As Wade laid sprawled across his king size bed, an annoying ring began to echo through the room. Trying desperately to ignore it, Wade rolled over on to his stomach and buried his head under the pillows.  Unfortunately the ringing continued and the semi conscious state of sleep that he was in, was now completely gone. 

"God damn it!"

Tossing the pillows away from him, Wade rolled back over and reached across to his nightstand to grab the phone.  After taking a deep breath, he placed it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, you feeling any better?"

Hearing Cameran's voice on the other end, Wade let out a sigh of relief and let his head fall back down on to the bed. 

"I've been better, but I'm sure I'll manage."  Wade answered, glancing over at the clock on his dresser.  "Is it really after seven?"

Letting out a slight chuckle, Cameran glanced down at her own watch.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is.  You didn't JUST get up did you?"

"Actually...yeah.  If it wasn't for the phone ringing, I probably would have slept until tomorrow."

"Well, we can't have that.  Get up, jump in the shower and get ready.  I'll be at your place in about ten minutes.  We're going out."

"I can't Cam.  I have a lot of things to take care of."

"Like?"

Rolling his eyes, Wade slid to the edge of the bed and lowered his feet to the floor.  He knew exactly what he needed to take care of, but he also knew that he didn't want to go anywhere near that topic with her.   If he even said Michelle's name, she would take that as an open invitation to discuss his love life and he wasn't about to let that happen.

"Just.....things Cameran." 

"Well, you know it might be kind of hard to go out and do these 'things' without transportation.  Why don't I just come pick you up and then I can take you wherever you need to go."

"My truck.........FUCK!"  Wade yelled, his frustration growing every second with the situation he now found himself in. "This is not happening.  Not now.  Not with everything going on."

"I can drive you Wade, it's not a big deal."

"Yeah, you can drive me."  Wade replied, letting out a slight laugh.  "Drive me to your brother's house so I can kick that mother fucker's ass, then after that you can drop me off at Michelle's."

"You know what, I know you have a lot going on and I'm not even going to pretend to know how you feel, but you called ME to bail you out Wade.  You know what that tells me?  It tells me that everyone else has turned their back on you."  she said coldly.  "Do you really think you can afford to lose the last friend you have?"

As Wade sat there in silence, he knew she was right.  There wasn't anyone else he could turn to or even want to at this point and sadly he knew he had only himself to thank for that.

"Guess not."  he replied and let out a deep sigh.

"That's what I thought."  Cameran said, a bit of attittude evident in her tone of voice.  "Now get ready. I'll be there in ten.  Besides, if you don't stop obsessing over this mess for at least a few hours, you're gonna dig yourself an early grave." 

"Whatever."

"I'll see you shortly."

After he heard Cameran hang up, Wade pressed the button on his cordless phone and sat there for a moment contemplating on whether or not he should try and call Michelle.  Unfortunately before he had a chance to fully weigh the positive effects of the call versus the negative, he heard what sounded like someone unlocking his front door. 

"What the fuck?"

After quickly sitting the phone back down on the nightstand, Wade headed out his bedroom door and down the stairs.  Before he reached the bottom however, the door opened and he let out a slight laugh.

"Wade?  What are you doing here?"

"No.  I think the question is what are you doing here?"  he asked, walking the last few feet over to where his sister was now standing.

"I was just dropping your stuff off."  she said, motioning to the few items tucked under her arm.  "It's your clothes and stuff from the hospital."

"Do you have my keys?"

"Yeah."  she said, reaching in to her pocket and handing them to him. "Here."

"Well, thanks for dropping them off.  It was nice seeing you."  Wade said sarcastically, as he opened the door back up for her.

After giving him a once over, Chantal sat his clothes down on the small table and closed the door.  She wasn't about to just walk out of there without some answers as to how he managed to post bail.

"So, who dropped the cash Wade?"

"Excuse me?"  Wade asked as he watched her head over to the sofa.

"Who dropped the cash?  I'm curious. I mean, everyone you know with that kind of cash has wrote you off."

"You know what, it's none of your business.  You weren't going to do it, so I found someone who would." 

Letting out a slight laugh, Chantal looked down at the coffee table and began shaking her head.  Seeing the all too familiar traces of cocaine across the it's surface, she finally realized that nothing had changed.  The accident, which should have been a serious wake up call, didn't even phase him.  He wasn't going to change and in her eyes, had officially become a lost cause.

"I really hope this is worth it."  she said, turning back around to head towards the door.  "I hope it means more to you than your family, I hope it means more to you than you friends and I sure as hell hope it means more to you than Michelle, because once I find her, I'm going to make sure she knows exactly what' she's dealing with.  Maybe then she'll know that the best thing for her to do is just stay FAR away from you." 

"Give me a break!"  Wade said, rolling his eyes.  "If you wanted to give her a little history lesson on me you would have done it already.  I mean Christ!  You had the perfect opportunity to do it last night!" 

"When was that Wade?  When I was at home getting a call from Justin saying that you had been in a wreck?  No wait, maybe it was when I was sitting in the waiting room of the ER anxiously waiting to hear from the doctors on whether or not you were going to be alright?  Was that it?!  Was that the perfect opportunity to find her and spill your dirty little secrets!"  she yelled, turning back around so that she was now face to face with him.

"What about when you went to her apartment last night?  I mean, that's probably why you went there in the first place, right?  To go shed some new light on your fucked up brother?!" 

"I wasn't at her apartment last night!  I haven't seen her since......"  she began saying but quickly stopped when she saw the look on her brother's face.

"You didn't see her last night?"  Wade asked, an uncomfortable feeling washing over him. 

"Wade....."

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!  DID YOU GO TO HER APARTMENT LAST NIGHT LIKE YOU SAID YOU DID?!" 

Letting out a slow and steady breath, Chantal looked Wade in the eyes and said the one thing he didn't want to hear.

"No.  I didn't see her last night."  she said softly.  "I just said that I had because I thought that's what was best for you at the time." 

"WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME?!  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"  Wade yelled, anger and fear consuming every part of him.  "I asked you to do one thing for me Chantal!  One thing!"

"And what was I susposed to do after I found her?!  Bring her down to the jail for a visit?"  she said sarcastically.

"I told you it had nothing to do with me!  All I wanted you to do was find her and make sure she was alright!  God!  I can't believe you!"  Wade said, as he began pacing the room.

"You can't believe me?!  I can't believe you!"

"Get out."

"What?"  Chantal asked, slightly in shock.

Not wasting any time, Wade quickly walked over to his front door and opened it up. 

