So having seen your page, I know you love Michaelia and let me just say, I'm right there with you. I have been never been this intrigued and invested in a romantic dynamic. And it's a lot more complex than the romantic undertone and that's why I fucking love it.
And I'm a firm believer that in the whole love triangle aspect, even if Cassie and Michael would've gotten together, it wouldn't have lasted, just like you.
But I was curious to know why do you think that's the case and how it ties to the whole Michael and Cassie not being right for each other romantically from the start.
Personally, I believe he went after Cassie because he perceived her to be "easier" and more stable. It's almost like he was forcing himself to like the sweet girl-next-door archetype just to feel more normal. He and Lia are toxic, no doubt. No one looks at a relationship as complicated as Michaelia and thinks it's endgame. We instinctively look for something healthier, and I think Michael hoped Cassie could be that fresh start.
Now, I don't want to invalidate his feelings for her. I think he genuinely liked her, but it was far from love. After all, how much did he really know her before making those grand declarations? Not much bc she barely opened up to him. Even though she may have had a lot of scenes with Michael, her moments with Dean were deeper. Cassie was an exit strategy because he didn't want to be in love with Lia. I think this was also seen by how fast Michael was trying to rush into something with Cassie. Ultimately, I don't think Michael fell for who Cassie actually was, while with Lia, he knew every part of her and couldn't help but love her anyway even if it scares him.
Michael said it best himself: he wants what he can't have to prove to himself that he doesn't deserve the things he wants. Cassie is the thing he can't have and trying to win her over just to prove something to himself isn't loveâit's just selfish.
Cassie's perspective is a bit easier. Dean gets her in a way that Michael just can't, providing a grounding comfort that Michael isn't as emotionally equipped to give. I don't think Michael understands Cassie nearly as much as he pretends to. He's trying, sure, but his love is inherently a bit selfish, whereas Dean's is selfless. Of course, Cassie is a teenage girl thrown into close proximity with a cute, flirty, rich guyâit's hard not to be tempted (literally 90% of Naturals readers are Michael glazers for those exact reasons!). But even though Dean didn't put in effort into wooing her overâbecause he actively didn't want to want herâshe still chose him bc he was genuine. That speaks volumes.
If they had ended up dating, it would have put way too high of an emotional burden on Cassie. When trauma strikes, Michael instinctively withdraws and pushes people away, which often leads to him hurting others, while Cassie needs transparency and emotional assurance. Also, from Michael's side, he loves the thrill and the adrenaline, which is something Lia pairs with perfectly but Cassie can't handle. Besides, as Lia said before, Cassie doesn't really get him. In Cassie's defense, it's hard to. But Lia knows him because their skill sets are similar, as are their traumas and trauma responses. Michael and Lia understand the gritty, manipulative survival tactics born from abusive backgrounds.
