Chapter 3

Thank you so much for all of your reviews, I really appreciate it. Thank you to the person who pointed out to me that the Miami University is in Ohio and that the University in Miami is the University of Miami, I didn't know that and I do live in the UK which is pretty far from both, so thank you, I guess you learn something new every day! It has now been changed.

I wasn't really sure what it would read like compared to some of the excellent stuff on here.

In this story Calleigh didn't go to Tulane University, she went to the University of Miami.

She also never slept with Hagen or any of her other boyfriends, so pretend that never happened.

Calleigh unlocked the front door of her apartment and Eric followed her in, she placed her bag and keys down on the table near the door and made her way into the kitchen, Eric followed her.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked him

"No thanks I'm ok."

Calleigh moved towards the sofa and sat down, Eric followed suit and did the same.

"Calleigh…" Eric started, "you know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?"

"I know that, thank you Eric," Calleigh replied, she didn't know what to say, part of her wanted to tell him everything that had happened back then, she had never told anybody what it was like. Another part of her hated herself for thinking she needed him.

"It's just I saw those pictures today and ….."Eric stopped he realised that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Hey, come here," he said pulling her closer to him, she rested her head on his chest; he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. He wanted to make everything better for her, stop it hurting.

"I'm sorry Eric I don't know what came over me, it's just that today surprised me I didn't expect the case to bring all of this up and then you all found out about what happened back then and…"

"Shh, it's ok," Eric said stroking her hair trying to sooth her.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened?" Calleigh asked him, looking up at him.

"Only if you feel comfortable," he replied softly.

"I was 18, I was a student in my first year at the University of Miami, and I always got up early in the morning and went for a run to help clear my head. Anyway this day I got up and went for a run as usual but I was on my way through the park and he came up behind me and asked for directions, I was half way through explaining when he knocked me out and the next thing I remember I was waking up in a van."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want," Eric said, he didn't want her to feel pressured into telling him anything; he just wanted to comfort her and protect her.

"No, its ok I feel safe with you," Calleigh replied with a smile, "anyway, I tried to get out but he'd tied up my hands and feet and gagged me. The van then stopped and he came round the back and opened the doors, I was too scared to move, he grabbed hold of me and dragged me into this house and into a room with a bed in it and threw me on the bed." Eric felt her grip him harder and so he held her tighter in return. "He untied my arms and then tied them against the metal headboard so I was lying down. He said that he would remove the gag from my mouth if I promised not scream, I didn't know what to do Eric, I was so scared I just lay there."

"It's ok, I promise it'll be ok, he can't hurt you anymore," Eric felt so useless, he just wanted to make her feel better but didn't know what to say, all he knew was that if he ever saw Josh Bartlett he'd kill him with his bare hands for what he had done to Calleigh.

"Then he said 'let's see what we've got here' and started undressing me, I begged him to stop Eric, but he wouldn't, he ripped my blouse off and then my bra," Calleigh was nearly crying now, "he untied my feet and then he pulled my pants down. He started touching me, groping me, I just wanted him to get his hands off me but I couldn't move, he tried to kiss me and forced his tongue into my mouth. He kept saying that I wanted it really and that I was his, but I didn't Eric, I didn't." Eric just held her and kept stroking her hair, trying to make the pain go away but he knew he couldn't. "He ripped my panties off and then took his own trousers and boxers off, he…he started touching himself and said that this was my fault and that I'd been leading him on, but I didn't Eric, I didn't even know who he was. He forced my legs apart with his hands, I tried to stop him, but I couldn't." Eric thought of the bruises he had seen in the photographs and thought he was going to be sick.

"It's ok, none of this was your fault."

"He straddled me and then he…he forced himself inside me, I didn't know what to do, I screamed at him to stop, but he wouldn't. He got faster and faster and he kept asking me if this was how I liked it, he said that I was a slut and that I deserved what was happening and that…….." she trailed off and just sobbed into his chest. Eric held her trying to stop her shaking.

"Shh, it's ok, everything is going to be ok." He held her until she cried herself to sleep in his arms. He spent the next 2 hours holding her, watching her as she slept, she looked so peaceful. He just wanted to stay like this forever, protecting her making sure nothing bad ever happened to her again. When he thought about what that animal had done to her, everything he had seen and read and everything she had just told him, he thought he was going to explode with anger, with pain. He wanted to go out now and find the bastard that had done this and kill him now, but he knew Calleigh needed him there with her, so he stayed stroking her hair and thinking how beautiful she was.

"Eric…" Calleigh woke up and she looked up at him and smiled, "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you."

"Don't worry about it, are you ok?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah sure, do you want to watch a DVD?" she asked him thinking they both needed something to take their minds off the events of the day.

"Sure, as long as I can pick it!" he replied jokingly with a smile, "well, you can if you want."

"No, you pick it, whatever you want."

"Ok then Die Hard it is," Eric answered standing up and grabbing the DVD off the shelf and putting it in the DVD player.

"Sure sounds good," Calleigh replied. Eric sat down and they both settled back her leaning on his chest looking at the TV, he wrapped his arm around her and continued to stroke her hair. She turned to look up at him. "Thanks Eric."

"What for?"

"Everything, coming back here, listening to me, understanding," Calleigh continued "I've never really spoken to anyone about this before, told anybody what happened. I guess I was scared how they'd react, but you just listened, thank you."

"Your welcome," he replied and lent down and placed a kiss on her forehead. As he pulled away they continued to stare at each other, he could lose himself in her beautiful green eyes, and she looked so gorgeous in that moment. She looked at him, she really wanted to kiss him, but what would he do, how would he react? Before she knew what she was doing her lips were touching his. He responded deepening their kiss, his hands came to her face, caressing her face, they continued kissing until they needed air.

"Wow," Eric said catching his breath.

"Yeah, wow," Calleigh agreed.

He leant down and kissed her again, their tongues fought for control, Eric honestly believed he had never been so happy in all of his life.

TBC…

Next chapter will be even more M than this chapter, please review I'm really enjoying writing this.