WOW! I got 16 reviews! Holy CRAP! I'm so happy right now! You guys are awesome and I love you! And since you guys reviewed a lot, I'm giving you an update (and its quite lengthy, I think) before I go away on Friday.

Mediatorgrrl - MG! You know this is Nicole, right? From MCBC! DON'T YOU REMEMBER ME? Ha, sorry. And thanks for the review.

Pens in potatoes- Ha, its funny, I started writing this before I read your review and when I DID read your review, I was all, "Wow, we're on the same wavelength. Weird . . ." Haha, yeah. Thankies for the review.

Thanks everyone else! I wouldn't be anything without you!

Summary: (Partially AU) Jessica Mastriani - the well-known Lightning Girl - is waiting. Waiting for her savior - her knight in shining armor you could say. She isn't known for her patience, but for this one thing, she'll have to wait. Wait patiently.

Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns everything, not me. Give her all the praise!

Waiting Patiently

Chapter 5

Rob's POV

Why did I leave her alone with him? Why?

I am such an idiot. I thought he was calmed down. But that guy can never be calm. He's so full of anger and he took it out on her.

He tried to rape her!

That's what almost happened because of my ignorance. Jess was almost raped my her boyfriend. And if I wasn't there to stop it . . .

I don't want to think about what would have happened.

Nobody deserves what just happened to her. Nobody.

She was tough, I know that. But she just wasn't tough enough to withstand his rage.

After I beat the shit out of her now ex-boyfriend, I kicked him aside. I hastily put her clothes back on her. She was all ready unconscious from that last blow he gave her. He hit her pretty hard.

I covered her up as best and fast as I could before that asshole woke up and pounced on me again. I hoisted her over my shoulder and carefully walked down the spiral staircase. I snuck out the back door, so, you know, no one would see me with an unconscious half-naked girl over my shoulder. They might jump to conclusions.

When I got to my bike, I tried to wake her.

"Jess, wake up," I said softly. She didn't stir.

I felt her neck, just to make sure there was a pulse. There was and she was breathing fine, a little raggedly, but fine nonetheless.

I tried again. "Jess!" She still did not stir. "Wake up, Jess. Come on!"

I was about to slap her, which I normally wouldn't resort to, but I needed her to wake up. However, I did not need to, thank God.

She twitched a little, then groaned.

"Thank God," I whispered. "Jess, can you hear me?"

She groaned again. Then she mumbled something.

"Good," I said. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

Nothing happened for a minute, then her eyes slowly fluttered open.

I sighed in relief.

But then she freaked out. She pushed me away and tried to scramble away.

Great.

"Jess, no, its okay. I'm not going to hurt you," I said as soothing as I could.

She stopped fighting and looked at me. "Rob?" she croaked out. Her voice was rusty, probably from all the screaming.

I nodded. "Yeah, its Rob."

I guess that was the right thing to say, since she collapsed in my arms. She was still awake, just really tired, I could tell.

"I'm going to take you home, okay?" I said reassuringly to her.

But she jerked again. "No," she said. "Please, no. I don't want to go home . . ."

"Jess—"

"No!" she cut me off. "Please . . ."

"Okay, okay," I said. Where would I bring her? My house? "I'll bring you to my house, okay?"

She nodded and snuggled into my chest. "Thank you."

I smiled. Here I had this hot girl snuggling into me and I wasn't making a move. But then I remembered what had happened to her. She needed consolation. And I would give that to her. But I had to get her to my house first.

"Jess, you need to wrap your arms around me, okay?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around my waist. She wasn't holding on to well, but it would have to do. I just wouldn't go fast, that's all.

When I got to my house, she was kind of out of it, so I carried her up to my room and lay her on my bed. I didn't really want to change her myself - well, I did, but I knew it wouldn't be all that polite, since I did kind of see her in her altogether not too long ago - so I tried to get her to come to again.

She looked at me quizzically when I did, so I said, "You might want to change into something more comfortable." So I handed her a shirt of mine and a pair of my mom's pajama pants. I don't really think she'd like to wear a pair of my boxers, even if they're clean and all. Maybe someday, but not now.

She thanked me and I went downstairs, closing the door softly behind me. While I was down there, I grabbed some food for us. Then I called my mom, who was recently laid off from the plastics factory - those bastards. My mom was currently dating this guy named Gary. He, coincidentally, worked with me at the garage. Kind of weird, and I still don't like it, but whatever.

So I called her at Gary's house and told her everything that happened. Yes, I could easily talk to me. She was all I had and vice versa - except that could soon change, where Gary is concerned.

She was okay about it. I think that it was partly because she knew that it wasn't just any girl. This girl was special, as cliché as it sounds.

Then she said, "If I find out that you two were doing anything inappropriate while I was gone—"

"Mom," I said, "she's not a slut. She's not like that."

I heard her sigh. "Okay. Just, if you are, use protection, honey."

I felt my face heat up, even though no one but me heard that. "Of course, Mom."