"You heard me.  Get out!"

Throwing her hands up in defeat, Chantal headed towards the door.  His behavior was like something out of the twillight zone.

"You know, maybe you can't find her because she finally wised up and left town. Did you ever stop and think of that?"

Unable to even listen to another word that came out of her mouth, Wade placed his hand on Chantal's back and shoved her the rest of the way out the door.

"Don't fuckin come back here!"  Wade yelled out and quickly slammed the door behind her. 

For a few minutes Wade stood there in a state of confusion.  What if Chantal was right?  What if she had left town?   Would he knew where to find her?  Would anyone even tell him if she had left a forwarding address? 

As all these question began to flood his mind, Wade heard a soft knock at the door and quickly headed back over to the foyer to open the door. 

"Why aren't you getting ready?" 

"Cameran?" 

"You were expecting someone else?"  she said, half laughing as she walked past him and in to the foyer.

"I was hoping you were." 

"Wow.  Thanks Wade.  You really know how to make a girl feel special."

"I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"I can see that."  she said, studying the look of despair on his face.  "Dare I even ask who you were hoping I was?"

Shaking his head 'no', Wade headed towards the stairs without so much as even looking back in her direction.

"Just let me jump in the shower.  I'll be ready to go in like fifteen to twenty minutes.  Just....."

"I know my way around this place Wade.  I'll be fine.  Go get ready."

Once Wade disappeared out of sight, Cameran headed over to the sofa and pulled a small piece of paper out from her purse.  After turning it right side up, she flipped her cell phone open and began dialing the number that she had scribbled down on it.  Once the phone began to ring, Cameran placed it to her ear and waited for them to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Cammie.  Did you get a chance to run the plate on that Mercedes for me?"

"Yeah, I was actually just getting ready to call you."  the gentleman replied, looking down at a piece of paper.  "The vehicle is registered to a Jenna Westfield." 

"Shit."

"But wait, I'm not done."  he said, letting out a slight chuckle.  "After the name didn't match, I decided to go in to the DMV database and do a reverse address search."

"And?"

"Guess whose drivers license is registered to the same address as Ms Westfield?"

"Michelle's?"

"Yep."

"Well, I guess now all I have to do is find out what kind of car she drives.  If Wade says a silver Mercedes, then the real fun can begin."

"I don't even want to know."

"Good, because the less you know the better off you are."  she said, glancing towards the stairs. "Look, I have to go make one more call but I'll touch base with you tomorrow.  I'll be in town for a while so there shouldn't be a problem getting you your 'payment' in the next few days."

"It's no problem.  I have to run anyway.  Working the late shift tonight."

"Sounds like fun."  she said, laughing sarcastically.  "Hey, thanks again."

"Anytime."

After Cameran heard him hang up the phone, she let out a small laugh and began dialing another number.  Once it started to ring, she placed it to her ear and quickly glanced back at the stairs to make sure Wade was still in the shower.  Satisfied that he wouldn't over hear the conversation, Cameran leaned back on the sofa and began to put her plan in to motion.

"Hello?"

"Hey stranger!"

"Hey!  Wasn't expecting to hear from you until early next week.  Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything is fine.  Just got bored and thought I would give you a call and see what you were up to." 

"Same as always.  Making money, living large."  Chris laughed as he glanced over at Michelle. 

"Yeah, can't say that surprises me."  Cameran replied, stuffing the small piece of paper back in to her purse.  "Where are you at anyway?  I can barely hear you." 

"Down at Joe's old place."

"Breakers?" 

"Yeah."

"He still runs that place?"

"Well, not anymore.  Just closed the deal to purchase it about an hour ago."  he said, taking a sip of his drink.

"You bought it?"

"Yeah.  Me and Jackson are going to turn this place in to cash factory."

"I'm sure you are."  she said laughing slightly.  "Well, I won't keep you then.  Just give me a call when you get some free time. I'm sure you're are running a full scale celebration that you need to get back to anyway."

"Something like that.  Look, I'll call you this weekend.  Alright?"

"That's fine."  she replied, a small smile creeping across her lips.  "Behave Christopher."

"Bye Cam."

Chapter 137

“You’re not kidding? Your not kidding me Jackson?” Chris asked his eyes wide in question. “The last time I checked I was the captain of this fucking ship. I suggest you try to remember that.” 

Nodding his head in agreement, Jackson took a step away from Chris before responding to his comment. 

“You know what Chris? I suggest you try to remember what’s important before people start jumping ship on your dumb ass. But hey…..you being the ‘captain’ and all I’m sure you already knew that.” Jackson said before walking away from Chris shaking his head. 

As he made his way into the club, Jackson walked by a still very shaken up Michelle and sighed. He just didn’t get it. What was it about this girl that had Chris completely tripppin? It was like once you touched this damn girl you lost your fucking mind. He had heard about the train wreck that was her relationship with Wade, but what was happening with Chris was just unreal. Yeah, Chris was always pretty possessive when he got with a girl, but this took the cake. 

“You alright?” he asked, debating on whether or not to stick around for an answer. 

Wrapping her arms around herself, Michelle slowly nodded her head yes, but the look on her face said anything but. Her eyes looked dead, like in that one moment she had lost all hope for life. As much as he hated her around, Jackson genuinely felt bad for her. He didn’t understand how Chris could just play with another persons life the way he was with her. You just didn’t do this kind of thing to people. 

Seeing Chris approaching out of the corner of his eye, Jackson gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. 

“Hey. Your gonna be ok.” he said, making eye contact with her. “I wish there was something more I could say.” he sighed before walking away. 

Standing there utterly confused, Michelle couldn't help but feel like she was once again in the twillight zone. Why was Jackson offering her words of encouragement?  Was he really trying to be nice to her or was this just another one of Chris’ sick games? 

“What’d he say?” Chris asked once he reached her. 

“He just asked if I was alright.” she said softly, wiping a few tears from her cheek.

“And you said……?” 

“I told him I was fine” she answered, trying to brush by him. 

Putting his arm up to block her escape, Chris held it in place and waited for her to make eye contact with him. 

“Are you?” he asked once her gaze was fixed on him. 

“Does it matter?” she asked back quietly 

“I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t.” he said waiting for her to respond. 

When she continued to ignore his question, Chris lifted his hand to her face and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. 

“You know, as much as you’ve been through in the past, you shouldn’t be afraid of anything.” 

Letting her head rest in his hand for a moment, Michelle let out a long breath before slowly removing his hand from her face. 

