As Wade laid silently in his bed, the thoughts that came rushing to him only moments ago began to take center stage.  He couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he was and he didn't want to feel that way.  He didn't want to have any feelings of guilt for her current state.  As far as he was concerned, she deserved eveything she got and more.  Hooking up with Justin while he was away was unacceptable and she needed to be dealt with.  This was nothing compared to what he had in mind or even more so....what he was capable of.  Atleast that's what he thought.

Letting out a soft sigh, Wade glanced over at her through the corner of his eye and felt a knot growing in his stomach.  Even though he tried to deny it, part of him wanted to turn to her and apologize for what he had done.  Apologize for putting her in this kind of situation, not to mention putting her health at risk as well.  Unfortunately, the momentarily lapse of "good judgement" was just that....momentary. 

Shaking it off, Wade turned away from her and stared across the room allowing the faint light from the window to shine across his eyes.  Almost as if he was slowly slipping in to a trance, Wade continued to stare blankly in to space as he tried to block out the soft sounds coming from behind him.

After about twenty minutes, the heartbreaking sounds that he fought so hard to ignore, slowly faded away and he knew that she had drifted off.  Turning back over, Wade ended his avoidance of her and ran his hands through his hair as he started at the ceiling.   He hated the fact that he couldn't fall asleep.  He wasn't sure if it was simply the fact that he wasn't tired or if it was because he was worried about her.  Although, the latter he would never admit to.

Hearing a soft moan come from her mouth, Wade momentarily froze in place and saw her shift slightly under the sheet.  Exhaling slowly, Wade was relieved that the effects of the drug were finally starting to wear off and propped himself up on his elbow to look at her.  He wanted to make sure that she was really going to be alright. 

Again she shifted, but this time her face turned slightly towards him and he couldn't help but feel his heart break over the pure innocence in her expression. 

Tilting his head to the side, Wade began tap his fingers off the side of his thigh. The urge to just feel the softness of her skin was getting to him.  He wanted to touch her.  To feel that warmth of her against him.

Slowly removing his hand from his side, Wade reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, shutting his eyes as his fingers softly grazed against her cheek.

Then without warning or reason, he said it. 

The two little words he had been fighting off for the last hour.  The two little words that he never thought he would say, let alone in her presence. 

"I'm sorry."

As the words fell from his lips, Wade hung his head and realized for the first time what he had been doing to her.  He knew that he could never fix the mess he created and the emotional hell he now found himself in, was his fault and his fault alone. 

Shaking his head in disguist at the path their relationship had taken, Wade lowered his feet to the floor and stood up.  After adjusting the waistband of his pajama bottoms, Wade slowly headed in to the bathroom and closed the door.

Once inside, Wade turned the water on and filled the small glass cup up next to the sink.

"I know I have to have some.....somewhere.  Where the hell are they."  Wade mumbled, as he began to search through a few bottles in the cabinet.  "I'm never going to fall asleep unless I get some help doing it."

Finally finding the one he was looking for, Wade twisted the cap off and emptied two pills in to his hand. 

After studying them for a second, Wade added one more pill to the set he now held in his hand and popped all three in to his mouth.

"This night just needs to end.  I don't know how much more of this I can take"  he said, grabbing the glass off of the counter and drinking it down. 

"God, please just kick in quickly."

Sitting the glass back down on the sink, Wade turned the water on once again and splashed some on his face. After he grabbed the towel from the shelf behind him, Wade looked up at his reflection in the mirror. 

For the first time, he didn't like what he saw.  In fact, he hated himself.  Hated himself for what he had become.....for what he had allowed to happen to both himself and the girl he claimed to love.

Forcefully throwing the towel at the mirror, Wade opened the door and walked back in to the bedroom.  After momentarily glancing at her weakened body, Wade got back in bed and hoped that by morning he would know what he had to do.

_______________________________________________________________

As Trace drove to Justin's house, he continued to try and reach him by cell phone.  He couldn't understand how everything had turned out the way it did, but he was now more certain than ever that there was more than met the eye.  There had to be.

"Come on J....answer your phone."  Trace mumbled to himself, as he yet again tried to dial the number to Justin's cell. 

Finally after a few more attempts, Trace laid his cell phone down on the seat next to him.  He knew that if Justin's wasn't going to answer after that many attempts, there was no way in hell he would answer it now.  Something that, to him, just showed how upset he truly was.

When Trace finally pulled up to Justin's house, he saw Justin's escalade parked in the driveway and was thankful he was at home.  Parking behind him, Trace got out and was headed to the front door when he heard noises coming from the back of the property.

Slightly caught off guard, Trace engaged the security system of his truck and headed around back to the basketball court.  He knew Justin always shot some hoops when he needed to let off steam, but he never expected to see the sight in front of him. 

Almost in shock, Trace stood there for a few minutes and watched as Justin missed shot after shot, stumbling slightly when he was retrieving the ball.  After a closer look though, Trace noticed several empty beer bottles sitting next to his shirt on the side that explained his stagger.

Slowly walking towards the basketball court, Trace momentarily hesitated calling out to him.  Unfortunately, something or someone needed to put a stop to this.  He was clearly on a path to destruction.

"Justin?"

Only slightly looking over his shoulder to acknowledge the voice coming from behind him, Justin grabbed yet another bottle of beer from the sidelines and headed back to center court where he left his ball.

Beginning to worry about his best friend, Trace started to walk towards the entrance to the court.  Once he got to the gate, Justin flashed him a icy glare and headed in the opposite direction.

"Justin, what the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"  he said, shooting the ball towards the hoop with one hand and his beer in the other.  "What are you doing here anyway?  I said I didn't want to talk.  You would have thought the six or so unanswered phone calls would have tipped you off better." he said sarcastically.

"Don't give me that shit man!  Did you really think I wouldn't show up here?  I mean, come on Justin!"

"Whatever.  I don't care what you do.  I'm going inside.  Follow the path back the same way you came in here."  he said, walking away and leaving the mess on the court unattended to.

After doing a quick scan to determine exactly how many bottles Justin had gone through, Trace headed back up to the house after him.  He just couldn't stand to see his friend like this.  It was like Britney all over again.  Only this time was worse.

"Justin would you just stop and talk to me."  Trace called after him as he headed downstairs.

"There's nothing to say Trace!  God damn it!  Just leave me alone!"

"Oh, there's plenty to say.  Like for starters...look at yourself.  Your a mess.  How much have you had to drink?"

"Clearly not enough."  he said, collapsing down on the leather sofa beside the bar.

"Look, I think we both know that you are going to do what you want.  Lord knows I'm not your keeper, but there's something I need to ask you.  Something important."

Glancing up at Trace's expression, Justin felt his fustration growing and it clearly showed on his face when Trace let out a heavy sigh.

"Look, I wouldn't even bring it up if I didn't think it was important.  I also wouldn't be here if I didn't think that it could possibly make all the difference in the world right now."  he said, sitting down on the opposite end of the sectional.  "Look, after you left I saw Michelle leave with Wade.  She...."

Before Trace could even finish what he was saying, Justin got up shaking his head.

