After Justin had finished going over the details of his tour rehearsal with one of his dancers at MC, he headed back to his house.

As he pulled up, he noticed Trace's truck parked in the driveway.

It wasn't like it was a shock. 

Trace spent most of the time hanging out there, and the two were best friends.

They new each other better than anyone else.

When Justin walked through the door, Trace immeadiately noticed that something was up.

"Ok dude. Whats up with that look?" he asked, as he sat the remote to the TV down and walked to join Justin in the kitchen.

Justin laughed at the fact that Trace new him all too well.

"Alright, remember Michelle?" Justin asked, as he grabbed a bottle of water from the refridgerator.

"Uhh...yeah. The beautiful young lady who is helping choreograph your tour. Not to mention WADE'S GIRLFRIEND." he stressed.

Justin shook his head at Trace's poor attempt to discourage him from going on with his plan.

"Yeah....well...seems that there might be trouble in paradise." he said, as he opened the bottle and took a drink.

"Please tell me how you know that?" Trace asked, as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, earlier when I stopped at MC to see Kristin about the tour, I ran into Wade and Marty slugging it out."

"They were fighting?! Again?!" Trace asked, in disbelief.

"Yeah. I mean they would have killed each other had I not walked in."

"Dude....what the fuck are they fighting about? They used to be close friends."

"Funny you ask." Justin laughed, as he sat his water down and leaned against the counter.

Trace couldnt help but smile at Justin, who was obviously pleased with what he was about to say.

"It seems that the fight has something to do with Michelle. Honestly, from what I gathered from Steph, I think she slept with Marty."

"Get the fuck out!" Trace said, in shock at Justin's comment.

"Dude..I'm not kidding! Something is going on between her and Marty and neither him or Wade will say a word about it." 

"Man...that's fucked up."

"Yeah, well.....it sure makes my job a little easier, now doesn't it." Justin smiled, as he headed in the livingroom.

"Especially since Wade is heading out of town on friday, leaving her all alone and unattended."

"Wade's going out of town? I thought tour practices were starting?"

"Yeah they are. Michelle's gonna run the show until he gets back."

Trace couldn't believe that Justin was still determined to go after her.

"J, why don't you just let that shit go. I mean, that's old news. You guys patched things up."

"Man...just because we patched shit up doesn't mean it hurts any less. He has it coming." Justin said, as he sat down on the sofa.

"Yeah, your going after Wade, but you know your gonna end up hurting this girl as well."

"Hey, I don't think this girl's a saint. If she fucked Marty too, she must like to play the field. Now she can play it with me."

"Dude.....that's so wrong." Trace said, as he walked back into the kitchen to grab a beer.

"Well....sorry ya feel like that man, but I'm gonna do this." Justin said, as he flicked through the channels on the TV.

"Hey, do what you want. I just hope it doesn't come back and bite ya in the ass." Trace said, as he joined Justin in the livingroom.

"I know what I'm doing, man. Don't worry."

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

After Wade finished his speech to Michelle about Marty, he headed into his office.

He was already behind schedule and the stress and anxiety he was feeling was overwhelming.

It was like everything was crashing down around him.

He had spent some 30 minutes in his office and he hadn't accomplished a single thing.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been under this much pressure and he knew he needed to relax.

Walking back out of his office, he headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of vodka from his liquor cabinet.

Michelle cautiously watched him, as he filled a glass and started to drink it. 

She knew drinking was the last thing he needed to be doing, but she knew if she said anything she was asking for trouble.

Silently, she watched as he went through glass after glass.

Finally, she decided that she better do something.

Taking a deep breath, she got off the sofa and walked into the kitchen.

She could see that he was on the edge, the look on his face was unmistakable.

"Wade.....why don't you slow down." she said, as she placed her hand over his, still clutching the glass.

Wade looked at her hand and then brought his gaze back up to her.

"I think I can make my own decisions, thank you." he said, as he pulled his hand away from hers and grabbed the bottle.

Heavily she sighed, as she watched him head back to his office. 

She knew she was pushing it if she followed after him, but she needed to get him to stop drinking.