“It isn’t the past that scares me Chris.” she said softly. “It's not even the future. What scares me, is knowing that this isn’t going to end anytime soon. I'm living proof that hell on earth does exsists and the simple fact that I know that I’m going to wake up tomorrow is terrifying  It's almost enough to make a person stop believing in God.”

As Chris watched her slowly lower her gaze from his, he felt a lump rising up in the back of his throat.  He hadn’t meant to scare her that much, just make her toughen up a little bit, but after seeing the outcome from his little game...he couldn't help but feel like the biggest piece of shit on earth. 

"I wasn't going to let anything happen.  I hope you know that."  Chris said, a quiet seriousness in his voice.

"No Chris.  I didn't know that." she said softly, glancing up at him.  "I mean you told Jackson I was just a plaything and isn't that what boys do?  Share their toys?" 

"You know if there is one thing you need to know about me, it's that I don't share.  Once I get something that I want, I'll do whatever it takes to hold on to it."

"There's a comforting thought."  Michelle said, forcfully wiping the tears from her eyes as she glanced across the street.

"What do you want me to do Michelle?"

"I don't want you to do anything Chris.  Just forget it.  I'm going inside."

As Michelle turned to head towards the club, Chris surprisingly reached out and grabbed a hold of her hand to stop her.  After pulling her back over to him, he stood there looking like he wanted to say something, yet he said nothing at all.  He just stood there staring at her.

"Now what did I do?"  she asked, tears once again building up in her eyes. 

"Look, I'm....."

"You're what Chris?"

As Chris searched deep within himself for the courage to say the two little words he knew she deserved to hear, Tanner's untimely appearance brought the whole conversation to an abrupt halt.

"Hey, you guys coming in or what?  Joe just sent a few bottle over to the table." 

"We'll be there in a minute."  Chris growled.

Nodding his head, Tanner turned back around and was about to head back inside when he heard Michelle call out to him.

"Tanner, wait." 

As Tanner stopped a few feet shy of the door, he turned back around to see what she wanted. When he did however, he noticed that Chris was holding on to Michelle's hand and felt a wave of awkwardness sweep over him.  Clearly he had interupted something between the two. 

"Hold on.  I'm coming with you." 

"Head back inside TJ." Chris quickly yelled, as he continued to hold on to her hand.  "I said we'd be there in a few minutes."

Studying the scene before him, Tanner couldn't help but feel torn on whether he should leave or not.  Chris had made it more than abundantly clear that he was not welcome out there, but the desperate tone of Michelle's voice as she called out to him wouldn't let h im walk away.

"You know...maybe it's just me, but I could have swore I told you to go back inside TJ."  Chris said, a slight chuckle of frustration escaping his lips as he looked over Michelle's shoulder at him. 

"Chris, please.  Just let me go." 

Hearing her voice, Chris turned his attention back to Michelle and noticed that she was once again trying to slip her hand free of his grasp.  Knowing he didn't want to put her in any more distress than she already was, Chris reluctantly let her go of her.  As he did, his arm fell back to his side once again and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Whatever.  Just go."

After briefly trying to read the look on Chris' face, Michelle quickly turned around and headed over to where Tanner was still standing.

"You alright?"

"I'll be fine."  she replied, momentarily looking over her shoulder at Chris. "Can we please just go inside?"

"Yeah, come on.  I'll get you a drink."

"Thanks."

After Chris watched them both disappear in to the club, he laced his hands on top of his head and began pacing the small area in front of the club entrance. 

"Just breath."  Chris said, exhaling slowly.  "Don't storm back in there and cause a scene.  Just walk back in there like nothing is wrong and let things run their course.  She'll come around." 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Cameran hung up the phone, she sat there for a few minutes working out all the details of the plan in her head.  She knew there was more to the Chris and Michelle story than Wade was telling her.  She just needed to find out what.

"I knew your little princess wasn't a victim of my brother.  She's a willing recipient." she said, smiling as she stood back up from the sofa. "Now, I could just save you the pain and heartache and tell you what I already know, but then it wouldn't be nearly as fun as you seeing it all first hand."

Now thoroughly pleased with herself and her plans for the evening, Cameran tossed her purse back down on to the couch and proceeded to hear upstairs.

Once she finished making her way down the hall that led to Wade's bedroom, Cameran glanced in to the room and saw that the bathroom door was slightly open.  Although her first instincts were to head right in there and join him, she knew that time was of the essence where her brother was concerned and that they needed to get moving.

After Cameran heard him turn off the shower, she casually strolled over to his bed and took a seat on the edge of the mattress.  As she glanced around at her surroundings, she saw the small photo of Wade and Michelle that he had flipped over on his nightstand and grabbed it.  After unfolding the stand behind it, Cameran carefully sat it back down and continued to stare it.  There was just something about the way they looked together that made her a bit uneasy. 

"What are you doing in here Cam?"  Wade asked, pushing the bathroom door open as he stood there towel drying his hair.

"Just wanted to come and see how much longer you were going to be."

"Not long."  he continued as he headed over to his closet.  "What's the big rush anyway?"

"There's no rush.  I'm just excited about hitting all the old spots.  I haven't been able to do this is months!"

"Old spots huh?  Anywhere in particualr?"

"Oh, I don't know.  I figured we could swing by Breakers, you know, start the partying off on the right foot."

"Why doesn't that surprise me."

"Because you know it isn't a party unless we have the party favors."  she answered, getting up from her position on the bed to join him at his closet.  "So, are you game?"  she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Well, seeing as how you're the one doing all the driving, I guess I really don't have a choice now, do I?"

"Nope, but don't worry.  I promise this will be a night to remember."  she said, smiling against his back as she wrapped her arms around the lower part of his waist.

"Cam, nothing has changed between us."  Wade said, breaking free of her hold. 

"But how do you know...."

"But nothing."  Wade quickly interrupted.  "Besides even if I didn't still have feelings for Michelle, you know as well as I do that it wouldn't work out.  Isn't that why you ended up in New York?"

"Yeah well Chris can't run my life, anymore than I can run his."  she said, resentment clearly evident in her tone of voice.  "I can do what I want.  I may be his younger sister, but I'm not a little kid.  I can think for myself."

"Yeah, I've heard that before Cam."

"Well, I'm here aren't I?"  she said, defiantly placing her hands on her hips. 

Knowing that Cameran had a point, Wade simply let out a slight laugh.  "Yeah, well we'll see how long that lasts."

"Yeah, we will."

Chapter 138

After pacing around outside the club for a few more moments, Chris finally decided that he had pulled himself together enough and headed for the door of the club. 