"I don't care.  I don't wanna know.  I just want to forget about it, alright?"

"No, it's not alright.  Damn it Justin!  Listen to me!  Something wasn't right with her.  Something in her eyes."

Against his better judgement, Justin turned around and looked at Trace questiongly, as he grabbed yet another beer from the refridgerator.

"I'm serious.  Did you notice anything different about her?  About the way she looked?   Did she look pale to you?"

Instantly Justin flashed back to his arguement with her earlier and then to his conversation with Trace outside the club when Trace said she didn't look right.  Now frozen in his own thoughts, Justin leaned against the bar and began giving Trace's comments some more thought.

"She did look different, didn't she?" Trace said matter of factly when he saw Justin's expression.  "Something was wrong J.  Something that had nothing to do with your arguement."

Looking back, Justin had to admit that there was something to what Trace was saying.  Of course, he originally chalked her behavior and appearance to being caught in the act, but he now had to give some merit to what Trace was saying.  It was that lost look in her eyes that now had him thinking twice.

"Am I right?" 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Justin just rubbed his forehead and headed back over to the couch.  As much as he wanted to believe that this was somehow all a mistake or misundertanding, he couldn't shake the obvious.  She never returned his calls and she was there with Wade.  That alone spoke for itself.

"Look, I don't know what it was.  Yeah, she didn't look the same, but that doesn't mean anything.  She was at a bar, more than likely drinking and she got caught.  How did you expect her to look?" 

Leaning back against the couch, Trace knew that this wasn't headed the way he had hoped.  Justin was just too hurt by what he saw to put his feelings aside and think rationally.  There wasn't really anything left that he could do.  Atleast not tonight.

"All I'm saying is you need to talk to her.  I really think there is something we are missing.  I don't know what it is, but honestly J, my gut tells me things aren't what they appear."

With that said, Trace slowly got up from the couch and headed upstairs to leave.  He said what he had to say and now it was all in Justin's hands.

After he heard Trace shut the door, Justin looked down at his beer as he swirled it in the bottle.  He wanted to forget what Trace had said, but he couldn't.  There was still a part of him that wanted to believe that she wouldn't do that to him.  That the night they shared together meant something.

Sitting the bottle back down on the counter, he knew he now had a decision to make.  Tomorrow would inevitably come, and whether he wanted to deal with the situation yet or not, he would be forced to see her at rehearsals.  A situation that was bound to be the most uncomfortbale thing he ever had to deal with.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Justin turned off the light and headed back upstairs to try and make sense of everything that was now rushing throug his head. 

Chapter 97

As the morning light shone through the window, Wade draped his arm across his face to shield the light from his eyes.  Thankfully he slept better than he thought he would have and was glad that he still had some sleeping pills in his cabinet.

Dreading the fact that he had now to face Michelle, Wade let out a slow sigh and turned away from the window.  He knew this moment would come, but he couldn't say he was looking forward to it.

Then, just as he was about to open his eyes, he heard a loud thud come from the bathroom and quickly sat up.

Once he got his bearings about him, he realized that Michelle wasn't in the bed beside him and that he could hear the sound of the shower on.

Quickly throwing the sheets to the side, Wade jumped out of bed and headed over to the bathroom door, knocking on it gently.

"Michelle?"

"Yeah?" 

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah.....I'm fine."  she responded softly, obviously trying to hold back the tears.

"Are you sure?  It sounded like something fell.  Are you sure everything is ok?

After a few seconds without an answer, Wade began to get worried.  He knew that she was going to be experiencing at least some side effects from the drug last night and that she needed to be watched carefully.  He just didn't expect her to be awake before him.

"Michelle?" 

This time when he didn't receive an answer, Wade grabbed the door handle and gave it a turn.  When he realized that it wasn't locked, he slowly opened it up and walked inside.

There before him, Michelle stood under the spray of the shower, bracing herself against both the shower door and the wall.

Seeing her struggle like that cause Wade to panic and he ran over to the shower door, quickly pulling it open.  He knew it was the last place she wanted him to be, but at this point she didn't have a choice.  It was clear to him that she needed help.

"Michelle?  Are you alright?" he asked, the concern obvious by the his tone of voice and look on his face.

As Michelle turned to face him, tears streamed down her face and joined the flow of shampoo now trailing down her cheeks. 

She was fighting for control of herself to just be able to stand up.  Every muscle in her body ached and fought to give out on her.  It was like nothing she had ever experienced before and she was scared.

"Come on.  You need to get out of there." 

"I can't.  I'm not finished washing my hair.  Just leave me alone!"

"You can't be serious?!  You can't even stand up!  Look at yourself!"

Lowering her head, she knew that he was right.  She could barely stand up, let alone be able to remove her hands from the wall to rinse her hair.

"Look, just let me help you so we can get you out of there, ok?"

After taking one look in to his eyes, Michelle let out a heavy sigh and nodded her head 'yes'.

"I just need to get these off real quick."  he said as he removed his silk pajama pants, tossing them on to the sink.

"Wade.....no......don't....." she started to say, now worrying about what his intention were.

"I'm not getting completely undressed.  I'm just trying to help you.  Don't you trust me?"

The second the words fell from his mouth, he knew how ridiculous the question had been.  Of course she didn't trust him. He hadn't given her any reason to trust him.  Just plenty of reasons to be cautious and afraid.  Something....he now regretted.

"Ok, dumb question.  You don't trust me.  I understand that....and I can't say I don't blame you, but unfortunately, you don't really have a choice.  You just need to believe me when I say I'm not going to hurt you...because I'm not."

After giving her a few seconds to come to terms with what was going to happen, Wade wrapped one arm around her waist and stepped inside.  Once he shut the shower door, he slowly turned her around so that she was facing him.

"Just relax.  It's going to be alright................I promise."

Walking her backwards, Wade kept one hand firmly placed at the small of her back while the other hand adjusted the spray of the shower.

"Now just tilt your head back a little bit."  he said, his hand softly working it's way through her hair.

Instinctively wrapping her arms around his waist for support, Michelle slowly closed her eyes and allowed Wade to remove the final traces of shampoo from her hair.

After a few minutes, he could feel her relax against him and wondered how things had gone so wrong between them.  How a once perfect relationship had turned in to something neither of them wanted to be a part of.  How he had everything he had ever wanted in her and that now......it was all slipping away.

As Wade looked down at her, he realized that it could very well be the last time he held her in his arms.  The last time he got to feel her against him and his heart broke.

"I'm sorry."

There it was.  The beginning of what he was hoping to be his ppology.  He knew there wasn't a very good chance that it would make a difference, but he had to say it.  She at least deserved that.

Slowly opening her eyes, Michelle looked up at Wade and was shocked by what she saw.

"I'm so god damn sorry Michelle."

Looking up in to his eyes and hearing him say that cut right through to Michelle's heart and she fell apart.  For so long she wanted to hear those words.  For him to realize what he had been doing to her and their relationship.  Except now...deep down inside...she knew it was too little, too late.  There was no way to go back now and fix things.  Too much had happened.

"Wade...please don't.  Not now.  I can't do this."  she cried, leaning her head against his chest.