If she didnt, she knew that meant trouble.

His temper always got the best of him when he was drinking and with Marty most likely to stop by, disaster was evident.

Quickly, she got herself together and headed down the hall towards the studio.

When she walked in, she saw him sitting at his desk with yet another full glass in hand.

"Wade....how do you expect to get any work done like this." she asked, as she picked up the bottle.

"Don't fuckin touch it again!" he yelled, as he pulled it from her grasp and placed it back on the desk.

She stood there and looked at him for a moment before she came to the conclusion that this was not a battle she was going to win.

She decided to accept defeat and leave, but as she turned to walk out, he grabbed onto her wrist.

"I'm sorry for yelling. Come here."

"What?" she asked, as he pulled her into the space between his legs and the desk.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was already starting to feel the effects from the now half empty bottle.

Grabbing his glass, he finished off the last bit of vodka remaining and then stood up.

"Wade, I really don't think this is a good idea." she said, as he reached down and pulled her t-shirt up over her head.

"Why not?" he asked, as he lifted her up and sat her down on the desk.

"Everytime you drink, you get carried away. It's like your a different person."

She was trying her hardest to keep him calm, but at the same time she knew that this shouldn't be happening.

"Carried away? You mean like this?" he said, as he forcefully grabbed the back of her hair and held her tightly.

"Wade, please don't do this." 

He was clearly trying to express that he was in control, yet he wanted to assure her that he wasn't trying to hurt her.

Slowly, he loosened his grip from her hair and slid it to the back of her neck.

Before she could say anything else, he pulled her toward him and kissed her deeply.

It was a kiss derived from lust and need, and he wasn't about to deny himself what he wanted.....her.

As he started to unbutton his shirt, he heard a loud knock at the door.

Instantly, he stepped back and looked toward the door.

Knowing that it was most likely Marty, Michelle reached out and attempted to keep him in place.

"Wade, please don't answer the door."

"Get off me right now." he said, as he pushed past her legs and headed toward the door.

Stopping in the doorway, he turned around and saw her still sitting on the desk.

"Get dressed and get out here.....now!." he said, before turning back around and heading out the door.

Quickly, she threw her t-shirt back on and headed after Wade.

Just as he was about to open the door, he heard Michelle come up behind him.

"You wanted to him to know so much about our personal life.....we'll.....now he's gonna know it all." he said, as he looked over his shoulder and reached for the door knob.

CHAPTER 37

The second Wade opened the door, Marty spotted Michelle standing off to his right.

Immeadiately, he noticed the mark on her face.

"Oh jesus christ! What the fuck did he do to you!" he yelled, as he tried to rush towards her.

The second Marty took a step forward, Wade tucked Michelle behind him with one arm and held Marty at bay with the other.

"If you want to talk to her you better back the fuck up right now!"

"Why the hell are you letting him do this shit to you!" Marty asked her, as he pushed Wade's hand off his chest.

"I'm not gonna tell you again. Back the fuck up!" Wade yelled, as he again placed his hand on Marty to keep him from getting near her.

"I came here to talk to her and that's exactly what I'm gonna do, now get the hell off me!"

"Need I remind you that I invited you here! I can just as easily show your ass the door!" 

Marty stood there trying to calm himself down so that he didn't escalate the situation any further than it already was.

"Are you alright?" Marty asked Michelle, as Wade lowered the arm that held her behind him.

She stood frozen in place, fearful of the situation that was unfolding in front of her.

"I'm ok." she finally managed to say, after wrapping her arms around herself.

"Do you wanna leave with me?" Marty asked her, as she stood trembling behind Wade.

With his hand still firmly placed against Marty, Wade glanced over his shoulder at Michelle.

"Go on.....answer him."

Michelle knew the answer to his question, but actually saying it was harder than she thought it.

"Marty, I'm not leaving Wade."

"God damn it Michelle, you know he told you to say that shit!" Marty said, as he again shoved Wade's hand off of him.

"You just don't get it!" Wade yelled, as he shoved Marty back to grab Michelle and pull her forward.