Once inside, he quickly weaved through the tightly packed crowd and headed straight for the bar. If there was one thing he needed at the moment it was definitely a drink. 

After walking behind the bar, Chris grabbed a glass from the under the bar and proceeded to fill it with ice.  Once he was finished, Chris began scanning the numerous bottles that lined the back wall. 

“Hey Chris. What are you doing back here?”  Phil asked as he handed a patron their drink. 

“Getting something to drink.  What's it look like.” he replied dryly, without so much as looking up. 

Hearing the tone of Chris’ voice and knowing him all too well, Phil decided to drop the subject altogether and instead went back to making drinks for screaming patrons. He hadn't even finished taking another drink order however, before he heard Chris call out to him.

"Hey, where's the Vodka at?"

"Right in front you."  Phil replied, reaching under the bar to grab a few more glasses.

"Man, you know I don't drink this weak ass cocktail shit.  Where's the good stuff at?"

Letting out a slight snicker, Phil handed the two young ladies in front of him their drinks and headed over to where Chris was standing.  After reaching in to his pocket, Phil pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Chris.

"Here."  he said, motioning to a locked set of doors under the bar with his foot.  "Joe had a some punks come in here a few months ago and walk out of here with over two hundred dollars worth of liquor. After that, we started locking the good stuff up."

"Yeah well, that shit won't be happening on my watch."  Chris replied, reaching down to grab a bottle of Belvedere.  "I’m taking this with me, but if you happen to need anything from in here before I come back, just let me know."  he continued, shoving the set of keys in to his own pocket. 

After watching Phil nod his head that he had heard him, Chris proceeded to weave through the crowd and over to the VIP area where he had spotted Jackson, Tanner and Michelle sitting. 

As he got closer to them however, he noticed that Michelle’s demeanor wasn’t quite as stiff as he expected it to be. She still had that uniquely timid look about her, but she was talking and even....smiling. In fact, the more he studied her, the more she looked like she was having fun.  That fact alone should have put him in a better mood, but it didn't.  Sure, his intention was to bring her to the club so she would have a good time and loosen up, but that fact that she was enjoying herself with someone other than him didn't sit too well.

When he reached the table, Chris stood there for a full minute waiting for someone to acknowledge his presence. Finally realizing that everyone was apparently too involved in their current conversations to notice, Chris cleared his throat to announce his presence and took a seat next to Jackson.

“Damn, it took you long enough. What…you get lost?” Jackson asked, clearly in a better mood than he had been just moments earlier. 

“Yeah, something like that.” Chris replied, taking the cap of the bottle to pour himself a drink. 

After polishing off the entire contents of his glass in one large gulp, Chris slammed it down on the table and began to study his surroundings.  Sensing the tension rise once again, Michelle retreated back into her shell and Tanner quickly ended his conversation with her.  It was almost as if someone had hit the mute button the second he sat down. 

As Chris began to study Michelle from across the table, he wished that there was something….anything he could say to put her at ease with him instead of Tanner. Then again, he couldn't help but think that he would probably be better off leaving well enough alone.  Especially when every time he attempted to do something half way decent for her, it ended up worse than it would have if he just continued treating her the way he was before. 

Letting out a slow and steady breath, Chris tried to force the thoughts of Michelle from his mind.  Unfortunately as he continued to stare at her from across the table, he found himself taking in small things that he had never noticed about her before. Not to say there was anything in particular that had caught his eye, it was more or so just a general feeling of fascination that kept him from looking away. 

Then as Chris started to feel himself getting more and more lost in her, he suddenly felt a set of eyes watching him. Breaking his concentration, he glanced up at Michelle and instantly realized that her eyes weren't the ones burning in to him.

Slowly turning to his left, Chris came eye to eye with Jackson and instantly felt an unfamiliar tinge of embarrassment wash over him.  Quickly looking away, Chris shifted positions in his seat and poured himself another hefty drink, emptying the glass of its contents almost as fast as he poured it.

Unfortunately Jackson had known Chris long enough to know when something was going on and when that something was troubling him enough that he needed to bring it up. 

“Don’t.” Chris said, before his friend could get a word out.

"Don't what?"  Jackson asked, briefly looking across the table at Michelle.  "Don't ask why in the hell you're sitting there nursing that bottle?  I don't have to ask man.  I know you."

"You know me?  You know me?!"  Chris yelled, the frustration he felt over everything that had gone on so far that evening clearly taking hold.  "What exactly does that mean Jackson?  Are you telling me I can't sit here and have a few drinks without being questioned?"

Hearing Chris raise his voice, Michelle felt a chill run down her back and quickly glanced towards the dance floor.  The last thing she wanted to do right now was witness him in another heated encounter.  She still hadn't recovered from the one in the parking lot.

"Man, I never thought I'd see the day."

"You know what, I've had about enough of your little innuendos.  If you have something to say Jackson, then just say it!"

Sensing that Michelle wanted to get as far away from that table as possible, Tanner took a deep breath and hesitantly called over to Chris.

"Hey, you mind if I take Michelle out on the dance floor for a while?"

"I don't care.  Do whatever you want."  he replied, not even bothering to look in their direction as he waved them off. 

Not wanting to give Chris the opportunity to realize what he had asked and change his mind, Tanner quickly grabbed a hold of Michelle's hand and pulled her out in to the crowd of people on the dance floor.

"Well, I'm waiting."  Chris said, taking a large sip of his vodka.  "Let's go. Say whatever it is that you've been dying to get off your chest."

"Do you really want to get in to this right now.  I mean, I know you're sitting there trying to convince yourself that you have no idea what I'm talking about, but you and I both know that you know that you do."

Fearing that Jackson could read him better than he thought, Chris sat there silently and waited for Jackson to make the next move. 

"Look, I'm not exactly sure how or why this whole thing started betwen you two, but if the thought has even briefly crossed your mind that you can turn this in to something more, you better just forget it."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Chris momentarily glanced out towards the dance floor at Michelle and then turned his attention back to Jackson.  Unfortunately before he could even open his mouth, Jackson had cut him off the same way Chris had done to him only moments earlier.

"It will never work.  You can't go back and fix this."

"You know for a minute there, I actually thought you were serious."  Chris laughed, once again finishing off the contents of his glass.  "What could have possibly made you think that I would want to take this thing with her anywhere?  You don't think I know what has happened between the two of us?"

Now completely convinced that Chris had done more than just entertain the idea of being with Michelle, he grabbed the bottle of Belvedere as it sat in front of Chris and proceed to pour himself a drink.  Clearly this wasn't going to be one of those conversations that they could get by on with jokes and quick comebacks.