"Okay, good. I'll be home tomorrow afternoon, okay?"

"Yes, I know. Talk to you then."

I brought the food back up to her for her to eat. I knocked on the door, but she didn't say anything. So I went in to see that she was all ready fast asleep in my bed.

Jess's POV

I woke up to the sun shining brightly in my face.

I rolled over in the bed. Then I realized that wasn't such a hot idea, since I fell off it and onto the wooden floor.

That was when I became fully awake.

I wasn't in my own room. I didn't have a wood floor in my room or a twin size bed that I would fall off on.

And that was when I remembered what had happened the previous night. The party, Rob, Kevin, and Rob . . .

Rob had saved me. He saved me from Kevin and all I had ever done to him was be a total bitch. He hadn't taken advantage of me. He hadn't called me nasty names. And he hadn't beaten me to the point of passing out.

I was in Rob's room. He took me here and let me sleep in his bed, in his room. Because he cared.

Why am I so naive?

Seriously.

He only cared about me and I was so mean to him . . .

I got up off the floor and looked around his room. I had never been in here before.

I guess it was masculine. It didn't look to different from my brothers' rooms. Except his was neater and didn't have computer crap or comic books scattered around his room. And, hello, he had a plaid comforter.

I went in front of the mirror and checked my appearance.

Wow, I looked like shit.

No, seriously, I did.

My hair was all greasy and it was sticking out in random places. I had eye-crusties in my eyes.

I realized then that I had one of Rob's shirts on. And his mom's pants?

Whatever, I had his shirt on. And it still smelled of him.

I looked down at the ground and noticed my shirt from last night. It was ripped. Kevin did that. Why was I so stupid as to think Kevin actually cared about me and wanted me for me, not just my body?

I shook it off and changed back into my jeans. At least they weren't ripped. My shirt, though, that was gone. Nothing could fix that. And I liked that shirt too . . .

After fixing my hair as best I could, I ventured down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I found Rob making some eggs.

Wow, he cooks too . . .

He heard me come in and smiled. "Hey," he said. "Go grab something to drink and sit down."

I did what he said. I grabbed some orange juice out of the fridge and found a mug in the cupboard and poured some for me and him.

Then he finished the eggs and sat down opposite me at the table.

We ate quickly. Well, I did, since I was famished. Then we went out into the living room to watch some television.

We were in the middle of some cartoon, since there was really nothing on, when I said, "Rob?"

He looked toward me. "Hmm?"

I looked down at my lap for a minute, then looked back at him. "Look, I - I'm really sorry."

He looked at me in confusion. "Sorry for what? You didn't do anything."

"But I did! I was so mean to you . . . and then you - you saved me from - from . . . him . . ."

He came over to me and sat down next to me. "Shh . . . its okay. Jess, you don't have to apologize."

I shook my head, letting the tears fall. "I do, though. I do!"

He brought his finger to my chin and lifted my head up. "The only thing you have to be sorry about is ever going out with him, Jess. You didn't deserve what happened to you."

"Maybe I did," I whispered.

"Dammit, Jess!" he yelled, removing his hand from my face. "No, you didn't! I - I was so stupid! I shouldn't have left you alone with him!"

"It's not your fault, Rob. I just should have known better. I was naive."

His anger quickly dissipated when he looked back down at me. He forced a smile and sat back next to me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

I assured him it was fine. Then he asked, "Are you . . . okay?"

I wasn't quite sure, actually. I felt myself for bruises, which I'm sure I had many of those. I patted myself over my breasts and winced. Yeah, I had bruises there. Then I ran over my stomach. Yep, there were some there too. I probably had them all over me.

I am not a slut. I would normally never do this. But I just trusted him so much and everything and I felt so comfortable around him.

So I asked him, "Uh, Rob, I - I normally wouldn't ask this of you, but I just need you to . . . check me for bruises . . ."

His eyes widened and he looked at me as if he hadn't heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

"I would do it myself, but I can't really see all of me, even with a mirror." Then I realized he thought I was going to be naked. I laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll have undergarments on. I already know I have some on my breasts, I can feel that, and I'm sure I don't have any . . . down there—" I broke off and blushed. That was rather embarrassing, wouldn't you say?

He, too, was slightly blushing. Only I was not slightly blushing, I was furiously blushing. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, its not really all that . . . appropriate."

I smirked. "What happened to me wasn't all that appropriate either. Besides, I'm sure you saw more of me last night than either of us planned." I looked at him and saw that he was blushing again.

I still felt guilty about yelling at him last night and ignoring him in school and all. I felt so mean and rude and horrible . . .

But he wouldn't let me apologize for it, which was a little weird, but whatever.

He looked at the front door and then looked back at me. "Okay, just . . . we better do this before my mom gets home . . ."

I nodded and suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, that would be best."

And that's how, not five minutes later, we were in the bathroom upstairs, me stripped down to my bra and underwear with him checking me.

Hey, I didn't mind this one bit. And hell, I'm sure he didn't either, being a guy and all.