"This is because you can't seem to mind your own fuckin business!" he said, as he tightly held her face between his fingers.

Marty could see the fear in Michelle's eyes, as Wade showcased the marks he had put on her.

"Let go of her right now!" Marty said, as he balled his fists up at his sides.

"Or what?" Wade asked, as he squeezed her tighter causing tears to fill her eyes.

"Why don't you come and get her like you said you were going to!" Wade said, laughing at the look of concern on Marty's face.

"Why the fuck are you doing this to her!"

"Again....why is it that you can't seem to mind your own business?"

"Marty, please stop and just let this go! I'm begging you!" Michelle said, as tears ran down her face.

Marty was torn not knowing to what extreme Wade would go if he attempted to free her.

He went back and forth in his mind over what to do, but he knew he couldn't stand around and watch him hurt her. 

Without another thought, Marty lunged forward in an attempt to free her from Wade's hold.

The second Marty made a move, Wade released Michelle and shoved her out of the way.

Unfortunetly, the force he used caused her to go off balance and she started to fall.

Realizing what he did, Wade reached forward and tried to catch her, but the momentum from Marty coming at him caused her to slip from his grasp and she fell, smacking her head off the floor. 

As Wade staggered back, Marty turned around and saw Michelle laying motionless on the floor.

Immeadiately, Marty ran over to her.

"Hey.....Michelle?" 

As Marty tried to wake Michelle, Wade grabbed him from behind.

"Get the fuck away from her!"

"She needs help!" Marty yelled, as he struggled to break free of Wade's hold.

"What she needs is for you to get the fuck out of here!" Wade yelled, as he dragged Marty toward the front door. 

Marty desperatley fought to break free, but Wade easliy over powered him.

"Don't attempt to contact her or get involved in our relationship in any way or she's gonna pay for it and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

"Man, get the fuck off of me, she's hurt!"

"I'll take care of her, now get the fuck out of here!" Wade yelled, as he shoved Marty toward the door.

"Take care of her?! You mean like how you've taken care of her so far! Good job Wade!"

"I'm not gonna listen to this shit. Get the fuck out of my house!"

Wade pulled the front door open and grabbed Marty by his jacket.

"Don't come back!" Wade yelled, as he shoved Marty out and slammed the door behind him.

"What the hell was I thinking." Wade said, as he leaned his back against the door.

After a few seconds, he pushed himself away from the door.

As Wade walked over to where Michelle was laying, he heard the sound of breaking glass and the alarm on his Navigator go off.

Quickly, he ran to the window and saw Marty smashing his windshield in with a golf club.

"You mother fucker!" Wade yelled, as he ran back over to the door.

Running out the door, he saw Marty throw the club in the back of his truck and get in.

"You touch her again, I'll smash more than your windshield in!" Marty yelled, before pulling out of the driveway and taking off.

"This day just gets better and better!" 

The last thing he needed was to have to drop it off at the dealer to get fixed before he left town.

Grabbing his keys from his pocket, he disabled the alarm and walked over to check out the damage.

Suddenly, Wade remembered that he left Michelle laying on the floor.

"God damn it!" he yelled, as he quickly ran back inside.

The second Wade opened the door, he saw her starting to come to.

"Hold on I'm coming. Just stay still for a second." he said, as he knelt down beside her.

"Wade?"

"Yeah, I'ts me. Are you ok?"

"I think so." she said, as she tried to stand up.

Instanly, she went off balance and staggered into him.

"Whoa...come here." he said, as he scooped her up into his arms.

Gently, he carried her over to the sofa and layed her down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how hard I pushed you. I tried to catch you." 

"It's alright. I know you did."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah. I'm fine...honest."

"I'll be right back. I'm going upstairs to grab some aspirin."

Placing a kiss on her forhead, he turned and walked back up the stairs to his bedroom.

It was slowly sinking in that every choice he had been making turned out to be the wrong one.

He needed to get a hold of himself and turn things around, for both their sakes.

CHAPTER 38

Once he was out of sight, she pushed herself into a seated position.

She needed to try and move around.