"So, when did it happen?"

"When did what happen?"  Chris asked, scanning the crowd as he poured himself another drink.

"This thing with Michelle."

"There is no 'thing' with Michelle.  It is what it is.  Pure and simple.  She's just a piece of ass.  Someone to pass the time with."

"Really?"  Jackson asked sarcastically, as he stared Chris down.

"Yes, really."

Shaking his head, Jackson joined Chris' search through the crowd.  Once he had spotted Tanner and Michelle dancing together on the opposite side of the dance floor, he let out a slight chuckle and pointed them out to Chris.

"So that right there.  That doesn't bother you?"

Turning his head to the right, Chris saw Michelle dancing seductively up against Tanner and tried to fight off the jealousy that was quickly building within him. 

"Why would it bother me?"  Chris asked, taking another sip of his drink as he continued to watch them.

"Look, if you can't be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself. I mean, come on!  That's killing you!  I can see it in your eyes!"

"What the hell do you want from me?!  Do you want me to sit here and tell you that it does bother me? That I am starting to feel something for her? That I wish things were different?  Is that what you want?!"

"Is it the truth? Because if it is, then yeah.  That's what I want to hear."

"Yeah well, what you want and I want are two different things."  Chris said, leaning back to his left.  "And right now, I want to beat his ass." 

Unable to watch the two dancing any longer, Chris pounded down the rest of his drink and quickly got up from the table.   Unfortunately before Jackson knew what he was doing, Chris was already halfway across the dance floor.

"Here we go again."  Jackson said, quickly getting up to follow after Chris.

Once Chris managed to make his way through the crowd and over to where Michelle and Tanner were dancing, he wasted no time putting an end to what he considered unacceptable.

"Are you enjoying yourself TJ?"  Chris asked, placing his hand on Tanner's chest and shoving him backwards.

"We were just dancing Chris.  I asked you if I could bring her out here and you said it was alright."

"I don't recall you asking if you could be all over her." 

"I wasn't man."  Tanner said, his nerves starting to get the best of him.

"He wasn't doing anything wrong.  We were just dancing." Michelle timidly chimed in from behind him.  "If it bothered you then I'm sorry, but don't blame him for it...blame me.  I was the one who was dancing that way." 

"Hey, everything cool here?"  Jackson asked, trying to jockey for position between the two men.

"Everything's cool as far as I'm concerned.  Everything cool with you?"  Tanner asked Chris cautiously.

After looking back and forth between them, Chris slowly exhaled and took another step closer to Tanner.

"You get that close to her again and I guarantee you a trip to the ER. You got me?"  Chris said, an eery calmness in his voice as he poked his index finger in to Tanner's chest. 

After nodding his head that he understood Chris' threat, Tanner cautiously walked around the three and quickly headed over to the bar.  Once he was out of sight, Jackson turned around and bent down slightly so that only Chris could hear what he was about to say. 

"I guess we both know the truth now, don't we?" 

"Man, get the fuck out here!"  Chris yelled, shoving his partner backwards.

Letting out a slight laugh, Jackson continued his journey towards the bar, only stopping briefly to yell over his shoulder.

"The truth will set you free man!" 

Shaking his head with complete disbelief, Chris watched Jackson disappeared in to the crowd and knew that he had a point.  Maybe he wasn't ready to come clean to him, but he at least had to be honest with himself and the truth was...something had changed.  He just wasn't sure what.

Once Chris turned around, Michelle immeadiately went on the defensive.

"Chris I'm sorry.  I just got caught up in the music."

"Just forget it.  Come on."  he said, taking a hold of her hand. "I need to get out of here for a few minutes."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere where we can be alone."  he continued, pulling her towards a dimly lit hall.

"Chris, I said I was sorry."

Stopping mid stride, Chris turned around and locked eyes with her.  In that split second he began thinking that her fear of being alone with him was a sign.  A sign saying that no matter what they would do to change their future, that their past would always get in the way.  Unfortunately, the second he looked in to her eyes, he knew that he had to atleast see if there really was anything there.

"It's alright.  I just want to go somewhere quiet and talk."  he said, his voice suddenly taking on a serious tone.  "That's all."

Chapter 139

As Michelle studied the unfamiliar look on Chris' face, she couldn't help but believe that he was being sincere and continued to follow behind him.  Once they were halfway down the hall, Chris stopped in front of a large wooden door and reached in to his pocket.

"I know the key for the office has to be on here somewhere."  he said, sorting through the numerous keys that he had taken from the bar. "Just bear with me for a second."  he continued, offering her a slight smile as she stood behind him.

After trying several keys, Chris finally found the right one and unlocked the door. 

"After you."  he said, pushing the door open.

As Michelle walked around Chris and in to the large room, she began to study her surroundings.

"It's the club's office.  Actually, as of about thirty minutes ago, it's my office."  he said, flipping up the light switch on the wall.

"So you really did buy this place?"

"Yeah.  Well, me and Jackson bought it.  We're going to pull this place from it's little underground status and put it on the map.  Get more of our type clientele in here." he said, heading over to the desk.

Simply nodding her head, Michelle continued to walk around the office admiring the various pieces of artwork that filled several glass cabinets on the back wall. 

"I really hope I'm not out of line here, but what exactly did you want to talk about?"  Michelle asked, stopping to look at a large erotic oil painting that was hanging above the lounge area.

After a few seconds went by without an answer, Michelle feared that she had indeed crossed the line and hesitantly called out to him again.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?" 

Realizing that he was still on the other side of the room, Michelle quickly turned around to see what he was doing.  Once she spotted him sitting on the edge of the desk staring in to space, she began walking back towards him.

"Are you alright?"

Letting out a slight laugh, Chris studied the look of concern on her face and just shook his head. For the last few days he had been forcing her to do numerous things against her will, and yet here she was worried about him and his well being.

"You really are a piece of work, you know that right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why are you asking me if I'm alright?"

"I don't know.  You just seem...distant.  Like something is bothering you."  she said, trying her best not to make eye contact with him. 

"No, I mean.....why do you care?"  he asked, shifting position so that he was now facing her.

After taking a few minutes to think about it, Michelle slowly looked up.

"I guess it's just the kind of person I am."  she replied softly.  "I'm sure at times it gets the best of me, but if I didn't do what I felt was the right thing to do...I wouldn't be true to myself."

"Don't you ever stop to think that sometimes, doing what you consider is the right thing to do might not be what's best for you?" he said, crossing his arms in front of him. 

