Michelle struggled to stay asleep as the warm sunlight poured into the room.

She tried to turn over to shield the light from her eyes, but she soon realized it was hopeless. There was no way she would be able to fall back asleep.

Stretching, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced next to her.

She was alone.

She knew last night hadn't been a dream. She was still lying in his bed, covered up with nothing but a sheet.

'Wade must be downstairs' she thought to herself, as she sat up and placed her feet on the floor.

Yawning, she stretched her arms high above her head.

That had been the best sleep she had got in a long time. 

Slowly, she stood up and walked over to the chair next to the bed.

She bent over and grabbed the shirt that Wade had on last night.

It still smelled liked his cologne and her mind instantly flooded with memories of last night. 

She definetly needed to find him.

She threw the shirt on and headed downstairs.

As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she heard Justin's music coming from the studio.

She laughed at the fact that even this early, he was in his studio working. He was definetly a work-a-holic.

She walked down the hall and peeked around the door.

There he was looking hotter than ever. She just couldn't help but stare at him.

When the song ended, she tip-toed into the studio and snuck up behind him.

"Mmmm.....you feel good." she said, as she wrapped her arms around him.

Startled, Wade spun around.

"Good morning." he said, as he bent down and gave her a kiss. "How was your sleep?"

"Good, but it would have been better if I woke up in your arms."

"Sorry. I knew if I stayed in bed with you like that, I wouldn't be able to restrain myself. Plus, I figured after last night, you wouldn't want me to ever touch you again."

"Actually, it's just the opposite." she said, as she traced a path down his chest with her finger.

"Oh.....really!" he chuckled.

"Uh...huh."

"Well, I need to take a shower first." 

"Can I join you?" she asked, as she started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing.

Wade was speechless. 

"Uh..............yeah........but.......... I have a feeling we won't make it back to the bedroom." 

"That's ok." she said, as she took a step closer and started to unbutton his shorts.

"That's it. Let's go." he said, as he removed her hand from his shorts and pulled her up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three weeks had past and their co-workers still were unaware of their relationship. They tried to keep their contact inside MC to a minimum. The last thing either of them wanted was to have it be the topic of discussion at work. 

Unfortunetly, their success was short lived.

A few staff members had arrived early one day when Wade was teaching a master class.

They were hanging out in the lobby when they saw Wade in the parking lot.

"Oh my god.....look!" one of the female staff members yelled, as she pointed into the parking lot. "Wade has a girlfriend!"

'What!?!" the other yelled. "I didn't even know he was seeing anybody. How do you know it's his girlfriend?"

"Because of that." she said, as she pulled the other girl to the door.

Wade had Michelle in his arms and was kissing her.

"What are you two up to?" Stephanie asked, as she walked up behind them.

"Look. Wade has a girlfriend."

Stephanie peeked around the two and glanced out the door. 

"Awww. They look so cute together. I knew they would hook up."

"You know who she is!?!" the one girl yelled, as she turned around to face Stephanie.

"Yeah....so do you. Now move away from the door, they're coming."

She pulled the two girls away from the door and over to the registration desk.

Wade opened the door and walked in hand-in-hand with Michelle.

"Morning guys." Steph casually said, as the other two girls stood there with their jaws on the floor.

"Good morning." they replied, as they walked toward the lounge.

Wade knew that they were being watched. That was easy to figure out. After all, MDC's gossip enthusiasts were standing right next to Stephanie.

He decided rather than to let them make a mess of things, he was going to set the record straight concerning their relationship.

"Michelle, go ahead into the lounge. I need to take care of something before the gossip patrol gets started." Wade told her.

She walked into the lounge and he quickly headed for the three of them.

"Ok. I'm going to say this once and only once. Yes, Michelle and I are dating. It has no effect on our working relationship at MC and therefore, I feel, there is no reason to have it discussed by anyone. Is that clear?" Wade sternly said, as he glanced at the two girls next to Stephanie.

"Yeah, yeah." they said as they walked away whispering to each other.

"Just ignore them Wade. They're a lost cause." Steph said.

"Yeah, well they better learn to keep their mouths shut."

"Yeah, like that will ever happen." Stephanie said, as she shook her head and walked away.

Wade took a deep breath and headed back to the lounge. 

"So, what did they say?" she asked, as he walked through the door and sat down.

"Nothing. I didn't give them a chance. I just straight out told them the truth and told them to mind their own fuckin' business."

"Wade! That's so ignorant."

"Tough! I'm tired of their shit! They're nothing but a bunch of trouble making bitches. You weren't here last time they ran their mouths off, were you? No. I didn't think so." Wade said, as he practically scolded her for her remark.

"I.....I......just meant that.." she started to say, but Wade just stood up and walked out the door.

She just sat there in shock, as tears began to fill her eyes. She didn't know whether to get up and go appologize or let him cool down. She had obviously said or did something wrong, she just didn't know what.

The thought of him being mad at her was more than she could bear. 

She wiped away the tears and headed down to hall to where Wade was teaching his class. 

When she got there she opened the door and walked in. 

"Wade?" 

When she received no response, she walked closer and again called to him. 

"Wade?"

This time, she got a response.

"What!?!" he yelled, from the corner of the room.

"What did I do?" she asked, half in tears again.

"Look. I'll talk to you at home. I have to get ready for class."

"At home? I thought you wanted me to sit in on your class today?" she asked.

"I don't think that is a good idea right now. Why don't you just go back to my place and we'll talk later."

The tone in his voice cut right through her heart. It took everything she had to hold back the tears that were now burning her eyes.

It was obvious she was no longer wanted there. 

She turned around and walked out the door, tears streaming down her face.

All she wanted to do was grab her stuff and disappear.

When she walked into the lounge, she realized that she wasn't alone. 

Marty was in there making coffee and immeadiately turned around when he heard her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as he sat his cup down and walked toward her.

"I need to go home." she said, as her voice was shaking.

"Are you ok?" 

"No. Can you give me a ride home?"

"Yeah, sure. Let me grab my keys."

She bent down and grabbed her bag off the floor as Marty grabbed his keys out of his coat pocket.

"Ok. Let's go." he said, as he placed his arm around her and walked out the door.

