Okay, after that cliffy, here you go :)

Chapter 3 No More

MORRGIE'S POV

Before I know what's happening, I feel Sterling's warm, moist lips meet mine.

Woah, what?

It seems like all this is happening too fast-but it feels so right.

I subconsciously feel myself relaxing and slipping my arms around his neck. His lips smack softly against mine, and I take a fistful of the back of his shirt in my hand with pleasure.

Then, something hits me.

We're too different, this will never work out; I'll never have a chance with this hot, famous eighteen-year-old.

I pull my lips away, and stare him in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" he whispers, his warm breath hitting my face temptingly.

I step away from him and his eyebrows scrunch together, not understanding what's going on.

"We're too different...your famous, and I'm just a normal girl. yes, I like you-a lot-but this will never work out, I'm sorry," I explain tearfully.

He reaches for my arm as I turn to go out.

"Wait! Your a normal girl that I happen to really like, Morrgie. Just stay...please," he pleads.

"Spare me the grief," I retort, running out.

I have to get home before I break down.

STERLING'S POV

As she slams the door to the balcony in my face, I feel a mixture of anger, disappointment, and the urge to cry churn inside of me. I stand here for a long time, letting the feeling overwhelm me, and my breathing gradually get louder.

Finally, I snap and kick a potted plant hard, moaning to myself: "What did you have to go and kiss her for?".

I know I'd rushed things, but I didn't know she was going to react like that.

I kick the potted plant again, this time knocking it over and shattering it on the concrete.

Then, I hear a timid knock. I look up, silently hoping its Morrgie coming back to reconsider.

But its Scarlett.

She steps in and sighs. "I saw everything," she says gently. I turn away and take a deep breath, composing myself. Knowing Scarlett, she should be yelling at me right now, but she's not, so I'll try my hardest to be rational too.

"I suppose your gonna tell me to go after her, aren't you?" I say, trying not to sound sarcastic. She nods matter-of-factly. "Yep, that's exactly what I was going to tell you."

I sigh. "Well, first of all, I don't even know where she lives-," I start to say. "No problem. Brandon can find that out easily," she interrupts.

I give her a look. "...second of all, she's not gonna want me to talk to her, judging by the way she talked to me. And third of all, who said I even want to go after her?" I finish, getting wound up again.

She places her hands on her hips. "Well, you better start wanting to, mister. Charm her, you dope."

"With what? My smile? Scarlett, this is real life, not a movie," I say sarcastically.

She sighs."Your getting on my last nerve, here. Sing! She'll fall for you immediately!"

When she sees my doubtful look, she puts her hand on my arm. "Just try, please. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? She can say n-"

"She could dump freezing cold water on my head," I say.

Well, it could happen!

Scarlett gives me an odd look and says: "Just forget about what might happen. Brandon has a guitar you can use, go get it."

I nod and run out. On the way to the limo, Brandon hands me a guitar.

"Thanks, man," I whisper gratefully. He smiles back,and I dart outside, dodging the paparazzi.

"I saw her run out the door to her car, and wondered what happened," Hynrich says as I climb in.

"That's okay, man. Whew! I never thought kissing a girl could cause so much trouble!" I say.

He raises an eyebrow. "You kissed her?"

I grin sheepishly. "Yeah, I sorta rushed things," I admit.

He nods understandingly. "Well, let's go get her," he says, giving me a thumbs up.

I smile, then hear someone clear their throat next to me. I jump and whirl around.

"Brandon?! What the heck are you doing in here?!" I ask loudly. Brandon crosses his arms defiantly. "Someone has to tell you where to go. You don't have to yell at me," he retorts.

I mentally slap myself for yelling at him. "Sorry, dud," I apologize, rubbing the back of my neck. "Where do we go?"

When we get to Morrgie's house, Heinrich parks and I grab the guitar.

Brandon starts to get out too, but I lock the door. "Don't even think about it, I'm dealing with this myself. Hynrich, make sure he stays in here," I say, climbing out. Brandon makes a pouty face, but remains in the back seat.

I take a deep breath and go to what I hope is her window. I pick up a pebble, and throwing it at the glass, yell her name.

At last, she yanks open the window and fumes: "What do you want, Sterling?!"

I wince. She is angry.

"I want to apologize," I yell back up to her, stuffing my free hand in my pocket.

She glares down at me, eying the musical instrument in my hand. "What's the catch?" she asks suspiciously.

"No catch, just listen."

She starts to close the window.

"No, Morrgie! Just hear me out!" I protest. She doesn't say or do anything, so I proceed.

If I could express

What I feel inside

I would say that I'm in love with you

If you feel the same

Why not tell me so?

And if we both feel the same way

We should be together

Show the world that

We can be as one

Work as a team

We are one

We are-

Then, my song is rudely interrupted by freezing cold water being splashed on my head.

Boosh, Scarlett! I was right!

I gasp, and stand,stunned for a long time. "What was that for?!" I scream. no answer, and the window's closed.

The nerve!

A cold wind blows, making me shiver.

Then, it starts to rain.

Super.

I look up at Morrgie's window one last time, then shuffle sadly back to the limo, as it starts to pour.