"I'm just so sorry for ever hurting you.  I don't know how we ended up this way!  I never wanted to hurt you, but I know I did. More times than I can even imagine." he said, clearly upset.  "I just want you to know how sorry I am."

Quickly wrapping both arms around her, Wade held her tightly to him and rested his chin on the top of her head.  As much as he hated to admit it, the end of their relationship was clearly upon them and he didn't want to let her go. 

"I can't do this.....I can't."  Michelle said, trying her best to push herself out of his grasp.

"Michelle please......"

"Please what Wade?"  she said softly, relaxing in his arms once again from fatigue.  "What do you want from me?"

Without saying another word, Wade pulled her back in to him and began to passionately kiss her as the spray from the shower rained down on to them. If this was going to be the end of them, he wanted to be able to keep the memory of how she felt embedded in his mind.

"Wade....stop....."  she said, trying once again to push herself away from him.

Although his heart was racing and his breathing now labored from the excitement, one look in to her eyes was all it took for him to know that he needed to stop.  He had to face it.  It was over.

Slowly releasing his hold on her, Wade lowered his head.

"I'm sorry.  I just......GOD DAMN IT!"

Looking up in to his eyes, Michelle couldn't help but feel bad for him.  He had finally realized what he had done and was now paying the price.

"Wade...."

"I know, don't say it.  I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"No, it isn't." he said, looking in to her eyes.  "It never was................was it?"

Feeling like she was about to break down in tears, Michelle turned away from him and reached for the shower door.  She knew exactly what he meant by the question, but the thought of answering it killed her. She didn't want to take that walk down memory lane.

"Michelle."  he said, reaching out for her hand to stop her.

Shaking her head 'no'  Michelle leaned against the shower wall and fell apart.  She couldn't take it anymore. 

"Ok, I think we need to get you out of here. Come on."  he said, reaching across her to turn off the water.  "Just let me grab you a robe."

After stepping out of the shower, Wade quickly disposed of his wet boxers and wrapped a towel around his waist.  Once it was securely in place, he grabbed the robe from the hook on the back of the door and walked over to the shower.

"Come here."  he said, extending his hand to her.

Placing her hand in his, Michelle stepped out of the shower and in to the comfort of the robe Wade was holding open for her.  After slipping her arms in, she tied the belt around her waist and turned around to face Wade.

"Do you want me to help you in to the bedroom?"  he asked, as he ran a towel through his hair.

"No...I think I'll be alright."  she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm just going to go lay back down."

"Ok. I'm here if you need me though."

"I know."  she said, nodding her head.

After she slowly made her way past him, Michelle walked back in to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.  Nothing made sense to her anymore.  Everything she thought she knew, was now in question. 

Rubbing her temples, Michelle tried to pull herself together.  She still didn't feel like herself and was beginning to wonder if they drug Wade had slipped in her drink was ever going to wear off completely.  It was like a nightmare within a nightmare.

"Hey, what's wrong?"  Wade asked, as he walked back in to the bedroom.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Michelle tried to rid herself of the blurry vision she had been experiencing since she woke up, before looking up at him.

"What?" she asked with a confused look on her face. 

Bending down, Wade took a good look at her and wasn't quite sure that she was out of the woods yet.  Something about her appearance didn't sit right with him.

"Stand up for a second."

"Stand up?"  she asked, tucking a few damp strands of hair behind her ear. 

"Yeah."

Using the bed for support, Michelle began to stand up and Wade gently placed his arms around her waist to keep her steady.

"Ok, now look at me for a second."  he said, placing his finger under her chin to force her gaze to his.

After shifting positions a few times, Wade noticed that her eyes werent dilating as they should be and began to worry.  He knew this was all his fault and obviously a result of last night's disaster.

"Alright.  I just wanted to see something."  he said casually, hoping not to worry her.

Once he removed his fingers from her chin, she lowered her head and began to twist the belt of her robe. She wasn't comfortable being this close to him anymore and was worried that he was going to sense it.  Something she didnt want to happen.

"Stop."  he said, reaching down and removing her hand from her robe. 

"I'm sorry."  she said, slightly flinching at the word as she looked away.

"No!  Don't be sorry!  God!  What do you have to be sorry for?!"

"I'm just.....I don't know.  I'm sorry." 

Watching her stand there and shake with fear in front of him ripped his heart apart. Even after all the fights they had, all the times he put her in her place...he had never truly witnessed how extreme her fear had been of him until now.  It was almost more than he could bare to see.

"Michelle.....I love you.  Please......let me fix this." he said, softly wiping away the tears that ran down her cheek.

Closing her eyes, Michelle tried to pull herself together and think straight.  This could not possibly be happening.  Why?  Why now?

Before she could make sense of anything, she felt herself being pulled forward and the warmth of Wade's lips pressed against hers.

"Wade....." 

"Shhhh.   Please......don't tell me to stop."  he said, as he reached down between them to untie her robe.  "Let's just start over.  Go back to the beginning."

Feeling overwhelmed and scared at the thought of what was about to happen, Michelle began to have trouble breathing.  Unfortunately, her rapid breathing quickly confused Wade and he continued on with his quest to reunite them....both emotionally and physically.

After untying her robe, Wade gently slid his hands up over her shoulders and quickly discarded the robe, kissing a path down her neck as it fell to the floor behind her. 

"Wade...........Wade wait.........." she said, breathlessly.

"It's ok.  I promise I'm not going to hurt you.  Just relax."

After quickly disposing of his towel, Wade walked her backwards and lifted her up on to the bed.  Every emotion possible, rushing through him as he laced his hands in hers.

"Wade..................stop........" she tried to say, her mouth slightly muffled against his shoulder as he kissed his way down her neck.

Yet again, her plea went unheard and Wade feverishly picked up the pace, locking eyes with her as he moved between her legs.

Now in a complete panic, Michelle built up every ounce of strength she had and yelled.

"WADE STOP!"

Confused, Wade backed up and looked down at her.

"What?  What's wrong?"  he panted, as he hovered above her.

Paralized with fear, Michelle looked up at him with tears in her eyes and softly said it once again......"Stop".

Looking down at her, Wade grew even more confused.  She didn't look the way he thought she did only moments ago.  What had happened.  Had he done something wrong?  Did he hurt her?

"Michelle?"

"Wade....I can't do this.  I just can't.  Please don't make me."

For a few seconds, Wade sat there and just stared at her.  The extent of damage he had inflicted on her slowly sunk in and he couldn't believe she was pleading with him.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Wade backed away from her completely and got off of the bed.

"I'm sorry Wade....I......."

Before she could say anything else, Wade raised his hand and cut her off.

"Just........just...dont."  he said, bending down to grab the towel from the floor beside the bed and fastening it back around his waist. 

He knew this wasn''t her fault, but unfortunately that didn't come across in his tone when he said it.  His voice was resentful and full of contempt.....but it was completely directed at himself.

After walking over to his dresser, Wade grabbed a pair of boxers from the drawer and slid them on, as the soft sound of her crying echoed in his head.  It was a familiar sound to him, but this time it rocked him to his very core and threatened to break him down in front of her very eyes.