CHAPTER 12

When they arrived at Michelle's apartment, he put the car in park and looked over at her.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No." she replied. "I just need some time alone."

"Ok. Well if you need me, you have my number."

"Thanks." she said, as she opened the door and got out. 

Marty waited to make sure she got safely inside and then pulled away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As she sat in the livingroom sipping tea, she wondered if Wade was still angry. 

She had done something to upset him, and it killed her.

She just wished she knew what it was.

As she gazed around the room, her mind drifted off to the time that Wade had first kissed her. She could remember it like it was yesterday. The softness of his touch, permanetly embedded in her mind.

She let out a soft sigh, as she finished the last sip of her tea.

She walked over to the sink and placed her cup inside before turning to head upstairs.

All she wanted to do was go upstairs and crawl in bed. 

As soon as she got to her room, she collapsed onto the bed. 

She held her pillow tight and closed her eyes, trying to shut out all the thoughts that flooded her mind from earlier in the day.

After shedding a few tears, she fell asleep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the studio, Wade had just finished up his master class.

He packed up his bag and headed to look for Michelle. 

She still had to bethere waiting for him.

He realized shortly after she walked out that she had no way to leave. She came to work with him and HER car was back at the apartment.

Even though he felt bad for upsetting her, he knew that he needed to stand up for himself. 

He needed the one thing that had escaped him in every relationship prior to her.

Control. 

He had bent over backwards for his former girlfriends and they walked all over him. Every single one of them, cheated on him behind his back. 

He vowed to himself, that if he ever got in another relationship......he would be the one in control.

As he walked into the lounge, he realized that her bag was gone and she was nowhere in sight.

"She has to be here. Where could she go." he said to himself, out loud.

"Who?" Stephanie said from behind him, as she walked into the lounge.

"Michelle. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, she left shortly after you guys got here. Why, is something wrong?"

"No. Wait......what do you mean she left?" Wade asked, obviously upset.

"I mean she left. I saw Marty with his arm around her walking to his car. She got in and they left."

"What!?! Where were they going?" he asked, becoming more pissed off with every second that passed.

"Jesus christ Wade! I'm not their babysitter. I have no idea where they went."

"Whatever." he said, as he pulled his keys out of his bag and headed to the parking lot. 

If she was messing around on him, he was going to lose it. 

He threw his bag on the passenger seat and got in his truck. 

As he took off out the parking lot, his cell phone rang. 

Glancing down, he saw that the call was coming from an inside line at MC. 

He grabbed it off the seat and answered it.

"Hello." 

"Hey Wade, it's Steph. Listen, Michelle just called here looking for you."

"Did she say where she was at?" he asked, as his fists clenched the steering wheel.

"She said she was at home."

"Ok. Thanks." he said, as he hung up the phone and headed to her apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Michelle woke up, she glanced over at the clock on her nightstand.

It's was just before noon and Wade class would be wrapping up any minute.

She decide to call down MC and try to catch him, but when she called, Stephanie had told her that Wade had just left. 

After she hung up with Stephanie she debated on whether to call his cell or not, but decided against it.

She would just have to wait things out.

She sat the phone down on her night stand and headed downstairs.

As soon as she reached the bottom, she heard a knock at the door.

She ran down and looked through the peep hole. 

It was Wade.

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Wade asked, as he pushed his way past her and into her apartment.

"What?" she asked, as she shut the door and turned around to face him.

"Are you fuckin Marty behind my back?" he asked, as her got up in her face.

"No!" she said, as she started to cry. "Why would you say that?"

"Why did you leave with him then?" he said, as he glared down at her.

She looked up at him and saw a look in his eyes she never saw before. A look that sent fear through every part of her and she froze, unable to move or speak. 

"Well?" he asked ,as his breathing became heavier.

She just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. The look of rage on his face had her completely paralized with fear.

"Yeah.....That's what I thought."

He looked her straight in the eyes and back-handed her across the face, knocking her to the floor. 

She held her hand to her cheek as she turned to look up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Get up!" he yelled, as he stood over her.

When she didn't do as he instructed, he reached down and pulled her up by her arm.

She cried out in pain as he dragged her over to the couch and threw her down.

"I see how it is.......first I had a virgin, now I have a whore." 

"Wade, I swear! All he did was give me a ride home." she said, as looked up at him, the mark clearly visible across her cheek. 

"I gotta get out of here." he said, as he quickly turned away from her and headed to the door.

"Where are you....." she started to say, but before she could finish, he walked out the door.

As quickly as the nightmare had started.......it stopped.

CHAPTER 13

After Wade left, Michelle broke down. She couldn't understand what had just happened. 

She was in shock.

She placed her hand back to her cheek to try and stop the stinging sensation that was quickly increasing.

It didn't work. She needed to take something for the pain.

Placing her hands on the cushions next to her, she pushed down and tried to stand up.

She couldn't.

He had hit her with such force, that he slightest movement made her feel like she was going to blackout. 

She was scared.

She knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what.

Glancing over at the table next to her, she spotted her cell phone sticking out of her purse.

She took every bit of strength she had and reached over to grab it.

Her eyes were starting to blur, as she fumbled to press the number on her phone that was a direct dial to Jenna.

Once she pressed the number, she put the phone up to her ear.

She listened as the phone rang once, then twice. 

Before it rang a third time, everything went black and she dropped the phone to the floor.

"Hello?" the voice said from the phone, but it wasn't Jenna. It was Wade.

She had hit the wrong number.

"Hello?" he said again, but the line was silent.

He was about to hang up when he heard a faint noise in the background. 

Quickly, he put it back up to his ear.

"Michelle?"

She had regained consciousness, and was struggling to grab the phone as it layed next to her feet on the floor.

Finally, she managed to pick it up. 

Looking down at the screen, she saw the phone was in use.

She immeadiately put it to her ear.

"Jenna.....Something is wrong. I..... need help."

"Michelle. It's Wade. What's wrong?" he asked, worried by the sound of her voice, but more about the condition he knew he left her in.

"Wade?" 

"Yeah, are you ok?"

She didn't answer. 

All he heard was her crying, as she hung up the phone.