Laying down was only causing her head to throb more.

Slowly, she stood up and headed toward the kitchen.

As she was passing the window, she noticed Wade's Navigator in the driveway.

"Oh my god! Wade!" she yelled as she turned toward the stairs.

Quickly, he came running back down.

"What? What's wrong?" he said, as he ran over to her.

"What the hell happened to your truck?" she asked, as she pointed out the window.

"Why are you up? You need to lay down." he said, as he placed his arm around her back and led her over to the sofa.

As he sat her down, he saw the questioning look on her face.

"What?" 

He knew she wasn't going to give up without an answer.

"Marty did it. Ok." he said, as he handed her the bottle of aspirin and headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"Marty?!" she asked, shocked.

"Yeah...you know.....that oh so sweet friend of yours! He took his fuckin golf club to it!" he said as he handed her the bottle of water.

Immeadiately, she hung her head.

She knew she wasnt to blame for what he did, but she couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Wade said, as he sat down beside her.

"I'll get it fixed and it will be fine. Which reminds me. I have to call the dealer."

Standing up, he stroked her hair and then headed into the kitchen to grab the phone of the counter.

She knew as much as they tried to get things back on track, something would always bring them back to a time they needed to forget.

Especially when Wade was still drinking as much as he was.

If it wasn't something she did unintentionally, it was Marty's unwelcome involvement in the whole mess.

She hated to admit it, but drinking seemed to be the cause of their problems.

She had been doing alot of thinking over the last few days and alcohol was the one thing that remained constant.

It finally came to a head today when his aggressive side surfaced yet again with her.

Drinking brought out a side of Wade that she wasn't even sure he realized.

Problem was, how did she approach the subject.

Drinking or not, Wade didn't like to be told what to do or not do.

That in itself was a major problem.

Her only option at this point was to try and limit the amount he drank.

As she was deep in thought, Wade walked back into the room.

"Hey, can I use you car. I have to have the truck towed."

"You can, but you know my car is back at my place."

"Yeah I know. Can I use it though?" he asked, as he walked over to her.

"Yeah you can use it, but how are you going to get it?"

"I'll get a ride. I'll call Chantal or something."

"Ok. Do you need the keys right now?" she asked, as she stood up.

"Well I have to be here when they tow the Navigator, but I'm gonna head out as soon as they leave."

"I was going to lay back down, so I'll just go get them now." she said, as she stood up and headed towards the stairs.

"Are you sure your alright?" he asked, as he watched her fumble her way up the stairs.

"Yeah. I just need to lay down."

"Ok, well I'm going to call Chantal and then I'll be up. I'll get the keys when I come up. Just go lay down."

As she walked upstairs, Wade called his sister to ask for a ride.

Just as he figured, it wasn't a problem and she told him that she would be there shortly. 

As soon as he hung up the phone, he headed into the studio to grab his gym bag.

He needed to pack up a few things he kept in the back, before they towed his truck to the dealership.

Once he found his bag, he headed out to the driveway.

Looking at the current state of his truck, he knew immeadiately where his first stop was going to be.

The second he picked up Michelle's car, he was headed to Marty's place.

If Marty thought that his actions were going to go without consequences, he was mistaken.

Wade was not the type of person to let things slide by and if Marty was smart, he'd know that by now.

If you crossed Wade, you were going to pay.....simple as that.

After he grabbed what he needed out of his truck for his trip, he headed back inside. 

He knew the tow truck driver would be there soon and he wanted to get his truck out of the driveway before Chantal arrived.

She knew him better than anyone and no matter what story he would come up with about what happened, she'd see right through it.

It was one of the drawbacks of being so close.

By any means necessary, he had to keep her from finding out what was going on.

There were several reason why, but the fact that her and Marty were friends topped the list.

If she asked Marty about the truck, he would undoubtedly reveal Wade's dirty little secret.

That was something he couldn't risk her finding out.

If she did, there was no telling how things would play out for him.

He knew Chantal would not stand by and allow him to hurt Michelle like that.

One way or another......brother or not......she would put a stop to it.