With his heart now pounding in his chest, Wade quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from his closet and headed back over to the dresser.  After fastening his watch, he grabbed his wallet and headed out the bedroom door.  He needed to get away from her.  Away from the memories and reminders of what he had done to her....to their relationship.  He needed to breathe.

Chapter 98

Once Wade got downstairs, he grabbed his cell phone from the counter and immeadiately began to search the livingroom for his keys.  It was like the walls were closing in around him and he was beginning to suffocate.

"Come on damn it.  I know they have to be around here somewhere." he said, moving some papers on the coffee table.  "Don't do this to me.  Not now."

As Wade continued his frantic search, he heard the sound of knocking on the front door and hung his head.

"Great...just what I needed right now."  he said, stuffing his cell phone in to his pocket as he headed to answer the door.

Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and prayed that this wasn't going to be yet another set back to start the day.

"Hey bro.  Nice of you to call and let me know you were back."  Chantal said smugly, as she walked past him and in to the livingroom.

"Nice to see you too."  he replied sarcastically.

"So, should I even ask why your back early or do I already know the answer?"

"Don't start Chantal.  I have enough problems already without you adding to them.  Besides, what are you even doing here?"

"Well, when I came by yesterday to get your mail I noticed that your truck was gone.  I assumed you had come back early, but you didn't call me.  So, today I figured I would stop by and make sure everything was alright.  Do you have a problem with that?"

"Whatever.  You wanted to see if I'm fine. Well here I am.  I'm fine.  Now if you don't mind, I have some things I need to take care." he said, walking back over to the front door and opening it.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me Wade?"  What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing is going on.  I was getting ready to leave when you got here.  I said I had things to do."

"You know what, see if I even give a shit anymore."  she said, standing up and heading towards the front door.  "One of these days you are going to wish you weren't such an asshole to me Wade and when that time comes I'm gonna tell you to go fuck yourself.  I'm tired of being the only one trying to look out for you."

"Yeah, whatever."  he said, making a face at her.

Just as she was about to head out the door, she heard some noise coming from behind her and looked over her shoulder.

"Wade?  What the hell is she doing here?"

Turning towards the livingroom, Wade saw Michelle standing at the top of the stairs and felt like he just wanted to disappear.  This was definetly something he didn't need Chantal seeing.  This, without a doubt, was going to lead to way more problems than he needed.

"Michelle...are you alright?"  she asked, quickly heading towards the stairs to investigate. 

"Uh...yeah.  I'm fine."  she replied, slowly walking down the stairs as she held the rail for support.

Once she got further down, Chantal got a better look at Michelle and quickly turned around to face Wade who was on his way to the kicthen.

"What the fuck is wrong with her Wade?!"

"What do you mean?  Nothing is wrong with her.  Didnt you hear her say she was fine?" he replied, grabbing a bottle of water from the refridgerator and twisting the cap off to take a sip.

"That's bullshit!  What the hell did you do to her?!"  she yelled, hitting him in his arm.

"Don't fuckin touch me Chantal.  I'm not in the mood!"

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE MOOD?! I don't give a shit if you're not in the mood!  What the hell is wrong with her?  Why is she even here Wade?"  she asked, pushing him in to the counter.

"I'm not going to tell you again.  DON'T FUCKIN TOUCH ME!"  he snapped, as he pointed his finger at her face.

"Or what?  What are you going to do Wade?  Hit me too?  You're something else you know that? A real piece of shit!" 

Storming back around the counter, Chantal walked over to Michelle and coldly glared at Wade.

"Michelle, come on.  You want to get out of here?  You don't need to put up with his shit.  I'll take you home."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"  Wade yelled, slamming the bottle of water back on the counter before heading over to where they were standing.  "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled, pushing Chantal backwards.

"Don't fuckin touch me Wade.  I'll hit your ass back and you know I will!"  she said.

"Then get the hell away from her!  She isn't going anywhere with you!"  he said, quickly putting distance between his sister and Michelle.

"Haven't you done enough damage to her already?!  Jesus christ Wade!  When's it going to end?!  You're obsessed!"

"It's gonna end right now!  I think you've definetly overstayed your welcome!  It's time for you to go."  he said, grabbing Chantal by the back of her arm and walking her over to the door.  "Don't fuckin come back here!  You hear me?"

After pushing her out the door, Wade slammed it shut and turned around to see Michelle standing there in complete shock.  She couldn't believe what she just witnessed.

"This isn't over Wade!  You wanna push me...FINE!  I'll be back and Michelle WILL be leaving with me!  One way or another!"

"Are you alright?"  he asked, ignoring Chantal's yelling as he walked towards her.

Although she was unsure of whether or not she was alright at that particular moment, Michelle nodded her head yes and slowly walked away from him and over to the livingroom to sit down.

"You want something to eat?"

"No, I'm not really in the mood to eat."  she said cautiously, curling up in to the arm of the sofa.  She wasn't sure if his recent outburst was going to escalate or die down, but she hoped it was the latter. 

"Look, I really don't think it's a good idea for you to go to rehearsals today."

"Rehearsals?  Oh.........for the tour."  she said, as thoughts of Justin filled her mind.  "Why not?"

Although his reasons were many, the immeadiate one was that she still wasn't herself.  He didn't need anyone questioning her appearance or behavior.  Especially Justin.   Which happened to be another reason he wanted her to stay home.  He didn't want to have to deal with seeing the two working together after knowing what had happened between them. The memory of them together was something he could never forget.  No matter how hard he tried.  It made him sick to his stomach to think that Justin had touched her.

"Wade?"

Broken from his thoughts, Wade looked over at her and saw a puzzled look on her face.

"I just don't think it's a good idea. That's all." he finally responded.

"So, what do you want me to do?  Stay here?"

Just then Chantal's voice echoed in his head that she would be back.  Should he really leave her there alone?  Then again, could he really risk taking her there with Justin around.

Then it hit him.  He had the perfect solution.  One that would solve both problems.

"Ok, you can come to rehearsals, but you're going to stay upstairs.  You can watch from there."

"From the VIP lounge?" 

"Yeah.  Why?  Is there a problem?"

"No.  I just wasn't sure if that's what you meant."

"Yeah, that's what I meant.  Look, we'll just talk about this later...alright?"

Nodding her head 'yes', Michelle watched as Wade slowly made his way out on to the balcony.  She could tell he had a lot on his mind and wondered exactly what it was that had him so rattled.  Especially since she still didn't understand what had happened between the two of them earlier that morning.  It was like Jekyl and Hyde.

After fifteen minutes of watching him stand there, staring blankly in to the horizon, Michelle slowly got up from the sofa and headed towards the balcony.  She wasn't quite sure of why she had been concerned, but she had.  She hadn't ever seen him this weak....this vulnerable and lost before and she hated to admit it, but it bothered her.

As she continued to walk towards him, Michelle expected Wade to turn around and see what she was doing.  Surprisingly though, he didn't.  It was like he was completely lost within himself.

"Wade?  Is everything alright?"

For the next few seconds.....there was silence.  Not a word was spoken, not a move was made.  It was eerie.