He turned his truck around and sped back to her apartment.

He knew something wasn't right. He just knew it. 

He should have never left her there like that. 

He didn't even realized how hard he had hit her, until she looked up at him. 

Her cheek had instantly bruised and she had a cut below her eye from where his ring must have made contact. He had completely forgot it was on when he hit her.

Within minutes, he was back at her apartment.

He threw his truck in park and jumped out running up the stairs to her apartment.

Frantically, he knocked on the door for her to open it up.

"Michelle, it's Wade. Let me in."

When she didn't come to the door after a few seconds, he started to worry.

Fearing that something was horribly wrong, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his keys.

She had given him a key to her apartment last week in case he needed it, and right now he couldn't imagine needing it more. 

When he finally found the right key, he put it in and unlocked the door.

Slowly, he opened it and yelled inside.. "Michelle?"

She didn't answer him, but he quickly caught sight of her sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

He sat his keys down on the table next to the door and slowly walked up to her.

The last thing he wanted was to run up to her and have her feel threatened.

He had already done THAT.

As he walked up to her he expected her to protest, but she didn't. 

In fact, she didn't move at all and that worried him even more.

Slowly he walked around the table and crouched down in front her.

"Michelle." 

His voice was soft and caring, like it used to be. 

"Come here." he said, as he held out his hand for her.

Slowly, she looked up at him.

The look that had sent fear through her body earlier was gone. 

The hand that he held out to her was inviting, not punishing, like it had been earlier. 

She took a deep breath and hesitantly placed her hand in his.

"That's it." he said, as helped her to her feet. 

She had only been on her feet for a second, when her legs started to buckle beneath her.

"Whoa." Wade said, as he placed his arm around her to steady her. "What's wrong?"

"I.....I.....think I am going to pass out again."

"Again. What do you mean again?" he asked, concerned by her statement.

"Wade." she said, with fear in her voice, as she started to loose her balance. 

"It's ok. I got you." he said, as he wrapped her arms around his neck and picked her up.

Her head fell against his shoulder and she shut her eyes.

"Hey, don't go to sleep on me." he told her, as he carried her upstairs. 

"I can't help it. I'm so tired." 

"I know. Just stick with me, ok?"

He carried her upstairs and laid her down her on her bed.

The last thing he wanted to do was tell her that she most likely had a concussion.

He wasn't absolutely positive, but he was pretty damn sure.

He knew how much force he had used when he hit her and it could very easily caused a concussion. In fact, he would be surprised if it didn't.

Just thinking about it made him sick to his stomach.

He never meant for this to happen.

The second he got to her apartment, something just took over.

Physically, it was him inflicting the damage, but emotionally, he stood on the sidelines watching, unable to stop it.

It wasn't until he saw the mark on her face, that he had snapped out of it.

And at that moment, everything became very real. 

His brutality. Her injuries. Everything.

He just couldn't deal with what he had done, so he ran away, leaving her alone and hurt.

But that wasn't important now. What was important, is that he came back. 

He was back to help her. 

Question was.........would she let him.

CHAPTER 14

For hours, Wade sat by her side desperately fighting to keep her awake.

Most of the time spent appologizing to her for what he had done.

"Michelle, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Tears started to form in her eyes again, as she briefly flashed back to earlier that night.

It almost seemed like it wasn't real.

Wade had always been so gentle and caring toward her.

She just didn't understand how the hands that tenderly held her as they made love could turn into the hands that had caused her so much pain.

Pain that she knew, she didn't deserve.

The question was, did Wade believe she deserved it.

She couldn't see how he could. She hadn't done anything wrong.

Instantly, her train of thought broke as she felt his hand grab her chin.

Fear set in once again and she froze.

"Hey...I'm not going to hurt you. Relax. I just want to see your face."

Gently, he tilted her head so that he could get a good look at her cheek.

"We need to get this taken care of. Do you have a first aid kit in the apartment?"

"Yeah. Under the bathroom sink." she said softly.

"Ok. I'll be right back."

Wade got up and walked out of the room to get the kit.

Her mind instantly began grilling her on whether or not she was going to stay with him after what happened.

He had laid a hand on her. Something she swore she would never tolorate.

Yet, he had appologized and she truly believed he meant it. 

She knew she needed to make a decision, and she needed to make it soon.

Moments later, Wade walked back into the room carrying the first aid kit.

"Ok. Come here." he said, as he tapped the edge of the bed directly in front of him.

Slowly, she scooted down to where he was standing.

He grabbed the antibiotic ointment and opened it up, placing a small amount on his finger tip.

Wade placed his hand under her chin and turned her face away from him so he could see the cut.

Gently, he applied the ointment to her cheek.

When he finished, he placed his hands on either side of her legs and rested his forehead against hers. 

"Are things going to be ok between us?" he asked, as he gazed into her eyes.

The moment had come.

She needed to decide.

Was she willing to forgive him and continue the relationship, or would she tell him that he had ended it all the second he laid a hand on her.

Her brain told her to get out of it now, but her heart wouldn't let her walk away.

She took a deep breath, and softly answered "Yeah. We're ok."

He stood up straight and pulled her up to him.

"I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do if you ever left me."

She gazed up at him, unsure what to make of the comment.

Was he threatening her, or had he just meant that he loved having her his his life.

Before she could figure it out, he bent down and kissed her. 

When she didn't return the gesture, he pulled back.

"I thought you said everything was ok with us?"

She did tell him that, but she was starting to have second thoughts.

Something about his comment just didn't sit right with her.

"I know I did." 

"Well then, what's the problem?" 

She knew it wasn't fair to assume the comment had some underlying meaning, so she decided to just shake it off and put it out of her mind.

"Nothing." 

"Ok then. Come here." he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

Again, he leaned down and kissed her, but this time she kissed him back.

"This is it." he thought to himself, as backed her against the bed.

"If she gives herself to me after everything I did to her, I own her."

He knew from the beginning, that he would have to do something to test her vulnerability.

If she was strong willed, he would never be able to gain control of her or the relationship.

It was only by accident that the opportunity presented itself.

He had never set out to hit her, but his temper just got the best of him and it happened.

It was like he was making her pay for everyone who had ever wronged him.