As he headed upstairs, he tried to reassure himself that she would never find out.

Atleast the fact that Marty and Chantal hadn't talked in awhile was some comfort.

When he got to his bedroom, he saw Michelle sitting in the chair in the corner of the room.

"I thought you were going to lay down?"

"I was going to. I mean...I did lay down. I just couldn't fall asleep."

Slowly, Wade walked over and crouched down in front of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as he tried to decipher the look on her face.

"We are never going to be able to move past all this, are we?" she asked, as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because this stuff with Marty is out of my control...it's out of your control. We can't moves past stuff that keeps hitting us head on."

"Well trust me. It isn't out of my control."

Just as he made the comment, there was a knock at the door.

"What do you mean it isn't out of your control?"

"I have to go answer the door. It's probably the tow truck company the dealer sent."

"Wade....wait. What do you mean?" 

"I'll be right back." he said, as he walked out the door ignoring her question.

After about ten minutes, he came back upstairs.

"Ok. Chantal should be here any second. Do you have your keys?"

Michelle tilted her head to the side and looked up at Wade questiongly.

"I believe you didn't answer my question. What do you mean it's not out of your control?"

"Nothing. I didn't mean anything by it. Now can I have your keys?" he asked, as he walked over to her with his hand extended.

"Wade." she said, as she leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?!" he said, growing annoyed at her persisitance.

Sensing that she was pushing him too far, she backed off.

"Well?" he asked, as his gaze grew cold.

"Well what?" she asked softly, as she uncrossed her arms and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Shaking his head, he walked over to her purse and began looking for her keys.

Removing her cell phone and a few other items, he finally located her keys in the bottom of her purse.

"This is what." he said as he dangled her keys from his fingers.

"Oh. Sorry." she said, as she began staring at her cell phone on the edge of the nightstand.

"Alright. I'll be back in a few hours." he said, as he turned around to say goodbye.

Immeadiately, he noticed her staring at the contents of her purse with a concerned look on her face.

He shot her a questiongly glare before returning his gaze back to the nightstand.

As he did, she shifted slightly in the chair, debating on whether or not to get up.

Wade stood there trying to figure out exactly what was causing her to become unraveled.

Almost as if he read her mind, he grabbed for her cell phone.

"Wade. I think I heard a car pull up." she said, as she tried to fight the panic that was setting in.

Shoving her keys into his pocket, he turned the phone on and looked over at her nervously twisting the bottom of her t-shirt.

He had a feeling he knew exactly what he was going to discover, but he wanted to be sure.

His breathing quickened as he waited for the phone to fully on and be ready for use.

She knew he was about to find out that she called Millennium and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would know who she spoke to.

There was nothing she could do.

At that point it was only a matter of time until he saw the phone number.

The second it was ready, he hit menu and looked for the call log.

"Wade." she said again, as tears formed in her eyes.

He refused to be distracted by her tears or the way her voice cracked as she said his name.

As much as a part of him wanted to, he knew in a few seconds his feelings would change.

Looking back down at the phone, he pressed a couple of buttons and there before his eyes was a recently dial number to MC.

"What the fuck is this?" he asked, as he walked over to her and held the phone up to her face showing her the number.

She didn't know what to say and deep down she knew there wasnt anything she could say.

"I asked you a fucking question!" he yelled, firing her phone across the room. 

When his question went unanswered, he grabbed her by her shirt and threw her into the wall.

She could see the anger in his eyes and she knew what was coming.

As soon as he drew his hand back to hit her, he heard the front door open and Chantal call his name.

"Wade.....are you ready to go?"

Slowly he tried to calm his breathing as he lowered his hand.

It was taking every ounce of strength he had, to keep him from smacking her as hard as he could across her face.

"As soon as I get your car, I'm coming right back here. You better say a prayer."

She stood frozen in fear, as his harsh words ripped right through her.

"Yeah, Im coming right now." Wade said, as he turned and walked out the door.

CHAPTER 39 

Michelle stood there for the next ten minutes unable to move.

It was like that moment had been frozen in time.

