch his firm chest and he laughs. “Now there’s my feisty girl.” He brushes his soft lips across my forehead. “I’ve missed you, Ella May.”
    Opening my eyes, I wiggle in his arms. “Please don’t start. It’s too early.”
    His eyes are guarded and his hair is a mess. He chuckles lowly, a sound that ripples deep inside my core. “Pretend all you want, pretty girl. You and I know that deep down you’re secretly glad to be pressed up to my body.” He urges our chests together as he snakes his legs around mine.
    My eyelids flutter against his warmth. God, I’ve missed this so much. Way too much and so has my body,