"No, I don't stop to think about it.  I mean, sure, my judgements have led me to make mistakes.  But it's what I learn from those mistakes that make me a better person.  Maybe even a stronger person." 

"Was Wade a mistake?  I mean, did you misjudge him?"

"Why do you insist on talking about him?"  she asked, once again looking away. 

"You know, this thing with Wade.  It isn't just going to go away if you refuse to deal with it.  You know that right?"

"Chris can you just stop....please?"

"Alright, forget about Wade for a minute."  he said, lowering his feet to the floor and standing up.  "Did you misjudge me?"

"What do you mean?"
 

"I'm sure you have this perception of me, so let's hear it."

"You're serious?"

"Absolutely.  Come on, I want to hear what you think."

Without wasting even a single second to think about whether or not she was going to humor him with a response, Michelle quickly jumped at the chance to tell him how she felt.

"I think your arrogant and full of yourself."  she said matter-of-factly. 

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I think your cruel and that you get some sick pleasure out of watching people suffer.  Especially when they suffer in your hands."

"Do you think it's possible that you can change someone's perception?"  he said, tilting his head to the side so that he could maintain eye contact.

"If you are referring to my perception of you, then...no.  I don't think it's possible at all."  she said, her voice almost conveying that she was slightly disappointed. "You know, there was a time that I thought I may have misjudged you.  That you weren't really this hardened and insensitive guy that you tried to come off as, but the moment I stopped to take a closer look, you did something to enforce my initial perception. You have to know that you truly are the closest thing to hell on earth.  I mean, you have to." 

"Wow. That's harsh."  he said softly, slightly nodding his head that he had heard every word that she had said.  "You know,  I really can't say you shouldn't feel like that after these last few days, but you're wrong about me."

"I'm wrong?  Please tell me how I'm wrong about you Chris?"  she asked, still slightly in shock that the words had just come out of his mouth. 

"You know, you said earlier that you think I get some kind of sick pleasure from watching other people suffer.   Do you really think I get some sort of rise out of watching you cower before me?  Like some god damn beaten dog?!"  he asked, trying to maintain eye contact with her as she shifted positions.

"What else am I supposed to think Chris?  You told me from the beginning that I SHOULD be afraid of you.  That you COULD and WOULD hurt me.  And what?  Now you're telling me to just forget all of that?"  she asked, confusion now completely taking her over.  "Is this just another one of your sick little games?  Your way of trying to get me to lower my guard so you can do even more damage?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Yeah, it is.  What else could you possibly have to gain from saying all of this?  I mean, how much more do you think I can physically or emotionally take!?"

As Chris' frustration with the whole situation continued to grow, he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"Chris?"

Instantly recogonizing the voice on the other side of the door as Jackson's, Chris groaned inwardly and turned towards the door.
"What?"

Not bothering to wait for the invitation, Jackson slowly opened the door and peeked his head inside. 

"Hey, I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Can it wait.  I'm kind of in the middle of something."  Chris said, momentarily glancing over at Michelle.

"Actually, I don't think it can."  Jackson said, glancing back down the hall.  "It's kind of important."

After standing there for a few minutes contemplating on whether or not he was going to see what Jackson wanted, Michelle just sighed heavily and walked back towards the lounge area.

"Michelle, hold on a minute."  Chris said, as he starting to head after her.

"Chris!"

"What?!" he yelled, stopping mid-stride to turn around and face his friend.

After making sure that Michelle wasn't watching him, Jackson signalled towards the hall and once again called him over.

"This better be important." Chris growled, slowly heading over to where Jackson was standing.  "Michelle I'll be right back.  Are you going to be alright in here for a few minutes?" 

After slowly nodding her head 'yes', Michelle collapsed down on to the small plush sofa in the corner and began straightening the hem of her dress. "Even if I wasn't, you wouldn't care anyway." she softly whispered to herself. 

As Chris continued walking over towards the door, Jackson glanced back at Michelle and saw a look of confusion sweep across her face.  Finally realizing what he had interrupted, Jackson quickly began to offer Chris an apology.

"Hey man.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know that you two were in here 'talking'.  I thought you were just showing her around."

"Forget it.  It was a bad idea anyway."

"Why?  What happened?"

"Look, you didn't come knocking the door so that we could have a heart to heart 'chat', so why don't you just get right to the real reason."  Chris said, his patience now growing thin. "What the hell is going on?" 

After reaching behind Chris, Jackson grabbed a hold of the handle and pulled the door closed so that Michelle couldn't hear what he was about to say.

"Alright, after you bitched out TJ for doing the bump and grind with your little girlfriend in there, boy wonder decided to head to the bar.  I mean, after seeing the look on his face as you gave him that little warning, dude certainly was in need of a drink."  Jackson said, letting out a slight chuckle. 

"I bet he was."  Chris said sarcastically.  "And this concerns me because...?"

"Because....when he was at the bar waiting for his drink, he happened to overhear one of the club's little bottom feeders bragging that he just got two hundred dollars to quietly 'take out' the little brunette that your parading around." 

"The little brunette?"  Chris asked, then suddenly realized who he meant. "And by brunette you mean Michelle."

"Ah, I would assume that's the one.  I mean, unless you're parading another brunette around that I'm not aware of."

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor Jackson, but excuse me if I don't find this even the slightest bit amusing."  Chris said, glancing back towards the office door. 

"Relax man.  It's not like anything is going to happen to the girl."  Jackson said, smiling over Chris' obvious concern for her.  "I mean, I think it's safe to say that Rich was the one who forked over the cash, so consider that taken care of.  As for the fate of his little flunkie...well...I'll leave that up to you."

"You have him?" 

"Yeah, we have him.  He's 'cleaning things' up a bit." Jackson said, handing Chris a set of keys. "Jay's keeping an eye on him until you get there."

After nodding his head that he understood what he meant, Chris shoved the keys in to his pocket.

"Hey, can you take Michelle back to the VIP with you?"

"Yeah I can take her back."  Jackson said, reaching around Chris to open the door.  "Hey Michelle, come here." 

"Jesus Christ Jackson!  You think you could have at least gave me the courtesy of telling her I was leaving first?"  Chris asked, giving his friend a look of complete disbelief. 

"Awww.  Are we trying to be considerate now?  Trying to gain some brownie points perhaps?"  Jackson asked, laughing slightly as Michelle reached the doorway. 

"Real funny.  Seriously."  Chris said, stepping to the side so that Michelle could join them in the hallway. 

"Come on baby.  We're gonna go have a drink."  Jackson said, extending his arm to Michelle.