"Didn't go well, huh?" says Brandon with amusement.

I sigh, irritated. "Shut up."

As we drive back Brandon's house, I put away my disappointment. So what if she rejects me once? I'm gonna keep trying until she just can't resist me any longer.

I have a whole lot of girl-getting methods, and singing is just one of them.

MORRGIE'S POV

As he sings below me, I get angrier and angrier at him. Why does he have to be so attractive?!

Then, I get an idea. I rush to my side table and grab the large cup of water I used last night to swallow my Ambien. I go back over to the window and carefully aim for the top of his head.

When the water sloshes over his perfect blonde hair, he immediately stops singing.

I close the window, and a moment later, he screams at the top of his lungs: "What was that for?!"

I ignore him and sit down on my bed. I start thinking.

Maybe he really does like me, and doesn't just want to use me as his new one week girl friend for the media to chase-maybe that's why he sang.

But we can't. We'll never work.

I pull back my covers, take an Ambien, and switch off the lamp.

I close my once bright, shining eyes and drift off into another troubled sleep.

I hear someone moving around in my room.

I stir.

I hear a whisper, then a word spoken, then my name being screamed in my ear.

"Morrgie! Morrgie!"

I sit up with a start.

"What?!"

Opening my eyes, I find that its the weird other me again.

"You again?" I ask rudely. I'm never happy when I first wake up.

Then I realize where I am, and that my head hurts.

"Why am I in the hospital?" I whisper.

What happened?

"You were in a car wreck, Morrgie," she explains.

Where are my parents?

"Are mom and dad okay?" I ask breathlessly.

She hesitates then tells me in a hushed whisper: "Their dead."

I'm shocked. This can't be happening. Not to me, somebody else.

I stare at her for a while, then break down, crying into my hands.

"Morrgie," I finally hear her say through my sobs.

I sniff, wiping my nose on the back of my hand, and look up at her.

"You are left with a choice. You can be depressed and lost about this, or you can find hope in the darkness."

I contemplate this a while.

"I need help getting through this, don't I?" I ask, fresh tears following the old paths

"Yes, you do."

STERLING'S POV

Flashes of Morrgie's eyes and face.

Snippets of some big guy's face.

A puddle of blood.

Morrgie' screaming: "No More! Please help me!"

Then, I wake up in a cold sweat and breathing hard. I gaze over at the clock, clutching my chest. I can feel my heart racing inside. 8:30.

I calm down a little, then get up. Walking over to my bathroom, I trip over my ruined guitar. When Morrgie dumped the water on my head last night (plus the rain), it had gotten...well, let's put it simply-a bit wet.

I wash my face, then go down to the kitchen to eat breakfast, where Scarlett meets me again.

"Hey, Sandie," she says sleepily. When did she start calling me that?

"Um...Hi," I say back, my voice muffled as I stick my head in the refrigerator.

"How'd it go last night?" she asks.

Honestly, I wish she wouldn't go there.

"Uh-let's just say I got rained on."

She makes a puzzled look, but I wave her off, not wanting to talk about it.

Then, my mom hurries in.

"Hey, mom! You look nice," I say, noticing she's made up, with her hair in a neat bun.

She grabs a coffee mug, then pours some out of its pot.

"Thank-you, Sterling," she says hurriedly, but with a smile. "I have a job interview today-and I'm late."

"Mmmm."

I lean against the counter lightly.

"See you tonight?" I ask, following her to the door.

"Okay, sweetie, love you!" she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, then one to my sister.

"Hope you get the job!" I call after her.

I doubted it. The boss would take one look at her criminal records, and points to the door.

After waving goodbye one last time, Scarlett and I go back into the kitchen to eat breakfast, discovering that Spencer already beat us to it.

"Where did mom go?" he asks around a bite of toast.

"Job interview," Scarlett answers for me.

We carry on a conversation as we eat, but my mind keeps wandering back to the dream I had last night. I know it meant something. Hopefully, she isn't in danger or anything.

"...Sterling! Wake up! Your daydreaming again!" I hear Scarlett's voice break into my thoughts.

"What?" I ask, a bit dazed.

She makes a face. "Never mind. I'm not gonna repeat it," she says, then turns back to Spencer.

I sigh and dump my dishes in the sink, then run up the stairs to my room.

I get dressed and grab my keys. I have to go to Morrgie's. Something's pulling me there like an electrical force.

I tell Scarlett and Spencer where I'm going, then go to my car.

When I reach her house for the second time this weekend, I get a sick feeling in my gut like something's wrong, and it just keeps getting stronger as I climb the steps to he door.

Right before I prepare to ring the doorbell (and think I'm about to throw up), I hear screaming.

I gasp and burst in, then what I see petrifies me with horror and fear.

Morrgie is on the floor, some huge dude standing over her with his fist held high. She cringes and he brings it down hard on her right shoulder, making her scream.

"No more!" she sobs.

He pulls her up roughly, pressing her against the wall, and whispers something I can't make out in her ear. He brings his hand to her throat and pushes her farther up the wall. She gives a short gasp and stands on her tip-toes, clutching his arm. He squeezes her neck tighter and lifts her off the ground, making her close her eyes briefly.

