You're not going to get a chapter every day for long you know! I'm off work this week though, so battling through as much as. Thanks to xj0j0x and charmedbyortonbarrett for the reviews, much appreciated. I love all reviews, good and bad, so please do comment if you are so inclined.
Just as a quick random note, I tend to write as the characters rather than using real life names, so that's why they are Justin and Wade in this story, rather than Paul and Stu etc.
She was still in the bathroom getting dressed when Justin arrived at the hotel room. Wade got up off the bed to let him in, and Justin could immediately see that something was very wrong.
"What's happened?" he asked urgently, "I spoke to Natalya and she was really worried about Li, the bookers are furious with the pair of you and I think the shit is going to hit the fan bigstyle. Plus, we need to get the hell out of here sooner rather than later as it's a four hour drive."
"She's... I've never seen her like this J." Wade rubbed his eyes tiredly, worry evident in his features. "She was just crying, like I've never seen her before."
"Did she tell you why?"
"No, she said she will though. Whatever it is, it must be bad. God knows we've all been through some shit these last few years but she's always just coped, you know what I mean?"
Justin nodded, "if he's hurt her, I swear to god..." the anger that flashed in Wade's eyes told Justin that he would be second in the queue to get revenge.
Lisa stepped out of the bathroom looking somewhat better than she had earlier. She had taken time to think while she was getting ready and felt that she needed to talk now. She needed to let things go and she needed to confide in the two people who were as close to best friends as she could possibly count. Even if they were shocked or disgusted, she knew now she couldn't handle this on her own.
She walked over to where the two men were stood and hugged both of them. "Should we do this in the car?" she asked softly, "Wade's already in enough trouble because of me, I know we have to be at the arena early tomorrow for Raw so we need to get going." She held up her hand when Wade went to protest, "no, I promise I will tell you, but while we're driving. I think that'll be easier for me as well."
Justin nodded, "it's my turn to drive, if you're sure that's what you want."
She nodded, more sure of herself. "Let's go."
When they got out to the car, Wade went to get in the front passenger seat next to Justin, but Lisa pulled his arm. "Please, sit with me?"
He nodded and sat next to her in the back seat. He could see her bravado was beginning to wane, and when he wrapped an arm around her she smiled and cuddled close. She remained silent for about half an hour into the journey, and then pulled away from Wade and began to speak.
"You guys know how I finished with Drew, yeah? Well when I told him, he didn't take it well and grabbed me by the throat, but I kicked him in the balls and left him on the floor." Justin chuckled, that sounded exactly like Lisa, but there was a darkness in his eyes knowing that Drew had laid a hand on her.
"But after my match, I was just relaxing in the locker room and he came in... and he touched me, and yeah, my body reacted to him, but I was honest when I told him it was over. I didn't want it, my head didn't at least. For god's sake, he had me by the throat, what was I supposed to do? It was like he thought it was funny that he could make me feel like that. But, he did and ugh..." She paused, shuddering as she remembered.
"And then he came into my hotel room today, and he did it again, and I responded when he touched me, even though I told him no, I told him no so many times but when he touched me I was so confused and I remembered all the times I did want it. He just has this control over me like he can come in and take what he wants and I won't fight it, I can't fight it, and he's right, I'm acting like a whore. I feel so dirty all the time because I don't want him to touch me but when he does I can't stop him. He fucked me and called me a slut and he's right, because my body wanted it and if my body wanted it, maybe my head did too and I should be back with him. But then I think I really don't want to be with him because our relationship was crap, and because he's calling me these things and because he makes me feel so cheap and wrong.
"When he did... what he did, today, I lost it. He has power over me and I don't ever know how I'm going to stop that. He makes me feel sick, but he can still make my body respond when he touches me, and I don't understand why. I hate myself so much for responding, for letting him do this to me.
"I don't know what to do." She took a deep breath and stared down at her nails, unable to look at either man, fearing their reaction.
Wade was silent, while Justin pretended to concentrate on the road. The silence was deafening, until it was broken by an angry growl.
"I'm going to fucking kill him."
Lisa looked up in shock, she had never heard such venom in Wade's voice before. She bit her lip, before whispering quietly, "don't do anything because of me, please."
"Lisa, that bastard raped you, you cannot expect me to just sit by and let him get away with that."
"He... what do you mean?" She sat back, confused.
"You said no to that fucker."
"But... he knew my body still wanted it," she stuttered, "I reacted to him. I might have said no but at least a part of me felt like it was saying yes."
"So what are you saying, you were lying when you said no? You're stringing him along and this is all some sort of sick game? You just want to mess him about before you go back to him? You like keeping men hanging on Li? Maybe it's you with the power over him. God knows I've waited long enough for you and you know what you do to me."