She was completely paralized with fear and this time she only had herself to blame.

She knew that she didn't need to call Millennium, but she did anyway and she couldn't help but feel she deserved the rath she was sure to feel.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she broke down and slumped to the floor.

She knew it would only be a matter of time until he returned and when he did, her life was never going to be the same.

Over and over again she contemplated picking up the phone to call Marty and have him come get her.

She knew he would be there in a heartbeat, but deep down she also knew that wasn't an option.

If she did that, not only would she be putting Marty at risk, but she would be signing her own death certificate.

That would be all the ammunition Wade would need for him to finally go over the edge.

She knew she would never be able to leave him and looking back, she now knows she should have left a long time ago.

She chose to stay and the consequences of her choice were hers and hers alone to deal with.

Gathering all the strength she could summon, she stood back up and headed downstairs.

She stopped briefly at the bottom of the stairs before turning and walking into the kitchen.

Without thinking, she opened up the liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

Standing there, she studied the bottle for a few seconds wondering if she could drink enough so that the pain wouldn't be as bad.

Determining that any amount was better than none, she twisted off the cap and took a large mouthful.

After she swallowed it, she immeadiately began to cough.

She wasn't much of a drinker and Wade's liquor being top of the line, was a little strong to say the least.

Forcing herself to continue, she headed out on the balcony with the bottle in hand.

As the minutes passed by, her body slowly shut down.

Every emotion she had felt, from anxiety to fear, faded away with each sip. 

All that remained was the blank look on her face, as she sat on the floor of the balcony and waited for him to return.

As she was about to finish the bottle off, the slam of the front door echoed through her head.

Tossing her keys on the table, Wade proceeded to head upstairs to look for her.

It was only a matter of minutes before he came storming back down.

"Michelle!" he yelled, as he headed down the hall towards the studio.

Wanting to get it over and done with, she pushed herself up and walked into the livingroom.

"Michelle!!"

Again he yelled for her, as the fustration and anger in his voice became more apparent.

As he came back down the hall, he spotted her walking towards the couch still clutching the bottle.

His eyes grew wide with rage, as he ran towards her.

"You fuckin little bitch!" 

Her heart nearly stopped, as she dropped the bottle to the floor and attempted to shield herself.

Never in her life had she been so afraid.

Squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she could, she held on the to hope that it would all be over soon.

Almost as soon as she shut them, she felt the sharp stinging sensation of his hand as he knocked her to the floor.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" he yelled, as she opened her eyes and saw him standing above her.

Looking down at the bottle next to her, he shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you fuckin drunk?!"

Momentarily oblivious to the severity of the situation she was in, she started to laugh.

The effects of the liquor had taken over and that one mistake would end up costing her more than she ever could have imagined.

"Oh its funny huh?!" he asked, as he reached down and pulled her to her feet.

Having to walk out earlier without disciplining her only fueled his anger.

The fact that she laughed at him on top of that , infuriated him more.

So much so, that he completely lost control, and before he could think twice about what he was about to do......it was too late.

Wrapping his hands around her throat, he pushed her against the wall and began to choke her.

The more fear and pain he saw in her eyes, the harder he squeezed.

She fought desperately to free herself from his hold, as she watched her life flash before her eyes.

Suddenly, her vision blurred and she found herself unable to hold on any longer.

Feeling herself start to slip away, she took one last look into his eyes.

Almost as if she looked deep into his soul, his fingers loosened and she fell to the floor.

Lifeless, she laid on the floor at his feet.

Staring down at his hands, he collapsed to the floor beside her and began to cry.

"Oh my god....what the hell did I just do!!!" 

Panic set in, as the realization hit him that he had just ended the life of the one person he loved more than anything.

Quickly he headed into the kitchen and braced himself against the counter.

His heart was breaking in a million pieces and he felt like was going to be sick.

Splashing some cold water on his face, he looked down at her broken body and fell apart.

"God, baby I'm so sorry!!!!" 

She had meant so much to him, yet the only thing he had ever gave her was heartache and pain.

Now, his chance to show her how much he loved her....... was gone.