Again she called out to him, this time placing her hand gently on his shoulder as she approached him from behind.

As Wade quickly turned around, Michelle was taken by surprise and frantically began to back away. 

"I'm sorry......you just....startled me."  he said, grabbing her hand to stop her from going any further.

"I didn't mean to.  It's just that....I don't know.  You looked lost or confused."

Looking down in to her eyes, Wade fully understood how genuine a person she truly was.  Even after everything he had done to her, a part of her longed to be near him....to be accepted and loved.  However, did that part of her still want him to be that person in her life.  Could he somehow turn this nightmare around and make things right?

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Wade gently stroked the back of her hair as he walked past her and back in to the house.

"Look, I just want to be alone for awhile.  Alright?"

"Ok."

"If you need me, I'll be down in my office." 

Once he was out of sight, Michelle sat back down on the sofa and wondered what the night was going to hold.  Would Wade actually be able to make it through rehearsals without confronting Justin?  Would Justin still even want her working on the tour now with everything that had happened between them?  Only time would tell and she dreaded the fact that there was very little of it left until they were going to be heading out.

_______________________________________________________

After tossing and turning all night, Justin finally dragged himself out of bed and in to the shower.  He hated that fact that his conversation with Trace had his head filled with doubts over what the real story was behind Michelle's appearance with Wade at the club.  Common sense told him to take it at face value.  That it was what it was.  Her at a club, with her once again boyfriend.  Unfortunately, his heart wouldn't let go of the possibility that there was something more.  That if there had any possibility of a reunion between her and Wade that she wouldn't have made love to him.  Especially when there were so many emotions involved in getting there.  It just didn't make sense.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Justin leaned his head back against the shower wall and let the water fall down across his face.  At this point, it was the only thing he could think of that would possibly wash away the unsettling feeling he was getting about trying to get to the bottom of this mess.  It was just that no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, something inside him refused to believe that he was wrong about her.

Finally turning off the water, Justin grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out of the shower and heading to grab his cell phone.  Before he went to rehearsals today, he knew he needed to talk to Trace. He had to make sure he knew everything there was to know about last night.  That no detail was left unsaid, because if there truly was something else going on beyond the obvious, he needed to be prepared for it.

After a few rings, Trace finally answered the phone half asleep.

"Uh...hello?"

"Hey man, it's J."

"Oh hey dude.  What's up?"  Trace asked, rubbing hs eyes as he sat up in bed.

"Look, I have been giving what you said a lot of thought and I really need to talk to you.  Any chance you can stop by here before I head out to rehearsals?"

"Yeah, that's not a problem at all.  I'm actually glad to hear that.  I really thought what I said went in one ear and out the other.  You know, kinda like the advice I gave you when you first wanted to get involved with her."  he snickered.

"Yeah...well, ths is different.  I have been doing a lot of thinking and there are so many things that don't make sense.  Things that lead me to believe that there is more going on than meets the eye."

"Well, like I said.  It's not a problem.  Just give an hour or so and I'll be over.  Maybe we can go grab something to eat for lunch.  I'm starving." 

"Now there's something new.  You?  Hungry?  Who would have ever thought."

"Ha ha ha.  You're so NOT funny."  Trace said, slowly sliding out of bed. 

"Alright, well I'll see you in an hour or so.  Thanks again man."

"No problem."

After Justin hung up the phone, he sat it back on his dresser and headed to his closet to get dressed.  He knew that after he talked with Trace that he would feel better about trying to sort things out between them.  He just hoped that he would get the answers he was hoping for.  He really couldn't handle having his heart broken yet again.

Chapter 99

Once Wade got down to his office, he slowly closed the door behind him and sat down at his desk.  So many things had been running through his mind that it took him a good few minutes to even settle down.  He just couldn't believe this was his life.

"You can do this.  You....HAVE....to do this.  Otherwise, it's only a matter of time until it all blows up in your face." 

After moving a few stacks of paper from his desk, Wade pulled his roledex in front of him and began to search through the numerous phone numbers looking for the one he needed. He still couldn't believe he was actually going to do this, but then again, he couldn't believe a lot of what had been going on lately.

Finally finding the one he was looking for, Wade removed the card and sat it down on the desk in front of him.  He knew it was either now or never.

Picking up the phone, Wade dialed the number and after letting out a heavy sigh, placed the receiver to his ear.

Just as the phone started to ring, Wade heard footsteps coming down the hall towards his office and quickly turned towards the door.

"Wade?"

Hearing Michelle call out his name, Wade quickly hung the phone up and tucked the card under one of the stack of papers on the desk.  He knew that if he was going to do this, he needed to do it himself.  He didn't need anyone else getting involved.  This was HIS problem.

"Yeah?"

"There's someone at the door.  I didn't know if you wanted me to answer it or not."

"It's alright, I'll get it."  he said, quickly getting up from to the desk to look out the window.

When saw Chris's car parked in the driveway, he instantly felt guilt wash over him.  He knew his association with Chris had to stop.  He only served one purpose in his life and that was to supply him with LA's finest streetcandy.  Something he know he no longer wanted to deal with.  Especially after he came so close to losing Michelle to the stuff last night.

After opening the door to his office, Wade headed back up the hall and heard the loud pounding on the front door.

"I'm coming!" 

Once he unlocked the door, he pulled it open and Chris started to walk in.

"Jesus christ.  It took you long enough to answer the door."

"What do you want Chris?"  Wade asked, as he place his hand across the door to block him.

"What do you mean what do I want?  You said you wanted me to bring you another batch in a few days.  Well, here I am."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Wade cringed as the words just blatenly fell from Chris's mouth.  He didn't even stop to think that someone could be inside listening to their conversation.  He just hoped Michelle didn't overhear them. 

"Not now." 

"What do you mean not now?  I already paid for the shit Wade!  I need the money."

"Well you're going to have to wait.  I have company." he said through gritted teeth.

Looking over Wade's shoulder, Chris spotted Michelle sitting on the sofa and smiled.

"So, I guess she made it through the night huh?  See, the shit couldn't have been that bad."  he snickered.

"You know what......" Wade yelled, grabbing a hold of Chris's shirt and shoving him out the door. "....if something would have happened to her....you wouldn't be here right now!  Do you understand me?! Don't even joke about it!"

"Man, get the fuck off me!" he yelled, knocking Wade's hand away from him. "I'm not your bitch!"

As Wade stood there staring Chris down in anger, he heard Michelle walking towards the front door and tried to calm himself down.

"Here, take the shit!"  Chris said, shoving the bag in to Wade's hand.  "You obviously need it!  I'll get the money in a day or two."

"I don't want the shit Chris!"

"I"ll catch up with you in a day or so."  he yelled back, as he made his way down the sidewalk.

"Wade....is everything alright?" Michelle asked a few feet from the door.

After quickly shoving the bag in his pocket so Michelle wouldn't see it, Wade turned around and walked back inside.  He knew he didn't want the stuff, but it wasn't like he could just throw it in the trash either.  He would have to get rid of it when she wasn't around.