"No!" She shook her head, retreating inwards into herself, moving further away from Wade, almost trying to hide herself from him. "No, I don't want a relationship with him, I don't want him to touch me but we have a history and I can't deny that and fucking hell Wade, you think I'd react like this if it was all a sick game?" Anger flashed in her eyes as she turned to him, "you know me better than that. I just don't understand why he's doing this to me and how I can let him."
"I'm sorry," Wade turned slightly so that he could try to catch her gaze, but she steadfastly looked away from him. "Li, I swear, I didn't mean that. I just... fuck."
Lisa closed her eyes and hadn't even realised the car had stopped. She felt a cool breeze on her skin and realised that the door had opened and Justin was stood beside her. When he motioned for her to get out of the car, she did so without question, and he gathered her tightly in his arms. She buried her head in his chest, feeling herself breaking down again for what felt like the hundredth time that day. This time though, it wasn't because of Drew. Wade's words had cut her heart. She had always known he had wanted her, if she hadn't been with Drew...
"He didn't mean that Lisa," Justin seemed to know the root of her sorrow, and whispered softly in her ear, "he's angry, but it's not at you."
"Then why did he say that?" she sobbed.
"Because he's an idiot." Justin felt her laugh despite herself and started to relax. "Li, we both care about you, even if Wade puts his foot in it, but you need to understand that what Drew's done to you, it's wrong babe. Wade was right about one thing, it is rape, what he's done to you. You need to realise that. He's messed with your head babe. "
She pulled away and looked up at him, surprised to see the anger in his eyes, "J, I'm not... he didn't... just don't call it that, ok?"
"It doesn't matter what you call it love, it's still true." Wade's voice from behind shocked Lisa momentarily, and she turned around in Justin's arms. She looked up at him warily. "I'm sorry. I will never be able to say that enough. I didn't mean that, I swear."
She wanted so much to believe him, but a little voice in the back of her head told her that he was right. "Whatever... whatever it was, what do I do? He's just going to keep on doing it to me until he gets bored and finds someone else Maybe Wade's right, maybe I'm letting him do this to me on purpose because I still want him. I don't still want him, but I just don't know any more. What do I do J?" Justin's arms tightened around her waist, and he pressed a gentle kiss into her hair. He couldn't answer her desperate plea any more than he could promise to keep her safe.
"Like I said, I'm going to bloody kill him." Wade's voice was gruff and she didn't want to name the emotions she heard.
Justin nodded in agreement, "we'll sort it. He won't come anywhere near you by the time we've finished with him."
"You can't. Wade's already in shit because of me, if you guys do anything like that... I can't let you get into trouble because of me."
"You really think we're going to sit by and let him do this to you now we know it's happening?" Wade touched her cheek and gently forced her to look at him, "I couldn't live with myself, and neither could Justin."
She again shook her head but knew there was no point in arguing. The situation was making her feel more and more powerless and more and more uncomfortable. She didn't want to argue with the only two people who made her feel safe. She needed them now more than ever.
"I'm sorry," she sighed, stepping forward out of Justin's grasp into Wade's willing embrace.
He held her as if she was something precious, stroking her hair gently to try to calm her down. Justin indicated they needed to get back into the car, and Wade prompted Lisa to try to get some sleep, resting her head on his leg, curled up on the back seat of the car, as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.
When he recognised the familiar sound of her breathing evening out, indicating she was asleep, he looked up and caught Justin's eyes in the rear view mirror.
"What do we do J?"
"I know what I wanna do." Wade nodded in agreement at the utter fury in Justin's eyes, "but I know that ultimately, if we kick his ass, he'll just take it out on her one way or another, and she's struggling to cope as it is."
"I just don't know how I'm going to look at him, knowing what he's done, and not want to punch his teeth down his throat." Wade tensed slightly, and Lisa shifted slightly, as if she could sense something was wrong. He took a deep breath and continued stroking her hair, nodding to himself as she continued to sleep.
"We have to keep her away from him." Justin's knuckles were white as his hands tensed around the steering wheel. "What do you think about suggesting she stays with us until this is all sorted?"
"Good idea." Wade fell silent, and Justin could tell that he was planning something.
"I need you to do me a favour later, J," Wade's voice rumbled suddenly, "I need you to take Lisa back to the hotel after Raw and keep her busy for a few hours."
"What are you going to do?"
"It's best you don't know."
"Wade, I know how you feel about her..."
"You have no idea how I feel." Wade's voice was cold for a second, and Justin thought that he'd slipped into a mindset long lost, a mindset where if you didn't watch your back there would be a knife in it, literally. That Wade Barrett had taken no prisoners, and Justin had a feeling that his friend could very easily slip back into that persona. "What he's done to her makes me feel physically sick. I will not rest until I am sure he will never harm so much as a hair on her head again."
Justin nodded, he knew there was no point in trying to argue. He would do as asked, although he had no idea what he would tell Lisa. She wasn't stupid, she would know that Wade was planning something. He could only hope that Wade wasn't going to throw everything he had worked for away in an attempt at gaining revenge.
