::Don't own Jericho or Lita, they own themselves.

*~*Afraid to Breathe*~* *~*Chapter 4*~*

"Adam. it's not what it looks like." Chris began, worry filling his mind. Adam couldn't, just couldn't find out about Amy. If he found her in the bathroom, her face bruised and swollen, he would make her tell him. Then Chris would *really* be screwed.

"Why is the door locked?" Adam questioned, turning the knob on the door, only to find that it wouldn't open.

"What?" Chris exclaimed, in sheer disbelief. Adam hadn't found anything? Amy must've locked the door. damn she really wasn't as dumb as she looked sometimes. "Oh, it's locked. I have a key.. JUST LET ME GET THE KEY TO THE BATHROOM!" He yelled as he walked away, hoping Amy had heard him so she could get a chance to hide in the closet or something. There was no way in hell that he'd let Adam Copeland find Amy, his property. Adam had always gotten the things he'd wanted. But not this time. Chris had Amy and he planned on keeping it that way. He'd known from the day he and Amy had started dating that Adam had wanted her. They'd always been flirty, touching hands, hugging each other. But, Chris put a stop to that. When they got together, Chris made sure Amy spent all her free time with him, hugging and kissing him, not Adam Copeland.

Grinning in spite of the fact that his heart was still beating a mile a minute from the shock he'd just had, Chris grabbed the key to the bathroom and walked slowly back to where Adam was standing and waiting.

"Thanks man." Adam said with a friendly smile, which Chris returned.

Keep smiling Copeland. Chris thought to himself. Because all your sweet talk, all your charm. it won't get you anywhere. Amy's mine. you better just stay away from my property.

Adam gratefully took the key and put it in the doorknob, sighing when it opened. Walking in, turned around and handed Chris the key, giving his fellow Canadian a suspicious look when he saw him looking around the room with a nervous expression on his face. "Chris, you okay?"

Nodding, Chris took a step back, after being fully assured that Amy wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno." Adam shrugged. "You just seem jumpy. and I came in here to go to the bathroom and you followed me in here and looked around.. Like you were looking for something."

"No." Chris replied with a small chuckle. "I was just. looking."

Nodding, Adam didn't respond, he just shut the door behind Chris, who still stood at the door, listening for any sign of Amy's voice.

*The closet*

Taking a deep breath, Amy tried to move out of the position she was in, since it was hurting her legs. She tried to be as quiet as possible, knowing there was no way she could let Adam find her in the bathroom where he was, in the closet no less. It just couldn't happen. Chris wouldn't let it. There was no way she could tell Adam what was going, Chris would stop her before anything happened. She hated how she let Chris run her life, but what could she do? You could leave. Amy told herself, knowing that she should. But she couldn't, she loved Chris.

Hearing the toilet flush, Amy listened closely, her ear pressed against the bathroom door. When she was completely positive that Adam had left, she quietly emerged from the closet, finally getting to stretch her legs.

She almost jumped a foot in the air when she heard the door open again. Letting out a deep breath, she realized it was only Chris. As scared as she was of him, she was even more scared of Adam finding out about what had been going on.

"Where did you hide?" Chris questioned, wanting to make sure Adam had no idea that Amy was even in the house, let alone in the same bathroom he'd been in just seconds ago.

"The closet." Amy replied, running her left hand through her hair nervously.

Nodding, Chris felt satisfied. "Alright and he didn't see or hear you?"

"No, not at all." Amy assured her boyfriend. if you could even call him that.

"Alright." Chris replied. "I'm going back out in the living room with Adam, don't you dare make a sound, or else."

Amy watched closely as Chris made his hands into fists and punched them together threateningly. She knew what he meant and she knew he was serious. Not wanting to anger him, she just nodded sadly, almost wishing she'd said something to Adam.

Satisfied, Chris turned around and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, leaving Amy all alone.

Once she was sure Chris wasn't going to come back, Amy sat down on the toilet seat and began to cry. She didn't want to cry, she knew she'd cried way too much over Chris, but she just couldn't help it. She couldn't stand how he treated her like a piece of property. she wasn't his. Yes, she was his girlfriend, but she was an individual. a woman.

Gasping for air, Amy tried to control her tears, knowing that once her tears got out of hand, she wouldn't be able to control the noise her sobs had a tendency to make.

"Calm down Amy, calm down." Amy told herself over and over again. She *needed* to calm down, she couldn't keep doing this over and over again. She'd end up killing herself. if Chris didn't do it first.

The thought made her shiver. Sure, Chris had a tendency to be very mean, and sure, he'd hurt her before, but murder? Was he really capable of that? Again, Amy shivered, but this time because she realized that she really wasn't sure what Chris was capable of. Maybe he *was* capable of murder. And. if he was going to murder anyone. she was sure it would be her.

Standing up, Amy looked at herself in the mirror, almost gasping at the person she saw in the mirror. She couldn't believe that this was what she'd become. Her hazel eyes were now swollen with dark purple bruises all around them. He full lips were now even fuller, being that they were so swollen. Her red hair was limp and just lying on her shoulders; it was no longer wild and vibrant like it used to be. And of this was because of Chris.

"That's it." Amy told herself. "I cant do it anymore." Taking a deep breath, Amy finally expressed the conclusion she'd come to.

"I'm going to leave Chris."

A/N: I just wanna say thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far, it means a lot to me. Thanks sooo much!!! R&R!! :)Nicole***