When he finally realized what he did, he freaked out and left.

It wasn't until he got back to his truck that he figured out the opportunity had surfaced.

As he headed back home, he went over everything in his head.

He thought he knew exactly what he needed to do, and when to do it.

That was, until he recieved the call from her.

The call that almost screwed everything up.

His plan didn't have him seeing or talking to her until tomorrow, but when she called, he knew he had to go back.

The fact that she was injured more than he thought, could have put a hold on the whole plan.

Luckily, it ended up working out in his favor.

Now, here he was.

He was about to discover if she could be conquered as easy as he thought.......and he was going to love every minute of it.

CHAPTER 15

He pulled her tightly against him and whispered in her ear.

"Get undressed."

She stood there for a moment, unsure if she had heard him right.

"Now." he said. His voice firm, but not threatening. 

She hesitantly started to undress, as he pulled his own shirt over his head. 

While she was finishing, he removed his belt and unzipped his pants.

He wanted her so bad that he could hardly stand it.

The second she was completely undressed, he turned her around and pushed her back against the wall.

She let out a soft whimper as he pressed himself against her, pinning her to the wall.

This is what he had wanted since the first time they were together.

He wanted to be able to enjoy her, without constantly checking to see if she was ok.

Tonight, there would be no checking. No stopping to see if he was going to fast or too deep for her. 

Tonight, would be for him.

Just the thought of it, made him ache to be inside her. 

He wanted her and he wanted her now.

He took a step back and slid his hands around her waist.

A lustful moan escaped his mouth as he grabbed her by her hips and picked her up.

Before she could protest, he had her pinned against the wall with her legs wrapped around him.

When she looked down and saw the look on his face, she knew she was in trouble.

"Wade..." she started to say, but was quickly cut off.

"Uh uh. Not this time." he said, as he shook his head.

She let out a sigh as she looked up at the ceiling. 

She knew she was at his mercy, once again.

Wade lifted her enough to get himself positioned correctly, and then he pulled her back down onto him.

Softly, she let out a cry as he slid inside her.

That only excited him more and he quickly thrusted into her, forcing her to gasp for air.

Her nails dug into his shoulders as she tried desperately to keep him from going deeper inside her.

But the second he felt her pushing off, he just pressed into her harder, making her scream. 

"Stop fighting me." he told her, as pulled her away from the wall and carried her to the bed. 

"You know, if you would just relax, you might enjoy it." he said, as he laid her down on the bed.

Quickly , he pushed her legs apart with his kness and crawled back on top of her.

He kissed the side of her neck, biting her softly as he slid back inside her.

This time, she allowed him to go deeper.

"Yeah, that's my girl." he said, as he quickly picked up his pace.

After a few harder thrusts, she placed her hands to his chest in an effort to slow him down.

He looked down at where her hands were, then looked at her questioningly.

Immeadiately she removed them and placed them back at her sides.

She could tell by the look on his face, that he wasn't pleased..

"Don't keep pushing me away. Your only making it harder on yourself by tensing up. Relax!" 

As much as she was trying to convince him that she disliked what was happening, her body was giving her away.

She took a deep breath and let her body relax.

"That's much better" he said, as he lifted her hips to gain more access to her.

Again, he resumed his pace quickly thrusting inside her

Her hands clutched the sheets beneath her as he brought her to climax.

"Wade!" she yelled, wrapping her legs around him.

"That's it. Come on. Don't hold back."

Quickly, he thrusted inside her a few more times before finally releasing into her.

He looked down and saw her panting heavily.

He couldn't help but laugh. He knew he had her.....and he had her completely.

Gently smacking his hand against her thigh, he backed off her and turned to get his clothes.

"Ok. Why don't you get some sleep and if you feel up to it tomorrow, come over. We only have a week to finish up the choreography for Justin's tour."

Still in a state of shock, she simply nodded her head yes.

Wade bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't get up." he laughed. "I'll see myself out." 

He walked out of her room and headed downstairs. 

It had been easier than he thought.

He knew he had her, the moment she removed her hands from his chest with just a look. 

All he needed to do, was show his displeasure, and she quickly corrected herself.

That was what he wanted.

That was control.

Pleased with himself, he grabbed his keys off the table and headed home.

CHAPTER 16

Michelle had been sound asleep when the phone rang.

She covered her head with her pillow in an effort to block out the noise, but the phone continued to ring.

Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, she reached over and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" she answered, rather annoyed.

"Hey. It's Steph. Were you still sleeping?"

"Yeah. What's up?" she asked, as she pulled the pillow off her head and rolled over on her back.

"You were susposed to be here 20 mins ago." 

"Shit! I completely forgot."

"Well, hurry up and get here. Class is starting in an hour." 

With all the events of last night, she had completely forgotten that she traded shifts with Kelly.

Throwing her covers off, she stood up and headed to the mirror.

The color immeadiately drained from her face when she saw her cheek. 

She hadn't seen what he had done to her until now.

"Oh my god." she said, as she tucked her hair behind her ear to get a good look.

"What?" Stephanie asked.

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself." she replied, still in shock.

"Well....are you coming?"

She knew she needed to get to work, but she couldn't go in looking like that.

"Steph, I don't think I can. I really don't feel well." 

"It's only one class. You can't come in for just an hour to help out in Marty's class?"

The second she said Marty, she knew she needed to go in. 

Marty's classes had been overbooked for the month, and he needed to have atleast one assistant in every class. 

Plus he had helped her out of a jam yesterday, the least she could do was return the favor.

"Ok. I'll be there as soon as I can." 

"Good. I'll let Marty know that you are on your way."

"Thanks."

She sat the phone down on her dresser and headed into the shower. 

"I just know I'm asking for trouble going in there today." she told herself, as she turned the water on letting it run down her body.

She knew the second she walked in the door, people would notice her cheek and ask her what happened.

She certainly couldn't tell them that Wade had hit her. 

She would have to make something up.

Once she finished showering, she got dressed and headed into the bathroom to try to cover up the bruise.

It wasn't completely hidden, but it looked a lot better than it did before the makeup.

Quickly grabbing her bag, she ran out of her room.

She only had 15 minutes left to get to work. 