Confused by the sudden turn of events, Michelle continued to stare at Jackson.  She didn't really get the inpression that he was up to no good, but given Chris' tendency to enjoy watching her have an emotional breakdown in front of him, she wasn't about to just jump at his request.

"It's alright, go ahead."  Chris said, placing his hand on the small of her back as he pulled her forward.  "Something has come up that I need to go take care of.  Jackson is just going to make sure you get back to the table ok."

"You look like you need a drink anyway girl.  Come on." Jackson laughed, once again motioning for her to take his arm.

After letting out a heavy sigh, Michelle hooked her hand around Jackson's arm and allowed him to pull her closer.  Once she was standing beside him, Jackson gave her hand a reassuring pat and turned to head back down the hall."

"Take your time man.  She's in good hands."  Jackson said, looking over his shoulder to wink at Chris.

"You know what..."

"I'm just fuckin with you man."  Jackson said, now full on laughing.  "Go handle your business.  She'll be fine."

After watching Jackson lead Michelle down the hall away from him, Chris knew with overwhelming certainty that his life was about to change.  No longer could he deny the fact that he was having feelings for her.  He just simply had to come to terms with what was going on and figure out what he was going to do about it. 

Chapter 140

As Jackson walked Michelle back down the hall towards the VIP area where they were seated earlier, he felt her pace begin to slow down slightly and glanced over at her.  By the look on her face, he could clearly tell that something was bothering her.  Trouble was, if he took the time to ask her what was wrong, then he would also have to listen to what she had to say.  Something he wasn't quite sure he was ready for.  Unfortunately once the heavy sigh escaped her lips, he felt he really didn't have a choice.  It just didn't feel right to ignore her.

"Hey, you alright?"

After glancing over her shoulder at Chris as he was talking on his cell phone, Michelle snickered softly and looked up at Jackson.

"I really hope that wasn't a serious question."  she replied, stepping behind him slightly so that they could make their way through the crowd.

"Actually, it was."

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything.  Honest.  But why do you care?"  she said, continuing to follow behind Jackson as he headed back to the table.  "I mean, this is what you guys do right?  Find a girl that looks like an easy target and exploit her.  Get her hooked on whatever shit you're peddling at that point in time." 

"The shit we're peddling?" 

"Yeah, the coke.  The pills.  Whatever else you guys deal with."  she said, frustration and anger quickly building inside her.  "Is that  how you boost business?  Chris brings girls back to his place so he can fuck them, fill them full of drugs and hope they become hooked?"

"Ok, well...uh...yeah.  That was definitely rude."  Jackson said, reaching behind him to grab Michelle's hand.  "First off, no.  It's not what we do.  Second, despite what you think...this little journey you're on with Chris isn't common place for him.  Yeah, he's brought a few young ladies back to his place for some fun, but that's where it ends.  They don't spend the night in his bed, they don't accompany him on business transactions and they CERTAINLY never made him question his feelings for them."

Stopping a few feet short of the VIP entrance, Michelle looked at Jackson once again and wondered exactly what he was up to.  Unfortunately before she even had a chance to question him, he motioned for her to go have a seat at the table.

"Look, I'll be honest with you.  I don't like the fact that you've been tagging along or that Chris has been preoccupied with you when he should be focused on business."  Jackson said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.  "But if I am being honest...and I am, then I also have to say that I think you have this boy trippin something hard." 

"Ok, that's not even the slightest been amusing."  Michelle said, adjusting the napkin under her empty glass.  "I mean, if you're going to try and run some game on me for Chris, then you need to try a little harder than that."

"Really?"  Jackson asked, slightly surprised by the tone of her voice.  "You think this is part of some game?"

"Yes.  I do."

"Alright.  You were back in the office.  What were you doing back there?"  Jackson asked, signaling for the waitress.

"We weren't doing anything.  We were only back there talking for a few minutes." she replied, now trying her hardest to remember what they were talking about. 

"What did you talk about?"

"You know what, I'm not going to play this little game."  she said, turning to look at Tanner as he made his way back over to the table. 

After throwing his hands up to signal that he was done with the conversation, Jackson gave Tanner a slight nod of his head and turned towards the waitress who had walked in behind him.

"Can I get a whiskey sours." 

"Sure thing."  she replied, scribbling Jackson's drink order down on a small pad of paper. "Something for you?" she continued looking over at Michelle.

"No thanks." 

"What about you doll?"  she asked, turning around to face Tanner who was still standing off to the side.

"I'm good."  he said, raising the glass that he was holding.

"Ok then.  I'll be right back." 

Once the waitress was done putting the small pad of paper back inher front pocket, she walked back around Tanner and across the dance floor. 

"Where's Chris?"  Tanner asked, taking a seat next to Michelle.

"Taking care of something."

"You mean the guy that Rich sent after her?" Tanner asked, motioning towards Michelle as he took a sip of his drink.

"I can't believe you are THAT stupid."  Jackson said, shaking his head in disbelief.  "Does your mouth ever check with your brain before you speak?!"

"I'm sorry!  I thought she knew!" 

Unsure what to even say at that point in time, Jackson just continued to shake his head. 

"When I asked you if you had seen Chris, you told me he was with Michelle.  I just assumed that she was there when you told him."

"Yeah, well she was him but unlike your dumbass, I knew better than to just throw that out there in front of her!"  Jackson yelled, his frustration with the whole situation getting the best of him. 

"You know, you guys are sitting here obviously discussing something that has to do with me.  Do you think you can fill me in on what it is or are you content with acting like I'm not even here?!"

"Do you see the shit you stirred up now?!"

"Why don't we just tell her then!  I mean, it's not like anything is going to happen to her.  Chris is already taking care of the guy."

"Hey, you wanna go ahead and fill her in, then be my guest."  Jackson said, watching the waitress make her way back over to the table.  "But when Chris gets back here and finds out that you did tell her...it's all on you man. I don't need the drama.  I don't want the drama." 

"Tanner, what's going on?"  Michelle asked, a slight panic in her voice as she looked over at him. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tanner turned to face her and instantly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.  He knew his place was to look out for Chris and do what was right by him, but he also couldn't shake the guilt that he felt for putting her in Chris' hands in the first place.  It was almost as if he owed it to her to at least be honest with her this time.

"Alright look....when I was at the bar...." 

"You're completely unbelievable!"  Jackson interrupted as he watched the waitress place his drink down on the table in front of him.   "Look, all you need to know is that it's being taken care of.  No need to go and get all emotional and uptight over something you know nothing about.  It's that simple.  End of discussion." 