Grabbing the phone off the counter, he slid to the floor and dialed Chantal's cell phone.

After a few rings, she answered the phone.

"Hey Wade. What do you need now?" she teased, knowing it was him from her caller ID.

The line was silent except for a few muffled cries.

"Wade? What's wrong?" Chantal asked in a panic.

"I need you to get over here as quickly as you can."

"Oh my god Wade...your freaking me out! What's wrong?"

"Sis....please...... just get over here as fast as you can."

"Ok, I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Don't move!"

Wade hung up the phone and sat it down on the floor beside him.

He had no idea how in the hell he was going to explain to her what happened, but he knew he was in trouble and Chantal was the only one he could trust completely.

Resting his head in his hands, he cried uncontrollably and waited for her to arrive.

CHAPTER 40

Wade leaned against the counter for a few minutes before he couldn't take it any longer.

Just being in the same room with her was tearing him apart.

He had never meant to take it that far.

It was like something inside him had just taken over and he couldnt stop.

It wasn't until he looked into her eyes that he had finally snapped out of it.

Realizing what he was doing, he quickly released his grip.

Unfortunetly, it was too late.

In horror, he watched as her limp body fell to the floor in front of him.

Now.....here he was.

Waiting to inform his sister than he had just ended the life of his girlfriend.

The one he loved with all his heart, but continued to abuse and betray despite that fact.

Quickly, he walked past her and out the front door to wait for Chantal to arrive.

He still didnt know how he was going to tell her, but he knew having her walk into his house and seeing her lying there wasn't it.

Only a few minutes had passed, when Chantal pulled into the driveway and threw her car in park.

"Wade.....what's wrong? What happened?" she yelled, as she ran up the driveway towards the house.

Wade slowly stood up and walked down the steps to meet his sister.

The second she saw his face, she knew something was terribly wrong.

"Wade damn it...answer me!!" she yelled, growing more worried the longer he remained silent.

"I......I didn't mean to do it Chantal. You have to believe me." 

"You didn't mean to do what Wade?" 

"I didn't mean to hurt her. I swear!"

"Hurt who? Wade...your not making any sense. Tell me what the hell is going on!"

"I killed her......I killed Michelle." he said, as he collapsed down on the steps.

"You did what?!!" 

"Oh god Chantal! I don't know what the fuck happened!"

Mortified, Chantal stood there in shock and continued to listen to her brother explain.

"I don't know exactly what happened. All I know is one second I was yelling at her, the next second.......I......was choking her."

"Oh jesus christ Wade! This is some sick fuckin joke, right? Right?!" she yelled.

"The next thing I knew I was staring right at her and I could tell she was.......letting go." 

Crying, he stood up and walked down the driveway.

Immeadiately, Chantal broke down and began to cry as well.

"This isn't real. This just can't be real Wade." she said, as she followed after him.

"God! Do you think I would make this shit up!!" he yelled, loosing the last bit of sanity he had left. 

"I don't know what to think Wade. This just doesn't make sense!"

"If you don't believe me, go look for yourself." he said, as he pointed back to the house. "She's in the livingroom."

Immeadiately, Chantal turned around and ran back towards the house.

As soon as she opened the door, she spotted Michelle laying on the floor, the marks on her neck clearly visable. 

"Oh my god!!!" Chantal yelled, running back out of the house and smack into Wade who was waiting at the bottom of the steps.

"How could you do that to her! What the fuck is wrong with you!" she yelled, hitting him repeatedly in the chest.

Wade just stood there with tears in his eyes, as she continued her assault.

"Your handprints left marks on her neck! Do you know how much force you must have used to do that?!"

Wade just hung his head and cried.

"I can't even imagine the pain she must have been in!" she said, pushing him backwards.

"Wait, how the did you see her neck? She was laying face down." he asked.

"No she isnt. She's on her back and you can't miss those marks!" 

Immeadiately, Wade pushed past his sister and ran back inside the house.

Confused, Chantal turned around and ran back inside after him.

The image of Michelle at his feet will forever haunt his mind and he knew without a doubt that she was face down when he left.