As she headed down the stairs, her eyes scanned the room in search of her keys.

Finally, when she reached the bottom, she spotted them laying on the kitchen counter.

In one quick motion, she snatched her keys and headed out the door.

She knew she was going to be cutting it close.

As long as she got there before Marty's class started, she would be happy.

With a few minutes to spare she pulled into the parking lot at MC.

She jumped out of the car and grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder as she shut the door and headed inside.

She silently said a prayer to herself that she could make it to the classroom without running into anyone.

Classes had been underway for a few hours now, so there was a good chance that the lobby would be empty.

She took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

"Yes." she said to herself, as she quickly headed down the hall to the classroom where Marty's was conducting class.

When she got to the door, Marty was just getting the class ready for their warm-up stretches.

She walked in and sat her bag down on the floor next to Marty's, before heading to his side at the front of the class.

"Nice to see you made it" he said teasingly, as he nudged her in the side.

"Barely." she said, as she joined in on the stretching excercises.

A little over an hour later, the class finally wrapped up.

Michelle grabbed her water and headed to the back of the studio to gather her stuff.

Just as she was placing the last item in her bag, she heard someone walk up behind her.

She threw the strap of her bag over her shoulder and stood up.

As she turned around, she saw that it was Marty.

He was standing there looking at her with a puzzled look on his face. 

"So, are you ready to tell me what had you so upset yesterday?" 

"No, not really." she said, as she took a step around him and headed for the door.

He quickly turned around and ran back up to her, stopping in front of her.

"Ok then. Care to tell me how you got that mark on your face?"

Her mind drew a blank. She couldn't remember what she was going to say. 

When he hadn't said anything earlier, she had just put it out of her mind.

Now she had to think quick, she needed an excuse......and it needed to be good.

Before she could say anything, he crossed his arms and stared at her.

This wasn't going to work.

She knew he would see right through her.

"Look. I'm fine, but thanks for your concern." she said, as stepped around him again and headed toward the door.

"Michelle.....wait." he called to her, but she was already walking out the door.

He ran out the door after her and caught her in the parking lot as she was getting in her car.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, as she threw her bag on the passenger seat and got in.

"Nothing. Look I have to go." 

He reached forward and grabbed her door before she could shut it.

"Marty, please. I have to be somewhere." she said, as she looked up at him.

"I know something is going on. Why won't you talk to me? Don't you trust me?"

"Marty, I just can't. I have to go."

Seeing that his prying was only upsetting her, he let go of her door, and watched as she drove away.

Now, he definetly knew something was going on.

One way or another, he would find out what it was. 

CHAPTER 17

After she pulled out of the parking lot, Marty walked back inside MC to grab his stuff.

"Hey. What the hell were you running for?" Steph asked him, as he walked down the hall.

"I was running after Michelle."

"Why?"

He stood there for a second and thought about it. 

He didn't know exactly what was going on with her, so it wasn't his place to say anything. 

"Listen, do you know if she is seeing anyone?" he asked, trying to be casual so that he didn't peek her interest.

"No. I try and keep out of people's personal lives."

After Wade's fit on the other staff members for opening their mouths, she wasn't going to say a word about the two of them being an item.

"Ok. Thanks anyway." Marty said, as he continued down the hall toward the classroom.

Stephanie followed behind him, slightly intrigued.

"Why do you want to know? Are you interested in her?"

"No. I was just curious, that's all."

He bent down and picked up his bag, as she stood there watching him.

He knew if he didn't leave, the conversation would start to reveal the real reason for his questions.

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow Steph." he said, as he headed out the door.

"Ok. See ya." she said, completely baffled by the conversation.

She just couldn't figure out why he would ask about her love life. Especially if he said he wasn't interested.

She stood there a second and then decided to just forget about it. 

After all, it was none of her business.

She turned around and headed back to the lobby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Michelle was driving, her cell phone rang.

She grabbed it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. 

It was Wade.

She pressed the button and placed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey. Where are you?" 

"On my way to your house, why?"

"Justin just called. He wants to see the choreography tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow? I thought we had a week."

"Yeah, well he needs to go out of town for a few days and he would like to see it before he leaves."

"Ok. I'll be there as soon as I can."

She hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket.

They technically had the choreography finished, they were just working on some different options for his song "Right for me". 

They had two versions.

One that focused on just him and one that focused on him with a female dancer.

It would ultimately be Justin's decision on which one to use, but Wade was going to push for the second one.

After about 20 minutes of driving, she pulled up to his house and got out.

As she walked up the sidewalk, she felt a rush of uncertainty come over her.

She didn't know how she was going to feel when she saw him.

So many emotions had been running through her when he left her apartment last night.

After he left, she tried to convince herself that he really loved her and that he would never hit her again.

Unfortunetly, she wasn't sure she believed it herself.

While she was standing there deep in thought, Wade opened the door.

"Are you planning on coming in or what?" he asked, as he stepped out the door and walked toward her.

"Yeah. I just zoned out I guess."

"Well, let's go. We don't have alot of time." he said, as he took her bag and headed towards the door.

When he reached the steps, he noticed that she wasn't behind him.

Placing her bag down, he walked back towards her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as he stood in front of her with his arms crossed. 

Instantly the tone in his voice made her sick to her stomach.

"I don't know." she mumbled softly.

"Is this about last night?" he asked, as he took a step closer to her.

She could feel her heart begin to race inside her chest.

She knew her hesitation was because of last night, but she didn't dare tell him that.

Over and over in her mind she replayed the events that unfolded after she upset him the first time.

She wasn't about to risk going through that again.

Instead, she kept her feelings to herself and shook her head 'no'.

"Then get in the house." he said coldly, as motioned toward the door.

She just felt like just breaking down and crying.

How had this happened.

How did she go from loving every moment she spent with him to now fearing every moment she spent with him.

A single tear rolled down her cheek ,as she slowly walked up the steps and into the house.

Wade immeadiately followed behind her, only stopping briefly to pick her bag back up off the steps.

Once inside, he sat her bag down on the floor and pulled her to him.

"You know I love you don't you?" he asked, as he gazed down at her.

She looked up, unsure of what to say.