"Yeah, everything is fine.  Don't worry about it."  he replied, shutting the door behind him as he headed in to the kitchen. 

Fearing that he wasn't necessarily being truthful, Michelle slowly headed towards the stairs.  She didn't want to give him any reason to be upset with her and given his track record, her best bet was out of sight...out of mind.

As she made her way upstairs, she heard him slam the refridgerator door and quickly ran the rest of the way up. She couldn't help but go on defense mood when he was acting that way.  She had seen what that kind of temper could lead to. 

Hearing the noise, Wade leaned back and looked for Michelle.  When he didn't see her sitting in the livingroom, he sat his water down on the counter and headed towards the hall. 

"Michelle?"

When a few seconds went by without an answer, he called out to her again.

"Michelle?"

Again, no answer.

Just as he was about to walk down to the studio to look for her, he heard the bedroom door shut upstairs and walked back to the livingroom.  Worrying that maybe she was feeling sick or that something was wrong, he headed upstairs to check on her.

"Michelle, are you alright?"  he asked, slowly opening the door to his bedroom.

"Yeah.......I'm fine."  she said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to give her true feelings away.

"No you're not." he said , walking towards her and turning her around to face him.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Looking in to her eyes, Wade realized that she was afraid of him yet again and let go of her.  Without hesitation she backed away from him and bumped in to the bed.

Feeling like his heart was about to break with the revelation that he made her this fearful of him, he hung his head and slowly walked back out of the room.  The last thing he wanted to do was make things worse for her.

After he shut the door behind him, he leaned against the wall and began to wonder if he could really turn things around. 

He used to think that the possibility was there....that she somehow still loved him, but after looking in her eyes only moments ago he now had serious doubts.  He couldn't even go near her without her completely breaking down.  He couldn't even touch her without her flinching or withdrawing from him.  How could he expect to fix things or have have her trust him enough to ever be able to make love to her again.

Running his hands through his hair, Wade slowly headed downstairs and prayed that the rest of the day would turn out better than it had so far.  He really couldn't see him being able to handle too much more of this on his own.  It was already becoming more than he wanted to deal with.  More importantly....it was becoming more than he "knew" he could handle.

________________________________________________________________

As Justin sat on the couch and waited for Trace to arrive, he couldn't help but think about the last few times he was with Michelle. Everything he thought he knew, he now had to question. Even the night they spent together making love needed to be re-evaluated.  There was something going on that he was missing.  He just had to piece things together.

As Justin began to go over the moments he shared with Michelle, he heard a quick knock on the front door and then the sound of it opening.

Leaning back over the couch to see who it was, Justin saw Trace walk in and let out a sign.

"Hey man.  How's it going?"

"Honestly, not that good."

Nodding his head in acknowledgement of Justin's current situation, Trace walked over and collapsed down on the sofa opposite him.

"So.  I guess.....first things first.  Wanna tell me what brought on this change of attitude with Michelle?  I mean, as far as you listening to what I said the other night?"

"I guess I just got to thinking things over after you left.  I mean, a lot of things didn't make sense with her when I really sat down and thought about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know exactly, but she always seemed occupied with something else.....possibly someone else when we were together."

Giving Justin a strange look, Trace leaned back against the couch.  He had a feeling he knew who he meant though.

"You mean.....like.....Wade?"

"I'm not sure.  Yeah, Wade would be the obvious choice, but I think that's the problem.  It's not an obvious problem I'm looking for. You know?"

"So , then who?"

"Marty."

"Kudelka?  Are you serious?"

"I don't know.  See, the day I found out from Marty that Michelle and Wade broke up, Brian had accused him of trying to hook up with her.  The two went back and forth on who needed to mind their own business concerning her.  Brian telling Marty to quit trying to 'get in her pants' as he put it and Marty telling Brian to quit trying to get them back together."

"So, do you think she has something going on with Marty or that she had?"

"Well, I mean I did at one point.  Then I wasn't so sure.  Remember me telling you about the conversation I had with him at Millennium.  When he asked me if there was something going on outside of work between us?"

"Yeah I remember."

"Well, when I questioned him about the same thing, he got all defensive and said that he had just been a little protective of her since Wade was out of town."

"I can understand that."

"Ok, well then what about the night at the club downtown. When he was yelling at her.  How do you explain that?"

"That.....I don't have a clue.  I remember standing there in shock as I watched him go off on her.  I never saw him like that.  It was like he was a different person."

"See, that right there has me questioning exactly what their relationship is.  You don't go and get in someone's face like that unless you have an interest in what is going on with them.  He obviously didn't like the fact that she was there."

"Well shit!  I didn't like the fact that she was there either.  Look at the kind of people she ran in to. That doesn't mean I have something going on with her though."  he laughed.

"You know, now that I think about it, I'm almost certain Marty has something to do with all this.  I remember early on breaking up a fight between Wade and Marty at Millennium.  Stephanie said it had something to do with Michelle and we both thought that she may have been hooking up with Marty.  If I'm not mistaken, Steph said Marty was furious when he found out she was dating Wade.  I guess they didn't tell anyone they were dating at first."

"So, do you think maybe they were seeing each other before her and Wade started dating?  That there are unresolved feelings between them or something?  I mean, I just don't understand how you fit in.  Do you think she just wants to move on and away from both of them but is confused or.....what?  I don't know where you are going with this.  I mean, I thought the issue here was her being with 'Wade' at the club.  How the hell did we get to discussing her relationship with Marty?"  Trace asked, plopping back against the couch.

Rubbing his head, he knew what he was saying really didn't explain what had happened between them last night at the club, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it did have some significance.  Every awkward moment he could recall between them seemed to lead back to one or the other.  Why couldn't he place the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I really don't know Trace.  I just can't help but wonder what in the hell happened from the time I dropped her off at home to the time I saw her at the club with Wade. Maybe I just jumped to conclusions."

"Uh.....she did happen to say something at the club like it wasn't what it looked like."

"What do you mean?  When?"  he asked, leaning forward with a confused look on his face.

"When you were yelling at her.  You know, when I told you to just let it go and that you had a few too many drinks to be having the conversation."

Thinking back, Justin vaguely remembered her saying something along that line and nervously ran his hands back and forth along his thighs.  He had a feeling he knew what Trace was going to say but he had to ask it anyway.

"And.....I said?"

Raising an eyebrow, Trace knew that he should have just pulled Justin away from her at the club. He knew he would say something he would probably regret later and obviously this was something he would.  He just couldn't believe he didn't even remember saying it to her.

"Are you serious?"

"Jesus christ Trace!  If I knew I wouldn't be asking." he said, his fustration now growing knowing his tendency to open his mouth when he shouldn't.

"You...uh.....kinda told her that you should have just used her for the piece of ass she was susposed to be.  Then told her since you 'fucked' her anyway that she should just go back to Wade." he said cringing, as he awaited Justin's reaction.

Throwing his head backwards, Justin mumbled a few choice cuss words to himself and then quickly got up from the couch and headed in to the kitchen.

After watching Justin storm off, Trace knew it was best to give him a few minutes alone before he headed after him.  Especially since he knew the first thing out of his mouth would be 'why did you let me say that to her!'  He just had to cool off for a minute......or so Trace thought.