The second he stepped inside she was in fact on her back as Chantal had said.

Jumping over the endtable, he ran over to her and knelt down.

"God Wade! Haven't you done enough! Leave her go!" she yelled, as she walked over and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Chantal, she wasn't on her back earlier. Unless you moved her , she moved herself."

Reaching down, he gently took a hold of her wrist.

Chantal stood there and watched her brother frantically search for her pulse.

Moving to her other wrist, he continued to try to locate it.

Still...nothing.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he gently placed his fingers along the bruises on her neck ,trying one last time to find a pulse.

As soon as he applied the slightess amount of pressure, a soft cry escaped her mouth.

Startled, he jumped back.

"Jesus christ Wade! She isn't dead! Didn't you check to see if she was still breathing?"

"No Chantal, I didn't. I just saw the glazed look in her eyes right before she fell to the floor." 

Quickly, Chantal moved up beside Wade and bent down over her.

"Well she's breathing. Barely.....but she is."

"Your joking right? Please don't tell me that I left her in here to die."

Disguisted, she shot him an icey stare.

"Left her here to die? Now your joking, right? You put her here!"

Kneeling down beside her, he took a hold of her hand.

"God baby, I'm so sorry."

"Wade, go get some ice. You need to stop this swelling or she isnt going to be breathing much longer."

Jumping to his feet, Wade ran into the kitchen and grabbed a few ice packs from the freezer.

"Your going to need a towel too." she yelled, as she grabbed a pillow off the couch and placed it under her head.

Once she had her head tilted slightly back, her breathing slowly improved and her eyes started to flutter.

"Michelle.....can you hear me? It's Chantal."

Slowly but surely, she started to open her eyes.

A small sound escaped her mouth, as she grabbed for her neck.

"I know. It's going to be alright. Just don't try to talk."

As Chantal took a hold of her hand, Wade came back downstairs.

The second Michelle spotted him, she started to panic.

Chantal could feel Michelle's hand shaking as she tried to squeeze it.

"Wade, you have to get out of here. You making things worse."

"How am I making things worse?" he asked, as he walked over to where they were.

"Oh my god! She's ok?" Wade asked, when he saw her eyes open.

Looking back down at Michelle, Chantal knew Wade pressence was causing some alarm.

"It's ok. I'm right here. I'm not going to let him hurt you."

Wade sat beside her and took the ultimate blow to his heart.

Listening to his sister talk like that about him was heartbreaking.

Any comfort he would have hoped to give Michelle wasn't even a possibility.

"We need to get you off the floor but I can't do it. Wade needs to pick you up. Is that ok?" Chantal asked, looking down at Michelle.

Unable to speak, she nodded her head slightly agreeing to let him move her.

Wade took a hold of her hand and held it in his.

"I"m so sorry. I never meant for this to happen, I swear!"

Chantal sat and watched as her brother broke down in front of her.

"I love you so much. Please believe me."

She couldn't understand why he would hurt Michelle when it was clear he truly loved her.

She had never seen him confess his love like that to any girl, but here he was professing his love to the one he almost killed.

It just didn't make any sense.

Grabbing the ice packs from the floor beside Wade, she stood up.

"Come on. We need to get her upstairs."

Letting go of her hand, Wade gently slid one arm under her back and the other under her knees.

As he slowly stood up with her in his arms, her head fell against his shoulder and he started to fall apart.

He tried to fight back the tears that were filling his eyes, but it was no use.

Just feeling the weakness in her body as he carried her upstairs, tore him up.

All the pain she was feeling and her desperate struggle to simply breathe was his fault.

He should have made her feel loved and protected.

Instead, the one girl who had completely captured his heart felt pain and suffering.

Even though Chantal was furious with him for what he did to her, she couldn't help but feel for her brother.

The love he felt for her was clearly obvious.

She just needed to find out what brought him to the point that he thought hurting her was the answer.

Until she knew that, she couldn't be sure Wade wouldn't do it again.

Letting out a sigh of fustration, she followed him up the stairs to his bedroom.