"Just tell me if it hurts," he said, when he pressed random spots on my back. Some of the bruises were the obvious purple/blue/black or green/yellow color, but some were not even visible.

He pressed a spot near my left hip and I winced. "Yeah, that hurts," I said.

"Okay," he said. Then he pressed more by that spot and I jumped away from him.

"Ow! What the hell? I all ready said that it hurt!"

He chuckled. "Yes, I know. I was seeing how large it was."

I rolled my eyes and glared at him.

"Come here," he said.

I obliged, despite the fact that I was sure he would press there again. But, surprisingly, he didn't.

He finished my back and shoulders. He just stood there behind me for a minute or two, so I turned around, wondering what was wrong. His head snapped back up when I caught him staring at me.

"Hey," I said, faking anger. "No doing that. This is strictly business, Wilkins."

He cracked a smile. "Of course." Then he looked back down, looking me up and down, then he brought his eyes back to my face. "I think that's all the help you need. Your back seems like the only spot where you need help with."

I looked down at myself, a little embarrassed. Had he known that I was secretly enjoying that, despite the occasional bruise prodding? "Oh, yeah. You're right."

Then he smirked. "Unless, of course, you still want me to help . . ." he trailed off. There really was no need to continue that sentence. I knew what he was implying.

I grinned from ear to ear. Then I did something completely unlike me. I stood up on my tippy-toes and kissed him. He was shocked at first, then reciprocated quickly and passionately. I wasn't a very skillful or experienced kisser, but I knew passion when I felt it.

I wrapped my bare arms around his neck and hooked them behind it. His big, masculine hands came to my waist, securing me to that very spot. Then he pulled me closer to him as our kiss continued.

Then, all of a sudden, he stopped. He pulled away from me hastily and muttered something. When I asked what the problem was, he said, "I - its not you . . . I just don't think its right, since what happened to you last night and all. I know you're probably still a little . . . freaked out about that." Seeing the shocked look on my face, he added, "Plus, my mom should be home soon and I don't think she'd fully appreciate you half naked and me kissing you."

I grinned sheepishly and mumbled something. He smiled at me and handed me my clothes to put on, then departed the bathroom. I checked myself a little more, coming to the conclusion that I had quite a few bruises. I had a huge one on my hip - the spot where Rob touched me - it still tingled from his touch. I also had two on my breasts that hurt a little if I touched them. I had a few on my thighs where he almost tried to . . . force himself in me. And that was pretty much it.

Then I put my clothes on and walked out of the bathroom. I figured Rob was in his room, so I walked in without knocking first. Good thing he wasn't doing anything that I shouldn't have seen or else I would have regretted not knocking.

He was reading over something when I walked in. When he looked up and saw me, he smiled and shoved the papers in the drawer on his bedside table. "Hey," he said and stood up.

I smiled shyly at him.

Funny, now that I was actually dressed, I was being shy, as apposed to being practically naked and completely un-modest. Weird.

"Look, um, I kinda need to . . . go home now. I really need to take a shower. I - I feel really dirty right now, you know, with Kevin last night and all . . ."

He nodded. "Yeah, okay." He walked over to the door and was about to walk out, but he turned around, as if he suddenly had an epiphany. "You know, you could always shower here. I mean, if you wanted to, that is . . ."

Again, I smiled shyly. I actually felt more comfortable showering in my own bathroom. I wasn't big on bathing in someone else's house. It just kind of freaked me out - like they were watching me or something. Like when I used to sleep over Ruth's house when we were little, I'd always go home and shower in the morning. I could never take a shower at her house, even with her being my best friend and everything.

I'm just a freak like that.

"No," I said quickly. "I - I mean, I'm not really comfortable bathing in somebody else's house. I've always been that way. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said hastily. "Come on, I'll take you home."

And that he did. This time, though, I told him to drop me off in the front of my house. Which, actually, was kind of stupid of me, since I told my mom I was sleeping over some girl named Joann's house, and Rob was so obviously not Joann, but, yeah, whatever.

"Jess, are you . . . are you doing anything later?" he asked.

I thought for a minute. It was Saturday and I usually had to work at Mastriani's, one of my dad's restaurants, or something. Damn.

"Once I walk through that door, my dad will probably ship me over to one of his restaurants to work. But . . . maybe when I get off?"

He smiled. One that I would kill to see again. "Sure. Just—" he said, grabbing a pen out of his pocket and writing a number down on my hand, "—call my house when you get off or whatever."

"Yeah, I will," I said.

"Great," he said and shoved his helmet back on his head and drove away.

I went inside to be questioned by my dear mother. The good thing though? Yeah, I got Rob Wilkins' number AND a potential date with him.

Now I have to go take a shower and I won't feel violated anymore.

I know her reaction to being almost raped isn't all that realistic, but bear with me. Jess is a strong girl and wouldn't let something like that belittle her. If you have a different opinion, then, well, whatever.

Nicole.