Hey you all!

SO sorry it's taken me so long to post Chap 3! Summer Break just started and I just came up here to my dad's Saturday and I'm up here until July, 800 miles away from ALL my friends, and NOTHING to do all day but to laze around and do nothing... Thank God I brought my laptop! :D

Thanks for being patient! And PLEASE review this story! I'm not going to post as often as I would if I don't get good feedback! :D

~Mik Mik

***WARNING- STRONG VIOLENCE IN THIS CHAPTER!***

Bridgette POV

I knew Geoff didn't believe me when I told him I'd be fine. We all knew that probably as soon as I walked in that door, Adam would get up and start something again. But I couldn't let Geoff think that. I gave Geoff a fake smile, nudging his arm with my elbow.

"Hey, I'm not so fragile that I can't take a few scrapes and bruises.

"But Adam's the one causing it!" Geoff fired back at me, grasping my shoulders and boring his turquoise eyes into my olive green ones.

"Geoff, you should get going." I mumbled to him, looking down and stepping away from Donovan's side to give Geoff a hug. He grasped me tight, acting as if he were never going to let go of me ever again. Not that I would've minded, of course. I felt safe in his arms, his conforting scent, his loving eyes, his award winning smile. I loved him more than anything, even Donovan or myself. I couldn't let him see me so... so weak like this. Anyway, it was late, and his parents were bound to kill him if he didn't come home soon.

Geoff grudgingly walked with me to the drivers side of the car and let him self in. He started the ignition with the car door open and reached out to give me a hug. But I beat him to it, flinging myself in his warm embrace once again. Finally, he pried my arms away from his neck and leaned forward to say goodbye.

"Night Bridge." He whispered as I closed the gap between our lips. It wasn't like many other kiss we've had, more passionate and rough. This one was a short and sweet, full of all the love and care and support he knew I needed to get me through the night I knew was in store for me. Corny, but that's what it felt like to me. I kissed him back, just as tender as he was.

Donovan cleared his throat and I stepped back, blushing. Geoff gave me a signature smile and a wink as he shut the door and put the car in reverse, waving a goodbye to Donovan and a blown air-kiss to me. I reached out and grasped the imaginary kiss, holding it close to my chest as he backed out of the driveway.

As soon as Geoff was out of sight, I sighed and started walking towards the house.

"Bridgette?" Donovan asked in a small voice, and I turned around to see him standing right where I'd left him at the edge of the drive.

"What's up, Don?" I asked, wandering back to where he was standing.

"Uh, nevermind..." He trailed off and started walking towards the house. I shook my head and followed him. When we got to the door, Donovan froze, and I gave him a reassuring smile- well, what I hope looked reassuring- and opened the door.

All the lights in the house were off, save the TV glaring from the living room. As Donovan and I crept past, I looked in to see Adam dozing in the lounge chair in front of Saturday Night Live. I scowled when I saw the fresh beer stain on the carpet.

Donovan and I sauntered upstairs, then ran to Donovans room and closed the door. He'd left his TV on, and Naruto Shippudden was just begining. I reached over and hit the record button on Donovan's remote and turned the TV off

"Hey!" Donovan started.

"It's past your bedtime." I shot back. "School starts back on Tuesday, so you need to get back on your sleep schedule."

Donovan grumbled as he settled down under the covers and drifted off to sleep. I sat and watched him for awhile. He looks so much like Mom, I thought sadly, brushing Donovan's hair from his face. If only she could see him now.

I wiped a stray tear away and stood up quietly, glancing at my brothers sleeping form. He was always cold, like me, so he was curled under 2 thick blankets in a little ball. Even in the dead of the warm summer, we were always cold.

***THIS IS WHERE THE VIOLENCE STARTS. SKIP IF YOU WANT (you wont miss anything)***

I eased out the door and gently shut the door behind me, not making a noise. Now only if I could make it to the other side of the long hallway without Mr. Grinch hearing me. I took a tentive step forward, then tried to make a run for it, when suddenly Adam was at the top of the stairs and tripped me, making me hit my head on the wooden stair rail.

I turned around, shocked that Adam had come upstairs so quickly, then the shock turned into panic as I saw how his eyes were boring, violent and blood-shot, into mine. I tried scooching backwards towards the safety of anywhere but Adam's path.

"What the hell are you doing girl?" Adam snarled at me, spitting alittle on my face. Though he was quiet, he looked enraged.

"I was putting Donovan to bed an-" I started, but cut off with a yell as Adam yanked me up by my sweatshirt collar and grabbed my throat

"If I ever get whiff of that boy ever again, you're gonna pay." He snapped at me. I was afraid of loosing consiousness, and instead of trying to listen to him, I was trying to pry his arms off my neck.

"You listening, girl?" Adam yelled as he yanked me into my bedroom, slammed the door shut with his foot, and roughly threw me down on the bed. I gasped for air as I was thrown down, but was then cut off again by a gag being stuffed in my mouth. My eyes widened, and I struggled even more.

Adam growled and smacked me upside the head, dazing me long enough for him to bind my wrists and ankles together,slinging my tied wrists over a bed post.

"You better start minding, girl, or the boy's going to pay for it, and you wouldnt want that would you?" Adam crooned, then raked me across the face with his nails. I choked as I tried to cry out for help.

But I knew no one would help me. No one could hear my muffled cries, and if anyone did they just turned the other cheek. I cried as Adam kicked me, over and over, til the gag in my mouth was partially stained with the blood I'd coughed up.

***END VIOLENCE***

Finally, Adam had had enough and left me sagging against the post, crying hystericaly, and he crawled back down the stairs, probably going to drink some more. I sat there, still attached to the bedpost, still blubbering like a baby. Adam hadn't been this rough with me since... Well, it'd been awhile.

I finally dozed off in tears a few hours later, being awakened by a light tap at my window. I grogily blinked sleep away from my eyes and twisted around so I could see my window. There, in the dark twilight, I could vaguely make out the form of a shadow, wearing... a cowboy hat? Who the crap wears a-

Geoff.

Oh crap!

If Geoff saw me like this, he'd probably kill me for sure. Well, no, he'd probably try and kill Adam for doing this to me.

I twisted back and ducked down, praying Geoff wouldnt find me or see me in this state. But as the window slid open and Geoff entered my room, I knew by how quiet he was that he saw me. He stayed there for about half a second, then rushed to the door, silently shutting and locking it, then turned around to face me, nothing but tears in his beautiful blue eyes. Wait... tears?

Geoff leaped forward and knelt down by me, taking his pocket knife out from his, well, pocket, and rapidly started cutting the rope that bound my wrists and ankles together. When they were free, I kept rubbing my wrists and hands over my feet and ankles, trying to get some blood back into them. Geoff gently took the gag out of my mouth, stared in open-mouthed horror at the blood covering it, and tossed it behind him perfectly into the trash.

And that's about the time where I started breaking down.

Thanks for all of you who keep reading! Expect ALOT more updates this next month AND some more stories! :D

~Mik Mik