She thought he loved her, but now....she wasn't sure.

Worried about stirring things up, she replied with what she thought he wanted to hear.

"Yeah. I know you love me." 

"Ok then. Come on. We will never get any work done here." he said, as he placed a kiss to the top of head and led her to the studio.

When they got to the studio, Wade walked over to get the music ready while she pulled her hair back.

Once he got it set up, he walked over to join her in the center of the floor.

Briefly he went over the moves with her that he had been working on for "Right for me."

There were only a couple differences from the original ones, so it was easy to pick up.

They continued to practice for the next few hours, working out all the rough spots.

After all, Wade would settle for nothing less than perfection when it came to his choreography.

That much was obvious from the beginning.

Finally, when he was satisfied that the routine was what he wanted it to be, he called it a night.

"Do you want to head to a club tonight?" he asked, as he walked over to her.

"I really don't feel up to it tonight." she said, as she leaned back against the wall.

"Come on. Just for a few hours." 

She thought about it for a second then decided it would be good for her to get out and relax.

"Ok. Just a few hours." she said, as she picked up her bag.

"Where are you going?" he asked, as he followed her into the hall.

"Home to change. I can't go like this." 

"Are you coming back here or do you want me to pick you up? Wade asked.

"How about I meet you there. That way if you want to stay longer you can." she said, as she opened the door and headed to her car.

"That's fine. Say around 9:00?" Wade replied.

She threw her bag on the passenger seat and turned toward Wade.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." 

As she was about to get in her car, Wade grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back toward him. 

Before she had time to react, he cradled her face in both of his hands and passionately kissed her.

The fear that was about to set in, quickly faded away and she allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she let go of every reservation she had about being with him. 

Being in his arms, just....... felt right.

When he finally let go of her, she gazed up at him.

There he was. The Wade that she fell in love with smiling down at her.

If she had any doubt about how he felt, she now knew.

He loved her, she could see it in his eyes.

It was at that very moment , that she knew she would stay with him.

Whatever problems they had, they could work them out.

To her, he was worth it.

CHAPTER 18

When Michelle returned to her apartment, she walked into the kitchen to check her machine for messages.

She was hoping to get a call from Jenna, but instead found a message from Marty.

"Michelle. It's Marty. Listen, I know something is going on with you and I'm not going to give up until you tell me. You can trust me. Don't let things get worse. Call me when you get this....please."

Michelle stood there for a second, listening to the message over and over in her head.

Marty obviously had some clue of what was going on.

Although it wasn't hard to figure it out.

When you go in to work with a bruise on your face and run out of there when someone asks about it, your bound to raise questions.

She figuerd that he knew someone had hit her.

Question was, did he know who that person was.

From the message he left, she was guessing he didn't.

And she was determined to keep it that way.

The last thing she wanted to do was cause problems between him and Wade at work.

She sighed, as she erased the message and headed into the shower to get ready.

She wasn't going to call him back.

She figured if she just refused to talk about it, he would drop the subject.

Plus, her and Wade were fine now.

There wasn't any reason for Marty to worry.

Wade made a mistake and she was sure it would never happen again.

She had finally convinced herself of that fact after she saw the look in Wade's eyes earlier.

The look that told her that he loved her.

She sat her keys down on the table and headed upstairs to get a shower.

She was getting excited about going out tonight. 

After the all the choas the other day, she really needed this.

Once she was finished, she wrapped a towel around her and headed into her bedroom to get ready.

She walked over to her closet and pulled the doors open.

Walking inside, she started to go through the outfits one by one.

After she had tried on almost every outfit she owned, she finally settled on one.

It was a low cut, blue dress that fit her perfectly.

The top of the dress was very form fitting, but the bottom had alot of movement to it.

It was the ideal dress for dancing.

She took the dress off the hanger and walked back toward the mirror.

Slipping the dress on, she turned around to get a good look from all sides.

"This is the one." she told herself, as she headed back into the closet to find the perfect pair of shoes. 

After a few minutes she walked over to the bed carrying a pair of black heels that laced part way up her calves.

Once she got both shoes on and laced up, she walked back to the mirror to get one final look.

Pleased with the result, she walked back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

A half an hour later, she was ready to go.

As she was heading downstairs to grab her purse and keys, her phone rang.

She debated on whether she was going to answer it or not, but finally after five rings she decided to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Wade said on the other end.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I am going to be running a little late."

"How late?" she asked, as she sat her purse back down on the table.

"About an hour. I have a few business matters that I need to take care of first."

"Ok. Well.... I guess I will see you there later then." she said, almost as if she was asking him rather than telling him.

"Uh....Are you going to head up there now anyway?" he asked, bothered by the fact that she would go without him.

Before she could answer, he had another call coming in.

"Hold on a sec." he said, as he clicked over to answer the other line.

After a few seconds he clicked back.

"Look I have to take this call. I'll be done in a hour or so."

"Ok." she managed to get out, before she heard him hang up.

She sat the phone back down and stood there for a second.

Was she susposed to wait till for him or was it ok for her to head to the club now?

She wasn't sure.

After some thought, she picked her purse back up off the table and headed out the door.

She figured there was no use in sitting around waiting for an hour.

She was already dressed and ready to go.

Besides, more than likely, there would be plenty of familiar faces at the club and she could kill time with them until Wade got there.

She hopped into her car and started it up.

The second the car started, her favorite song came on the radio.

She reached over and turned up the volume, as she started to sing along.

She was so into the song that she didn't even realize that her cell phone had started to ring.

She just kept on singing and jamming to the beat.

Finally, after six rings, it stopped.

Moments later, a tone went off informing her that she had voicemail, but that too had gone unnoticed.

Finally, after 20 minutes of driving, not to mention singing and dancing, she pulled into the parking lot of the club.

She turned the car off and reached over to grab her phone. 

Throwing the phone in her purse along with her keys, she opened the door and got out.

Completely unaware of the voicemail left for her, she shut her car door and walked into the club.

CHAPTER 19

When Wade finished the phone call that had interupted his conversation with Michelle, he hung up and tried to call her back.

First, he tried to reach her at home but didn't get an answer.