"Trace, why in the hell didn't you stop me!  You know that's not the case!  I wasn't using her for sex!" Justin yelled, as he walked back in to the livingroom.

"Hey, don't go blaming me for this shit!  I tried to stop you!  You're the one who insisted on dealing with it right then and there.  So, you have no one to blame but yourself.  I mean, I tried to talk to her after you said it, but she just took off crying."

Shaking his head, Justin was now completely disqusted with himself.  He knew that even if he did manage to sort through the misunderstanding of that night, he couldn't go back in time and take back those hurtful words he said to her.  Words he was certain, killed her to hear. 

"Look, I'm sorry man.  I know this isn't your fault."  Justin said hanging his head.

"It's alright man.  I know how hard this has to be for you right now.  Just talk to her.  That's all you can really do.  I mean, you can sit here and try to figure things out or you can flat out ask her what's going on."

"Yeah well, you're assuming she will even talk to me again."

"It wouldn't hurt to try J.  It's not like you could possibly make thing worse between you, right?"

Collapsing back down on the sofa, Justin leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.  He knew that tonights rehearsal was going to be a nightmare and dreaded that fact that it was now only hours away.

"I think you just need to think things over and figure out what you're going to say to her.  If you don't talk to her, you are always going to wonder what if, and you know that's not what you want."  Trace said, as he stood up and grabbed his keys from his front pocket. 

"I know."

"Well, I hate leaving you like this, but I honestly think you need some time alone to figure this out.  Just call me later and let me know how it went alright?"

"Yeah."  Justin said softly, as he pushed himself back up from the sofa. "Thanks for stopping by man."

"Anytime."

After a quick handshake, Justin opened the door and watched as Trace made his way out to his truck.  Once he pulled away, Justin slowly staggered back in to the house and began to mentally prepare himself for the evening. An evening he now wished didn't have to take place.

Chapter 100

As Wade sat on the couch and waited for Michelle to get ready, he knew that the tension between them couldn't get any worse. He hoped that by giving her some space that she would relax, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  She pretty much kept to herself and only talked to him briefly when he told her what time they were leaving for rehearsals.  It was a disaster.  A disaster he fully acknowledged was his fault.

Once he had tied his shoes, Wade headed in to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.  After opening it up, he took a sip and watched as Michelle finally made her way downstairs.

"Are you ready to go?"  he asked casually, twisting the cap back on on the bottle as he made eye contact with her.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Alright, just let me grab my stuff."

After grabbing a few more bottles of water from the refridgerator, Wade tossed them in his bag and headed over to the table to grab his keys and cell phone.  He knew that the rehearsals were likely to be stressful tonight and just thanked his lucky stars that he was able to convince Michelle to stay upstairs to watch.  The last thing he needed to see was any interaction between her and Justin.  Whether good.....or bad.

Once Wade placed the strap of his bag over his shoulder, he walked around the side of the sofa and stood next to her.

"So.......are you ready?"  he asked, when she didn't move towards the door.

"Oh, yeah.  I'm sorry.  I'm ready."  she said half-heartedly.

She knew that if nothing else she needed to try and salvage what she could of this job choreographing Justin's tour, but at the same time, she wasn't looking forward to seeing him again.  Even if it was from a distance.  She didn't want to be reminded of the way she felt when he so coldly made her aware that she was nothing more than a plaything.

Letting out a soft sigh, Michelle slowly headed towards the front door as Wade closely watched her body language.

Grabbing the door knob, Michelle gave it a turn and pulled it open.  Glancing over her shoulder, she realized Wade was not behind her as she expected and gave him a questioning look.

"Are you not ready?"  she asked, slightly confused. 

Slowly exhaling, Wade fought back the disgust he felt building within him.  He knew what she was thinking.  He could tell by the look on her face.  Sheer dread was consuming her over the fact that both himself anf Justin would be in the same room.....without her. 

Now he was beginning to have second thoughts about her going.  He didn't know which could turn out worse.  Chantal showing up at his place while he was at rehearsals and taking Michelle home or having to deal with the possibility that some form of interaction could take place between her and Justin.

"No, I'm ready.  I'm just thinking that you still don't look quite up to going." he lied, as he casually walked towards her.

"Well, I'll be upstairs.  It's not like I'm going to be down there overexerting myself.  If you want me to stay though......I will."

After impatiently going through the thoughts filling his mind, he quickly headed towards the door and took her by her hand.  He knew that if nothing else, he would have some control over what was going on at Millennium.  If she was here alone, there was no telling what could happen.  That was a risk he wasn't ready to take.  Especially after hearing Chantal's threat as she left

"No.  Come on.  Let's just get this over with." he said, rushing out and pulling the door closed behind him.

Caught by surprise, Michelle stumbled after him as he lead her over to the passenger side of the navigator.  Without saying another word, he opened her door and allowed her to get inside.  Once she was in, he shut the door and headed back over to the driver's side.

As Michelle watched him open the back door and place his bag on the seat, she began to wonder who was more stressed by going to the rehearsals.  Her or Wade. 

"So, who is all going to be there tonight?"  she asked, as Wade got inside and started up his truck.  Although she simply meant in reference to the dancers, as they sometimes worked in groups, she forgot what her question might imply in his mind.

Turning to face her, Wade offered her a blank expression and sighed. It was as if she had reached inside him to put a strangle hold on his heart.  He just didn't know if it was intentional.

"Is there someone you would like to be there?" he asked sarcastically, trying to hide the disappointment he was feeling..

"Someone I would like to be there?" 

Then it hit her. She knew exactly what he meant.  His comment was directed towards Justin. 

"No.  I was just asking." 

"Uh huh."  he snapped back.

Looking back over at him, she could see that he was torn over what he wanted to say or do.  She could tell that he was hurt by the idea that she could want to see Justin, but at the same time, the traces of fire that once lit his eyes were still visable.  The fire that would consume anyone and anything that stood in his way and she couldn't help but think that was exactly what he thought of Justin.  Something in his way.  Something that needed to be dealt with.

Shaking her head, she turned back away from him and looked out the window.  This is definetely not how she wanted the evening to start.  They hadn't even stepped foot inside Millennium yet and she was already becoming a nervous wreck.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Wade pulled in to Millennium and parked his truck. He was hoping that they were the first to get there, but unfortunately he realized that wasn't the case when he spotted Justin's escalade parked at the opposite end of the lot.

"Ok, look.  I know it was my choice to have you here, but that doesn't mean I want you downstairs.  If you happen to need something, call me.  Don't come wandering down to the floor." he said as he opened his door. "I don't need to deal with anymore bullshit.  I just want to get this over with and go home."

As she watched Wade exit his truck, she knew his stress level had to be near it's peak. The expression on his face, his stiff body language...all of it clear signs that he was about to break down. What she couldn't understand is why she hadn't seen him touch a drop of liquor.  That had been the answer to his problems before...and the reason for her heartache as well.  What had changed?

