Oops. Big oops. I found out that Paiges brother's name is actually Dylan, not Mikey. I've changed it in this chapter, and once I get a bit more time on my hand, I'll redo the old chapters.

Thank you so much once again for all the kind reviews!

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My blood ran cold. What had happened to Dean? Had someone hurt him? Had he gotten out? I tried to ask, but my mouth wouldn't comply.

"He got into a fight with another inmate. The inmate found out about his health."

"Health?" I managed.

"He's HIV-positive."

I calmed down. "I know."

"You do?"

I nodded. "Jena found out she was HIV-positive and told me."

"Did you get tested?"

I nodded again. "Yesterday. I haven't gotten the results." I tried to sound as calm as I could, as unaffected as I could, and he seemed to buy it.

"Did he-" I started, but couldn't continue.

"Did he what?"

I shook my head. "Never mind." I sat there another minute. "Did he know that he had HIV before he raped all of us?"

He seemed surprised at my question, but didn't think before answering. "I don't know. I'd have to check his medical records, but I need a subpoena for that."

"A what?"

"A subpoena. It's a court order for his medical records."

"Paige?" Mark, the other prosecutor asked, coming out of the office. I stood up, said a quick good-bye to Officer Collins, then went in.

I had been expecting an old grumpy woman for some reason, and I was shocked when I saw Jennifer. She was petite with curly brown hair and a friendly face. She looked like a University student and I couldn't imagine her being a good lawyer.

"Hi Paige, I'm Jennifer Hamilton," she introduced herself, shaking my hand. I had expected her to have a high-pitched chirpy voice, but it came out smooth and deep.

"I wanted to meet with you today to go over what's going to be happening the next couple of weeks." There was no small talk, no beating around the bush. She went straight into it. "There are going to be a couple more motions, but I don't know if you'll need to testify at any of them. Dean is going to released from prison tomorrow, but I hear you've already gone to see him. He is going to be under house arrest until the trial, so if he tries to approach you, call the police immediately. I am going to ask you to testify at his trial, even though he isn't being prosecuted for your rape." She totally blunt, but I liked her.

"How long. . . how long will he got to jail?"

She looked me in the eye. "Best case scenario- ten years."

He had raped me, tormented me, broken into my house, made me loose my mind and maybe given me a disease that would one day kill me, and he only went away for ten years?

I was beginning to see that there was no such thing as justice.

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That night was another awful night. My fears swung wildly between what he would do now, me having HIV and what he would do once he got out of jail. I didn't sleep more than twenty minutes at a time, and when I did, I woke up in a cold sweat, nearly in tears.

My stomach roiled constantly, and I couldn't bring myself to turn my light off. I couldn't sit still, but my body felt too heavy to move. Finally, about five o'clock, I passed out from sheer exhaustion, and at six thirty, I woke up sobbing and screaming.

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My mom and I hadn't talked the night before. Once I got home, she had locked herself in her room, and hadn't said a word to me. I wasn't too upset about that. She was in a much better mood when I emerged from my room the next morning.

She was sitting at the table, reading a card. She was all dressed up for a Friday. Then it struck me.

It was her birthday. And I had completely forgotten.

"Oh, sweetie, thank you," she said, looking up and Dylan and I. "Both of you!"

"But I-" I began, but Dylan pinched me in the back. "You're welcome."

She hugged both of us quickly, then left after an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed as soon as she was out off earshot. "What did you get her?"

"A spa package. For tonight and tomorrow. She's gone tonight."

"How did you afford this?"

"That doesn't matter. Look, I need you to cover for me though."

"For what?"

"You know I don't do anything stupid often. But I'm spending the night at someone's house tonight."

It took me a second to process what he had just said. "Do I get to know his name?"

"I'll tell you all about him tomorrow. Just, please, do this for me."

The idea of being alone in the house at night terrified me, but he looked so excited that I couldn't help but agree.

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"Did you get any sleep last night?" Spinner asked as I rested my head on his shoulder.

I shook my head. "Nothing that counted."

"How long has it been since you slept properly?"

"November," I answered without thinking. I really hadn't had a proper night's sleep since Dean had raped me. "Since Monday night."

"Do you know when you get the test results?"

I shook my head. "Maybe I'll get them Monday."

"Do you have any plans for this weekend?"

I shook my head again. "My mom and Dylan are away tonight. I'll probably end up doing homework."

Spin laughed. "Paige Michalchuk do homework on a Friday night?"

I smacked him gently. "It's not that funny."

"Yes it is."

"Fine, then why don't you come over tonight?"

"So I can do homework with you?" He had controlled himself, but started laughing again at that suggestion.

"We'll rent a movie or something. My mom probably has me on house arrest."

"Why?"

"She found out we skipped yesterday." I filled him in on the events of the day after I had gotten home. Although there was nothing special about that moment, nothing particularly sweet or tender, just the two of us talking, and I had no idea why, it was the first time that I really discovered how much I loved him. I had told him I loved him before, but I hadn't felt it until that moment.

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"Okay, we have SWAT, Terminator 3 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding," Spin told me that night, unpacking the movies, chips and pop he had brought.

"How are we going to get through all this?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter." I sat on the couch, and he popped he movie into the VCR. He turned off the overhead light, pulled out a bag of M&Ms and sat down beside me. I curled up against his chest, and he put his arm around me.

The gunfire from the movie slowly faded into the background, and I settled in against his chest. Finally, without any struggle, I fell asleep peacefully for the first time for the first time in a week.

An hour or so later, the phone woke me out of my dreamless sleep. I looked over at Spin, who was still concentrating on the movie, but had his arms around me. I gently pulled myself out of his arms, and went to pick it up, remembering the last time we'd been watching a movie and the phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked cautiously.

"Hello, could I please speak with Paige Michalchuk?"

"Speaking."

"This is Carla Tarver from Bay Street Laboratories. The results of your blood test are in."

"You have them? Can you tell me?"

"Doctor Johnston has requested that you come in to see him. How is tomorrow at twelve?"