He figured she must have stepped out for a minute, so he tried her cell.

Again....no answer.

By the time her voicemail finally picked up, he was rather annoyed.

He hated leaving messages, but figured he better.

"Hey, it's me. I know our call got cut short, so I wanted to give you a call back. Anyway, just hang out at your apartment. I shouldn't be long. Besides, I don't want any trouble tonight and If you ended up going to the club yourself, I'm sure there would be. So look, just hang tight and I'll give you a call when I am done."

He hung the phone up and headed into the studio office to grab some papers.

There had been so many things going on around him, it was hard to keep track of everything.

With all his focus on choreographing Justin's tour, he almost forgot about the other things he had lined up.

Organization had always been one of Wade's strong suits, but now for some reason, things were falling apart around him.

He opened his planner and grabbed the phone.

There were alot of calls he would need to make to get things back on track.

He was sure that he would have to juggle a few things over the next couple of weeks, but he had made the committments and was going to stand by them.

Finally, after a stressful 45 minutes of making phone calls, he was finished.

He sat the phone down and leaned back on his chair kicking his feet up on the desk.

He had developed a horrible headache half way through his calls and it was only getting worse.

All he wanted to do was take some aspirin and lay down.

The club idea was definetly not an option now

He would just call Michelle and tell her to come over. 

Surely she wouldn't mind staying in tonight if he told her he wasn't feeling well, he thought to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he swung his legs off the desk and sat back up.

Grabbing the phone he dialed the number to her house.

Still no answer.

Shaking his head in frustration, he hung up and dialed her cell.

After a few rings, the phone kicked into voicemail again.

He slammed the phone down and headed into the livingroom.

Grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair, he picked up his keys and headed to his truck.

The night had already taken it's toll on him and he wasn't in the mood to deal with this right now.

She was susposed to be at home waiting for his call.

Instantly, the thought crossed his mind that she may have went to the club without him.

If that was the case, all hell was going to break loose.

This was not the night for her to try and test him, and if she thought it was......he would have no problem proving her wrong.

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he headed to the club. 

It wasn't long before he pulled into the parking lot and spotted her car.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life." he said to himself, as he pulled into the empty space next to her car and got out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Michelle walked inside the club, she immeadiately spotted some familiar faces.

Stephanie and a few of her co-workers were there.

That didn't surprise her much, after all, the club was a favorite hot spot of the gang at MC.

As she was on her way over to them, Stephanie spotted her out the corner of her eye.

"Hey girl! I didn't expect to see you here."

"That's funny. I expected to see you here." she said, as she pointed to the bar next them.

"Ha Ha. Very funny." Stephanie said, as she proceeded to order Michelle a drink.

"So, who all is here?" Michelle asked, as she scanned the dance floor for more familiar faces.

"Well so far, from MC, I've only seen Kelly and Marty."

"Marty is here?" 

"Yeah. You know the funniest thing happened earlier. He asked me if you were seeing anyone."

The color must have instantly drained from her face, because Stephanie gave her the wierdest look.

"What!?! What did you tell him?" she said, panic obvious in her voice.

"Nothing, why? What's wrong?"

A sigh of relief passed through her, as she sat her purse down on the bar.

"Nothing is wrong. I just don't want him to know about me and Wade, that's all."

Stephanie studied her for a second, trying to figure out what was really going on.

"I think there is more to it than that. You are both acting really strange. Wait.....Oh my god! Are you cheating on Wade with Marty?"

"NO!"

"Well, then what's going on?" 

Suddenly, a voice came from behind her. 

"Yeah, that is what I would like to know." 

She knew exactly who it was.

"Fuck." she mumbled under her breath, as she turned around to see Marty standing behind her.

"Hey Marty."

"Hey. Did you get my message?"

"Yeah. I did."

"Well, then why didn't you call me back?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Michelle could see that Stephanie was paying close attention to them.

She needed to play it cool.

"I just didn't get a chance."

Marty could tell by Michelle's body language, that she was uncomfortable having this conversation in front of Stephanie.

"Come here. I want to talk to you, alone" he said, as he took her arm and led her outside to the patio.

Once outside, he let go of her arm and stood in front of her.

"Look Marty, I know you are concerned, but trust me.......I'm fine."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes.....I do. It's the truth."

"You know, I don't know WHO hit you, but I know SOMEONE did. Why won't you tell me what is going on?"

"There is nothing to say! I know he won't do it again, so just drop it!" she said, raising her voice in frustration.

"Ok. So you ARE involved with someone. What made him think he could lay a hand on you?"

Great, how did her mouth manage to get that out without checking with her brain first.

"I am not going to have this conversation with you. Thank you for being concerned, but like I said before....I'm fine."

And with that, she pushed past him and headed back to the front of the club.

When she walked back up to the bar, Stephanie was standing there with her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"So....care to tell me what that was all about?"

"Not really." she said, as she chugged down her drink and ordered another.

Stephanie stood there and watched, as Michelle pounded down one drink after another.

"What the fuck is going on!?!" she asked, as she watch her friend start to fall apart right before her eyes.

When Michelle didn't answer, Stephanie sat her drink down on the bar.

If she wasn't going to tell her what was going on, she was going to find out from Marty.

After she walked away, Michelle reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone to call Wade.

Just as she was about to dial his number, she noticed she had voicemail.

She dialed the number to her mailbox and punched in her security code.

As she listened to Wade's message, she realized that she was not susposed to be at the club.

She needed to get the hell out of there and head back to her apartment.

Slamming her phone shut, she threw it back in her purse and stood up to leave.

Unfortunetly, the second she did, she spotted Wade walking through the door.

"Oh god....please tell me this is not happening." she said, as she watched one of the bouncers point her out to him.

She could tell by the way he was walking towards her, that he was pissed off, and she knew no matter what she said, he wouldn't believe her.

At this point, all she could do, was pray to god that tonight wouldn't be a repeat of the last time she upset him.

CHAPTER 20

Michelle watched in horror as Wade walked toward her never breaking eye contact for a second.

She could see his fists clentched up in his pants pockets and she knew she was in trouble.

She momentarily shut her eyes in an attempt to wake herself from the nightmare she was now living.