"No, it's not that simple!  Why does everybody think that they can just toy with me?  God!  I'm so sick of this shit!  I can't take it anymore!  I just can't!  I don't care what happens!  I'm out of here!"  Michelle yelled, pushing Tanner towards the end so that she could get up.  "Tanner move!"

"Whoa!  Sit your ass back down!"  Jackson yelled, quickly reaching across the table to push her back down. "Where the hell do you get off?!"

"No!  Where the hell do you get off?!"  Michelle yelled, her heart pounding in her chest as she glared defiantly at Jackson.  "You can't tell me what to do!  And neither can you...so move!"  Michelle yelled, quickly turning her attention back to Tanner once again.

"Michelle.....just hold on...."

"No, I'm done with this shit!"

"SIT DOWN!"  Jackson yelled, shifting in his seat as he pointed his finger at her.

"TANNER....MOVE!" 

Hearing the commotion from across the room, Chris quickly headed through the tightly packed crowd on the dance floor and back over to the VIP.  Once he approached the table however, he was slightly taken back by what he saw.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!  I COULD HEAR HER SHOUTING ALL THE WAY FROM THE BAR!"  Chris yelled, quickly looking back and forth between them. 

"Go ahead!  Tell him!" Jackson said, throwing his hands up in the air.  "I told you if you opened your mouth that it was all on you."

"You're not putting this all on me!  You're just as much to blame for this mess as me...if not more!"  Tanner quickly chimed in as he glanced over at Michelle.  "I mean, I may have accidentally let something slip out to get her upset, but you're the one who set her off by putting your hands on her and shoving her back in her seat!"

"Whoa!  Back the fuck up!  You shoved her?!"  Chris asked, quickly turning his attention towards Jackson. 

"You know what, this shit is just INSANE!  I'm not going to stand here and answer to you!" Jackson yelled, quickly getting up from the table.  "It's like I'm living in a fuckin soap opera!" he continued, polishing off the last of his drink.  "I'm going to get another drink.  If you need me, I'll be at the bar."

After watching Jackson walk out of the VIP as if nothing had happened, Chris turned his attention back to Tanner once again.

"Chris look...it was an accident.  I thought she knew about Rich."

"You told her about Rich?!"

Sensing Chris' disapproval of his last statement, Tanner quickly tried to back peddle.

"No...well I mean...kinda."

"What do you mean kinda?!"  Chris asked, glancing over at Michelle as she cried in to her hands.  "You know what...never mind.  Just move."

"I'm sorry Chris."

Not bothering to even humor him with a response, Chris signaled that his apology wasn't good enough and motioned for him to get up. 

"Go find something to do man before you really piss me off."  Chris growled as he took a seat next to Michelle.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tanner grabbed his glass from the table and proceeded to head out of the VIP and back over to the bar.  Once he was out of sight, Chris leaned forward slightly and called over to the security in charge of the area.

"Hey Jay, remember what I said.  No one gets back here unless I clear them." 

"No problem man."  Jay replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he turned back around.

After taking a deep breath, Chris turned slightly sideways and proceeded to pull Michelle's hands from her face.

"What happened?"

"Don't touch me Chris!"  she yelled, jerking her body away from him.  Why can't you just stop!?"

"Stop what?  I didn't do anything to you."

"No, of course not!  You're just this great, stand up guy!  My fault!"  she yelled, quickly moving around to the other side of the plush leather booth to get up.  "I can't take this anymore!  I just want to go home!"

"If you wanna leave, we'll leave.  Come on."  Chris said, quickly stepping in front of her.

"No!  I want to go HOME!  Back to MY home!" 

"You know that's not going to happen."

"Why not?  Why can't you just leave me alone?!"  she asked, tears once again streaming down her face.  "Why do I have to pay for Wade's mistake?!  What did I ever do to you?!"

"Wade's mistake?  What mistake?"

"I don't know what mistake!  I mean, he had to of done something to piss you off, right?  Isn't that why I'm here?!  To piss HIM off?!" she yelled, quickly trying to step to the side. 

"You being here has nothing to do with Wade, trust me."  he said, firmly grabbing her by her shoulders to hold her in place.

"Then why am I here Chris?!  Why can't you just let me go home?!" 

Letting a slight chuckle escape his mouth, he knew that if ever there was a time to be honest, it was now.  Unfortunately, he just really couldn't imagine himself saying the words out loud. 

"It's not funny Chris!"

"Look...."

"No, you look!"  she said, quickly pulling herself out of his grasp.  "I just.....I...I just can't do this anymore."

After taking a few steps back over to the table, Michelle grabbed her purse and forcefully brushed past Chris.  As she pushed her way through the crowd, Chris spotted Jackson curiously watching the events unfold from the bar and let out a heavy sigh.

"Of course."  Chris groaned, running his hand through his hair as Jackson headed towards him.  "Couldn't stand here looking like an asshole without at least someone seeing it."

After slowly walking back out of the VIP area, Chris saw Jackson approaching with a smile on his face and just shook his head.

"You want me to go get her man?"  Jackson asked, stopping a few feet shy of Chris.  "I mean, I can drag her ass back in here.  Hell, I'd gladly go snatch her ass back up.  Come on!  Let me be the bad guy."

"No.  I'll get her."  Chris said, watching her get closer to the door.  "The last thing she needs right now is more of the "bad guy" routine.  I'm just not sure how this is all gonna turn out.  I mean, the whole "bad guy" thing.  It's who I am.  It's what I do, you know?"

"Honestly man, I do."  Jackson said, looking over his shoulder at Michelle as she walked out the door.  "Look, we don't always see eye to eye on things and this whole deal with Michelle...it's taken it toll.  Not only on you, but me and the business as well but..."

"Thanks for the support man.  I appreciate it."  Chris sarcastically interrupted.

"I'm just saying, if it's what you want...if being with her makes you stop and think what you life would be like with her by your side, then go for it." 

"You make it sound so easy."

"Trust me, I'm definitely not trying to make it sound like it's as simple as telling her how you feel, but you're never even going to get a chance to try and see if you can work through the hard stuff unless you take that first step."

"You know what, this is just getting a little too warm and fuzzy for my taste."  Chris said, laughing slightly as he shook his head.  "It's just I can't help but think I'm really losing it here.  I mean, what the fuck am I doing?"

"Well what you should be doing is going after her."  Jackson said, motioning towards the front door with his glass.

After nodding his head that he agreed with him, Chris took a deep breath and headed around Jackson towards the door.  He wasn't quite sure what the end result of their conversation was going to be, but he knew that once he took that first step, that there was no turning back.