"Are you coming or what?" he asked slightly annoyed, as he grabbed his bag off of the backseat and slammed the door.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

Quickly opening her door, she clearly saw the tension level rise yet again this time in front of her very eyes. If she hadn't gotten out of his truck at that very moment, the likely hood was there that he would remove her himself.  She could see it in his eyes.

Once she shut the door, she joined him at the front of his truck where he was waiting and proceeded to watch his every move.  If something was going to go down between them, she didn't want to be caught off guard.

"Let's go.  Time is money."

Firmly grasping her hand in his, Wade cautiously headed up to the front door and silently prayed that Justin was already in the dome warming up. 

As he got closer and noticed that the lobby was relatively empty and let out a sigh of relief.  Maybe he could actually get her upstairs without Justin even knowing she was there. 

"Ok, once we get inside, I want you to head straight upstairs to the VIP lounge.  I'm heading to the dome.  When rehearsals are over, I'll come get you. Understand?"

"I know Wade.  I heard you the first time you said it."

Letting out an aggitated moan, Wade pulled the door open and gave her a slight shove inside.  Unfortunately, just as he did, Stephanie came walking put of the lounge and spotted them.

"Hey, I didn't know you guys had rehearsals tonight." 

"Yeah, well I needed to change a few things around.  You know how it is."  he said quickly trying to hurry Michelle past her.

"That I do." 

"Well Steph, I'll talk to you later.  I want to go get set up.  I'm running a little behind my schedule."

"Oh..uh.......ok." she said, quickly trying to make eye contact with Michelle before Wade could see her. "Well maybe I'll catch you later then." 

After forcing himself to offer her a smile, Wade took a hold of Michelle hand and headed down the hall.  He now knew with certainty, that he had made a mistake.  He never should have brought her along.

__________________________________________________________________

"So, did I get the times wrong or something?"  Justin asked the group of dancers, as he joined them.

"No, I just think that Wade is running a tad bit late."

"Late? Wade?"

"Yeah, I know.  Kind of weird just saying it huh?"  Melanie snickered. 

"Maybe him and Michelle got a late start.  I mean, I know I would always be running late with her around...if ya know what I mean."  Eddie joked, as he made an obscene gesture.

"Your such a pig!  You know that?"

"Yeah, tell me something new Mel."  he replied with a laugh, before sauntering his way back to the center of the dance floor.

Shaking his head, Justin tried to let the comment just slide by as a "typical" Eddie comment, but unfortunately it had hit a nerve. Just the mere idea that Wade could be running late because of some involvement with Michelle twisted his stomach in knots. 

"Hey, you alright?"  Melanie asked, as she began to study the uneasy look on his face.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"Yeah, I'm fine.  I guess I'm just having one of those days."

"Did you forget who you're talking to?"  she asked softly.  "I've known you for quite a while now J and I know when you're lying through your teeth.  What's wrong?"

"Nothing girl!  Why are you so serious?  You sound like a damn therapist."

"Fine, forget I even asked then." 

Although she had a sinking feeling that she knew what was bothering him, she knew better than to bring something like that out in public. Especially when it had trouble written all over it.

After she headed back over to join the other dancers, Justin let out a heavy sigh and headed over to where he had placed his bag. Once he removed his hat and watch, he tossed them inside with his keys and started to warm up.  He knew it was going to be a long rehearsal.

Just then, the sound of the door slamming shut caught everyone's attention and they turned around. 

"So, I guess since everyone is standing around talking, you're all warmed up and ready to get to work, right?" 

"Nice you decided to join us bro.  Where's your better half Wade?"  Eddie snickered, as he sat his bottle of water down.

"Save the smart ass comments for someone else man." he said rather annoyed, as he tossed his bag against the wall. "And, not that it is any of your business, but she isn't working tonight.  Now, can we get things started."

As they watched Wade head over to the stereo to set up the music, a few quietly talked among themselves and knew that rehearsals were going to be a bitch.  It wasn't often that Wade brought personal issues with him to work, but everyone clearly knew that was the situation today.

"I'm guessing there's trouble in paradise." 

"Eddie, why don't you just mind your own business.  You're always looking to start trouble.  I don't even know why J wants you on this tour to begin with."  she snapped back.

"Yeah, well he knows good talent when he sees it.  Not saying you don't have any of course.  Yours just happens to be conducted horizontally."

"You're such an asshole."  she growled and headed over to where Justin was standing. "I don't know how you deal with him."

"You know damn well he is just playing Mel.  He's always been like that.  I just ignore him." he said, wrapping his arm across Melanie's shoulder.

"Yeah well...one of these days his mouth is going to get him in trouble....you watch.  I wish Wade would have heard his smart ass comment.  He wouldn't think things were so funny then."

After standing there for a few seconds, Justin turned to face her.

"What do you think of Wade's relationship with Michelle?  I mean...why do you think she isn't here?  Do you think there is problems between them?"

Quickly glancing over at Wade to make sure he wasn't ready to start, Melanie turned around so that she was now facing Justin with her back to Wade.

"Are you asking me for business purposes, meaning possible tour problems....or are you asking me for another more.....personal reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"J, I saw the way you looked at her when he were all out together at the club.  I saw the way you danced with her and how protective you became when the guy was hanging all over her.  So, if you are going to try and tell me that you don't know what I mean when I say 'personal reasons', I'm going to tell you to your face that you're a liar."

Never expecting anyone other than Trace to know how he felt about her, he was taken by surprise and left momentarily speechless.  Had anyone else put two and two together when it came to his feelings for her.  Could Wade have picked on something as well?

"So, let me ask you again.  Are you asking for buiness or personal reasons?"

"I'm asking in general Mel.  I just expected to her to be here and she's not."

"Well, I don't know too much about their relationship to be honest.  I overhear bits and pieces, but I try to avoid things that type of thing.  You know that."

"Bits and pieces of what?  Stuff about their relationship? "

"I don't know what it is to tell you the truth.  I mean, I know how this business works.  I know how gossip and rumors start and that was one thing I vowed not to take part in when I came out here.  I don't want to add to the mess these things create."

"Mel, what are you talking about?"

"Look, all I know for certain is that you aren't the only one who is bothered by her relationship with Wade.  I know you're bothered by it because, I've known you for a while J.  You wear your heart on your sleeve.  However, I don't know exactly how many others want to see it end or why, but I know there are a few." 

"Alright, let's line up.  We have a lot of material to cover and I don't want to waste any time."  Wade yelled from across the room. "We're going to start from the beginning of Rock your body.  If anyone gets caught up, continue through and then we will break it down in to parts."

"Mel!  Wait!"  Justin called after her. "What do you mean I'm not the only one? Who else?"

"Look, just forget I said anything. This is what I was talking about.  I don't want to be involved in this gossip and rumor circle Justin.  Besides, I honestly don't know anything more than that."

As she joined the other dancers, Justin slowly walked behind her on his way to the front of the group.  He knew that his conversation with Melanie didn't help him in any way. In fact, it didn't provide him with any answers at all....just more questions. 

Once Justin took his place in front of the dancers, Wade started the music and looked directly in to Justin's eyes. Although not a word was said, Justin couldn't shake the feeling that Wade had just marked him for destruction.