Unfortunetly, it wasn't a dream.

She opened her eyes and found Wade standing directly in front of her.

"Having fun?" he asked, as he leaned against the bar.

"Wade...listen, I can explain." 

"Oh, I'm sure you can." he said, as he calmly stood there observing her.

"The problem is, I don't want to hear it. Now let's go." he said, as he stood up and grabbed the back of her arm.

She knew from the hold he had on her, that he was furious, even though the tone of voice would lead her to believe otherwise.

"Wade....please..wait." she said, as she tried to pull her arm away.

He squeezed her arm tighter and pulled her against him.

"I'm telling you right now, don't make a scene. Grab your purse and let's go."

Knowing that he was going to hurt her again, she started crying.

"Knock it off right now! You only have yourself to blame for this." he said, as he tightened his grip and led her out the door.

How did she let this happen.

Her instincts told her to leave when he had hit her the first time, but she didn't listen.

She decided to follow her heart and believe that his hostility was an accident. That it would never happen again.

Except here she was, about to feel his wrath again and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Reaching in his pocket for his keys, he unlocked the passenger side door.

"Get in." he ordered, as he held the door open for her.

It was no use in fighting.

She knew she would only make things worse and that was the last thing she needed.

Once he shut her door, he walked around to the drivers side and got in.

He looked over at her, as she sat there with tears in her eyes.

"I hope your little escapade was worth it." he said, as he started the truck and headed back to his house.

She leaned her head against the window and cried the whole way to his house.

Not once did it faze him.

If she was looking for some sympathy or compassion, she wasn't getting it from him.

Her little stunt was unacceptable and he was not going to stand for it.

It took every restraint he had, to keep from just flipping out on her in the car.

By the time they finally pulled into the driveway at Wade's house, he was at the end of his rope.

"Let's go." he said, as he opened his door and walked around to her side. 

Slowly, she opened the door and stepped out onto the driveway.

The thought had occurred to her to run, but her legs wouldn't move.

He took a hold of her arm again and led her to the front door.

Once he got the door open, he shoved her inside and shut the door behind them.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing!?!" he asked, as he threw his keys down on the table and walked up to her.

"Nothing." 

"Nothing! You call going to the club dressed like a slut nothing!?! You weren't even susposed to be there. You were susposed to be at home waiting for me to call!"

"I didn't know you wanted me to wait for you. I just got your message when you walked throught the door."

"How convienent!"

"Why are you acting like this!" she yelled.

"You better lower your voice right now."

"Or what Wade? What are you going to do? Hit me again?" 

The words were just flowing out of her mouth and she couldn't stop them.

"If you ever lay a hand on me again. I'm gone."

"You little bitch!" he yelled, as he grabbed her by her throat and slammed her into the door. "You aren't going anywhere!" 

"You belong to me. You should know that by now." he said, as he slid his free hand up her dress.

She knew what he was after and she was determined to not let it happen.

Quickly, she brought her knee up and hit him in the groin.

Instantly he released her and dropped to his knees in pain.

"Your going to fuckin pay for that!" he said, as he tried to catch his breath.

Panic set in, as she realized that there was nowhere to run.

She stood there shaking, as she watched him brace himself against the door and stand up.

"Wade I'm sorry!"

"Sorry!?! I'll show you sorry!" he said, as he ran towards her.

She tried to run away, but he caught her by her hair and pulled her to the ground.

He immeadiately jumped on top of her and held her down on the floor.

"Come on! What are you going to do now?" he asked, as she struggled to get out from underneath him.

She knew it was hopeless.

There was no way that she would be able to overpower him and he knew it as well.

The more she tried to break free, the harder he fought back.

As she laid there crying, she knew she had no choice but to give up.

Slowly, she let her body go limp beneath him.

"What's wrong? No fight left in you?" he asked, as he glared down at her smugly.

All she could do was lay there helplessly and sob.

"Oh no you don't! This is far from over!" he said, as he stood up pulling her with him.

"Your going to have to learn one way or the other, that what I say goes!"

He took a hold of her wrist and started pulling her up the stairs.

She knew more than likely he was taking her to his bed.

It was the one place he always had control.

It was his form of punishment for her.

The fact that she had no sexual experience before him left her completely vulnerable and he exploited it.

She was like prey in his bed.

He would have her whatever way he wanted, and she had no choice but to comply.

When he finally got to the top of the stairs, he placed his hand on her back and shoved her toward the bedroom.

"Go!" he yelled.

The force of the shove caused her to loose balance in her heels and she fell, twisting her ankle.

"See what happens when you wear slutty shoes like that! Now get them off!"

He gave her a minute to unlace her shoes and then he threw her over his shoulder.

He was tired of waiting feel himself inside her.

He wanted her. He needed her.

Sex with her was surreal.

It was nothing like he had never experienced before. 

And whether she consented or not, the feeling for him was the same. Euphoric.

He tossed her down on the bed and began to unbutton his jeans. 

"You think you would have learned by now." he said, as he bent over and removed her dress.

She knew what was about to happen and there was nothing she could say or do.

Desperately she tried to seperate her mind from her body. 

It was her only chance of getting through what she knew she was about to endure.

"I guarantee after this, you'll think twice about disobeying me." he said, as he positioned himself between her legs.

Her body tensed up, as she felt him slide inside her.

Fighting back the tears, she turned her face away from him so he could not penetrate her mind.

She could make it through this, she just needed to stay strong.

When he was finally done, he collapsed on the bed next to her and fell asleep.

Looking over at him, she realized she would be spending the night there.

He had brought her to his house and she had no way home.

Quietly, she got out of bed and headed to his dresser to grab a t-shirt to sleep in.

The night air was warm, but her body was cold and she couldn't stop shaking.

Slipping the shirt on, she crawled back under the sheet.

Feeling her shift on the bed, Wade woke up.

He glanced over and saw her curled up, trembling at the edge of the bed.

Reaching over, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"You know, I really hate hurting you, but you just seem to push me. I hope you finally realize that I will not tolerate disobedience."

She felt him place a small kiss on the back of neck, as he held onto her tightly.

Softly, she cried herself to sleep, wondering if she would ever have the strength to leave.

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