Then, she catches my eye and, with pleading in her eyes, mouths urgently: "Help me!"

He then drops her to the floor, where she lays motionless.

I shake myself out of my horror-stricken trance, and charge. "You killed her!" I rage, feeling like the air has been knocked out of me. I slam all my weight against his chest, pushing him to the wall (which is quite difficult, considering the size of him).

He's taken by suprise at first, but recovers fast, bringing his huge fist to meet my stomach hard. I groan and double over, only having time to knee him between the legs.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot a knife lying on the kitchen counter. I lunge toward it, but he sees me and grabs my leg, yanking it hard.

I cry out as my leg pops out of its socket. It stalls me for a moment, but I go for the knife again, this time successful.

Pulling myself up, I spring at him. The knife lands deep in his lower shoulder, and he falls to the floor , writhing in pain.

I watch him, but my knees buckle and I fall heavily to knees.

Morrgie.

I crawl to the wall where she lays.

"Morrgie?" I whisper hoarsely. I pull her gently into my lap, lovingly stoking her hair. She can't be dead. I need her too much. An overwhelming sense of loneliness fills me, and tears come to my eyes. Soon, their spilling out and over my cheeks. One splashes down onto Morrgie's pale and bruised cheek.

Then, suddenly, her eyes flicker open and she mouths my name. Hope floods through me and I softly caress her cheek.

"Morrgie! Are you okay?" I ask quietly. "I-cough-think so."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you?" she asks, trying to prop herself up on her elbow.

I smile. "I am...but I'm afraid he's not," I reply, pointing to the man still laying on the floor behind me.

Morrgie rolls her eyes and smiles at me gratefully. "That's good."

We sit awkwardly for a few moments then, Morrgie places her hand on my shoulder, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry about last night...I was just mad. Sterling, I-I really do like you."

I look deep into her beautiful brown eyes, searching.

Then, we both slowly lean in.

Yes!

As out lips touch once again, I feel excitement buzz through my body and fireworks explode.

MORRGIE'S POV

I shift closer to him, forgetting about the pain in my throat and the rest of my body. We move our lips together, and I rest my hands on his jaw.

So this is what it feels like to kiss him freely...

I've never realized that I was in love with him until he walked through my door as Spike was choking me. Then, well, I felt something change inside of me change inside of me.

Getting carried away with the kiss, Sterling pushes his lips harder into mine, and gently places his hand on my broken shoulder. I whimper, pulling away.

He looks disappointed, then seems to understand.

"He hurt your shoulder, didn't he?" he whispers, still inches from my mouth. I nod painfully, not wanting to break this moment.

"How bad do you think it is?" he continues, holding my chin.

Darn, the moment's over.

"He might've broken it," I answer, gingerly rubbing it.

It feels strange to talk. I sound like Cruella De Vil with a sore throat...

His eyes widen, and he pulls down my shirt sleeve to take a look at it.

It's covered in bruises from where Spike hit me multiple times.

I tangle my hand in his hair, silently observing him.

His intent ocean blue eyes are set in a perfectly soft face, with slightly defined features.

He sighs and leans back. "Let's go to my house, kay? You can stay there tonight," he suggests.

I nod and he proceeds to pick me up bridal-style. Although he does it gently, it hurts and I inhale sharply, taking a handful of Sterling's white T-shirt in my fist.

He frowns apologetically. "Sorry," he whispers. I shake my head, my eyes closed tightly. "I'm fine."

"Your a tough girl," he says tenderly, shaking his head unbelieving.

Oh, boy...if he only knew...

He limps over to the door, looking back once more at unconscious Spike. then, we continue out the door and down the front steps.

Down in his car, he gently puts me down in the front seat, then goes around to the other side and painfully gets in. He starts the car, then reaches over and touches
my arm.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, his voice choked.

I sigh and lean back in my seat. "I tried," I reply softly.

Sterling clears his throat. "Maybe you didn't try hard enough."

I close my eyes. "Maybe I didn't...but I was also afraid of what you would say."

His hand slides off my arm. "What? I would never say anything to hurt you! Ever!" Then, he kisses me to prove it.

Tears come to my eyes. My feelings are really delicate right now.

Sterling pulls me close and I bury my face in his shirt, sobbing. He kisses my neck, calming me.

My sobs slow, and he leaves one last tender kiss on my lips. I sit back with one more sob, exhausted.

All the way to Sterling's house, I fight the urge to fall asleep, because I know that if I do, I'll have a fresh nightmare of Spike. That's just another secret I'm not ready to tell...

_STERLING'S POV

I walk slowly, stealthily, up the stairs, a very tired Morrgie trailing close behind and gripping my hand.

I don't want Scarlett or Spencer seeing us. Morrgie needs rest, not an interview.

On the last step, she stumbles, signaling just how weak and tired she is. I catch her and carry her the rest of the way to my room.

Every step I take, pain shoots through my dislocated leg, and I cringe.

Finally, in my room, I gently lay her down on my bed and squeeze her hand. Then, she closes her eyes, soon drifting off.

I fall down on my couch and soon, I, too am sleeping.

Daw! I 3 him :D