25. ♞ I DO

       "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Michael snapped, clearly angry, as Cameron and Phoebe jumped away from each other before they could even kiss. Phoebe blushed intensely, wiping away at her dry tears as Cameron also pulled back and wiped his face. Michael looked at the two of them in confusion and anger, his glare directed at Cameron at first before settling on Phoebe.

       "Cameron was just leaving." Phoebe said, her voice wavering as she sniffled. "Weren't you?" She asked Cameron. Cameron sniffled as well and nodded.

       "Yeah..." Cameron reluctantly said, grinning at Michael and squeezing past him and out of the cell. He turned to face Phoebe. "I meant what I said. All of it." Cameron said as he stared at her. Phoebe slowly nodded and grinned. Cameron then nodded in return and walked away. Michael quickly snapped his head over to look at Phoebe.

       "What was that?" Michael asked, clearly fuming. He didn't know why he felt so... terrible. His heart raced, his chest ached, his stomach felt hot, boiling, as if he'd just swallowed a big wad of steaming hot gum. His throat burned, his nose burned. He didn't know what this feeling was, but he didn't like it one bit. Phoebe gulped, taken aback by how angry Michael seemed.

       "We were just... talking." She said quietly, scratching her arm nervously. Michael scoffed, crossing his arms.

       "That didn't look like talking, to me." He snapped. Phoebe gulped, lowering her gaze.

       "We were..." She repeated quietly, her eyes watering. She felt overwhelmed, and she didn't know why. Michael clenched his jaw.

       "Don't get close to him." He demanded. Phoebe was taken aback. Michael had never spoken to her that way. She'd never seen this side of him.

       "What?" She asked as if she hadn't heard him, unsure of what else to say in response, looking up at him.

       "I mean..." Michael clenched his jaw and sighed. "We can't trust him. You might've known him before, but not now. We can't trust him." He repeated, more harshly this time, then sighed again. "You don't even know why he's in here." He said, suddenly a bit more calm. Phoebe nodded slowly.

       "I know..." She whispered, fidgeting with her hands. She couldn't stand the way Michael was looking at her, like he was disgusted, or disappointed. Michael sighed, walking up to her and hugging her.

       "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you... I just... I worry about your safety." He said, resting his chin on her head. Phoebe nodded and wrapped her arms around his torso, snuggling into his chest.

       "I know..." She said, her voice wavering as everything came back to her. Michael frowned.

       "Did he hurt you?" He asked slightly angry again. Phoebe shook her head.

       "He... apologized." She whispered, sniffling. Michael remembered what the duo looked like when he stepped into the cell... Their faces so close to each other, their noses touching, their eyes shut, their lips about to touch... He wasn't dumb, he knew they were about to kiss, and he also knew he couldn't stop Phoebe if she really wanted to do it. He wasn't her owner, or her boyfriend, or anything besides what he'd always been and always will be; her best friend. But he couldn't help but feel angry at the idea.

"Apologized?" Michael asked quietly in confusion, cocking a brow. Phoebe nodded. "Apologized for what?" He asked. Phoebe gulped.

"For... everything that happened in college. When we were dating." She reminded. Michael nodded, gulping. He thought about the two of them dating, about Cameron having Phoebe in every way possible. He thought about what could've been. About how he would've felt if she'd never lost the baby and had told him about her pregnancy. If Cameron and her had gotten married and had their child... His heart ached at the thought.

"Oh..." Michael mumbled, sighing. "Is that... a good thing?" Phoebe sighed and shrugged.

"I... don't know." She admitted quietly, to which Michael nodded. He sighed again.

"What did he mean by "I meant everything I said"? What else did he say to you?" He wondered, knowing he was invading her privacy, but not caring in the moment. Phoebe's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know whether she should be honest with him or not... she was conflicted. She shrugged again.

"Nothing important," She responded seriously. Michael clenched his jaw, his body visibly tensing, which Phoebe felt through their hug.

"Phoebe..." Michael said with a sigh. Phoebe gulped, becoming annoyed with Michael's probing.

"Michael, I don't wanna talk about it." She snapped. Michael was then taken aback by her reaction and nodded.

"Okay..." He sighed, releasing his grip on her and scratching the back of his head. Phoebe pulled away from him and sat on the edge of her bed, sighing as she looked at the floor. Michael was conflicted, he didn't know whether he should try to comfort her or just leave her alone.

       "Sorry." Phoebe said, without looking at Michael. Michael shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

       "It's okay. I'm sorry for overstepping." He responded. Phoebe shook her head and shrugged.

       "It's okay. You were... worried." Phoebe said with another shrug, still not looking at Michael. Michael nodded and gulped, climbing up to his own bunk. They sat there in silence for a while before Michael cleared his throat.

      "Do you still... have feeling for him?" Michael asked quietly, his heart racing. He wasn't sure why he'd even asked that. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Deep down, he already knew. Phoebe gulped.

       "I..." She paused and sighed, thinking about the question. They sat in silence again. She thought about everything they'd lived together. She thought about how she felt when she hugged him again. When he kissed the top of her head. When their lips were so close to one another. Michael sighed, shrugging it off as Phoebe remained silent. Suddenly, Sucre walked into the cell, avoiding the cell mates. He was still angry with them for the stunt they pulled with the soap phone.

       He examined the changed sheets on his mattress as he pulled it out from underneath the bunk beds, Phoebe then sitting cross-legged on her bunk to get out of Sucre's way. Sucre looked up at Phoebe.

       "Did you change this, mami?" He asked, his tone serious, but the pet name still there despite his anger. Phoebe grinned at him and nodded. Sucre gulped and nodded slowly as he looked away from her. "Thanks." He said, still in the same serious tone as he plopped down onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling as some lights started to turn off in the cell block. Michael sighed and laid back into his bed, also staring at the ceiling. Phoebe followed suit and laid down, covering herself with her thin sheets and turning on her side, staring at the concrete wall next to her.

       "Michael?" She suddenly called out in a low tone. Michael cocked a brow, his heart racing.

       "Yeah?" He asked quietly. Phoebe gulped, and then, when she finally spoke, it was as if Michael had gotten a punch in the gut, the air leaving his lungs as her words echoed in his head painfully.

       "I do."